J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by cem

a boot fitter whether at home or in resort should follow some pretty simple processes to get the right boot....

boot fitting is simple, many stores complicate it or spend time trying 5 ot 10 boots on, it is actually nothing more than taking the round peg or square peg or triangular paeg (the foot) and inserting that peg into the relevent shaped boot...if there is not an exact match ...and as most feet do not come out of boxes this is common, you need to use heat and pressure from a few tools to get the two to match, the original poster wanted a store with 5 brands...if that is the killer then i am not the guy for them to see, i only have 4 brands on the rack...however i beleive that the models we stock are selected carefully to offer a variety of fits, shapes, volumes and flexes.

heres the process we use

1 measure and assess the foot after we have the sizes (and these are foot sizes not boot sizes) we do waht is called a DW1-5 assessment, we look at range of available motion at the ankle joint, the available motion within the joints of the foot, and the relationship of the 1st to 5th metatarsal heads

this information helps to determine the level of support required, the amount of heel lift or lowering required and the tolernance to compression.

2 look at the amount of support required utilizing footbeds eithe roff the peg, custom made or corrective orthotic prescribed by a doctor

3 select the shell of the boot dependant on foor shape, volume size and the ability of the skier

4 shell size the boot, foot into the empty shell looking at length, width and volume, length wise ...race fit 5-10mm, performance 10-15mm, comfort fit 15-20mm, extreme comfort 20-25mm more than 25mm bucket..but some people want a bucket....width wise anythging from 0mm to 4-6mm motion side to side at the ball of the foot again this is derived from the availbel flexibilty of the foot, the skiers performance level and the volume of the rest of the foot...it is easy to make a boot wider, making it narrower is a nightmare.

5 happy with all the shell fit then try the boot for general fit

6 construct/fit appropriate footbed

7 check the cuff alignment of the boot

8 heat mould the boot, sometimes liner sometimes shell often both

9 make further modifications as required

dave,

a general insert as you appear to have could be used for skiing, the biggest problem we see is people haveing an isert made which fits in their walking boots etc, but is too wide for their ski boots (especially in the mid foot area) flexibility is as you say a concern going the other way round....

you mention being measured for pronation, how were you measured goniometer, a force plate or another method

just remember that a footbed for skiing is not the same as a footbed for a running shoe, there are similarities and many off the shelf inserts are generic for many sports but a custom made insert for skiing may well be too stiff in the forefoot and offer different support than what you would use for the biomechanics of running

if you need a great insert for genral use then one of the superfeet off the peg inserts will work well for most people and has a 60 day money back guarantee

jcbabo

both gravity and impulse run sessions at MK and or Hemel so if you are anywhere near them he could go along and get into a group in the minis age category...they have weekly training sessions a good way to get him into the mind set...they offer frequent competitions and offer the opertunity to ski with some top coaches

there are several, Stams has been mentioned already, also there is British ski academy in Les houches near chamonix http://www.britskiacad.org.uk/ or there is Ambition racing based in Bormio,http://www.ambitionracing.co.uk/?splashseen=true although getting in to Ambition is purely on an ability basis and due to their successes the level is pretty high


you may be better starting with a few week long camps in the school holidays to see how he copes being away on his own and carting kit round the mountain, for this you could look at impulse racing http://www.impulse-racing.co.uk/ or gravity snowsports http://www.gravitysnowsports.co.uk/

one thing to make sure is that HE wants to do this...these places are not cheap and are pretty hard work

not sure if it is impractical to do on an indoor slope but there sure isn't as much space as would be optimal, it really depends on exactly what you are looking to achieve, often using drills and exercises which appear to not be linked can reinforce a technique and allow you to get out and acheiev the original goal...to better linked carved turns.

if i were to use one of the indoor slopes i would suggest hemel which opens at the start of may the slope is a bit wider than the MK slope and from what i hear a little steeper. the alternative is to wait til your next ski trip and have a lesson whilst you are there, i would suggest either a private lesson or prehaps 2 people of similar standard, where this type of tuition will cost you more money you are likely to learn a lot more than you would in a group. if you are in france look at british alpine ski & snowboard school or New generation, both operate in several of the bigger resorts and offer very high quality tuition. remember to book with them before you go as on peak weeks these guys get fully booked well in advance

good luck

going back to the original point...if anyone still cares

a good fitter will measure and assess the foot and should be able to make a suggestion as to the boot they feel is best for that foot, the shell check should be done for length, width and volume prior to the boot being tried on, some boots fit longer than others so different sized shells in different models is not uncommon...also remember that 1/2 sizes are there for the mind and do not really exist in ski boots

only when the boot is tried will you know if it is the right one, modification may be required to make it perfect....when you put the boot on [in the correct size] it will feel too short until it is correctly clipped up and your foot is puklled back into the heel pocket of the shell, it may take a few minutes for your foot to settle into the liner when you are standing upright your toes will be on the end when flexed forward they should have a little wiggle room...NOT TOO MUCH if they feel nice and fluffy in the shop they will more than lieky feel loose and sloppy after a weeks skiing

as to what the correct boot for your foot is the only way to tell is for the fitter to look at the feet

good luck in your quest

my contact in morzine tells me of knee deep pow on the pistes yesterday...and more expected this weekend early next week, it will be fine...better be as thats were i am off to on the 3rd