Latest posts for the topic "Where to get my boots from"

Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 11:24:31 GMT

So, after MANY a year I've finally decided I need some boots properly fitted.

I've always managed to wangle myself a great hire pair for the season, and worn the actual same boots from the guys at the shop for 3 years - when they were brand new.

But, my calf muscles seem to have increased massively in the last year... and yes it is actually muscles - I managed to lift up my OH who was sitting on my ankles whilst I was laying on my front - so please, not fat jokes.

Anyway, for a girl I have big feet - 8 - 8.5 and my calf muscles are rather large due to the amount of Hiking and amount of Skiing I get up to during winter and summer. The boots I used to wear began tightening up to uncomfortable levels by the end of last season so am looking to get a pair properly fitted.

I'm only in England for 2 weeks before heading back to les alpes - and Ideas where to go to get fitted in or around London?

Re:Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 11:38:30 GMT

Best bet must be Snow and Rock, Southampton Street, Covent Garden and also stores at Chertsey and Purley. If the boots don't fit after using them they will replace same for free or another make within the same price range as you paid. Alternatively, I believe the Ski Show is on at Earls Court at the moment and that should also be a good place to compare prices and offers. Good luck.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:45:05 GMT

Solutions for feet, Bicester.

There is no alternative

http://www.solutions4feet.co.uk/

Re:Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:52:50 GMT

would not trust a UK boot fitter to be honest. Why not get done in resort, is not very convenient to nip back to UK if need some adjustments is it?

Re:Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:07:58 GMT

Ranchero_1979 wrote:would not trust a UK boot fitter to be honest. Why not get done in resort, is not very convenient to nip back to UK if need some adjustments is it?

What's wrong with a UK boot fitter?

There's no way i'm getting it done in resort - paying through the nose + if there is anything wrong i'll have to explain to a Frenchman what's up with them, who'll probably not have any of it...

Re:Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:41:57 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Solutions for feet, Bicester.

There is no alternative

http://www.solutions4feet.co.uk/

There are plenty of alternatives - lots of them not in Oxfordshire but in and around London as per OP request -)

Re:Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 16:06:32 GMT

WARNING thread hijack :)
Same question for Bristol.
My sister contemplating new boots (I think it is about time - 15 year old Lange atm)

Any personal knowledge on good fitters?
TVM

Re:Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 16:12:18 GMT

Your right there are plenty of alternatives, but I think Solutions 4 Feet is the only shop in the UK that has a decent cuff stretcher http://www.southernski.com/toe-jam-spreader-ultimate-cuff-stretcher.html It might already be too late to get an appointment.

Don't even think about going to one of the major chains, they have little or no expertise in this area.
In resort fitting is very hit and miss, some places are very good and some are dire. These guys are extremely good; Jules Mills and Damien Amblard in the Boot Room at Sanglard Sports in Chamonix and Mark Festor at Total Feet in Archamps near Geneva. As Ranchero mentioned you might need some follow up work done after you have skied in them, boot fitting is often a multi step process.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 16:18:32 GMT

We used Lockwoods in Leomington Spa. No complaints.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Fri, 1 Nov 2013 10:21:46 GMT

We use (and have done for years) Ski Bartlett in Hillingdon for all ski kit. Totally professional and helpful. Highly recommend.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Fri, 1 Nov 2013 12:20:26 GMT

If you're going to be spending all season in the mountains, then buy them in the mountains.
If you're only in the UK for a fortnight, what are you going to do if they need adjusting after you've skied in them for a few days / weeks? The UK fitter isn't going to be on hand.
Sounds like you have built up a decent relationship with one shop in resort, why wouldn't you use them?

Re:Where to get my boots from

Fri, 1 Nov 2013 12:58:08 GMT

Profeet in London another option as I understand that they are similar to Solutions4feet in Bicester, which would be my choice for convenience and of course reputation from comment on here, but getting to Bicetser may not be the preference.

I will go there for my next set of boots as my Ellis Brigham experiance was a joke, 4 years and 4 different sets of boots to get the right fitting boots. Came down 1.5 in size from where I started after supposidly measuring feet and doing shell checks.Didn't consider changing boot makes as length got smaller as volume around the foot got smaller.

I am mutch wiser now and will get better advice next time its not worth the painful days I have had skiing looking for the next lift so I can unclip to releive problems and have so much pain 1 trip I was popping ibuprofen like smarties.

Live and learn and hopefully our experiences mean others don't go through the same, if only I knew about sites like this before!!!!

Re:Where to get my boots from

Sat, 2 Nov 2013 16:37:29 GMT

For every 25 mm in circumference that Insiders calves are bigger than the size that manufacturer designed the boots to fit her knee will be pushed 9 mm further forward from where it needs to be for her to be balanced over the centre of the ski. As her knee is pushed forward she will be forced to sit back in order to get centred over the ski. This will result in excessive use of the quadriceps, and reduce the range of motion in the ankle joint. There will also be an increased risk of injury. Stretching the back of the boot to accommodate the calf muscle is the best solution, there are other ways of dealing with large calves but they're not as effective. The easiest thing for a shop to do would be to sell here a boot that fits nicely around her calves but was too big everywhere else.

These days a lot can be done to alter the shape of ski boots to make them fit.

But the equipment is expensive and it takes time to acquire the necessary skills. Most resort shops and shops that are part of the large chains only have skills and equipment to deal with simple problems.

Sadly Hamish Wolfenden the owner of Profeet died in 2012 and some of the more experienced boot fitters have left. AllyG got her boots fitted there and from what she's posted previously they seem to be too big.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Sat, 2 Nov 2013 20:26:49 GMT

Also worth noting is how different fitters in the same shop can produce vastly different fits. My Atomic boots are so comfortable I can ski all day with no discomfort. My wife was fitted on the same day in the same specialist ski shop and has had no end of problems. Every day she skis results in very painful calves due to her foot moving around in the boot. We took them for a second opinion last week and the fitter said she had been fitted with totally the wrong size & shape of boot. There was almost an inch of vertical movement in the heel area.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Sun, 3 Nov 2013 01:31:23 GMT

Wow! What a lot of interesting recommendations!

If you have problem feet then go somewhere good if you don't then it's less important. I've been getting my boots fitted by the same place since they opened around 10 years ago, I have new Footbeds and Foam liners every year. Now I don't have too many issues with my feet but I do ski 8-9 months of the year so It needs to work for me. The shop has a vast pool of knowledge and an appetite for getting it right no matter what it takes.

If you want to know where I go you can PM me!

Re:Where to get my boots from

Mon, 4 Nov 2013 12:37:45 GMT

Has anyone used Edge & Wax in Sussex? Impressive website

Re:Where to get my boots from

Mon, 4 Nov 2013 16:45:31 GMT

SwingBeep wrote:For every 25 mm in circumference that Insiders calves are bigger than the size that manufacturer designed the boots to fit her knee will be pushed 9 mm further forward from where it needs to be for her to be balanced over the centre of the ski. As her knee is pushed forward she will be forced to sit back in order to get centred over the ski. This will result in excessive use of the quadriceps, and reduce the range of motion in the ankle joint. There will also be an increased risk of injury. Stretching the back of the boot to accommodate the calf muscle is the best solution, there are other ways of dealing with large calves but they're not as effective. The easiest thing for a shop to do would be to sell here a boot that fits nicely around her calves but was too big everywhere else.

These days a lot can be done to alter the shape of ski boots to make them fit.

But the equipment is expensive and it takes time to acquire the necessary skills. Most resort shops and shops that are part of the large chains only have skills and equipment to deal with simple problems.

Sadly Hamish Wolfenden the owner of Profeet died in 2012 and some of the more experienced boot fitters have left. AllyG got her boots fitted there and from what she's posted previously they seem to be too big.

Swingbeep, I've been having this exact problem, my calf muscles are too big and it's forcing me to sit back (I hate sitting back) it's outside of my control when my boots are soooo tight around my calves. As well as an old Knee injury that im always conscious of - the big calves I have are causing big problems for my otherwise aggressive ski style.

Its a great start point to go for a bigger boot and have infilled feet if necessary :) i'm going to buy them next week so looking forward to some REALLY aggressive skiing this coming season.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Mon, 4 Nov 2013 18:19:34 GMT

I'm lucky ..all I seem to need is a proper orthotic insole...but the only way to go if you really want them to fit is custom made..here you are

http://www.strolz.co.uk/gallery.html

http://www.surefoot.com/find.php#london

Re:Where to get my boots from

Mon, 4 Nov 2013 20:18:31 GMT

Well I was only trying to get Colin some business......

Re:Where to get my boots from

Mon, 4 Nov 2013 21:15:03 GMT

Insiders wrote: Its a great start point to go for a bigger boot and have infilled feet if necessary :) i'm going to buy them next week so looking forward to some REALLY aggressive skiing this coming season.

Insiders I think you might have misunderstood my post, this is NOT what you want to do! The boots should fit your feet and if necessary the cuffs should be reshaped to fit your calves. If you buy a boot that is far too big it won't function as it should, any extra padding will soon compress, the boots will become sloppy and you will likely have to buy a second pair. Read my first post, go to a good boot fitter and get the job done properly.

Don't underestimate the safety issue, ski bindings don't release to the rear if you are already being pushed back you are more likely to fall backwards perhaps sustaining an ACL injury. Women are twice as likely to suffer a knee injury whilst skiing than men.

Surefeet are very expensive and their fitting procedure gives mixed results.

Tony_H wrote:Well I was only trying to get Colin some business......

And I'm only trying to get her to get some boots that fit correctly, but has you can see it's an uphill struggle. Colin may even have some women's boots in her size, I think some of the Head women's boots accommodate large calves.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Mon, 4 Nov 2013 21:52:01 GMT

Bartletts in Hayes, Middx, I found to be reliable, knowledgable and patient. Be prepared to take some time, avoid the weekends or when there are school ski trips are looming as it can get busy.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Mon, 4 Nov 2013 22:36:45 GMT

Here you go, help yourself.

Re:Where to get my boots from

Tue, 5 Nov 2013 07:50:31 GMT

Pro Feet!

My wife has had innumerable boots but has a high arch meaning she even get her feet on some and used to end the day in tears as groups of us would struggle to extricate her from her footwear. Pro Feet took her really seriously - I think we were there for four hours in the end. Don't go with a make in mind, they just gave us the best solution for her feet - since then two seasons of pure foot joy for Wifey. Totally transformed her ski experience.

N