the answer to: "what boots?"

[mntlion]

well this is the season where people, new and old, buy need boots or just start useing them again and most forums seem to have a few daily with... "did I buy the right boots" and " what boot should I buy"

this might help


So you want to buy some new boots? This information applies to All double boots (boots with removable liners): downhill, telemark, alpine touring, snowboard, ice climbing, and any ability or age.

First of all the sizing information on the tags is not always accurate. Different brands fit differently and sometimes the sizing tags on the boot are gone. If it is right type of boot, in the right price range, and about the right size, try it on. The first step is to shell fit. With the liner removed, your foot in the shell only, and your toes touching the front of the boot, you should have NO MORE then 2 fingers, 2 cm or ¾ inch between your heel and the back of the boot. You also want about 1-3mm around the width of your foot. Yes they will feel a bit snug at first, but they will pack out, trust us.

Put the liner back in and lace or buckle the boot up and make sure that your heel is back all the way in the boot. Then when you flex the boot forward, your heel should stay down, your toes should come back from the front of the boot, and they should feel comfortably snug. Keep in mind that they will stretch out ¼ to ½ size as your foot works it way back in in the boot, and the liner packs out and molds to your foot.

If you go bigger then this your foot will slide around, and cause blisters, you will have to over tighten your boot to make the foot stay in place, cutting off the blood flow and making your feet colder. Boot fitters can make a small boot bigger, but can not make a big boot smaller.

[Core Shot]

Lemme add my recent discovery that using my footbed substantially shortens my foot. By lifting and supporting my arch, my toes are drawn back by easily a half size.

After initially trying a smaller shell (too painful) I then tried the same tight boot with my footbed and it was perfectly snug (could feel the front, but knew I will pack out the liner for perfect fit).

[corn dog]

I suppose that narrows it down a little bit.

[fez]

Lemme add my recent discovery that using my footbed substantially shortens my foot. By lifting and supporting my arch, my toes are drawn back by easily a half size.

After initially trying a smaller shell (too painful) I then tried the same tight boot with my footbed and it was perfectly snug (could feel the front, but knew I will pack out the liner for perfect fit).

That's interesting. My boots fit much tighter with my footbeds because they are quite a bit thicker than the stock liners.

[mntlion]

foot beds suport the foot to make it shorter/reduce lenght

a thicker foot bed will fill up volume up/down

[marshalolson]

if you get cold toes, try 2-3 pair of woll socks. that'll help alot.

[marshalolson]

^^^ BUMP ^^^

[BanditXXX]

if you get cold toes, try 2-3 pair of woll socks. that'll help alot.

2-3 pairs of socks, means your boots are too big. One pair of a quality ski sock is plenty. A proper fittiing boot will keep your feet warm.

[marshalolson]

obviously missed the winky

[Canuk]

2-3 pairs of socks, means your boots are too big. One pair of a quality ski sock is plenty. A proper fittiing boot will keep your feet warm.

Obviously you can't read. Marshal specifically said woll socks...not those thick and cumbersome wool socks you were probably thinking of...2 or 3 pair of woll socks shouldn't cause any problems at all.

[L7]

I'd say you can never wear too many socks but I don't like winkies so it could be dangerous.

On the footbeds (which you should always use when trying on boots), they will often shorten the foot and sometimes make the foot narrower at the met heads BUT they will also often increase mid foot volume. That length had to go somewhere.

[powdog]

A case in point - get a size smaller than your shoe size when you choose a ski boot. If it's cold outside, get the ski boot tech to let you go outside and walk outside for five minutes (if it's 20 degrees Fahrenheit, possibly 25 degrees). Get the ski tech to give you a spare liner - they are hard to come by, and they cost a lot, a stock liner will last you maybe 20 days at the outside. But foam injection liners cost you over $200-350, but Intuition liners if they are done right are worth the money.

[Ottime]

a stock liner will last you maybe 20 days at the outside.

Are you saying a liner completely packs out in 20 days?

[bfree]

a stock liner will last you maybe 20 days

I don't know what you means by "last," but i'm sure that many people put a couple hundred days into their stock liners. sure they aren't intuitions, but they aren't horrible after 20 days.

to ott: i'm not sure if you were actually curious, or just seeing what powdog meant, but boots shouldn't take 20 days to pack out completely, maybe 5-10, depending on use.

useful thread though--this question gets asked a lot. i wish i read it a couple years ago. i need a smaller shell.

[uncle crud]

Lemme add my recent discovery that using my footbed substantially shortens my foot. By lifting and supporting my arch, my toes are drawn back by easily a half size.

After initially trying a smaller shell (too painful) I then tried the same tight boot with my footbed and it was perfectly snug (could feel the front, but knew I will pack out the liner for perfect fit).

Amen!

On a Brannock device, my foot changes 1.5 sizes with a custom footbed. Size 9.5 supported, size 11.0 unsupported. Severe pronators with medium to high arches suffer the worst!

I don't know what you means by "last," but i'm sure that many people put a couple hundred days into their stock liners. sure they aren't intuitions, but they aren't horrible after 20 days.

20 days of WHAT?

Surely you don't mean skiing. I've been skiing for a pretty long time (38 years) and I haven't yet seen a stock liner that could last more than 25 days of SKIING. Maybe the old Hansons and the original Salomon SX 90/91s could have lasted longer since they were primarily neoprene, but I can't think of anything else.

I can't speak to other uses. You might get over 1000 days of shelf life from them.