bootfitting 101

bootfitting is not something complicated. people see it as an odd special science. its pretty basic..

first look at the shape of your foot. is it wide in the front, high arch, do you have lumps or bone spurs sticking out...these are critical spots that will create pressure or require extra work


find the boot that works for your foot. for exemple lange is a narrow to medium fit, rossi medium, technica wide...

first thing pull the linner out. put your foot in the shell and bring your toes all the way to the front

1) if you have an inch in there its a comfort fit. this is good for very recreationnal skiers or if your feet grow...

2) half to a quarter inch is what we call a semi-race fit. a good skier that wants performance and skis quit a lot wants a fit like that

3) under half an inch. you have a very "normal" foot and obviously don't car about comfort or warmth..


then put the linner back in. little parenthesis. Custom footbeds are worth the investement. its an imprint of your foot.its like the foundation of a house. the footbeds in regular ski boots are shit for most of the feet, i ya don't have the money for a custom one try to deal in an upgrade in your purchase...something like this will do wonders...but a custom one is always better and you will be able often to carry them to your next boot.

ok so put the linner back in. put you foot in. if your toes go right at the end. its normal, buckle the boot. Try putting the powder strap right on the tongue, screw the plastic, this might save you shin bang and the hard plastic from the tongue will apply pressure to the plastic shell. While you are there look at how the tongue fits around your shin, its easy to just put a heat gun on it and reshape it to you..its normal that it doesn't fit right away...

so now you are standing in the boot legs straight toes just touching the end, straps and clips tied up...now flex it a couple times...this will help settling your foot in the right place. test the fit of the boot with your weight shifted foward, this is how you are when you ski...in that position you have a fit. if a boot hasn't been worn its possible that there are pressure points here and there. often the key is simple solutions...i wont get into details here but you have the basix to picking out your next boot....

the best way that a boot should fit is like a bike helmet or a firm handshake...

this is pretty much the most basic bootfitting.... it gets to be more of a skill when you start really cutomizing with shims, grinding, punching out areas of the boot, forming footbeds, etc.. and canting... thats why there are proffessionals for the job.... but that doesnt mean that the average person can't do basic bootfitting themselves....

yeah, but its 1000 times easier to customize a boot when you are in the right boot... i called this title bootfit 101 because its basic, its what everybody should know...

If even 1% of people that sell boots bear in mind/know ^^^ then the world (for skiers) would be a better place. ^.

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Originally Posted by dude_le_skibum

yeah, but its 1000 times easier to customize a boot when you are in the right boot... i called this title bootfit 101 because its basic, its what everybody should know...

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And easier to make a boot that is too small fit, rather than try to fill one that is too big.

Is it worth it to get a total bootfitting for a pair of old boots that i got for 12 bucks?

i love the boots, but im sure they dont really fit that well...i saw em in a thrift shop, looked barely used, slipped one on real quick and was like, ok, they work...


about how much is a good bootfitting?

from my understanding, it would be worth it to get a boot fitting, if you follow the steps outline above and your foot fits your boot without liner pretty well, a boot fitting from my understanding will do wonders. At the very least get some footbeds. Trim to fit kind listed in that link are good, but custom insoles, while pricey, are worth it.

I just got a brand new pair of Beast 12's, i only skied one day on them with the stock liner and footbed and I was not happy (sloppy). I will be getting the full deal done this week by Larry in Boulder. I'll update this thread later and let ya know what gets done.

I like the beast 12 liner, but the footbed is crap, I never even skied one day on it. Any amount of bootfitting is worth it, as in 90% of cases, you just tell them what's happening, and in 5 minutes they've either put a foam block in to shift pressure, blown something out, or otherwise modified the boot.

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Originally Posted by splat

And easier to make a boot that is too small fit, rather than try to fill one that is too big.

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Exactly. A friend bootfitter enjoys laughing at folks who bought a boot three sizes too big at Als Ski Barn cuase they got a good deal.
No way to solve a too big boot problem.

For those folks playing at home, you can do the rough shell fit by yourself using your fingers stacked on top of each other.

Remove liner and insert foot with toe touching front (as described above).
place fingers behind your heel.

2 fingers is recreational comfort fit (1 inch as described above). Good enough to ski, not tight enough to race.

1 finger is aggressive race fit for folks that like tight boots.

3 fingers is getting sloppy - if it doesn't need to be padded and shimmed out, you are a sucky skier or have a freaky foot.


MOHS - try checking your shell size. If too big, try again with a new boot.
You can't just slip on a boot without pulling the liner and checking the shell. A too large new boot can feel fine in the store, but the liner will pack down and leave you swimming in it.

I have questions:

Why is it so important to have very little clearance at the toe of the boot? If you're trying to keep the heel from sliding forward, isn't it more important for the instep and forefoot to be sized properly? It seems to me that you want your shin and forefoot to control the ski, not your toenails...

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Originally Posted by Spats

I have questions:

Why is it so important to have very little clearance at the toe of the boot? If you're trying to keep the heel from sliding forward, isn't it more important for the instep and forefoot to be sized properly? It seems to me that you want your shin and forefoot to control the ski, not your toenails...

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It is zee vay of keepink you out of zee back seat!!!!

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Originally Posted by Spats

I have questions:

Why is it so important to have very little clearance at the toe of the boot? If you're trying to keep the heel from sliding forward, isn't it more important for the instep and forefoot to be sized properly? It seems to me that you want your shin and forefoot to control the ski, not your toenails...

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its important to get the right size boot before trying to fit these other areas...The insted, shape of the tongue will be fitting once you put the linner in at spend time in it...i will be the subject of further bootfitting clinics...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spats

I have questions:

Why is it so important to have very little clearance at the toe of the boot? If you're trying to keep the heel from sliding forward, isn't it more important for the instep and forefoot to be sized properly? It seems to me that you want your shin and forefoot to control the ski, not your toenails...

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Not a silly question at all, IMO. My feet are strange; they are very wide, quite short, and with not a very high arch. Much like Donald Duck :tongue: My problem is that if I go for a boot that is just the right length, it will invariably be too narrow. Also a boot that is made a bit wider it is very often also with a higher arch.

So my guide to bootbuying/fitting is to get a boot that is nice and snug around the ancle, and then punch the hell out of the shell in order to make it fit in other areas. The most important area for fit is around the ancle, as this defines most of the control. The rest of the boot can be adapted.

If boot fitting were that easy,everyone would have boots that were right for them.Your statements are correct but rhetorical;they have little basis in reality.

I became a boot fitter because I couldn't seem to find anyone that knew jack or even jim Sh*t about fitting boots.To this day,virtually everyone I meet has boots that are TOO LARGE! They don't believe me when I look at their foot,ask them what size boots they have(if they even know) ,& then tell them their boots are too large without even checking them.