Originally Posted by
kootenayskier
I’ll play (it just rained to the alpine and opening day has been pushed back). I have a low instep, low volume ankle, and skinny legs, size 28.5 (my feet are 285mm long). A 318mm BSL Raichle/Full Tilt OG boot with Intuition alpine wrap liners is the perfect fit by which I judge all others. The fit of all touring boots suck in comparison, and I’ve owned dozens of them. Combinations that work are the Dynafit Mercury with Intuition Alpine Wrap, Salomon SLab XAlps, with a Intuition MV Pro Tour liner (incredibly comfortable, but just not enough boot for aggressive skiing), and I’m in the process of fine tuning Dynafit Hoji Free 110s - currently using the stock Sidas liners with (L shaped) ankle pads, I found the Intuition Alpine Wraps that I have uncomfortable the mid foot (too much volume with my aggressive arch support footbeds) and less than ideal for stance (I like a more traditional forward lean and Hoji’s are pretty upright) but I will eventually get some version of Intuition Pro Tours whenever I can get to the Intuition outlet in Vancouver - which is by far the best place to get fitted, as they have all the options (multiple volumes of liners and tongues that they can mix and match) and the most experience. The common thread is that these are all variations on a cabrio style boot, which with my low volume anatomy still enables me to fine tune the most important performance variable: the pressure between my instep and heel pocket. As long as my heel is securely located, and I have good even pressure through my instep, I can make a boot work. I know Zero Gs get rave reviews, but I knew they weren’t going to work the moment I tried them on, as they’d require raising the heel to locate my instep, which fucks with my stance (ramp angle and forward lean). liners can only do so much, and a good shell fit is still key to comfort and performance. Good luck.