Freeskiing In Plug Boots

[Fisted By Ullr*]

Hi Guys,

I was lucky enough to be born with size 14.5 flippers. Fitting boots sucks because there's always too much space and I compensate by cranking my buckles and eventually trashing the boot. Up till this point I've been skiing in heavily modified flexons and while I love the feel of them they're still too high volume. Shell length is as short as possible (size 12). My question is can a lange plug boot be made soft enough to ski pow, crud, corn like my flexons but with much better foot hold? Or is it always going to feel like a race boot? Any other plug boots you can recommend for freeskiing that won't feel like cinder blocks?

Cheers

[Sphinx]

Get some foam. Hard foam, something that won't compress under your weight. With a hot wire or a jigsaw, cut out foodbeds, mine are 0.5 inches thick. Stuff em under the liner of the boot and the volume will be DRASTICALLY reduced.

[mntlion]

Hi Guys,
My question is can a lange plug boot be made soft enough to ski pow, crud, corn like my flexons but with much better foot hold? Or is it always going to feel like a race boot? Any other plug boots you can recommend for freeskiing that won't feel like cinder blocks?

Cheers

soften plug boots is hard, but do-able

Remove all the rear (not side) rivits

do up the power stap around the liner only, not around the shell

Cut a V notch in the back of the lower cuff (same as your raichles have)

cut some of the overlap away from the front of the boot on the upper cuff so that the boot doesn't overlap as much

remove 1cm off the top of the front of the cuff

the boot might have a lot of F lean too, Remove some of the material, on the back of the boot, between the upper and lower cuff so that the boot will stand more upright.

Foam will fill up lots of volume A good thing but you might need 2 kits for a big boot that needs lots of foam, but that will stiffen the boot too.


plug boot = narrow and stiff. That is kind of the point of them

[mtbakerskier]

I am STILL in the process of getting my plug boots dialed for skiing, IE adding vibram soles, boot lift, and custom foamed liners, but soften them????? comon, why would you do pussy ass thing like that, just buck up to the stiffness and youll be stoked, the best edge hold and performance you can imagine.

[PeachesN'Cream]

the lange plug can be a reasonable boot. has a good flex to it and really IMO is not stiff as hell. they make a few flexes so try to get the soft one. also you might want to try nordica dobermans. pretty damn narrow boot, and they made it in a 130 flex this year which is still pretty tough but soft enough for all around use. good luck!!!

[comish]

This will be my 3rd year in the Dobie. I have cut the notch in the back and that made the flex perfect for me. At first it was too soft, but I now I love them with the notch cut. Didn't do anything else to them as far as MntLions other softening tips. Obviously lots of pushing/grinding, but I dig them now. Never had a stock, non-injected boot that fit this well before.

[BakerBoy]

Never had a stock, non-injected boot that fit this well before.

IMHO, this is the only reason for non-racers to rock plug boots. Seems like overcompensating to me... Then again, I ski on BigStix 106 everyday...

[comish]

Baker Boy, I would agree. I used to have the same dealeo this dude is talking about. Crank the buckles and eventually the boot would break. Hence why I'm digging the dobies.

Now be prepared to become your boot fitters best friend because you will spend much time there. I thought these fit perfect out of the box. Wrong! Numerous grinds, punches etc later and they are great, but it takes work.

But the basic answer to your question is yes, they can be softened. They will always be a beatch to get into, but you can soften them.

[Laps]

It will be really hard to find a lange plug that is size 12, they only make up to a size 11. Lots of grinding and a good boot tech can turn it into a 12 though. Don't get the lange foam liners, they don't work that well. The foam mixture is often and it doesn't flow out quite as well as other foam liners.

[Ski Monkey]

Cut a V notch in the back of the lower cuff (same as your raichles have)

Just a tangent, Dobies should be softened by cutting the v into the sides, not the back of the lower cuff according to Nordica.

Go through all the other stuff mntlion mentioned and be sure you reward your tech for their work. It's going to take a while.

[Fisted By Ullr*]

Thanks for the help guys,

Now can any of the Cow-town/Bow Valley mags recommend a good fitter who has experience with plug boots. I only know of Lou's and What's your Racquet in Calgary.

[mntlion]

talk to me and we can do most of this one night over beer at my place in banff. I've done this big mods to a lot of boots over the years ...

Also the guys at 17ave ski celler.

PJ at Monods

L7 on this board might be able to help us too over beer. We worked at Ultimate in banff for 3 years together.

Dan is good too at What's your racket

Where are you getting the boots from? can they help?

PM me if you need more info, help or an address.

[Fisted By Ullr*]

Thanks for the offer Mntlion. I'll most likely be getting the boots through Lou in Calgary. I have an oppointment with him next week and were going to go over some options. I'll definetly take you up on your offer though if Lou can't figure something out.