Good Bootfitters in BC/Becoming my own bootfitter...?

[Turn Up The Gravity!]

One foot 1/2 size+ bigger than the other = pain in the ass.
My Lange Banshee 110's are great but I can feel my heels swimming. More on one foot than the other, of course...

This problem will be with me all my life I was thinking about trying to learn enough to become my own bootfitter - anyone know where to learn about it?

[hucksquaw]

what size boot do you wear?

im thinkin to fix this problem the easiest solution is this: most boot manufacturers make their shell sizes for full and half sizes the same size and the only difference is the size of the liner. depending on the size boot you should either get boots that fit the smaller foot and go up a liner size in the other shell, or, buy boots that fit the big foot and go down a liner size in the other shell. you can talk to a rep and possibly get a set of the opposing sized liners that you need. if not, this idea obviously wont work....

also if you havent got custom footbeds you need to do that too because it will pull your heel back into the boot and it wont swim nearly as much....

you could also go with injectable liners - that will fill the space....

FYI.. you should buy your boots to fit on the smaller side because (besides injectable liners) its harder to fill boot space than it is to create more...

[ScottG]

If both feet are swiming, you got bigger issues than one foot smaller or bigger.
Shells too big for both feet, or you may have wrong brand boot for your foot shape.
See a good bootfitter pro.
Footbeds, heel lifts, heel padding, etc. are all possible solutions assuming your shell size is right.
If you are slightly (half size) mis-matched with foot sizes, the foam injected liner should solve all problems.

[ScottG]

I was thinking about trying to learn enough to become my own bootfitter - anyone know where to learn about it?

Read this thread to understand shell fit:
http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25877

Making your own footbeds is ridiculous. Just find someone who will do you a favor. $200 retail can be found for $120 discounted and is well worth it.
If you pronate, you need footbeds.
only 10-15% of the world has a stable enough foot to not need them.

As for shimming, padding, lifting and boot punching, it is a fine art handed down through the generations.
Work as an assistant bootfitter to learn.
Most "formal" training is general foot-related podiatric stuff like becoming certified to make orthotic insoles for regular shoes.

If you want to play with your boots:
1) check shell size
2) try a heel wedge under the liner, under your heel. See if that takes up some slop. (ask nicely at a freindly shop for 2 heel wedges, and they will give them to you).
3) I have seen skiers with small padding applied to the outside of the liner on either side of the achilles heel tendon to try and tighten the heel pocket, but I don't know if this is the correct "pro bootfitter" solution.

Ideally, find a quiet, friendly shop and plead poverty and plead for help.
Or, ask around and your friends might know where to go for a hook-up.
Beer and other tips and bribes help a lot.

P.S. - I am not a bootfitter.

[L7]

To learn you could also attend a MasterfitU course. Always fit your boots to the smaller foot since you can stretch a boot but can't shrink it. Liners can also be easily stretched. On that bootfitting thread I would add centering the barefoot in the shell and moving the forefoot side to side to judge how much width room and figure out what hits first. With that boot my guess would be big toe and little toe. It has a very narrow toebox. The new lange has a squarer toe box and the new Atomic consumer version of the plug boot has awesome room and shape for long first toes. It is next year's boot however. Here's a shot of my boot showing what can be done to accomodate a toe.



Ps the above fix may interfere with some bindings but causes no problems with Atomics.

[dude_le_skibum]

find a boot that fits on the small foot and strech the bigger on. but bootfit over the internet does NOT work..

[splat]

L7 clearly illustrated the fix. Buy to fit the smaller of your two feet. Blow out the boot for the larger foot.

Abd as ScottG said, make sure you get a brand that addresses your foot profile.

I don't let bootfitters blow out my boots. I have to do it myself because it's something I've always done and relate to intimately. If you have a relationship at a shop, ask them to let you do it, or at least watch, so you learn for later.