Att zipfit gurus!

[waxman]

What are you guys paying for tubes of cork at a shop? What do you pay for fitting the liner and and having more cork installed if you bought it at a store?

Sounds like it’s a lot more expensive than we do it. Haha

Fernie here. If you buy the liners from us we do the heat, mold, initial fit all included. Tubes are 12$CDN and again if if you bought the liners from us we'll do the injection etc included.
Bought somewhere else 60$ to go on the stacks and do the heat, mold, initial fit.

gwat maybe the winner in the cork tube lottery but he dadsized his boots now that he's old and used more than usual.

[DeepHelmet]

I use a “Boot E-Z”. Hand crafted by Steve Bagley…

Attachment 483172
Attachment 483173

Yep, these work great. I also feel like it will greatly reduce the friction wear at the rear of the sold on the liner from going in and out of the shells so many times.

[gwat]

gwat maybe the winner in the cork tube lottery but he dadsized his boots now that he's old and used more than usual.

Haha, get ready cuz I’m coming in for a couple more tubes!

[RadSkier_]

I'm in the same Raptor 25.5 (tight shell fit) and using the new Corsa 26.5.

I had the Zipfit World Cup Sidewinder model 25.5 in my previous shell, and it was great. When I picked up the Raptors, however, it didn't seem there was any way the WCSW would fit so I purchased the Corsa, also in a 25.5. Problem was it was quite a bit shorter than the WCSW, so I exchanged the 25.5 Corsa for a 26.5.

I have the combo of skinny ankles and big calves, and for me the Raptor/Corsa combo is a winner. It has taken a lot of playing around (adding, removing, moving cork), but each day they get better and better. Plus, I am a big proponent of the all-leather interior.

The Raptors are notorious for being a pia, but the performance makes them worth it for me. You might want to try the Corsa and it may solve all your problems.

Edited to add: Yeah, I have something like 5 tubes of OMFIT in each​ of my Corsas! Buy a bunch while they are in stock!

I tired on the Corsa’s tonight at the ski shop. Those things are super low volume and I would need 5+ tubes in each liner to make them snug in my shells. Quick math puts me at about $200 in cork for both boots ($20 a tube in Canada) so I think the route is to deal with the Gara LV that feels like it barely fits in my shell for now and just break it in and remove cork as I go.

It will be a leap of faith to think that what feels super tight and toe-numbing now will eventually be zipfit bliss but I’m willing to take that risk and hope for the best. Wish me luck!!!

[DoubleBogey]

I had the same experience with my Zips. I thought I made a mistake, feet were tingly for the first 4-5 days. It’s amazing how that cork finds its way. I had instep issues with the lower volume Cochise stock liner, and somehow the Gara HV is perfect in that area. The cork will find its way.

You don’t need to crank the buckles down, it ain’t the same as your old liner.

[GoldenBC]

Fernie here. If you buy the liners from us we do the heat, mold, initial fit all included. Tubes are 12$CDN and again if if you bought the liners from us we'll do the injection etc included.
Bought somewhere else 60$ to go on the stacks and do the heat, mold, initial fit.

gwat maybe the winner in the cork tube lottery but he dadsized his boots now that he's old and used more than usual.

That’s pretty similar to us.

If you get the liner from us the molding is free as is the addition of four tubes of cork.

From then on, $15 per tube injected.

If you buy elsewhere, $20 per tube and hourly rate for fitting.

[carlh]

Anyplace to buy cork with free shipping? I need a couple more tubes.

[givethepigeye]

Anyplace to buy cork with free shipping? I need a couple more tubes.

ZipFit has some on the site - it’s like $5 for shipping - just bought a couple of tubes

[givethepigeye]

A strip of gorilla tape along the inside spine of your boot, plus a spritz of silicone spray, is all you need. Also saves you from needing to remember one more thing to bring.

This is the tape you want, pricey yes, but 3 seasons in - still there. On spine and boot board. Liner goes right in like…….well you know.

UHMW/PTFE type Tape on Amazon

[DigSki]

This is the tape you want, pricey yes, but 3 seasons in - still there. On spine and boot board. Liner goes right in like…….well you know.

UHMW/PTFE type Tape on Amazon

I thought I read somewhere that slippery tape on the boot board was a bad idea, is it not?

[soul_skier]

if anyone ends up with not totally clapped out 26.5 GFT they're interested in offloading, give me a shout.

[GoldenBC]

I thought I read somewhere that slippery tape on the boot board was a bad idea, is it not?

Tape goes on the spine of the boot so the heel has less resistance. Tuck tape (vapour barrier tape) on top of gorilla tape works the best. Gorilla tape for durable backing, tuck tape for slipperiness.

[DigSki]

Tape goes on the spine of the boot so the heel has less resistance. Tuck tape (vapour barrier tape) on top of gorilla tape works the best. Gorilla tape for durable backing, tuck tape for slipperiness.

Ah that makes sense, thanks.

I use boot horns but have a big friction point at my toe (Salomon S/Pro Alpha, very low instep), so I tried a little bit of UHMW tape on the toe of the liner. It peels off after a couple days. I'll try a Gorilla tape underneath the UHMW and if that doesn't work I think I'll scoop some Tuck

[givethepigeye]

Had that fancy slippery tape on for a couple of years. A little on the spine of boot, covering the bolts for flex and spoiler, then some on the boot board so my foot (in ZipFit liner) goes right in. Boots are pretty tight fit, so never notice any movement

[Self Jupiter]

I covered just the bolts with clear gorilla tape

[DigSki]

Had that fancy slippery tape on for a couple of years. A little on the spine of boot, covering the bolts for flex and spoiler, then some on the boot board so my foot (in ZipFit liner) goes right in. Boots are pretty tight fit, so never notice any movement

Sweet, thanks for the info, I'll keep tinkering. FWIW, I'm mostly just worried about wearing out the toe of the liner, it's not actually very hard to get (shells under my heater on the drive up + boot horn)

[DoubleBogey]

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...7;-Teton-Liner

[oldblue]

So picked up some Garas and the fit is great but damn are they cold. What heaters do I need? Running custom insoles if that matters.

[arild]

So picked up some Garas and the fit is great but damn are they cold. What heaters do I need? Running custom insoles if that matters.

I'm planning on therm-ic 1700Bs, but have to do it in the off season. Paging @philpug !

Sent fra min LE2123 via Tapatalk

[DoubleBogey]

There’s a lot of information in the ski talk zipfit thread, I would look there.

https://www.skitalk.com/threads/whic...t.9876/page-94

[SoVT Joey]

So picked up some Garas and the fit is great but damn are they cold. What heaters do I need? Running custom insoles if that matters.

lenz heated socks. Better option than traditional boot heaters. I’ve broken too many wires and the batteries take a beating from chairlifts hitting them. Also sliding in with the liner will eventually chafe the wire.

[waxman]

Where are you guys skiing that you find the Zipfits cold? I haven't used my electric socks or boot heaters since I started using them last season. Now Fernie isn't the cold place on earth but I've had a couple or more -20* celsius days that I survived.

[DoubleBogey]

Just my personal opinion and a little experience, but when I first started with zipfits I always had my boots too tight. This was even more of a problem during the break in period, which was a couple days. I just think it’s circulation issue for some people. I ski in cold weather in Minnesota and less cold out west and I’ve never had problem.

[GoldenBC]

Boot warmth is down to insulation, vapour barrier, and circulation. Since insulation is minimal, most people don’t ski with their buckles undone letting snow in their boot, and there is a large plastic heat sink holding the cold around your foot, it really comes down to circulation.

Custom liners allow for a better fit and therefore more circulation. It helps that new intuitions have wool toe boxes for insulation.

The problem with injectable custom liners is you can make them too tight. You can also overbuckle them, and because they are very dense, it very quickly cuts off circulation.

Also keep in mind that if your core is cold, your body reduces circulation to your extremities (your feet). As well, some people have poor circulation. Some already have frost bite damaged toes.


I find zipfits cold compared to intuition when worn at the same tightness. In reality, the zipfits were probably always tighter, therefore reducing circulation. They are definitely a bit snug now and are cold because of it. .

I tour 90% of the time and use boot heaters most of the time otherwise I’m cold af.

Because Zipfit are so dense, they require a really precise fit. If you’re still a bit loose and you crank your buckles down, the dense cork cuts off blood flow. If you’re a bit tight, same thing. The ideal is a perfect fit with buckles not needed for much support.

I also agree that buckles and laces need to be done up looser during the fitting process to get good cork flow and to accurately feel the liner fit. Also buckling from the top down seems to help to reduce cork migration.

Essay complete.

[oldblue]

Thanks for the recs guys. Coming from Intuitions so these things feel really cold in comparison.