Full-Tilt boot catalog finally online (flexon boot fitting questions)

[MrDirt]

Looks like they finally posted the pdf catalog online!

www.fulltiltboots.com

I had a short novel written out and my reply timed out. I freaking hate when that happens, so now I'm going to go with the condensed version. I used to have the LINE transfer boots and loved them. After skiing on them for a couple years, I found out they were about two full sizes too big (WHOOPS! ). I got a properly sized pair of Lange Comp 120FR's last season, but even with the heat molding, they still hurt like hell. I decided that I'd like to go back to a flexon type boot, but since I can't get to a custom boot fitter for at least a month or two, I thought I'd review my foot problems here first.

#1: Giant mutant calves from outer-space. I've been racing bicycles for years. I've built up some pretty large calves. Not the cankle type, but anti-cankle. My leg narrows a LOT after the calf, and the langes, which have a liner 1cm taller than the Lines were just enough to pinch and cause some discomfort. Do I just need a boot with a lower cuff, or is there some way I can get around that?

#2: High arch. I know that custom beds are the fix to this one. I can feel loads of empty space under my arch.

#3: High instep associated with high arch. I usually have a lot of pressure coming down on my instep. Combined with the empty space under the arch, it causes a lot of pain.

#4: Possibly a low volume forefoot. No matter how tight I crank down that front buckle, I always have plenty of room above my toes. No pressure at all.

After Fanatyk Co. at Whistler discovered the problems with my Lines, they turned me onto the whole intuition liner and flexon thing, but steered me away from the boots because they said my foot was too wide. I dont doubt that, but is there any hope of getting into the newly released flexons, or should I just forget it and go with the Krypton Pros?

[Krash]

Your right, the Intuition & footbed would be a great start to getting everything dialed. As far as the boots go, I do not know how wide your foot really is, but it could be too wide for a Flexon. I have put D+ width feet in Kryptons with some work. Kryptons could hit your instep though. There are other ways than just a lower cuff height to still accommodate your calf/ankle. An Intuition will really help but shell mods may still be necessary. Why are you in a Lange comp 120 if you have wide feet? Without seeing your feet it is hard to suggest anything, but I am thinking the Krypton/intuition with a good boot fitter

[MrDirt]

This thread is going to turn into something funny after this foot picture, especially with my previously broken ankle that's still huge.

Anyway, I did all of the measurements, and apparently my feet actually are a bit narrower than standard. They are about a C. I went with the Langes because of the "medium fit" designation. Apparently they aren't as narrow as the normal comps. The Langes are a 30.0 since they run small. In anything else I seem to be 29.5. The widest point of my foot is about 104mm.

The one reason I really like the FT's is that they already come with intuition liners, so I'm going to do my best to see what kind of reality there is of me fitting into them. Aside from width, would the high instep be problematic with the flexons?

[Flexon Phil]

104 doesn't sound too wide, bit looking at that foot, it doesn't "look" like a Flexon...errr Fulltilt type foot. look that is. One of the best parts about a thermo/ID type liner is how accomidating it can be to various foot shapes. Try them on, lets hope we are pleasantly suprsrised.

[Tube Sag]

" Aside from width, would the high instep be problematic with the flexons?"

I would say yes. My experience has been the instep pressure is hard to alleviate in those (Krypton and Raichle) three piece designs. You can definitely accomodate the wide fore foot with shell mods, but gripping the ankle without pushing down on the top of the foot can be hard. You can experiment with dropping the entire foot lower into the boot (like grinding down the board or the front of the board) but then you have to watch that the ankle bones don't end up too low and painful, and in your case, that the calf is still not pinched. Three pieces in general are great for big calves because the buckle that holds the ankle back is independant of the top one (the calf squeezer). The Lange cuff just acts like a big tube with the top two buckles being not very independant. I would try on a flexon (if you can find one) and have a bootfitter look at it, and depending how high your instep is in the shell, see if they think they can lower you down enough to keep you happy. cuz Pressure on the instep = numb Good luck

[stuckathuntermtn]

i see a head foot. or at least an xwave. that does NOT look like a C. i am a c width, and kryptons feel a little big. One of my feet is quite narrower than the other. I have the 05/06 Lange Comp 120 lowfits. (correct me if the following is wrong) I believe the outside is the same as the Medium fits but it has a lot more plastic. I had to get a lot of the left and a little of the right ground out. this is because my skinny-ass feet with high arches, have some bones with no cushin, so i had to have it ground out around the bones and they still put my toes to sleep (still fairly new). Langes DO NOT run small. especially now with the spandex in the toe. BTW, i also use custum foot beds. the kind made with you sitting NOT standing. it just occured to me, you should try a fluid 120. its the 120 flex but wider. In the size you messure or smaller.

[Krash]

Instep still could be tough in the Flexon. The width looks no problem, you will have to do a little stretching/grinding but I have fit much much wider feet in both the Flexon and Krypton. I think it would be an workable fit in both boots, especially with the Intuitions, and now the Kryptons also come with Intuitions. I say give it a go, just get a good bootfitter and be open to doing some work. It is a process and may require a few visits, many people get discouraged after one try that does not work, it may require 2-3 or more visits. Good luck

[RagDoll]

I had the same problem with fit, especially with Lange. Hi arches/wide feet fucking hate those things. I had to go with the salomon X wave 10s. Had a custom footbed made and I fucking LOVE them. I can rail them all day, no pain, just right as far as stiffness. (I believe the flex index is 110, so unnoticably softer than the 120 Langes.)

[Ski Boot Guy]

Instep should be easy if you find a good fitter. Any Resort trips planned early season?? The Full Tilt Liners I saw will accomodate a wider foot type. Rumor has it that Full Tilts will be available in MID December. I also heard from the Rep that they are almost sold out in Japan!! Have you ever seen a low volume Japanese foot?? I never have. These new Full Tilts are the shizzle for alot of foot types 'cause of the Liner. Also, the liner fits awesome out of the box!! You only heat it for 5-7 minutes and Shazam, its good to go.

[Spats]

www.dalebootusa.com

They originated the design that Flexons/Kryptons/etc. are derivative of, and they regularly fit seriously mutant feet at the factory, so yours should be no problem.

YetiMan and I keep telling people that it's much faster, easier, and cheaper to just go to Daleboot and have them take care of you (all boots are custom fit and include free bootfitting for life) instead of spending years shopping for boots and bootfitters and liners. But no one takes our advice, and we keep seeing people going around and around, buying boot after boot, paying for bootfitter after bootfitter to hack up their shells and liners, and having the same fit problems. It hurts just to *read* about you people, ok? Just book your next ski trip to SLC, stop by the factory, and get your s--t taken care of. Thank you.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Instep should be easy if you find a good fitter. Any Resort trips planned early season?? The Full Tilt Liners I saw will accomodate a wider foot type. Rumor has it that Full Tilts will be available in MID December. I also heard from the Rep that they are almost sold out in Japan!! Have you ever seen a low volume Japanese foot?? I never have. These new Full Tilts are the shizzle for alot of foot types 'cause of the Liner. Also, the liner fits awesome out of the box!! You only heat it for 5-7 minutes and Shazam, its good to go.

you are a spamming asshole, you don't sound "young and fresh," and you're obviously a PR guy for Full Tilt.

[Ski Boot Guy]

You are obviously on the crack pipe. What about your pal Spats from SLC. Daleboots are not for everyone, but he thinks so. I am not a PR guy for Full Tilt, just someone who looks for more info than you do. Maybe you should get the hell to a real mountain, and quit eating spam for breakfast. Who said I was young and fresh, I'm old and smarter than you.

you are a spamming asshole, you don't sound "young and fresh," and you're obviously a PR guy for Full Tilt.

[MrDirt]

Does anyone know whether full-tilt has any committed dealers yet? I'd like to know where I can try them on before I just go buy a pair of krypton pro ID's.

[Dirty Hoar]

Maybe someone can help me. I bought some SAC Krypton Cross's awhile ago and set them up as stiff as they would go. I used them for the first time this weekend and have noticed they are rubbing on the bony part of my ankle. I have never had a boot do this before. I plan on getting Intuition liners but want to get the boot dialed in as much as possible before I do. I am going to add a wedge under my heel and see what that does first.

Any suggestions?

[MrDirt]

Which side of your ankle, inside or out? When I tried on 29.0's kryptons they were fine, but when I tried to go down a shell size into the 28.5, I had some problems with the boot pinching the inside of my ankle.

[300hp]

monkeymanners
yup the stock liners are pretty poopy. Amazing fit and lightness can be achieved by using a thermoflex or intutiton liner. The wrap design works very well in a three piece boot. Watch the for sale classifieds and grab a pair for yourself. You will be most happy you did.

[Flexon Phil]

Maybe someone can help me. I bought some SAC Krypton Cross's awhile ago and set them up as stiff as they would go. I used them for the first time this weekend and have noticed they are rubbing on the bony part of my ankle. I have never had a boot do this before. I plan on getting Intuition liners but want to get the boot dialed in as much as possible before I do. I am going to add a wedge under my heel and see what that does first.

Any suggestions?

A varous (sp?) wedge under the inside part of your footbed might eleviate that pressure.

[Dirty Hoar]

Which side of your ankle, inside or out? When I tried on 29.0's kryptons they were fine, but when I tried to go down a shell size into the 28.5, I had some problems with the boot pinching the inside of my ankle.

Shit... I can't remember what side it was on but it wasn't a pinching pain. It was a rubbing on something hard kind of pain.

monkeymanners
yup the stock liners are pretty poopy. Amazing fit and lightness can be achieved by using a thermoflex or intutiton liner. The wrap design works very well in a three piece boot. Watch the for sale classifieds and grab a pair for yourself. You will be most happy you did.

Thanks for the advice. I think I will be getting the Intuitions soon.

A varous (sp?) wedge under the inside part of your footbed might eleviate that pressure.

I'm hoping this will cure the problem. Thanks.

[stuckathuntermtn]

You are obviously on the crack pipe. What about your pal Spats from SLC. Daleboots are not for everyone, but he thinks so. I am not a PR guy for Full Tilt, just someone who looks for more info than you do. Maybe you should get the hell to a real mountain, and quit eating spam for breakfast. Who said I was young and fresh, I'm old and smarter than you.

dude all you do is plug Full Tilt in the few post you have, and no one wants to hear somebody who is old enough to have been fitting boots for 25 years so "shizzle." as for real mountains: bozemon maggots, i will be in from feb 11th to the 18th. trip to PC for Rossi aniversery party dependent on money. Hey does stowe count as a real mountain? boot guy i so need your validation because you are so much older, yet fresher than me.
EDIT: also, how can a completely custom boot not work for everyone?

[ill-advised strategy]

www.dalebootusa.com

They originated the design that Flexons/Kryptons/etc. are derivative of, and they regularly fit seriously mutant feet at the factory, so yours should be no problem.

YetiMan and I keep telling people that it's much faster, easier, and cheaper to just go to Daleboot and have them take care of you (all boots are custom fit and include free bootfitting for life) instead of spending years shopping for boots and bootfitters and liners. But no one takes our advice, and we keep seeing people going around and around, buying boot after boot, paying for bootfitter after bootfitter to hack up their shells and liners, and having the same fit problems. It hurts just to *read* about you people, ok? Just book your next ski trip to SLC, stop by the factory, and get your s--t taken care of. Thank you.

agreed, furthermore, I have a couch 8 blocks from said factory if'n anybody wants to make a quick trip out of it.

they've bent over backwards to make a boot for me that's a lot stiffer and tighter than their average customer.

I think the primary beef with daleboot is that it's an old man's boot, which is true to a point, but I found that if you go in there and say "I used to love flexons, can we do a boot that feels like a perfectly fitted flexon" that's what you can get.

that is all.

[Flexon Phil]

I haven't been in a Dalboot since 82 or so, How is the flex and responsiveness compared to a Flexon?

[Spats]

I haven't been in a Dalboot since 82 or so, How is the flex and responsiveness compared to a Flexon?

Maybe YetiMan can answer this one, because I haven't been in a Flexon.

I can say that the flex is very linear. Most other boots I've worn start out flexing softly, even the "race" boots, but hit a point in their travel where all the moving parts are done moving and suddenly the flex gets much harder. Dales feel much more responsive right at the beginning of the flex, but the flex doesn't ramp up dramatically like most other boots. Overall, they're softer, but I feel like I have just as much control, if not more.

I've skied them both with and without the cuff riveted. (It's reversible: they put a plug in the flex track.) It stiffens things up, but doesn't seem to change the linear flex.

The new liners will be light-years ahead of whatever they were using in 1982.

[MrDirt]

Maybe YetiMan can answer this one, because I haven't been in a Flexon.

I can say that the flex is very linear. Most other boots I've worn start out flexing softly, even the "race" boots, but hit a point in their travel where all the moving parts are done moving and suddenly the flex gets much harder. Dales feel much more responsive right at the beginning of the flex, but the flex doesn't ramp up dramatically like most other boots. Overall, they're softer, but I feel like I have just as much control, if not more.

I've skied them both with and without the cuff riveted. (It's reversible: they put a plug in the flex track.) It stiffens things up, but doesn't seem to change the linear flex.

The new liners will be light-years ahead of whatever they were using in 1982.

That absolutely mirrors the description from every 3pc boot I've been in. Those are the benefits of the design and why everyone is all about them.