Which Intuition?

[harpo-the-skier]

I am giving up on my Gfits, and everyone's advice on this forum is to get Intutions. Which one should I get to use in a Megaride? Alpine Custom or Alpine Custom Power Wrap? What is the difference between the two?

Also, has anyone used these in AT boots? Experiences?

[kidwoo]

alpine custom power wrap

I've got them in my adrenalines and they's reall good.

They're better because they cost more. Actually I've never used the regular custom alpines....... But I'm happy with the version I've got.

[RobT]

It depends what you want. The power wrap is just another piece of foam that covers the rear/side of the ankle/calf and wraps around the heel a little. It is great for stiffening them up a little and taking up a little volume or holding your heal down.

For an AT bood I probably would go without the power wrap if you tour a lot.

I have the power wrap on in my Adrenalines though.

Rob

[manderson]

Here you go.

[Hugh Jass]

I used Intuitions in my Adrenalins, and now they are in my Megarides. Just as light, a little higher and stiffer, and virtually no packout.

Can't tell you which version liner it is though.

[harpo-the-skier]

Here you go.

Thanks for the link; I searched but didn't go back far enough to find that one.

One post on that thread says that how the Intuitions work for touring depends on how you mold them. Does anyone have advice on how molding them for touring would be different from molding them for resort skiing? I won't be doing this at home, but the experienced boot fitter I will be going to does mostly downhill oriented work.

[kidwoo]

Thanks for the link; I searched but didn't go back far enough to find that one.

One post on that thread says that how the Intuitions work for touring depends on how you mold them. Does anyone have advice on how molding them for touring would be different from molding them for resort skiing? I won't be doing this at home, but the experienced boot fitter I will be going to does mostly downhill oriented work.

I had mine molded by a bootfitter here in town that no doubt does >90% alpine setups. He did the traditional toecap/thin sock thing and they sucked. My feet absolutely killed.

Relying on the genius of upallnight, he pointed out that spending a few hours hiking causes your feet to expand before you ever even start skiing and there's no relief from a lift ride. So I recooked them myself in a dessicant oven I have at work and beefed up the sides of my feet with pieces of a thick sock I cut up and taped to the sides and my typical hot spots. I put on a thicker sock and remolded. They've been fantastic.

I still tape my heels before long days to prevent blistering but I've had to do that with every boot/liner combo I've ever used.......mostly because my feet sweat a lot.

I'm about to cook a set for my alpine boots when they get here and I'm going with the same approach because even when riding lifts, I do a lot of walking/traversing to get to what I want to ski (like most people here I'm sure).

[Dromond]

I still tape my heels before long days to prevent blistering but I've had to do that with every boot/liner combo I've ever used.......

I'm curious, what kind of tape/how do you do it, exactly? I've got very tender heels that blister badly with any serious hiking in ski boots or stiff cycling shoes and I think that's what I need to do.

[kidwoo]

I'm curious, what kind of tape/how do you do it, exactly? I've got very tender heels that blister badly with any serious hiking in ski boots or stiff cycling shoes and I think that's what I need to do.

Yeah my feet get so sweaty, I've always gotten heel blisters from BC hikes of any length.

Just a roll of cheapo cloth medical tape. The plastic stuff doesn't stick nearly as well. The same kind of thick/wide tape you'd use to tape a sprained wrist or ankle. For some reason it's getting harder to find lately....at least around here.


I just put one long band vertically along the bottom of my acheles tendon to just under my heel then one horizontally around my heel with each end along the sides of my foot. One around your foot to hold those ends on the side of your foot helps too. My dh bike shoes (adidas hematomas) dig into my heels if I'm doing a lot of uphill pushing so I do it sometimes with those as well.


One thing about the intutions is that they are VERY warm.....like neoprene warm. I live in tahoe where it's typically not that cold so my feet get really hot. The tape pretty much eliminates the problem.

[wilcox510]

I have Alpine Power Wraps in my Megarides. I had to have them molded 3 times to get them right. At first I was very un-impressed with them, and the people who molded them. Eventually I went into the shop and basically told them to heat the liners and help me get in them, and I did the rest. I added a relatively thick strip of foam along the head of my 5th metatarsals which were previously getting crushed. My other complaint with them initially was that the upper portion, above the shell, didnt really contact my shin/calf well. So while they were molding I added another power strap I had, just wrapped it around the liner alone just below the top of the boot. The shop guy thought I was an idiot, but it worked great. They now fit and ski much better. I think these are a bit harder to mold well than the Scarpas or Garmonts, so find someone who has a clue (unlike the people I dealt with).

[Dromond]

Yeah my feet get so sweaty, I've always gotten heel blisters from BC hikes of any length.

Just a roll of cheapo cloth medical tape. The plastic stuff doesn't stick nearly as well. The same kind of thick/wide tape you'd use to tape a sprained wrist or ankle. For some reason it's getting harder to find lately....at least around here.


I just put one long band vertically along the bottom of my acheles tendon to just under my heel then one horizontally around my heel with each end along the sides of my foot. One around your foot to hold those ends on the side of your foot helps too. My dh bike shoes (adidas hematomas) dig into my heels if I'm doing a lot of uphill pushing so I do it sometimes with those as well.


One thing about the intutions is that they are VERY warm.....like neoprene warm. I live in tahoe where it's typically not that cold so my feet get really hot. The tape pretty much eliminates the problem.

Thanks for the tip. I've also had pretty much exactly the same problem that you describe with your Hematomas. I got a pair of softer cheap clipless shoes specifically for when I would be pushing the DH bike a bit. More than 5-10 minutes of pushing up steep hills with my XC shoes and my heels would be practically bleeding. Not fun!

[harpo-the-skier]

I have Alpine Power Wraps in my Megarides. I had to have them molded 3 times to get them right. At first I was very un-impressed with them, and the people who molded them. Eventually I went into the shop and basically told them to heat the liners and help me get in them, and I did the rest. I added a relatively thick strip of foam along the head of my 5th metatarsals which were previously getting crushed. My other complaint with them initially was that the upper portion, above the shell, didnt really contact my shin/calf well. So while they were molding I added another power strap I had, just wrapped it around the liner alone just below the top of the boot. The shop guy thought I was an idiot, but it worked great. They now fit and ski much better. I think these are a bit harder to mold well than the Scarpas or Garmonts, so find someone who has a clue (unlike the people I dealt with).

W510, I will be having my Intuitions molded in Tahoe too. Who did you goto?

[kidwoo]

W510, I will be having my Intuitions molded in Tahoe too. Who did you goto?

If you're on the north side, don't bother with cosmo.

[wilcox510]

I'm in Salt Lake, where it is apparently currently raining at 8000 feet.

[peterslovo]

I currently run the alpine power wraps in a pair of older Denali XTs. They are no doubt very warm but I have found them to be a bit uncomfortable (from their increased stiffness and height) on longer days in the boots, and suck if you are doing extended periods of hike/ski over the course of a day. The downhill control of the powerwrap, however, is superior than any stock liner I have tried. I guess, like much else, it's a trade off.

My opinion would be if you are planning on consistently doing long day or multi day tours with lots of vert and long hours of skinning/hiking, stay away from the power wraps; if you are doing quick backcountry hits from the resort, they would be a good choice.

[kidwoo]

My opinion would be if you are planning on consistently doing long day or multi day tours with lots of vert and long hours of skinning/hiking, stay away from the power wraps; if you are doing quick backcountry hits from the resort, they would be a good choice.

I've had better luck with mine. I spent a few 10ish hour days in my adrenalines with power wraps last spring......literally like dawn to dusk type hikes. The only issue I had was having to retape my heels from sweating the tape off. There's no way I would have tolerated that with my stock liners. Going thermo-mold was actually an attempt to find something more comfortable for longer days for me. The stiffness and lighter weight was a bonus.

[peterslovo]

Kidwoo - you make a good point. But then again, I wouldn't consider the adrenalins a long tour/hike-friendly boot to begin with (I know many here would disagree)!

My thought was that if you were planning on doing more dedicated touring, go with the regular Intuition custom liner, not the alpine power wrap; but i'd definitely recommend either Intuition liner over the stock liners for sure...

[manderson]

he pointed out that spending a few hours hiking causes your feet to expand before you ever even start skiing and there's no relief from a lift ride. So I recooked them myself in a dessicant oven I have at work and beefed up the sides of my feet with pieces of a thick sock I cut up and taped to the sides and my typical hot spots. I put on a thicker sock and remolded. They've been fantastic.

I think that is the problem I have been having. When I hike with my Mega Rides me feet kill me as soon as I start skiing. I tried them at the resort the other day and I had no pain.

I only have about 10 days on this boot. Anybody know if this will improve when the stock G-fit 2 liner packs out?

Kidwoo, did the boot feel sloppy after you widend the liner?

[kidwoo]

Kidwoo, did the boot feel sloppy after you widend the liner?

Not at all. Everything from behind about where a bootsole mark is on your boot back, I had no padding. So all along my heel and lower leg was set up as the liner was meant to be molded. Shin, upper boot cuff etc (where you initiate your leverage on the ski anyway) was still snug.

Even with the padding I put on the sides of my foot, the liner was definitely snug by the end of even short hikes. With the combination of stair stepping or boot packing up a slope and a few runs of skiing, I think the expanding foot thing is pretty accurate. I know runners go up in shoe sizes on some of those crazy long foot races over a few days. Less in scale but the same thing happening in ski boots seems accurate.

I can say this though.....an intution liner is REALLY stiff. If it's not ready for some foot expansion it's absolutely agonizing. The few hikes I did before remolding them myself were torture.

I've got a pair sitting here I'll probably mold in the next few days for my alpine boots. I'll take some pics of what I do prep wise.