the answer to "WTF is wrong with my boots?"

[steved]

Technica Mach 120 LV & shin bang--Better to go with a tongue shim or Booster strap as a first step?

The lower works but the cuff is too big. Regardless of how tight I buckle the boot I can still create space behind my leg & deform the boot.
I am tall 6'1 170lbs & 27.5, skinny & have no calves.



I can finally get my feet in the boot & ski for a day. Taking them off is another story.

$.01 from the peanut gallery....
Have you ever tried looking for somekind of strap-on padding, like some football foam or maybe there's a slip on medical device with some firm type of foam for the calf...?
Just thought I'd enter a guess... or downsize the shellsize and have someone try to stretch out the lower shell for you or go with a MV or HV(gasp!) in the smaller shell...?

[swissiphic]

Aren't you concerned all the extra stiffness in the tongue will limit the ROM? I been thinking to replace intuition liner tongue with a zipfits tongue. Zipfit have equal weight distribution on the shin but they are to stiff for touring.

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The way the one piece tongue panel operates, it basically hinges freely at the instep. So, forward rom is actually quite free of resistance. For rear rom, the remaining material of the stock liner flexes as easily and a rubber band. Therefore, the complete fore and aft rom is actually more resistance free and only limited by the shell components. In fact, just walking around the yard I noticed that there's too much forward rom, no limit. Had to snug up the power strap just a bit to keep the rom under control. Jury's still out on what pressure points and weird fit issues present themselves in the real ski touring world though. Prolly better to post vids of this, i'll see what i can do. Pics for now.

[turnfarmer]

Giving David McPhail some mod competition!

[Bozo T. Clown]

This thread gets my vote for the most useful ever. "The gospel of boot fitting according to mntlion" could probably be summarized with his questionnaire, some quotes, and a few links. But even if you're not looking for his free online boot fitting service, the 56 pages gives it an added support group effect.

[mntlion]

This thread gets my vote for the most useful ever. "The gospel of boot fitting according to mntlion" could probably be summarized with his questionnaire, some quotes, and a few links. But even if you're not looking for his free online boot fitting service, the 56 pages gives it an added support group effect.

1) buy smaller boots
2) buy stiffer boots
3) no idea, you should ski more and think less
4) buy the red ones

[slcdawg]

Mtnlion, very informative thread. I'm shopping for new boots and getting conflicting recommendations on shell sizing from local shops. My current boots are Lange RX 130 size 26.5 MV 100mm last with Superfeet Green insoles. Overall, I liked the boot but as the liners packed out I've had to wear thicker socks and crank down on the buckles. I would like to go to a snugger fit. One shop is recommending I size down to a 25.5 and the other recommends sticking with a 26.5. Both are pretty adamant with their recommendations.

My left foot is slightly longer than the right (27 vs 26.5) and right foot is slightly wider (B/C width). Current shell fit is 19mm room on left and 22mm on right. This is a little higher than your recommendation (5-15mm), but within the range (<25mm). Hard to say on the width. With my foot on the bottom of the boot I am lightly touching the sides. But, the shell curves out and there is some room side to side if I raise my foot an inch off the bottom.

My home mountain is Mary Jane, Co. I ski mostly black/db off piste: bumps, trees, steeps. I rarely go in and typically spend 5-6 hours in my boots. I would like a performance fit but comfort is a consideration.

On the 26.5 I can wiggle my toes and barely touch the front of the liner. On the smaller 25.5, the toes are right against the front of the liner with a snug fit, but no hot spots. The LV at that size resulted in mild loss of circulation after a few minutes (with foot buckles unbuckled). The 100 last felt more comfortable but still pretty snug.

Shop A was adamant about sizing down and even encouraged a LV if possible. Shop B thought I was crazy to even consider a 25.5. Hoping to get your 2 cents. Thanks!

[jhyatt]

Mtnlion, very informative thread. I'm shopping for new boots and getting conflicting recommendations on shell sizing from local shops. My current boots are Lange RX 130 size 26.5 MV 100mm last with Superfeet Green insoles. Overall, I liked the boot but as the liners packed out I've had to wear thicker socks and crank down on the buckles. I would like to go to a snugger fit. One shop is recommending I size down to a 25.5 and the other recommends sticking with a 26.5. Both are pretty adamant with their recommendations.

My left foot is slightly longer than the right (27 vs 26.5) and right foot is slightly wider (B/C width). Current shell fit is 19mm room on left and 22mm on right. This is a little higher than your recommendation (5-15mm), but within the range (<25mm). Hard to say on the width. With my foot on the bottom of the boot I am lightly touching the sides. But, the shell curves out and there is some room side to side if I raise my foot an inch off the bottom.

My home mountain is Mary Jane, Co. I ski mostly black/db off piste: bumps, trees, steeps. I rarely go in and typically spend 5-6 hours in my boots. I would like a performance fit but comfort is a consideration.

On the 26.5 I can wiggle my toes and barely touch the front of the liner. On the smaller 25.5, the toes are right against the front of the liner with a snug fit, but no hot spots. The LV at that size resulted in mild loss of circulation after a few minutes (with foot buckles unbuckled). The 100 last felt more comfortable but still pretty snug.

Shop A was adamant about sizing down and even encouraged a LV if possible. Shop B thought I was crazy to even consider a 25.5. Hoping to get your 2 cents. Thanks!

How long have you used those liners?

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[slcdawg]

The boots are 7-8 seasons old. I replaced the liners with Intuition Dreamliners and skied on them for 3 seasons.

[beaterdit]

I'd size down. You can make a small boot bigger but you can't make a big boot smaller. Dream Liners are available in three volumes, do you know which you have?

[Self Jupiter]

X2 on above. Work with the shop who recommended you do that to get the right fit. Might not happen in the first day, but it’s worth it in the long run. FWIW I know (good) shops that can’t believe I wear a 25.5 and I’ve been at it like that for a decade.

[EWG]

I'd also always size down. You can always make the boot bigger. I ski 26.5 and I wear a 10.5 shoe. I just had my new boots sized and I had them made just enough bigger that I could kinda stand the pressure. I'll go ski in them a few times and likely it'll open them up. If not, I'll go back and have the big foot lengthened a little more.

Also, it says you are on the Front Range, what shops are you going to - which shop is giving which advice?

Finally, mtnlion will step in and set ya straight. Listen to the guy, he's the man. Kept me from overthinking my most recent boots, for which I'm grateful. To quote the man himself:

1) buy smaller boots
2) buy stiffer boots
3) no idea, you should ski more and think less
4) buy the red ones

[mntlion]

25 and add room as needed

Any 26 will become what you have now

25 will suck fir a few days. Then feel ok after working on it


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[slcdawg]

Also, it says you are on the Front Range, what shops are you going to - which shop is giving which advice?

Thanks for the feedback. Larsons recommended the 25.5. Christy's and Powder7 recommended the 26.5.

[slcdawg]

Thanks for the info. I figured you would say to go down a size. Any comments on the Last? Does the fact I am losing circulation in the LV when unbuckled mean I should go with the MV? Or, will that pack out?

25 and add room as needed

Any 26 will become what you have now

25 will suck fir a few days. Then feel ok after working on it


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[jhyatt]

Thanks for the feedback. Larsons recommended the 25.5. Christy's and Powder7 recommended the 26.5.

I sized down last season and it was uncomfortable for a few days but so much better. Boots should be very very tight in the shop. The shop insisted on smaller boots and to not do any work on them or heat molding for at least 3 days. They needed one grind but they were correct. Nordica gpx 130.
That logic does not work for people who ski 1 week a season.

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[slcdawg]

Thanks for the info. How long until they break in and you can you wear them all day?

[jhyatt]

Thanks for the info. How long until they break in and you can you wear them all day?

I am no expert, but I unbuckle every lift ride. I used to race.
I would say 3 days if you lap hard, no lines, almost all day no breaks. In my case I started off counting the days. Then I forgot about it because they felt ok.
Also they can't heat mold if the liners are damp.

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[GravityDT]

Any general consensus for a decent trim to fit footbed? ie Superfeet, Sole,............. Looking to try something other than my $$$ custom footbeds in my touring boots - pain the arse swapping the footbeds from my resort boots and they don't fit in the touring boots perfectly. Feet are pretty high arch and Instep so I'd like to keep the overall thickness to a minimum, have a pretty neutral stance and don't supinate/pronate.
Thanks!

[riff]

I'm a fan of the sole offerings, the thin ones were 27$ ish on Amazon a bit ago...

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[funkendrenchman]

I've been in foam liners for years, but I'm looking for a new pair of liners and boots. I tried Surefoot last year (had them before with success) and the Lange RX100 LV felt like it just wasn't made for my foot, both before and after the custom liner. Luckily, I did get a full refund.

If I'm going the customer liner route - Zipfit, Intuition, foam - should I just be looking for the right flex and a boot that generally gets along with my foot? And not worry as much about how tight the fit is? I've tried on several boots this year (96 last at 25.5) and the Head Vector RS seems to fit my foot the best. I'm just worried that because it's not painfully tight in the shop, it might be a little too comfortable.

[slcdawg]

Mntlion, I had them re-measure my feet and my left measures 27.5 and right 26.5, a full size difference. The Lange RX 130 25.5 is very tight on my left foot, the toes are very cramped. A shell fit has <10mm space (I used a 10mm pen and had to squeeze the pen to fit). The right feels snug but about right. The boot fitter is still suggesting the 25.5 but saying I will likely need to punch out the shell .5 cm. I wore these around the store for about 30 min and started to feel pain under a couple of toes on the longer left foot .

Option 2 is a 26.5 Salomon S/Max, which feels pretty snug on both feet. The BSL is 2mm shorter than the Lange, unfortunately I did not get an accurate shell fit measurement , but felt snugger than the 26.5 Lange. Salomon describes these boots for on-piste performance and I'm a little uncertain if they would be good for my style of skiing: 90% off piste, bumps, trees, etc.

Having 2 shoe sizes makes it a challenge. Do you still recommend going down to the 25.5 (sizing down 2 sizes) and punching out the shell? Or, maybe the Salomon? Really appreciate your input!

25 and add room as needed

Any 26 will become what you have now

25 will suck fir a few days. Then feel ok after working on it


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[EWG]

Mntlion, I had them re-measure my feet and my left measures 27.5 and right 26.5, a full size difference. The Lange RX 130 25.5 is very tight on my left foot, the toes are very cramped. A shell fit has <10mm space (I used a 10mm pen and had to squeeze the pen to fit). The right feels snug but about right. The boot fitter is still suggesting the 25.5 but saying I will likely need to punch out the shell .5 cm. I wore these around the store for about 30 min and started to feel pain under a couple of toes on the longer left foot .

Option 2 is a 26.5 Salomon S/Max, which feels pretty snug on both feet. The BSL is 2mm shorter than the Lange, unfortunately I did not get an accurate shell fit measurement , but felt snugger than the 26.5 Lange. Salomon describes these boots for on-piste performance and I'm a little uncertain if they would be good for my style of skiing: 90% off piste, bumps, trees, etc.

Having 2 shoe sizes makes it a challenge. Do you still recommend going down to the 25.5 (sizing down 2 sizes) and punching out the shell? Or, maybe the Salomon? Really appreciate your input!

For what it’s worth, more detail: my right foot is about a 9 3/4 and my left foot about a 10 3/4. I think that measures a 27.5 and a 28.5 mondo. I’m in S/Max 130 26.5 with custom footbeds. First step of heat molding made things feel bearable on the right foot but they had to slowly punch out the width and length a bit on the larger left foot. When I could bear it we stopped. I skied them yesterday and they were starting to feel mostly ok after a couple hours, but residual pain from beginning of the day made me happy to take em off. I think a couple more days and I’ll be good to go. But to be clear, when I say "bearable" and "mostly ok", I mean they hurt. I expect they will continue to hurt for a few more days. But they will be gloves by day 5, and I'll be happy.

The idea that these boots are in some way not suitable for all mountain is not accurate.

[slcdawg]

Thanks, beece. You're in almost exactly the same situation I am. I might look at sizing down the S/Max, with the heat moldable shells.

For what it’s worth, more detail: my right foot is about a 9 3/4 and my left foot about a 10 3/4. I think that measures a 27.5 and a 28.5 mondo. I’m in S/Max 130 26.5 with custom footbeds. First step of heat molding made things feel bearable on the right foot but they had to slowly punch out the width and length a bit on the larger left foot. When I could bear it we stopped. I skied them yesterday and they were starting to feel mostly ok after a couple hours, but residual pain from beginning of the day made me happy to take em off. I think a couple more days and I’ll be good to go. But to be clear, when I say "bearable" and "mostly ok", I mean they hurt. I expect they will continue to hurt for a few more days. But they will be gloves by day 5, and I'll be happy.

The idea that these boots are in some way not suitable for all mountain is not accurate.

[slcdawg]

FWIW, I went to a well respected boot fitter in Boulder and they are recommending the larger size as well. Says you can punch out a shell to the side but don't recommend punching length as it can interfere with the binding. I'm not disparaging the shops below as 3/4 have the same recommendation.

Thanks for the feedback. Larsons recommended the 25.5. Christy's and Powder7 recommended the 26.5.

[RickySixx]

TLDR, Is it ok to have room just after the instep and into the toe box, if the ankle, heel and early instep are held in place well?

I buy a lot of boots. At least one per year from local boot fitters, and then some online to save money in the quest. They always need a lot of work to try and make them fit, and it seems that I'm in between sizes. I like the performance of going down two sizes, but my feet go numb even when I make room until it's loose. I figure my foot doesn't like being squeezed down 2 sizes in a plastic vice grip of narrow last boots. I like the comfort of going down only one size from measured, but then I can't ski, because my ankles and heels are too loose, even in 96mm last Raptors or Firebird 140, or 97mm Lange and 98mm Salomon or Nordica. I have to add new liners and foam to my ankle, shims and whatnot, and the bigger boots never ski well after that.

I measure 30 mondo, but around my ankle and instep is 28cm. My foot is very thin, up until my toe box where it gets average width. However my instep rises a bit after my ankle, closer to my forefoot, where its almost medium in heigh and I have a medium arch. I have issues, to say the least, and I'm a boot fitters worst nightmare, I have been for 15 years.

I have been trying 28 mondo (2 sizes down) boots with 100mm last (wider than my measured width), and it seems my ankle, heel and instep are held very well, while my forefoot is extremely comfortable. I haven't skied in such a boot, but it feels pretty nice for performance and comfort. The only problem is that the boot fitters don't recommend I do this. Is this OK or should I avoid?