Introducing AlpineZone.com's "Resident" Boot Fitter!

[awf170]

I got a question. I have a really skinny foot, I mean incredably skinny. The only boot that I have tried on that fits me really good is the comp. 120(low volume fit). Only weighing a 130 pounds I think this boot may be too much for me. :-? Is there any other boots out there that have a fit as skinny as that boot.

 

[Skiiboot]

Skibum, Tecnica,Salomon, Rossi is now wider than they were in the past. Head is a Med width, Tecnica also has HVL boots. I don't get to worked up about forefoot size. Boots can be made bigger very easy. The most important part of the boot is in the heel and lower leg, that's were 80% of your power comes from. Footbeds with greatly help control and comfort. Once your foot is stable then more room can be made.

 

[Skiiboot]

HPD There is no reason that you should be skiing in pain, with the boots that are out there, you should be skiing better than you ever have and comfortable. If any shop asks for your shoe size to pick a skiboot without measuring your foot. LEAVE and don't go back unless you need a coat. Skiboot sizing and shoes are very different. Do a shell fit the shop should do one. Take out the liner and put your foot in the shell, have your toes touch the front of the shell, rule of thumb race fit 1/8" to 1/4" rec fit 3/8" to 1/2" anything over 1" is to big. A boot that is to big will show the same problems of a boot that YOU THINK is to small, toes bang the front, ankles hurt. The shell fit is a rule of thumb there are other reasons that the shell may change from those numbers.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[Skiiboot]

Austin

For skinny feet I use Plug boots(race boot) the reason is that boot is narrow and the boot can be made softer without to much trouble. So if you were think the 120 LF you are looking in the right direction, But you better know a bootfitter that knows how to soften a boot properly.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Take out the liner and put your foot in the shell, have your toes touch the front of the shell, rule of thumb race fit 1/8" to 1/4" rec fit 3/8" to 1/2" anything over 1" is to big.

Thank you, that's what I was looking for.

 

[LVNLARG]

Jeff,

I'm a 32 y/o former jr. ski team racer, former CSIA/CF II instructor/coach (limited only by the fact that I gave up on it due to it not being able to pay for itself) and just started skiing signifigant amounts again last year after a few years semi-off (30 days a year now vs 5 or 10) and mostly GS turn cruise on GS11 race stock at very high speeds. I just got some new Tecnica Icon ALU's. My previous boots were Tecnica TNT's circa 1992 therebouts. I just LOVED those boots...thus the reason they were my boots for almost 15 years and likely 300 + ski days. I got the Icons as they were the most similar to my old boots by still having the underfoot mechanical arch support (they seem to have dropped that 05 and up..likely as a cost cutter). I decided it was time for new boots when I lost a buckle at the end of last season. That's the necessary background..now my new dilemma. I had my foot sized and it was 26.5 mondo. I have a wider/flat foot and it's always been hard to find a boot to fit. I've had professional orthotics made and never liked them or custom footbeds and instead prefered to let my foot sit pretty much flat on the original factory footbed. I have no pain or discomfort at all in my old boots but can wiggle my toes around a little bit. My TNT's are sized 8 on the liner and 8 1/2 shell (as they only make shells in half sizes). I have heard that you want 1 to 1 1/2 or 1 1/2 to 2 fingers behind your heal (depending on who you ask) for a proper shell fit. Your inches measurement is actually much smaller. On the new icons I can only just get the small end (about 3/4 inch) of a 2 AA maglight behind my foot. On the old TNT's I can get the flashlight end (about 1 inch) of it behind. My new icons signifigantly hurt up in the toe box...too tight a fit. I have hotform liners yet to be formed...but it's my understanding they actually expand the liner?!?! not contract it??!?! When I put the old TNT liner in the new boot the fit is pretty good but my feet seemed to go to sleep making me think circulation is being cut off by a too small shell. Anyways...bottem line is...do I send these back for 27.0 Icon's to match the TNT's or am I being a big baby and they'll pack/stretch out ?!?! I'm thinking that maybe my wider flat foot might dictate that I do go a half size bigger in boot fitting world ??!?! Would love to hear what you think of all this. Thanks in advance!

J.P.

 

[Skiiboot]

J.P. The boot size sounds to be OK don't go bigger. They make boot shells in full sizes 23,24,25.ect so if you go up the chances of the boot getting to big in the future are good. Your foot sounds to be a rigid foot, which is a very tuff foot to fit for anything. A footbed is important, but it has to be made a bit differently support in the arch not as important as to support in the heel. As far as your toes being tight, your heel isn't getting all the way back in the boot. I'm not a hotform fan. I think any liner is better and easer to work with when problems start. The liner dosen't expand unless it's stretched. The liner feels longer because your heel goes back in the boot. The liner may pack a bit but plastic stretches. If you have a little more room made that will help. The most important thing is to stablize the foot first then the rest is easer.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[LVNLARG]

Jeff,

Thanks for the advice. :wink: I think you've convinced me to work with these ones. I actually have the right feeling pretty good now. Cranking the arch support to the max and hand stretching the shell seemed to fix it. The left I did the same but still have a pressure point just to the front of the arch on the top/side of the foot. Do I get the shell stretched outwards a bit to fix that or ? Wish we actually had a boot fitter around here.

:beer: J.P.

 

[Skiiboot]

J.P.
Hard to tell from NH, but if it is on the top off the foot I would look at the toung, thinout some of the plastic to make the plastic softer, the elastic band that is over the toung that can be trimmed to also give you a little more room. Be carefull with the plastic arch in the boot, to much pressure can hurt or bruise your foot. Work on supporting your heel.

Good Luck

Jeff

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

Jeff: Nice to have you on board. A jake who's a bootfitter can't be all bad

 

[NYDrew]

Jeff,
So i'm sitting here with my boots on, mainly for lack of snow, and I am trying to identify hot spots being they are new.

I seem to have a bit of a problem where my right little toe is twisting into the toe next to it. Its annoying and I imagine it will be worse outdoors.

Any idea to stop my toe from doing that, its not happening on the other foot. By the way, im wearing Lange Comp 120's (not the free ride). They have the medium fit.

 

[Skiiboot]

NYDrew, The proper way to fix the problem is to make sure your foot is stable.(footbed) this will also make your foot a little smaller. Then when your foot is stable, Stretch that area of the boot. Easy fix.

Thanks for the Question

Jeff

 

[ALLSKIING]

NYDrew, The proper way to fix the problem is to make sure your foot is stable.(footbed) this will also make your foot a little smaller. Then when your foot is stable, Stretch that area of the boot. Easy fix.

Thanks for the Question

Jeff

Anyway to fix a boot thats a little to big?

 

[Skiiboot]

Dave, How much to big is the question. It is very hard to make a boot smaller and get it to work for you.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[ALLSKIING]

Dave, How much to big is the question. It is very hard to make a boot smaller and get it to work for you.

Thanks

Jeff

Well..I did the shell test and have about 1 inch from the heel. I would have thought there would be less room than that in the boot. :-? I don't have any problems with the boots they feel great but I am looking at getting custom footbeds this season.

 

[Skiiboot]

Dave, one inch is a little more than you should have but it's not the end of the world when you asked I was thinking the boot bigger than that. Room can be made up in other places to snug up your foot to get the boot to respond quicker.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[ALLSKIING]

What is the average price of custom footbeds?

 

[Skiiboot]

A price of a custom footbed will range from 99$ to 185$ depending on were you go. The more you pay dosen't make them better. It's the way there made, the material and is the person making them quailfied.

Thanks

Jeff

 

[trtaylor]

Foot description

Jeff,

Thanks for taking time to answer questions. Here, and on other forums, I read people describing their foot as high volume or low volume, high instep or low instep, wide ankles or narrow, etc.

My question is how do I know how to describe my foot? Is there a set of measurements I can take, either with calipers or a tape that will allow a qualified person, such as yourself, to tell me what kind of foot I have?

Thanks in advance.

Tim

 

[Skiiboot]

Tim, Great question there are 5 different types of arches low, low-med, med, med-high, high. low arch being flat, and high arch is when heel and forefoot is the only part of the foot touching the ground. The other 3 arches can be clasified differently by different people. As far a instep typically low arch low instep, high arch high instep. Volume is based on mass of the foot not length, A size 30 foot with C width is a low volume foot, but a 26 foot width a EEE foot is a very high volume foot. Ankles are based on bone stucture, muscle, and fat content. There is a lot to this subject, if you want to know more please feel free to call me.

Thanks for the question

Jeff