# Boots and your feet - how "stock" are you??



## drjeff (Jan 8, 2013)

So after about 5 seasons and about 230 days on my old, thorughly packed out, sole worn pair of boots(Lange Comp Pro's), I took the plunge yesterday and got a new pair of boots (Lange RS130's).  I've been a Lange wearer for about 30 years now, so the fitter at my local shop had a good idea of what he might try me into 1st 

Low and behold, the only thing that he ended up doing was inserting my existing footbeds into my new boots, and they fit perfectly comfy, no hot spots/pressure points, from the second the last buckle was closed all the way through when I took them off in the shop about 30 min later.  Even my good friend who fit me was a bit amazed that I wasn't complaining of any spots that atleast needed a bit of tweaking (we'll see if that holds true after my 1st full day in them next Saturday!  )

This got me wondering, how "stock" is your foot shape??


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## WoodCore (Jan 8, 2013)

Been through a dozen pairs of Tecnica race boots and never had to do a thing with them. Fits my foot like a glove!


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## wa-loaf (Jan 8, 2013)

Wish I could say that. Still haven't found a brand that fits right out of the box. My Current Atomics RS130 have a Nordica liner in them and a bunch of work. I want to try the new Fischers when I'm ready to upgrade.


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## Glenn (Jan 8, 2013)

I'd say fairly stock as far as my feet go. Nick had to do some slight tweaking to the cant and do some heal lifts after putting my custom beds in my new boots last season. I was having an issue with shin bang, but a few sessions with the tounge on heat and reforming helped.


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## Edd (Jan 8, 2013)

I've got a pair of Salomon X3-100 boots that fit me very well. I got dropped a full size from my previous Salomon boots which makes me believe I was sized wrong years ago. These boots are excellent bit I think I'm an easy fit. 

Anyone think Strolz boots are worth the money?


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## Riverskier (Jan 8, 2013)

I am guessing that I have never owned a proper fitting pair of boots. I typically buy the first pair I try on (usually chosen based upon price) and have never had any sort of adjustments done. Not just one brand either, I have owned Nordica, Technica, and Daelbello. My feet have always been comfortable!


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## hammer (Jan 8, 2013)

The Technicas I had for several years took some regular tweaking each year (stretching in a few spots) but the Nordicas I have now just required a minor grind.  They are roomier then the Technicas in the toe box, but nothing that I have not been able to fine tune with the buckles so far.  I'm sure I could get a closer fit (had some concerns because they weren't tight when new), but my feet aren't sore at the end of the day and I don't have any control issues that I can blame on the boots.


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## KevinF (Jan 8, 2013)

My Lange RS130's (a truly awesome boot...) have a LOT of work done to them.  My feet are about a half-size apart in terms of length, so they shell fit my shorter foot and ground, punched, and did whatever they do to make room in the boot for my longer foot.

I've always skied in Lange's...  but because of my foot length discrepancy, there's no way that my longer foot goes into an unmodified ski boot.


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## Cheese (Jan 8, 2013)

My Technicas have custom foot beds and both shells were punched out to allow room for the 6th toe I grow on each foot during ski season.  They're 3 seasons old now so the liners are packed enough that I won't need to punch them out again this season.  I definitely don't ski on stock feet.


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## kickstand (Jan 8, 2013)

My Lange L10's had A LOT of work done to them - grinding, stretching, removing the innerds of the liner....I just replaced them with the Salomon X-Max 120, but have yet to ski in them. The boot fitter didn't have to do any work to the shells. On one boot, he had to bend the cuff back a little, since it was digging into my calf. He did that simply by heating it up, though. Honestly, I'll be amazed - and thrilled - if I don't have to go back for any work. 

The only issue I think I may run into is the custom footbed was cut to the last of the Lange. It is about 1/4 inch shorter than the Salomon last. I really need to kick my heel back in the boot to get the footbed back, too, or else I get the back edge of the footbed digging into my heel. I should be able to manage it on my own, but the fitter said he could finagle a piece to fit on front to hold it in place if it becomes and issue.


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## skiNEwhere (Jan 8, 2013)

I think it's important to find a shop that has a return policy.

Last season I bought some pretty expensive ($500) tele boots, and they felt a little tight. They put that "toe cover" or whatever it is called over my toes and a couple socks over that, heated up the liner for a few minutes, and then took 'em out of the oven and had me put them on inside the boot and have me stand on a broomstick so that my toes were pointing up. I was pretty uncomfortable. 10-15 minutes or so later, I took them off. They "kind of" felt ok, on the border, I might have been second guessing but they weren't really bothering me after I took off the toe caps, and the last time I had purchased boots was like 10 years ago so I bought them.

The next day, I was tele skiing at Loveland, it was painful whenever I was flexing, it felt like my toe was hitting the front of the boot. At the end of the day, I took off my boot and my big toe was completely bruised. It was painful to tele ski for almost a month after that. Thankfully, when I took them back to the store, I complained to the manager that they had fitted the boots for me and he let me return them even though they they had a no return policy on fitted or used boots.

I guess the moral of the story is to give yourself an extra half inch if you are buying a tele boot (I just started tele last year, those boots probably would've worked out fine for alpine)


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## ScottySkis (Jan 8, 2013)

Sent from my ADR6410LVW using Tapatalk 2

Dabello are the only ones that work for me, and still have to have them fitted, I have wide feet, even my sneakers are 9.5 wide stretch even though my foot is. a nine, both my toes lump out on the boots it funny you can see the great boot fitting on my boots from the chairlift. Before I had my boot footed I use to be in pain, love the boot fitter makes ski life great.
And Potterbrothers took back my boots after I had worn them like 6 times on the slopes and my feet were in agony no charge except for the difference in the better boot. I might be cheap on lots of stuff but not my feet.


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## snowmonster (Jan 9, 2013)

As soon as I took off my street shoes at the ski shop, the boot fitter said: "You have Lange feet." Other than my footbeds and some tweaks to the upper cuff to accommodate my large calves, my boots have been mostly out of the box. And yes, I wear Langes.


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## vinnyv11 (Jan 9, 2013)

I think it's time for new boots here.  My boots were beginner/intermediate so I think I've progressed beyond not to mention my feet feel numb at the end if the day but manageable.  Knowledge about what flex I should get and brands is hard to come by and I guess is an acquired skill over time.


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## jrmagic (Jan 11, 2013)

Never had stock 98mm last feet so through all my Lange boots I always had to have work done. I went for new boot s last year fully intending on buying the 100mm last Lange XT 130 but they were out of them so they had me try a Salamon Impact CS120 and it was heaven for my feet. All we did was have the liners cooked and put in some insta prints and I was good to go.


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## bigbog (Jan 15, 2013)

Oh yeah, always need some sort/degree of shell reforming...but the bootmakers are catching on.....  I haven't tried on very many, but more than a few read like they're much closer to me than anything before.  Still though, absolutely love an abducted(term?...or is it adducted) heel...(heel in...toes pointing outward a little)...


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## drjeff (Jan 15, 2013)

bigbog said:


> Oh yeah, always need some sort/degree of shell reforming...but the bootmakers are catching on.....  I haven't tried on very many, but more than a few read like they're much closer to me than anything before.  Still though, absolutely love an abducted(term?...or is it adducted) heel...(heel in...toes pointing outward a little)...



ADDucted would be correct

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AlpineZone mobile app


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## hrstrat57 (Jan 16, 2013)

Tecnica TNT since 89 previously they were 306 BSL now 304.

Buckle and go......have 2 pair of Tecnica Explosion 8's perfection. Superfeet green in one pair and custom leather footbeds in the other...

Very lucky.


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## wa-loaf (Jan 16, 2013)

hrstrat57 said:


> Tecnica Explosion 8's perfection.



I had a pair of those that the shell disintegrated on me 10 years ago. Later learned there was a recall on them because they had a bad batch of plastic.


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## hrstrat57 (Jan 16, 2013)

wa-loaf said:


> I had a pair of those that the shell disintegrated on me 10 years ago. Later learned there was a recall on them because they had a bad batch of plastic.



I have had 2 pair of explosion 8's blow up in the past the plastic starts to "sweat" when they are ready to explode. I just recently picked up a NOS replacement pair on ebay from a shop in Ogden. $35. The final version more of a copper color with silver buckles.

I was very worried to be down to just 1 pair....


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## bigbog (Jan 17, 2013)

drjeff said:


> ADDucted would be correct
> 
> Sent from my DROID RAZR using AlpineZone mobile app



Thank you Dr. of Smiles.....bought a pair of too-big Dachstein Pro3s, last pair in last shop I could find after reading about them...tail end of ~92 or 93 season.  Had footbeds...and even though the boots were way too big they were a low volume with the adducted heel....a real game changer for my skiing;-)...was the month I became king of Wachusett:lol: ...and cleaned up my short-radius movement...


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## Rushski (Feb 25, 2013)

True problem feet here.  Right around a size 10, which certainly isn't unusual...  Tore achilles just about eight years gao playing in a  volleyball tournament.  Full tear by the time I got it operated on.  So this reconstructed tendon area is a lot larger than my other one.  Also have ghigh arches and over pronounced heel and ball areas.  At that time I couldn't fit into my undersized Salomon Equipes of that time.  So going to a former, mediocre chain shop (rhymes w/Lee Park-it).  They put me into a two large Nordica Beast which was softer and too large.  A season or two later after the swelling had completely dissipated, I was swimming in them.

So Early Fall of 2010, went and got a pair of Technic Dragon Slayers.  Took them out to a demo day to try some fun, new skis.  Tough to have fun with numb, contsant pain.  Went back to the shop where they were fine with taking them back and putting me into another pair.  A different guy suggested teh Salomon Quest 120, as ithas the speed-type lacing for the upper boot to cinch my two different sized lower legs.  OK, but still painful.  I even suggested I wouldn't mind going wider and sifter if it would work but they said a Superfeet sole would make the difference.  Again helped a little, but that's it.  Went to Tahoe and first day at Alpine was excruciating as they felt worse as they broke in.  Went to a shop in Truckee that a few locals suggested and they put me on a thinner Superfeet sole, which again helped a bit but far from truly comfortable.

Lats year in them I got to the point where I would levae the bottom two buckles undone to keep the pressure off the bottom of my feet.  Better but sure I'm giving up some support in the bargain.  The few times this year forced the issue and stopped last Friday and got a pair of Nordica Transfire R1s, after some research of my own on top of a couple different shop's guys highlighting it as one of my best bets.  A bit wider at 102mm and a bit softer at around 100-105 flex.  

Haven't been out yet but hoping for the best!!!


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## bigbog (Feb 25, 2013)

Best of luck Rushski.
Yeah...as an example..I'm big over & up front and thin aft of my ankle...on up to a big calf.  Believe me there are NO boots that come stock like that.  The bootfitting really makes the fit all happen.
Hey, just as an example of what can be done for weird-shaped feet...keeping in mind that there are also many different liners out there...both downhill and AT!  Downhill liner's tongues are valuable as they help in fitting my narrow lower leg/shin area....as most all AT liners have very little substance to their liner tongues.  There are a few AT liners that are terrific = thin(uncooked) but burly(don't pack out = Dynafit's Zzero...etc.) & are warm and I've transplanted a few downhill liner tongues to those AT liners and have ended up with a great liners...that require just a very minute extra bit of room in the shell...but are comfy & tight between heel and over-ankle areas with the footbed in.

$.01
Steve


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## Rushski (Feb 25, 2013)

Yeah, for me not having an overly large foot I do have fairly wide forefeet. Ankle/heel pocket would be narrow if not for the cadaver tendon... two shops I hit recently said the two best bets for getting performance out of a boot beyond 100mm wide would be the Nordica Transfires and Salomon RSs. Nordicas also made sense as the second of three buckles is mounted at 45 degrees, insetad of the normal two lower buckles that sometimes has the top of thsoe two hitting pressure points.

I'll try these initially straight out of the box, but will obviously probably need some fitting down the line.


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## STREETSKIER (Mar 20, 2013)

Out of box on hill..size 9


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## ScottySkis (Mar 21, 2013)

Horrible, I have to have side of my boots banged out for my wide toes. The boot fitters are amazing.


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## Morwax (Mar 21, 2013)

I have always clamped right into stock boots with little or no mods. Currently in stock technica dragon130 with 100mm last.


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## ScottySkis (Mar 21, 2013)

Morwax said:


> I have always clamped right into stock boots with little or no mods. Currently in stock technica dragon130 with 100mm last.



Your special.


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## Morwax (Mar 22, 2013)

Scotty said:


> Your special.


  Who asked you anything moron?


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