# Who loves their boots?



## wa-loaf (Dec 26, 2007)

I've always had a love hate relationship with my boots. I usually got good performance out of them, but with a some sort of compromise in comfort. Now finally I've got the best performing boots I've had (Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuels) and after going to a boot fitter (Jeff Bokum) I'm balanced and comfortable all day. The only thing negative I have to say is that the instep is really stiff and makes it really tough to get in and out of.

Here's to my boots! :beer:


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## tcharron (Dec 26, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> I've always had a love hate relationship with my boots. I usually got good performance out of them, but with a some sort of compromise in comfort. Now finally I've got the best performing boots I've had (Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuels) and after going to a boot fitter (Jeff Bokum) I'm balanced and comfortable all day. The only thing negative I have to say is that the instep is really stiff and makes it really tough to get in and out of.
> 
> Here's to my boots! :beer:



Used the new boots 5 times now, Atomic M100's, and GOD I love them.  I didn't actually understand just how bad my old boots where for me.  Long after I feel my legs and abs getting tired, my fet are GTG.  It used to be the other way around.


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## andyzee (Dec 26, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> I've always had a love hate relationship with my boots. I usually got good performance out of them, but with a some sort of compromise in comfort. Now finally I've got the best performing boots I've had (Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuels) and after going to a boot fitter (Jeff Bokum) I'm balanced and comfortable all day. The only thing negative I have to say is that the instep is really stiff and makes it really tough to get in and out of.
> 
> Here's to my boots! :beer:


 
I have the Nordica Beasts which I love, however, they no longer make them. As a result I have been looking at the Hot Rods as a possible replacement in the future.


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## trtaylor (Dec 26, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> I've always had a love hate relationship with my boots. I usually got good performance out of them, but with a some sort of compromise in comfort. Now finally I've got the best performing boots I've had (Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuels) and after going to a boot fitter (Jeff Bokum) I'm balanced and comfortable all day. The only thing negative I have to say is that the instep is really stiff and makes it really tough to get in and out of.
> 
> Here's to my boots! :beer:



I've got the Nordica Dobie 130's and they're really not that bad to get in and out of. I slide both hands down inside the overlaps (hands between overlaps and liner) and then grab the two halves over the instep with my thumbs. I pry the two halves apart and that makes getting in and out fairly easy. 

On the way in, after my foot gets part way in I do have to pull the tongue up out of the way to finish the job. And I have not had to get the boots off in zero degree weather yet, either.

As far as the love/hate thing, I am still working on getting the fit/balance/alignment of these dialed in. Next time out will be experimenting with and without some heel lifts. But, I am optimistic that I will end up loving these boots.


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## Grassi21 (Dec 26, 2007)

andyzee said:


> I have the Nordica Beasts which I love, however, they no longer make them. As a result I have been looking at the Hot Rods as a possible replacement in the future.



I love my Beasts as well.  I have custom foot beds in them.  They also had to blow-out/stretch (not sure of the correct term) the inside of my left toe box.


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## cbcbd (Dec 26, 2007)

Love my Garmont Endorphins most of the time. Socks make a HUGE difference in the fit so it took me some time to get that down right.


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## 2knees (Dec 26, 2007)

i have some old old nordicas that I love so much.  Problem is they are completely packed out now.  I have to replace them asap but it'll be a sad day.


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## hammer (Dec 26, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> I've always had a love hate relationship with my boots. I usually got good performance out of them, but with a some sort of compromise in comfort. Now finally I've got the best performing boots I've had (Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuels) and after going to a boot fitter (Jeff Bokum) I'm balanced and comfortable all day. The only thing negative I have to say is that the instep is really stiff and makes it really tough to get in and out of.
> 
> Here's to my boots! :beer:


I have a pair of Tecnica Diablo Flames, and overall they fit my foot quite well...I have a low instep, and I really like how I don't have to crank down the buckles. The other nice feature of the boots is the hinged cuff, which makes getting into and out of the boots a lot easier.

My biggest problem has been in the footbed arches...for the first few runs of the day I usually get cramping in my arches. Once that settles down, the foot is very well situated in the boot and they are comfortable. I could get them "softened" but somehow I think that would compromise the fit once my feet warm up. Just have to remember to use the tennis ball like Jeff told me...

As far as performance is concerned, they seem to be fine for my level of skiing. In all honesty, the boot fit was more important.


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## trtaylor (Dec 26, 2007)

2knees said:


> i have some old old nordicas that I love so much.  Problem is they are completely packed out now.  I have to replace them asap but it'll be a sad day.



If the shells are sound, why not just replace the liners with something like an Intuition?  There is a ton of info about these liners posted on TGR.


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## campgottagopee (Dec 26, 2007)

I voted love 'em but if this poll was up 2 years ago it would've been diff. I'm a Lange boot guy. Currently have a 2 yr old pair of comp 120's and after a few trips back to my boot fitter there great. These babys really respond quickly and with alot of power.,


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## 2knees (Dec 26, 2007)

trtaylor said:


> If the shells are sound, why not just replace the liners with something like an Intuition?  There is a ton of info about these liners posted on TGR.



whoa thanks for that info.  I had no idea you could even replace the liners.


thanks!


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## marcski (Dec 26, 2007)

I have a pair of 3 or 4 y.o. Nordica SpeedMachine 14's I think.  Love them.  Comfy, stiff yet no pressure points like countless race boots I've had before this (even after attempting to have the old ones blown out!).  

I have custom footbeds and spent a pretty penny on the boots, the footbed and the fitting.  Worth every penny. I'll go back to the same shop and spend the money next time in a flash!


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## Mark_151 (Dec 26, 2007)

I love my Rossi alpine boots for their power and support, and they're comfortable as long as you don't walk more than 100 feet in them. I love my Garmont Syner-G's for their comfort and relative power, but mostly because I could easily do a winter Presidential Traverse in them! And maybe stop in Huntington Ravine along the way and use them for some ice climbing with some step-in crampons (they take them).


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## wa-loaf (Dec 26, 2007)

trtaylor said:


> I've got the Nordica Dobie 130's and they're really not that bad to get in and out of. I slide both hands down inside the overlaps (hands between overlaps and liner) and then grab the two halves over the instep with my thumbs. I pry the two halves apart and that makes getting in and out fairly easy.
> 
> On the way in, after my foot gets part way in I do have to pull the tongue up out of the way to finish the job. And I have not had to get the boots off in zero degree weather yet, either.



Yea, I pretty much do the same thing and then work the tongue pretty good. I think getting out is actually tougher because you are coming in out of the cold. That first zero degree day is going to be interesting, may have to chill out by the fire with the boots on for a bit. :wink:



trtaylor said:


> As far as the love/hate thing, I am still working on getting the fit/balance/alignment of these dialed in. Next time out will be experimenting with and without some heel lifts. But, I am optimistic that I will end up loving these boots.



I still need to go back and have the boots ground for canting and actually get toe lifts for balance. So things should only get better. :grin:


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## wa-loaf (Dec 26, 2007)

2knees said:


> whoa thanks for that info.  I had no idea you could even replace the liners.
> 
> 
> thanks!



You can even get new liners from the boot co, but why do that when there is some really cool after market stuff.


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## hammer (Dec 26, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> I still need to go back and have the boots ground for canting and actually get toe lifts for balance. So things should only get better. :grin:


Are you doing the duck tape adjustments for canting? If so, were you able to feel a significant difference between the tape on and off?


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## wa-loaf (Dec 26, 2007)

hammer said:


> Are you doing the duck tape adjustments for canting? If so, were you able to feel a significant difference between the tape on and off?



No I haven't. My left leg is actually about a 1/2 - 1 inch shorter than my right, so Jeff is actually going build up the whole sole of the boot a bit before canting. Too much for duct tape to effect. He just wanted me to ski on them some before doing all the work in case I had more fit issues we could take care of everything at once.


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## ERJ-145CA (Dec 26, 2007)

Since the bootfitter worked his magic and put in custom footbeds I love them.


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## trtaylor (Dec 26, 2007)

hammer said:


> Are you doing the duck tape adjustments for canting? If so, were you able to feel a significant difference between the tape on and off?



I am doing this (duct tape) my next time out (tomorrow). I'm starting off with 1/2 degree inside (left) and 1 degree inside (right). These starting points are based on my bootfitters measurements. There are some one-ski drills you can do to help dial this in.


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## trtaylor (Dec 26, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> No I haven't. My left leg is actually about a 1/2 - 1 inch shorter than my right, so Jeff is actually going build up the whole sole of the boot a bit before canting. Too much for duct tape to effect. He just wanted me to ski on them some before doing all the work in case I had more fit issues we could take care of everything at once.



Do you have a lift on your everyday shoes? Have you always known about the leg legnth difference or did Jeff discover it?


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## bigbog (Dec 26, 2007)

*...*

Love the function of my Endorphins, one more mini-tweak-stretch tonight and my feet will be in heaven.   LUV Dynafit's thermo liners.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 26, 2007)

trtaylor said:


> Do you have a lift on your everyday shoes? Have you always known about the leg legnth difference or did Jeff discover it?



No, Jeff discovered it. It's never really been a problem for me, he asked me about back pain and stuff, but no real issues there. He started by putting the canting shins in to align my leg and it was like 1, 2, 3  degrees, wait a minute . . . checked my legs again and put a full shim under it and a .5 degree cant and everything lined up.


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## trtaylor (Dec 26, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> No, Jeff discovered it. It's never really been a problem for me, he asked me about back pain and stuff, but no real issues there. He started by putting the canting shins in to align my leg and it was like 1, 2, 3  degrees, wait a minute . . . checked my legs again and put a full shim under it and a .5 degree cant and everything lined up.



Kinda same thing here...never knew I had an issue until I went to a boot fitter. My difference is about 1/2" and I've decided to ignore it. I am able to get aligned w/o a lifter, so was a little concerned about the difference in turning I'd experience if one boot had a large lifter on it. I'll be interested in hearing your experiences.


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## Rook (Dec 26, 2007)

I dig my Nordica Speedmachine 14's.  I had been in Lange race boots and decided to tone it down a bit into a cush performance boot.  I like the fit, the toe box is a little small and the liner could use a little more heel pocket but its a give and take world with performance and comfort.  For all day comfort and performance, they excel.  Nordica claims a flex of 120/140 but I have no trouble flexing / driving either setting.  I'll have to see how they change when the  summit of the Loaf hits negative digits.


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## freebie (Dec 27, 2007)

I've been on Nordica beast's or 3 yrs now, and until this fall when I went to see Jeff they were not my favorites, now I love em, going back this morning to get some grinding and toe lifts, then I should be all set


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## wa-loaf (Dec 27, 2007)

trtaylor said:


> I'll be interested in hearing your experiences.



I'll report back once I get it done, probably won't be until mid Jan till I can get back to Jeff. The only thing I really notice on the left leg is in skiing that's the ski that gets squirrily at high speed and is more likely to hang up in crud.


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## JimG. (Dec 28, 2007)

Garmont Adrenalins.

4th season, second set of liners.

Great boots.


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## Grassi21 (Dec 28, 2007)

JimG. said:


> Garmont Adrenalins.
> 
> 4th season, second set of liners.
> 
> Great boots.



I'm a long term planner.  As stated earlier in this thread, I love my Nordica Beasts.  I already have 26 days in these boots.  After this season I think I can get another two seasons before I need to replace the liners.  So I anticipate using my alpine boots for a number of seasons to come.  

But, in another season or two I hope to invest in an AT rig.  I'm hoping to get into touring some of the NELSAP areas (someone mentioned this in the AT vs Tele thread and I thought it was a great idea for getting started with touring) and exploring some stuff in CT and MA.  

So Jim (and Austin as well), I noticed you guys are on your AT set up when skiing in bounds.  Any pros or cons regarding an AT set up in bounds?  I learned a lot from the other thread I mentioned but am curious to hear more.


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## JimG. (Dec 28, 2007)

Grassi21 said:


> I'm a long term planner.  As stated earlier in this thread, I love my Nordica Beasts.  I already have 26 days in these boots.  After this season I think I can get another two seasons before I need to replace the liners.  So I anticipate using my alpine boots for a number of seasons to come.
> 
> But, in another season or two I hope to invest in an AT rig.  I'm hoping to get into touring some of the NELSAP areas (someone mentioned this in the AT vs Tele thread and I thought it was a great idea for getting started with touring) and exploring some stuff in CT and MA.
> 
> So Jim (and Austin as well), I noticed you guys are on your AT set up when skiing in bounds.  Any pros or cons regarding an AT set up in bounds?  I learned a lot from the other thread I mentioned but am curious to hear more.



I'll ski on my AT gear inbounds, but more so in the early and late season. Right now I'm on my RX8's and using the DIN sole on my Adrenalins.

If my boots fit and perform correctly, it really does not matter what is attached to those boots, I will ski fine.

However, AT bindings are more complicated than alpine bindings and can break down more frequently. I would not recommend AT gear full time if you weigh over 220 lbs.

I've skiied a pair of Fritschi Freerides for the better part of 4 seasons full time and never broke them, even skiing bumps.


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## Grassi21 (Dec 28, 2007)

JimG. said:


> I'll ski on my AT gear inbounds, but more so in the early and late season. Right now I'm on my RX8's and using the DIN sole on my Adrenalins.
> 
> If my boots fit and perform correctly, it really does not matter what is attached to those boots, I will ski fine.
> 
> ...



Thanks Jim.  Thankfully I'm under your weight limit.  ;-)

As I said, I'm hoping to use my Beasts for a number of years to come.  The AT set up would be more of a supplement to my existing gear and give me the ability to do more exploring.


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## thinnmann (Dec 28, 2007)

andyzee said:


> I have the Nordica Beasts which I love, however, they no longer make them.



You can pick them up at eBay -
http://tinyurl.com/2a9a7n


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## freebie (Dec 28, 2007)

after skiing today for the first time after my final adjustments, I really love my boots, suddenly(difference between last week and this week) I can ski stuff that kicked my butt before with confidence, my feet feel great, I can really put some power into my edges now and my tips don't chatter as bad anymore, even tried my first glade runs(easy ones with moderate tree spacing,  some bumps and obstacles) and wasn't too nervous, Jeff did an awesome job for me, definitely worth the investment


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Dec 28, 2007)

freebie said:


> after skiing today for the first time after my final adjustments, I really love my boots, suddenly(difference between last week and this week) I can ski stuff that kicked my butt before with confidence, my feet feel great, I can really put some power into my edges now and my tips don't chatter as bad anymore, even tried my first glade runs(easy ones with moderate tree spacing,  some bumps and obstacles) and wasn't too nervous, Jeff did an awesome job for me, definitely worth the investment




Microadjustments are the bomb..my boots are starting to get dialed in but I have more Microadjustments to make....In bumps a sloppy boots sucks..in other conditions it's more tolerable but still sucks.  Cramming your foot into a boot 3 sizes to small also sucks.  I'd rather be one size smaller and be comfortable than 2-3 sizes smaller and have to unbuckle for relief every run..,my inflation adjusted 4 cents..


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## severine (Dec 28, 2007)

I have a love-hate relationship with my boots.  Though it's more like like-hate.  But then again, I already know they're wrong for me now.  Just trying to get by for one more season before I replace them - no $ for boots this year.  Definitely going to have them done right next time though.  These boots are too tight in some places, too loose in others, and the shell is too long.  Slop when it's cold, hurt when it's warm.  I could go on and on.  Spending the money to go to a reputable bootfitter is well worth it IMHO.  Can't wait til I can.


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## skibum9995 (Dec 28, 2007)

I have Nordica Dobermann Pro 130s and absolutely love them. The power and response is unmatched compared to everything else I've tried. I replaced the velcro straps with Booster straps this year and made the performance even better. As much as I like these boots I'm thinking about switching to the 150s next year because I want something with a little less volume and really like the idea of a lace up liner.


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## awf170 (Dec 29, 2007)

Grassi21 said:


> So Jim (and Austin as well), I noticed you guys are on your AT set up when skiing in bounds.  Any pros or cons regarding an AT set up in bounds?  I learned a lot from the other thread I mentioned but am curious to hear more.



I have never skied in a good boot before, so really have no basis for comparison.  Before my AT boots I had a crappy pair of intermediate boots that didn't really fit.  They feel decent to me, but I assume once I try a good alpine boot that opinion will change.  Though I really don't have a stiff or heavy AT boot, my boots are a lot more touring oriented then Jim's.  I would say that the boots Jim has would be just fine for everyday skiing.

About the bindings.  They seem fine to me.  I constantly jump of stuff around 8-10 to flat, icy landings (like at Hunter) and they have survived so far.  Though I only weigh 135 pounds, so that might have some effect on me thinking they are a very durable binding.

Anyway, I think I'm actually going to pick up some alpine boots in the off season.  I figure if I keep skiing like this and keep going bigger of stuff I am going to break AT gear in time.  Also, after about 80 days this season my boots will probably be pretty beaten up, and won't be able to take another season of abuse.  At that point I'll probably designate them to a pair of dynafits then get a pair of alpine boots and alpine boards.


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## Dr Skimeister (Dec 30, 2007)

I can finally chime in here, at last having had the chance to ski my new Atomic Hawx 110's. Very comfortable, very responsive. And this is based on a first day out in them. I was worried because I at times had some big-toe metatarsal discomfort when I wore them around the house after getting them last week. But on the snow, on skis all day I never had the least bit of hurt. I expect they'll get even more comfortable as they continue to break in. And quite the difference getting into/out of these compared to the Lange Race L10 I've skied the last 3-4 years.


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## wa-loaf (Dec 30, 2007)

Dr Skimeister said:


> I can finally chime in here, at last having had the chance to ski my new Atomic Hawx 110's. Very comfortable, very responsive. And this is based on a first day out in them. I was worried because I at times had some big-toe metatarsal discomfort when I wore them around the house after getting them last week. But on the snow, on skis all day I never had the least bit of hurt. I expect they'll get even more comfortable as they continue to break in. And quite the difference getting into/out of these compared to the Lange Race L10 I've skied the last 3-4 years.



Are these the boots you won? Aren't they supposed to be flexible in the sole somehow? How did that work for you? Seems counterintuitive to what you want in a boot.


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## Dr Skimeister (Dec 30, 2007)

wa-loaf said:


> Are these the boots you won? Aren't they supposed to be flexible in the sole somehow? How did that work for you? Seems counterintuitive to what you want in a boot.



Yep, these are the boots that came gratis from Atomic with the Nomad Crimsons. 

And yep, the claim is that there is a flex between the ball of the foot and the heel. I skied at Catamount today on hard pack and ice. Emphasis on hard pack and ice. I'm sure that the Nomads with their 88mm under-foot are not the ideal ride for these conditions, but they seemed to get up on edge easily enough, and how much of that is the ski and how much is the boot I'm not sure. More likely the combo of the two made for easier edging of the wider ski on the hard surface. I'm anxious to play the boot/ski/binding on some softer conditions soon.


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