Boots advice

[Mess]

I am looking to buy new ski boots. I have wide feet and a flat arch. Anyone know which boots are best for wide feet?

Thanks

[guitar73]

go get fit by a good bootfitter. you may want to consider a custom footbed as well. in general, look for a boot that has a wider last (100 mm and up). other than that, you really just need to try a lot of boots on to see what works for you. have fun!

[Johnny Law]

Get whatever feels good on your feet. Feet are so weird but way too may people rocking 130 plug boots because they are hardcore and end up only skiing 15mins whereas the dude in the 90 flex slippers goes bell to bell.

 

Not a knock on anyone just saying.

[guitar73]

exactly what JL said....

[sibhusky]

Well, I think the OP is trying to narrow down the number of brands he should look at. Since some brands seem to be better for certain shapes of feet more than others. I can't wear Lange, for instance.

 

Hopefully he's not trying to do this so he can buy on eBay, sight unseen. The only way to buy boots is to go to stores, narrow it down, then work with a good bootfitter. Hopefully, the bootfitter is at the same store as the boot... And not every guy selling boots knows what he is doing!

[Johnny Law]

Lange is 98mm last unless they changed it recently, where alot of slippers are in the 100 range. Nordica always works with the flatter fatter feet crowd, myself included. Head had or has an adjustable last boot, 98-108 if I remember right, kind of an interesting idea.

[AtomicSkier]

Lange is 98mm last unless they changed it recently, where alot of slippers are in the 100 range. Nordica always works with the flatter fatter feet crowd, myself included. Head had or has an adjustable last boot, 98-108 if I remember right, kind of an interesting idea.

 

More and more Langes these days are 100mm, FYI. The regular RX's are 100's...they even offer the RS in a 100 (RS Wides...RS are 97mm normally).

[Mess]

I went to the Ski Bum and the sales associate had reccomended the Atomic live Fit 90. I am not sure if they have any boot fitters close to my my area. Anyone in the Delco area have any suggestions for a better place to get boots?

Thanks

[Johnny Style]

Wick's in Exton will hook you up. They have a grizzled old race guy there that can make you custom insoles, and has every trick in the book to get you the best fit. Just call in advance to make sure that he is in that day. They carry some nice lines including Dalbello and Lange. Their ski line includes some nice choices with much variety. Yes, you can even get Bacons there.

 

http://www.wicksskishop.com/

 

The shop gives you the true mountain experience. They are located in an old house that feels like a lodge. From the cowbell that rings as you enter the shop, to the fire they have going during the season. If you look closely you may notice a kitten sitting next to you as you try on boots. Not just cats, but dogs, heck, even a Vietnamese pot belly pig. Yup, it's a cool experience. Going to the store actually gets me pumped up for the season.

[sibhusky]

Wow, stunned to hear it's still in existence. I got my first skis and boots there. Thirty eight years ago.

Edited July 19, 2013 by sibhusky

[Mess]

Thanks I am going to call Wick's

[JFskiDan]

Sounds like you may want to try the Nordica line. People laugh, and then call other people over to look when they put my feet in those measuring devices. i'm a good size and half difference, the shorter one is wider.....etc, etc.. The Salomon and Atomics I tried on were like some type of torture device. Everybodys foot is different though. try on lots. With goofy feet like mine, internet boots are not a good idea. paying extra to get a boot that fits right will pay off in the long run. Buckmans in KOP was good for me.... you may want to wait until October when they really start to get their inventory in, or you may not have access to some of what they carry.

[guitar73]

I went to the Ski Bum and the sales associate had reccomended the Atomic live Fit 90. I am not sure if they have any boot fitters close to my my area. Anyone in the Delco area have any suggestions for a better place to get boots?

Thanks

 

FYI, make sure that you check your instep....it's been my experience that atomics tend to not favor people with high insteps. i have a pair of atomic rt cs110's and are OK for my instep (mine's a pretty normal height).

 

i live near KOP and i'd recommend wicks as well. their prices aren't the best, but they know what they are talking about. you might also want to try out salter's in eagleville, good reputation but they carry dalbello exclusively. that being said, i go up to alpina ski shop (near JF). ask for dieter, he's a straight shooter and knows his stuff.

Edited July 19, 2013 by guitar73

[indiggio]

Need to set aside a few hours of time for ski boot shopping. Be prepared to spend a good chunk of the day for this endeavor.

 

Try on lots of boots and leave them on for a while, walk around the shop in them.

Don't just try on a boot, oh that feels all right, take off and leave. Pressure points take a bit of time to develop into pain.

 

Try to flex the boots. Know what type of skier you are and what flex you might be in search of.

 

Don't buy the name, buy the boot that fits you!

Who cares if it's Lange, Nordica, whatever, just because some big name skier wears them, doesn't mean they're gonna work for you, it's what fits you that matters

 

Try to find a dealer with a LARGE selection of boots, the more boots they have the better your chance of finding a well-fitting boot.

[getfoward]

I don't post here often but read very much, so I'll take any bashing as it comes!

 

First if you really want a pair of great fitting boots stay away from Deter, he over sizes makes them feel good and out the door you go. Over sized boots and a good pack out make for bunions and heel pain. Then you'll end up over cranking the buckles and loose blood flow.

 

If you have no arch or very little, have a good foot bed made first. This will post you neutral, also the correct arch support will shorten your foot and reduce the width in the forefoot, producing an accurate brannock measurement. Dont try to many boots pick three, too many an you wont be able to tell whats really close to your liking. A tight fit and hot spots are pretty typical, a good fitter will determine how to correct: grind, punch, new liners... If you need alot of boot tuning the best boot to get is one made for tuning: Dalbello, Daleboot, lange, technica. Full tilts are great but the plastic is to thin to over manipulate and the heel/toe pieces are hollow on some older models so you are limited for sole grinding adjustments. Flex is secondary the better fit you'll be able flex a stiffer boot because you'll have better leverage. Flex can be determined by your style, aggressiveness, & skill level as a skier. I would also suggest throwing away any stock liner for an intuition or equal, they correct many simple foot ailments. If the fit on any boot is proper (width and length), pain may still occur but this is normal take them back to the fitter for tweaking. The weather and temp have alot to do with boot pain as well, my feet tend to stay less swollen during the cold months and swell causing pain in the spring. Simple buckle tweaking can fix. Finally, the perfect boot fit can take up to a season of skiing to generate, dont be impatient. Boots are a tool have to take care of them and learn how to use them.

 

Some local fitters to see:

 

Dan at Buckmans KOP

Rich Reiber at Rich Reiber pro snowsports in reading

Wolrd cup ski and cycle in Camp Hill

 

Vermont pro's - worth the drive

 

Green Mountain Orthotics - Stratton area

Surefoot - Killington

 

Boots before skis! Good luck...

[guitar73]

I don't post here often but read very much, so I'll take any bashing as it comes!

 

First if you really want a pair of great fitting boots stay away from Deter, he over sizes makes them feel good and out the door you go. Over sized boots and a good pack out make for bunions and heel pain. Then you'll end up over cranking the buckles and loose blood flow.

 

is this based upon your experiences with dieter? b/c that's not what i have observed with him, or any of his employees. dieter's all about very snug-fitting boots, and he let people know that. now, that's not to say that he works with what the customer wants. there are people who want a race fit and those who don't (like folks who ride park, aren't very aggressive, etc)....you can't fault a boot fitter for working with people's preferences.

 

buckmans, on the other had, yeah i've def had bad stuff with them. i didn't get fit by dan, but some kid there that didn't really do too much other than measure my foot size and ask for how much i wanted to spend. i had really sloppy boots from them. we do plenty of shopping at buckmans, but i'll never go back to buckman's for boots.

 

OP, here's another tip....don't feel like you're tied to one boot fitter. i think it's important to do business with someone you get a long with and feel like you can trust. if you go to a guy and you just don't click, then maybe he's not the fitter for you. everyone's gonna have their favorite (or least favorite) boot fitter. but in the end, most of them are technically competent.

[Johnny Style]

Good post Getfoward; keep em coming, we need more positive input like yours.

[Johnny Style]

Wow, stunned to hear it's still in existence. I got my first skis and boots there. Thirty eight years ago.

 

You know Sib, I always wondered what your connection to PASR was. How could somebody from Montana care about our little site? Now I know, you were once a resident. Wick's goes way back. Their father came over from Eastern Europe and started a shop in Springfield, PA. His two kids each opened up their own shop (Nancy in Exton, and the brother in DE.) The DE store has been closed for over twenty years.

[sibhusky]

I grew up in West Chester, moved to Connecticut after grad school, then to Hillsborough, NJ. Moved here in August of 2003. Used to ski with Ray Panella. Saved me a lot of money in skis.. We still exchange Christmas cards.

Edited July 20, 2013 by sibhusky

[sibhusky]

I guess I skied at Camelback 1974 to 1976, then 1979 to 2003. Was on the old CB board before this board started.

[Justo8484]

I don't post here often but read very much, so I'll take any bashing as it comes!

 

First if you really want a pair of great fitting boots stay away from Deter, he over sizes makes them feel good and out the door you go. Over sized boots and a good pack out make for bunions and heel pain. Then you'll end up over cranking the buckles and loose blood flow.

 

If you have no arch or very little, have a good foot bed made first. This will post you neutral, also the correct arch support will shorten your foot and reduce the width in the forefoot, producing an accurate brannock measurement. Dont try to many boots pick three, too many an you wont be able to tell whats really close to your liking. A tight fit and hot spots are pretty typical, a good fitter will determine how to correct: grind, punch, new liners... If you need alot of boot tuning the best boot to get is one made for tuning: Dalbello, Daleboot, lange, technica. Full tilts are great but the plastic is to thin to over manipulate and the heel/toe pieces are hollow on some older models so you are limited for sole grinding adjustments. Flex is secondary the better fit you'll be able flex a stiffer boot because you'll have better leverage. Flex can be determined by your style, aggressiveness, & skill level as a skier. I would also suggest throwing away any stock liner for an intuition or equal, they correct many simple foot ailments. If the fit on any boot is proper (width and length), pain may still occur but this is normal take them back to the fitter for tweaking. The weather and temp have alot to do with boot pain as well, my feet tend to stay less swollen during the cold months and swell causing pain in the spring. Simple buckle tweaking can fix. Finally, the perfect boot fit can take up to a season of skiing to generate, dont be impatient. Boots are a tool have to take care of them and learn how to use them.

 

Some local fitters to see:

 

Dan at Buckmans KOP

Rich Reiber at Rich Reiber pro snowsports in reading

Wolrd cup ski and cycle in Camp Hill

 

Vermont pro's - worth the drive

 

Green Mountain Orthotics - Stratton area

Surefoot - Killington

 

Boots before skis! Good luck...

 

this was mostly spot on until you mentioned surefoot. first, they're only in mountain towns, so you're paying MSRP for boots. second, they sell their own rebranded versions of other boots, which they usually charge more for. third, if you're looking for custom footbeds, their footbeds aren't truly custom; they're one of maybe 30 predesigned molds that they try to match most closely to your foot shape.

 

also, intuition liners work great for some people. for others, not so much. they're not the cure-all that a lot of people make them out to be. everything else you said is pretty spot on though.

 

source: 11 years of ski industry/bootfitting experience