Coloradoan Winter - your source for winter fun, ski-reports

September 30, 2001
Finding the right fit
Buying ski boots that don't hurt is a necessity
By Miles Blumhardt
MilesBlumhardt@coloradoan.com
OK, you're getting psyched. The ski season is a few cold nights and a few good snows away.
But between now and those first turns

Photos by Sherri Barber/The Coloradoan

Step 1: With the liner out of the boot, stick your sockless foot into the boot. Make sure to stand up and lean forward slightly.

Step 2: Take your middle finger and place the tip over the tip of the index finger, like you are crossing your fingers.

Step 3: With your feet pressed to the front of the boot, place your two fingers behind your Achilles tendon and the plastic shell of the rear of the boot. Your fingers should be able to go down to the bottom of the boot and barely touch your heel and the back of the boot.

there are those all-important ski sales.
    Surely you'll be looking for bargain boots. And your salesperson could well be someone recently hired off the street who doesn't even ski and who's only question to you is "what size are you."
    You should run for the door, but those discount prices won't let you. So the next best advice is to educate yourself on how your boot should fit.
    The ski industry says the No. 1 reason people leave their skis in the closet for good is not high lift prices but sore and uncomfortable feet due to ill-fitting boots.
    If you are tired of putting up with sore feet, don't. There is no need to. Instead, turn the page and discover how you can improve your comfort and skiing ability with properly fitted boots.
    I guarantee it'll make that frugal purchase pay off.
    ---
    Mike Carnes has been fitting ski boots for 15 years, including the past 10 years at ski-crazy Crested Butte where100 days a year he slipped an assortment of feet into an array of boots. So seeing misfitted boots didn't shock him. However, when a woman with a size 51/2 woman's shoe was fitted by a ski technician with a men's size 8 even Carnes was taken aback.
    Extreme?
    Maybe, but Carnes, who owns Real Balance, a ski boot tuning business in Fort Collins, believes 80 percent of all boots are mis-sized. The results are cold and sore feet, skier dissatisfaction and frustration and eventually giving up the sport they otherwise enjoy.
    "People research their skis, bindings and boots but then end up in mis-sized boots," Carnes said. "What they don't understand is what really matters is to be in the right size boot."
    Sizing ski boots is not brain surgery but neither is it street sweeping. The keys to sizing are measuring skier ability, skier height and weight and using the right measuring device.
    Carnes said the best way to properly measure your foot is by using a metal Brannick device. Carnes describes the device as the one the shoe salesman in Kenney's Shoes used when you were a kid. The device measures your foot's length, width and arch. Carnes said ski boot fitters often mis-measure the arch length, which is critical to a properly fitted boot.
    "Measuring looks simple but it's not," said Carnes, who measures feet for $10 and for $40 measures and helps people with their stance. "Most ski techs don't take all three measurements and measure the foot as a whole. Another thing they do is use a simple plastic measuring device and 90 percent of the time they'll mis-measure your foot."
    And sizing one foot isn't good enough. Carnes said no two feet on the same person are alike and no two people are alike, so both feet should be measured.
    If you are bent on purchasing boots at a bargain sale where proper measuring isn't an option, there is a way you can get close to finding a reasonably fitted boot. It's called the two-finger shell fit and is described in detail in the photos.
    This fit is accurate for vast majority of people. The exceptions are exceptionally skinny

Online
Here is a list of Web sites to help you with boot fitting and education you on purchasing equipment:
n www.skinetsports.com - Information on proper boot fitting and more.
n www.gmolfoot.com - Boot fitting tips from experts.
n www.betterskiing.net - Web site of a group of professional die-hard ski industry professionals.
n www.peterkeelty.com - Web site of a long time ski tester and contributing editor for Inside Tracks who claims to give unbiased truth about modern ski equipment.
n www.firsttracksonline.com - An online magazine that is very comprehensive in covering equipment tests and other topics

or wide feet.
    "Ninety-percent who try this with fitting boots will say the boots fit too tight," Carnes said. "What they don't understand is that you have to take into account the break-in feel. It's no difference than buying an XL T-shirt of 100 percent cotton knowing it'll shrink to fit after you wash it."
    Another way to increase boot comfort and improve your skiing ability is one of the least expensive pieces of ski equipment you'll buy. It's called a footbed.
    "A footbed is more important than your bindings, skis and even boots," Carnes said. "It's the cherry on the sundae."
    Carnes recommends chucking the insole that comes with a boot and purchasing a footbed, which run from $30 to $135 with the higher end models being custom made. A good footbed enables you to ski more comfortable because it provides support and more efficiently because the footbed is the link between transferring energy from the foot to the boot to the ski.
    An additional benefit of having a footbed fitted for you is that even if you rent boots, the fitted footbed will give you a better fit in the rented boot. And if you are looking at buying new boots, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars by first investing in a footbed instead of new boots.
    Your final line of defense against discomfort is the boot's buckling system. Buckling the three buckles in different sequences results in a different feel. If not buckled correctly, you'll suffer sore, cramping, numb and cold feet. The order in which you buckle your boots changes the feel and comfort of the boot. Experiment and see which sequence works best for you.
    Carnes said these fitting tips work as much for snowboard boots as ski boots.
    There's the lowdown on alleviating the No. 1 problem of skiers. Follow this advice and the only soreness you'll feel the day after hitting the slopes is your sore muscles. But that's another story.

Interested?
    Here are answers to frequently asked boot fitting questions, according to www.skinet.com:
    What is the best boot?
    The simple answer is the one the fits your foot. Nearly all manufacturers make a range of boots. Your job is to find the manufacturer that makes boots best suited to your particular foot shape in a model most consistent with your skiing style.
    How long should a pair of boots last?
    It depends largely on the skier and the particular boot, but 150 to 200 ski days is not unreasonable.
    How can I tell if my boots are wearing out?
    Working on the assumption they fit well from the beginning, the liner will eventually "pack-out", allowing some movement, creating "hot spots" where there were none. If there are any cracks in the shell get rid of them, they are dangerous. When the soles of the boots are worn to the point they are no longer "DIN" standard, reputable shops will not mount or adjust bindings to these boots. If buckles are not working properly they can and should be replaced. If the boot soles are worn excessively and replaceable soles are one of the features of the boots, replace them.
    How should boots fit?
    We believe any boot fit should be custom fit, because there's nobody else quite like you!
    What is the difference between a footbed and an orthotic?
    A footbed can be either generic or custom but is not designed to accomplish biomechanical correction. They are most often slightly or well rounded on the bottom where they interface with the boot. A ski boot orthotic is a corrective device; a very specific mold of the foot manipulated into an exact position.
    How important is a footbed or orthotic in skiing?
    Even the simplest, generic footbed is way better than what the boot manufacturers put into the boot for you. An effective footbed or orthotic will eliminate 80 percent to 90 percent of all boot fitting problems and allow the bootfitter to accurately address the ones that do remain.
    Why do I bang my toes into the end of my boots giving me black toenails?
    Probably the lack of, or an ineffective, orthotic. There is nothing to stop the foot from sliding forward. If this movement was not there the first few days of skiing, the boot is too large.
    How can boots feel so comfortable in the shop and then start hurting after only a few days of skiing?
    The liners always pack out and the boots get looser. And loose boots will eventually hurt. This is why we shell size and try to ignore what the liner is telling us. Just like a freshly washed, tight fitting, pair of jeans eventually loosens up and fit perfectly.
    What is the best way to keep my feet warm?
    Wear really well fit boots, with a single layer of medium-thin wool/silk blended socks. Double layer socks always cause a problem, as do too thick of socks. Electric boot heaters sometimes work well, but they rely on batteries, which sometimes fail in extreme cold. Neoprene boot gloves work well.

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