Adjusting to new boots

[DennisEvans]

Hey guys, this is more a question for riders who have ridden a bunch of different boots. I will be getting a new set of boots here in the next week or so and am curious how long I should expect to be adjusting to my new boots. They are significantly narrower than my old boots and are a size smaller. Thank you I can't wait to ride in boots that actually fit.

[eldiablodenieve]

Depends on how well they fit out of the box, some people have really good luck with that on some boots. Performance wise if you are going to a softer boot you might notice difference in carving but I have seen pics of your hill so I can't imagine that should be too much of an issue.

[DennisEvans]

Yeah I am going to have a much softer boot than before. I am going from easy move 8s to flexons.

[EmptiMind]

If your boots are too narrow, and make your feet cry out in pain the first day you go out, I'd suggest you get a boot stretcher. Just get it from target or something. It'll do the work of your feet, without having to have the pain. Make sure to get a wood one, plastic ones suck. I'd say depending on the fit, ride them for a week. If they're still uncomfortable, you might need them punched out.

[valmorel]

First off, if the boots hurt you enough to stop you skiing, you are probably in trouble. If they dont do that, expect a little discomfort here and there, which can sometimes be eased by changing the foot position slighlty with insoles, lifts etc., but dont be too quick to judge. Liners, even heat mouldable ones will take about 10 to 14 days use to settle properly, maybe a little less for heat moudables, but still a few days. After this period, you will have a much better idea how they are working out. If they really do fit properly, you will find you will be able to notice the difference in fit with different sock types, and using a different sock can often be enough to fix a fit problem. Dont do the boots up too tight too early. Most of us find we need to tighten the boots a little after a couple of hours of skiing.
Finally, ski boots are awkward things to live with, but they should not actually cause injury :-)
Good luck.

[TheTickz]

Yeah I have to agree with valmorel. In the past few trips to the mountain I have learned that my socks and how tightly I buckle my boots greatly increase the fit of my boots. For example, I have learned that overly padded ski socks hurt my feet and I need to stick to thinner ones and I've been buckling my boots way to tight causing pressure points on my feet and shins. Ive fixed these two things and my feet feel great now after a long day of riding.

Also, when you say flexons, do you mean the full tilt boots? That's what I get when I google, flexon ski boot. Anyone have any experience with the full tilt boots?

[Mark]

a boot stretcher from target isn't going to move the shell. defintiely ride them for at least a week after molding them and if still cause you pain you can get them blown out at a competent boot shop somewhere. but i think they'll be ok

[93PONY]

I spent a lot of time at the local Ski shop getting my boots fitted correctly. Here's what I learned from them: (these guys had 20+ years experience fitting ski boots)

1. Stiff 'race' style boots take much longer to 'feel' good & break in. This has more to do with the liner than the boot itself. Boots & liners are all different.... I tried on 5 or 6 properly sized boots before finding one that *felt* like the best overall fit for my foot.
2. Lower 2 adjustments *should* be pretty much loose if the boot fits properly. The upper 2 adjustments can be as tight as you need them to be without causing discomfort.
3. If you find (after breaking in the liner) that you need to buckle down the bottom 2 adjustments *tight* to get the boot to fit better, you could use an insole spacer to raise your foot in the boot. Over tightening the lower 2 adjustments deforms the boot & is a major cause of your foot going numb & getting cold. Specifically the buckle over the arch.
4. If your acrh hurts.....your boot may not be giving you the arch support you need & a proper insole *should* help. And/or the Arch buckle is too tight forcing your arch down causing discomfort.
5. If your posture is all F'd up (bow legged or something), you may benefit from wedges to straighten you out on your boards. (I tried these & they KILLED me....yanked them out on the hill. LOL)

What I did:
Had boots that were too big & wide & to compensate I used snowboarders socks (very thick) & buckled them down very tight. Bought a pair of Langes that fit 'better' right out of the box & a pair of VERY thin ski socks. Broke these in for ~15 days on the mountain & went back for another fitting. I ended up buying a set of custom insoles.....these hurt the first time out REAL bad, so I took them in & had them shaved till they felt good.
When I swapped from my old oversized boots to my Langes, my boarding improved instantly. Better control, more comfort & I could ride all day without getting sore.
With the custom insoles......yet again my boarding improved instantly & now I can go day after day. My boots feel like part of my foot. I can wear them all day, every day if need be. Oh.....& I don't even need the bottom 2 buckles now. They're just there for looks. LOL

[Mark]

I spent a lot of time at the local Ski shop getting my boots fitted correctly. Here's what I learned from them: (these guys had 20+ years experience fitting ski boots)

1. Stiff 'race' style boots take much longer to 'feel' good & break in. This has more to do with the liner than the boot itself. Boots & liners are all different.... I tried on 5 or 6 properly sized boots before finding one that *felt* like the best overall fit for my foot.
2. Lower 2 adjustments *should* be pretty much loose if the boot fits properly. The upper 2 adjustments can be as tight as you need them to be without causing discomfort.
3. If you find (after breaking in the liner) that you need to buckle down the bottom 2 adjustments *tight* to get the boot to fit better, you could use an insole spacer to raise your foot in the boot. Over tightening the lower 2 adjustments deforms the boot & is a major cause of your foot going numb & getting cold. Specifically the buckle over the arch.
4. If your acrh hurts.....your boot may not be giving you the arch support you need & a proper insole *should* help. And/or the Arch buckle is too tight forcing your arch down causing discomfort.
5. If your posture is all F'd up (bow legged or something), you may benefit from wedges to straighten you out on your boards. (I tried these & they KILLED me....yanked them out on the hill. LOL)

What I did:
Had boots that were too big & wide & to compensate I used snowboarders socks (very thick) & buckled them down very tight. Bought a pair of Langes that fit 'better' right out of the box & a pair of VERY thin ski socks. Broke these in for ~15 days on the mountain & went back for another fitting. I ended up buying a set of custom insoles.....these hurt the first time out REAL bad, so I took them in & had them shaved till they felt good.
When I swapped from my old oversized boots to my Langes, my boarding improved instantly. Better control, more comfort & I could ride all day without getting sore.
With the custom insoles......yet again my boarding improved instantly & now I can go day after day. My boots feel like part of my foot. I can wear them all day, every day if need be. Oh.....& I don't even need the bottom 2 buckles now. They're just there for looks. LOL

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