Uh-oh, my boot exploded!

[AnnKH]

I don't get to ski very often, so I don't buy equipment very often. My boots were probably 10 years old or so.

We were skiing in northern MN last weekend, when I glanced at my feet while riding the chair - and saw that my boot had exploded. A big chunk had cracked off, and was held on by the buckles. This was late afternoon, and we were skiing again the next day.



Lucky for me, the guy in the ski shop knew what he was doing. When I described my feet (wide foot, high arch, big calves), instead of shaking his head sadly, he grinned, and brought out a pair of Atomic Live Fit boots. After several adjustments, including heel lifts, he sent me on my way, while encouraging me to come back the next day if I had any problems. He also adjusted my bindings to bring my center of gravity a bit more forward.

I could NOT believe the difference! Turns initiated more quickly, I carved much better, felt more in control. Plus they were very, very comfortable. I was the happiest girl on the hill! I haven't had so much fun since I first tried shaped skis, in the late 90's - my skis at the time were a pair I'd had since 1976.

If only I could use them more...

 

[Jilly]

Yeah, those hybrid boots were good, but and they are unisex, not a women's boot!

See what a difference a good fit can be.....have fun!!

 

[AnnKH]

It was most definitely a blessing in disguise. My local ski shop (where I got the old ones) doesn't have much of a selection. Of course you don't know what you're missing until you've tried it!

 

[altagirl]

At least it happened safely! I rememeber seeing a guy in the middle of a slope at Snowbird a few years back who was standing there in a partial boot cuff and sock, watching his ski and the bottom half of his boot fly down the slope, nearly hitting people.

That plastic definitely doesn't last forever, unfortunately.

 

[snowbeach]

I've cracked two pairs of ski boots..........go figure, not one but two!
First were rear entry Nordica many moons ago and the second we're Lange overlap boots about 7 years ago.
Both times I'm skiing along and go to turn and end up doing a goose turn and splat I'm on my bum!
First time I had to hike up a incline with the top of my boot flapping around and caught the chair down. Second time I'm up the top of North Perisher in a foot or so of crud. No way could I ski down, the top of the boot was flapping around again so I had to grovel though the snow up to the top of a t bar and the liftie in the hut called resort management for a skidoo to pick me up.
At least the skidoo ride down was good fun!

 

[naskis]

Yikes! I'm glad it did not fall apart while you were speeding downhill! Scary!

 

[canski]

Skiing with a friend who had not skied in several years and had old gear at that - he kept loosing buckles with every run.....with a very cavalier 'I didn't need that one, anyway!' comment each time. (He got new skis and boots right after that)
I have also seen a boot sole (only) in a binding.
Glad your outcome was so very positive.

 

[maggie198]

Lucky for me, the guy in the ski shop knew what he was doing. When I described my feet (wide foot, high arch, big calves), instead of shaking his head sadly, he grinned, and brought out a pair of Atomic Live Fit boots. After several adjustments, including heel lifts, he sent me on my way, while encouraging me to come back the next day if I had any problems. He also adjusted my bindings to bring my center of gravity a bit more forward.

I could NOT believe the difference! Turns initiated more quickly, I carved much better, felt more in control. Plus they were very, very comfortable. I was the happiest girl on the hill! I haven't had so much fun since I first tried shaped skis, in the late 90's - my skis at the time were a pair I'd had since 1976.

If only I could use them more...

It sounds like you're off to a good start with those new boots! Many times a new forum poster will ask if they can return to skiing with 10 yr, 15 yr, or even older equipment. Old plastic can shatter, and old boots can really be dangerous. Your story is a great example. And as a skier that has 20+ year old boots still hanging out in the garage (they were almost new, I didn't have the heart to trash them), I can attest to the fact that the newer boots are so much more comfortable, warmer, and easier to ski with. As long as you find the right pair, of course.

 

[SkiNana]

I'm glad you're safe and that this story has a happy ending, Ann!

DH still loves to tell the story about when we returned to skiing after a twenty year hiatus (we were working, discovered scuba diving and had not enough holiday time to both ski and dive.) I have "difficult" feet too, and had these wonderful Nordica boots: rear entry with a wheel on the back that tightened a band across the instep: anyone remember those? OH! How I loved those boots!

He brought them in from wherever they were stored and I sat on the step in the foyer and slipped my foot into the right boot . . . it crumbled into pieces on the floor around my foot! DH laughed until he cried! He still laughs every time he tells the story, and he tells the darned story every chance he gets! It took about three tries before I got boots I liked as much as those Nordicas!

 

[bounceswoosh]

DH used to ski in boots with pieces of plastic falling off until I finally got him to buy new boots. Insanity.

 

[skibum4ever]

SN, I had those boots. They were very high and the back kept cracking. I believe they were Nordica Polaris.

 

[SkiNana]

I loved those boots. They were men's, I'm sure, because in those days my fat (wide) feet only fit in men's boots, much to the despair of DH who wanted to buy me white - or better yet, pink! - women's ski boots. They were dark blue and comfortable (with the shell popped) and it broke my heart that they wouldn't last two decades . . . in the closet. I never had a problem with cracking while I was skiing them.

 

[snow cat]

I'm glad you like your new boots. I had Atomic Live Fit boots as a rental and I love them because they were so comfortable and I started to improve in my skiing a lot in them (along with Atomic skis that were easy to turn). I never knew boots could be so comfortable because all the rental boots I had before were not. So I bought myself the Atomic Live Fit boots when I bought my own boots for this season.