Adult wide fit boot's in 22.5 mondo point?

[alulacheery]

Hi Divas,

I am currently in the process of buying my first boots. My feet are very short in length but extremely wide and I am quite flat footed. I have only been skiing 5 days previously but live within an hour and a half of a resort and intend to ski regularly going forward.

I ventured over to my local mountain and asked to try boots on in the 2 shops that sell boots, I tried 3 pairs on in each and neither "Boot Fitter" shell fitted me. They had me in 23.5s so I took myself over to the big box store and shell fitted myself in 23 - I had about 3cm at the back, so shell fitted the only 22 they had, which were junior and had a flex of 50. They felt great with the liners in too! Both resort fitters only offered heat moulding of the liners, no further adjustments to the boots.

Neither boot fitter at the resort had adult boots in a 22. The best fit I found that day was the Rossignol Kiara Sensor 80s which felt good after 10 mins hanging out in the shop and I see that online they are available in 22.5s. Is 80 a suitable Flex for a beginner? I have also tried on some Nordica Cruise 75s that were comfortable in a 23.5 and from further research they are also available in 22's online.

Do any other ladies with short, yet wider feet, wear a 22.5? Which boots do you have? I'd love to hear from you!

 

[ski diva]

Hi, alulacheery, and welcome to the forum.

Boots are too important and too expensive to mess around with. I would never venture to fit myself. Take the time and effort to visit a ski shop with a good boot fitter who can evaluate your feet and do a proper fitting. Seriously, nothing can ruin a ski day or adversely affect your skiing more than badly fitting boots.

Also, just so you know, ski boot flex varies from one manufacturer to another. There's no standard, across the board measurement. I know this is confusing, which again emphasizes how important it is to go somewhere that has a boot fitter who knows what they're doing.

 

[Jilly]

I would have to agree with the Ski Diva. Find a fitter that does it all. We have a list in the gearpedia section, but not too many are listed for europe.

 

[mustski]

Most manufacturers make a wide footed model. The problem is knowing which model is best for the shape of your foot. Assuming there is no boot fitter in your area and that you have to sort it out on your own - start with tracing your foot and figuring out your measurements. Trace both feet because it is likely you will have two different size feet. Measure the longest and widest point of your feet. The cm's length will be the approximate mondo size. The mm width will tell you the approx last size you need. If there is no boot fitter available your best option is to try on as many models as possible with the right last size. Try a different boot on each foot and eliminate as you go. As for the flex index, if you can flex it then that is good enough. Probably something in the 70-80 range is going to work just fine though you will notice a difference between manufacturers.

 

[alulacheery]

Yes, I had looked in the gearipedia, nothing even close to me here :( the 2 I visited are the "Boot Fitters" in my area and I wasn't impressed but there is a bigger resort about 2 hours away that I may visit, especially if I dislike the Kiaras after demoing them (on Sunday hopefully!)

MustSki, thank you very much for your response, I really don't want to have to DIY it buy have been trying on as many boots as I can, for as long as I can. I sat in some Nordica's for like 10 minutes in a sports shop the other day! I was amazed to see people simply walking up, chucking a pair of boots on walking around for 30 seconds then spending 250euro on them!

 

[Pequenita]

Particularly because you self describe as being flat footed, you may want to consider getting over the counter footbeds if custom ones are outside of your budget. They may make your feet "narrower" if your flat-footedness is a flexible (occurs when weighted), versus not having an arch.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Particularly because you self describe as being flat footed, you may want to consider getting over the counter footbeds if custom ones are outside of your budget. They may make your feet "narrower" if your flat-footedness is a flexible (occurs when weighted), versus not having an arch.

^^^ This. Had written up a reply that's similar but never got around to posting it. So---
************
Also consider this: the stock footbed that comes with a ski boot is not very good. You indicate “flat feet,” from which I presume that you are likely a pronator.

What will happen inside a ski boot when you pronate is that your foot will make a move to indicate to the boot what to do. The problem is that your arch will flatten further, and that prominent bone beneath the ankle will be the contact point to the boot - and not much more until your movements are grossly exaggerated.

It is, at best, inefficient - if not totally ineffective. (Sorry)

Since your boot is what signals to your ski what to do next – this isn’t a good situation. I suggest considering a good foot bed. You *might* be able to get by with an over-the-counter stock insole like Super Feet. But custom is infinitely better. If you are serious about continuing to ski for a long time, this is a long-term investment. Custom insoles easily transfer from boot to boot. Some of us have had ours for decades. Mine are in their 7th pair of boot in 19 years. (I am a pronator.)

 

[SkiBam]

I have a short wide foot, though high instep. Am on my third (at least) pair of Dalbellos, which seem just right for my feet. These ones are 75 flex, which are perfect for me. Even though I'm far from a beginner, I'm small and light. I think custom footbeds have been mentioned - these are among the best things I've ever bought (along with, this frigid winter, boot heaters!).

 

[alulacheery]

Particularly because you self describe as being flat footed, you may want to consider getting over the counter footbeds if custom ones are outside of your budget. They may make your feet "narrower" if your flat-footedness is a flexible (occurs when weighted), versus not having an arch.

Since your boot is what signals to your ski what to do next – this isn’t a good situation. I suggest considering a good foot bed. You *might* be able to get by with an over-the-counter stock insole like Super Feet. But custom is infinitely better. If you are serious about continuing to ski for a long time, this is a long-term investment. Custom insoles easily transfer from boot to boot. Some of us have had ours for decades. Mine are in their 7th pair of boot in 19 years. (I am a pronator.)

Yes to both of these, I had read great things about superfeet and those were on my list too, I wonder if I can find a supplier of custon footbeds locally. I really noticed yesterday just how basic the footbeds were in the stock liners. And your guess about being a pronator is correct too (with a tendency for knock knees too) - I wear all my shoes out on the inside heel and the balls of my feet!

A beginner question for you - should you buy your footbeds 1st then try boots with those or buy boots then add footbeds? Will they drastically change the boot fit?

I have a short wide foot, though high instep. Am on my third (at least) pair of Dalbellos, which seem just right for my feet. These ones are 75 flex, which are perfect for me. Even though I'm far from a beginner, I'm small and light. I think custom footbeds have been mentioned - these are among the best things I've ever bought (along with, this frigid winter, boot heaters!).

I certainly think custom beds are something I need to try and find here. As my feet are unusual it makes sense to me.

 

[Jilly]

A good boot fitter will make them for you.

 

[AltaEgo]

Atomic has a boot that has rubber pockets on each side of the foot where the side of the toes can be accommodated. Check them out. Perfect for someone like me with bunions!

 

[Jilly]

Atomic "Live Fit".

 

[skibum4ever]

Atomic "Live Fit".

I see some screaming deals on Atomic Live Fit 90.

I am very concerned about my boots/ feet/ toes going into the coming season. Is there any chance that these boots might accommodate my wide feet and scrunched toes?

Thanks.

 

[Jilly]

The Live fit is for people with wide feet!! But if you're toes are more square than pointed...see a boot fitter.

 

[skibum4ever]

Thanks, @Jilly . I might try them for the very low price. But I am also concerned about the performance level. I'm not exactly a lightweight.

 

[Cantabrigienne]

It's interesting to see the emergence of more customizable boots - I've bought Salomons twice solely based on being able to find them in size 22 and because the bootfitter I use in Whistler (George McConkey) had a strong preference for them in terms of the type of plastic being more suitable for remoulding - I have the toes blown out. The OP of this thread has feet that sound very similar to mine - I had written out a long reply to her and then noticed the original posting date was back in 2015!

 

[liquidfeet]

I didn't read all the posts. So this may have already been pointed out.

A size 23.5 and a 23 in the same boot are exactly the same. As long as you are comparing the same boot in the two sizes, this goes for all of them. Don't be fooled.

The molds for making the shells are too expensive for manufacturers to invest in that many molds. So they put the .5 on some of the boxes because people expect them. Some sales people will tell you that liners are different sizes while the shells are the same, but I've heard from industry insiders that even the liners are exactly the same.

You can of course check this yourself by comparing the two shells while you're in the shop. And you can pull the liners out and compare them too. If my info is wrong, you'll see that clearly.

 

[elemmac]

A size 23.5 and a 23 in the same boot are exactly the same. As long as you are comparing the same boot in the two sizes, this goes for all of them. Don't be fooled.

While this is the "rule" there are a few exceptions to this rule. Scarpa boots break across the size (e.g. 23.5 and 24 share a shell), there are a few other boots that are similar to Scarpa. Most of the exceptions are touring boots, so probably doesn't matter for the OP and her needs, but just wanted to mention it in case it matters to someone else reading this thread.

Some sales people will tell you that liners are different sizes while the shells are the same, but I've heard from industry insiders that even the liners are exactly the same.

I've heard that it's the removable insole that is a different thickness. The thicker the insole, the smaller the boot is going to feel (i.e. a 23 has a thicker insole than the 23.5). However, this only really matters if you're skiing on the stock insole. Not sure how correct that is, or if it's true across the board...but definitely something to think about.

 

[AusinCanada]

This is a pretty old thread, but just wanted to add here that I had Live Fits before and they never really worked for my suuuuuuuuper wide, high volume feet (high instep, sturdy hobbit feet).

Last season I bought the new Atomic Hawx Magna and whoa! They are amazing. For the first time I can be that person who puts their boots on in the parking lot. Before my hardest workout of the day was getting my boots on. I can even leave them on during lunch if I want to!

 

[skibum4ever]

If I have trouble with my feet this season, I definitely plan to check out the Atomic Hawk and also the Live Fit. I'm not sure that there are too many more tweaks left in my current boots.