yogiskier
Angel Diva
I am on my 2nd pair of ski boots. With my first pair, I was given the Nordica Tecnica Ten2 85W, a beginner boot that was too roomy (on the one hand, I walked into the ski shop as a new-ish skier calling myself that, but on the other hand I think I also said I wanted boots that could grow with my ability). I was never happy with the boots, although I did take them back and he set me up with performance insoles and I think a shim that helped, but could not surpass the limitations of the boot itself.
Two years ago, because I'm interested in touring, I went to see Andrew at the Ski Monster in Boston and he put me in the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 95. These felt reasonably good in the store, though the cuff was rather tight - I have pretty wide calves - but he said rather than do the heat molding or any changes to the boot right away, to go ski in them and come back for adjustments. They weren't perfect, but given the craziness of Covid that season, I never made it back to the shop and just made do. And then a year later moved from Boston to New Jersey.
I skipped last year's season. This year, I have had 2 days in the Atomic Hawx and the cuff is most definitely too tight (I've gained a few pounds and my body shape has changed slightly after hitting 40 ;-)), yet there's too much room in the boot part.
So, this is all a lot of background to say that I hope to go to a bootfitters this Thursday, so that I can ski this Sunday, or at least improve my boots before leaving for Diva East on the 29th, which is a bit last minute. I searched the Bootfitters thread here and asked @sevensaes and Marc Stewart at Windham was highly recommended, but he's booked until the 29th. Greg Pier was listed under NJ bootfitters, but he is booked out until Feb 8. Doug at the Ski Barn was also mentioned in the Bootfitters thread, so that's where I thought I'd go on Thursday.
My actual first question is, if I take a pair of boots that I already own to a bootfitters, how do they charge you and do they typically tell you how much things cost or do I have to ask? (With my first pair of boots, all of the modifications which happened within a year period including the performance insoles were free, IIRC. It's too bad that I missed the opportunity to take my current boots back to Ski Monster in Boston...) And what is the range of costs? I've read about several hundred dollars being spent at a bootfitters, which is hard for me to swallow!
My second question is, how can I prepare for the appointment? How specific do I have to be - is it enough to say that the cuff is too tight, and the boot is too loose, but when I try to tighten the buckle there's a hot spot on the top of my foot? Do I have to volunteer the information that I have one flattened arch and am recovering from plantar fasciitis and tendonitis in that foot, or will they ask about foot injuries? I have a hard time connecting to my own experience if I've never thought about something before in the face of rapid-fire questions (like at the doctor's when they ask, 'do you have x symptom? how about y? how about z symptom?' Or at the eye doctor's, when they ask 20 times, which is clearer, A or B? How about B or C?) How can I communicate to be taken seriously as a skier?
Thank you for reading...
Two years ago, because I'm interested in touring, I went to see Andrew at the Ski Monster in Boston and he put me in the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 95. These felt reasonably good in the store, though the cuff was rather tight - I have pretty wide calves - but he said rather than do the heat molding or any changes to the boot right away, to go ski in them and come back for adjustments. They weren't perfect, but given the craziness of Covid that season, I never made it back to the shop and just made do. And then a year later moved from Boston to New Jersey.
I skipped last year's season. This year, I have had 2 days in the Atomic Hawx and the cuff is most definitely too tight (I've gained a few pounds and my body shape has changed slightly after hitting 40 ;-)), yet there's too much room in the boot part.
So, this is all a lot of background to say that I hope to go to a bootfitters this Thursday, so that I can ski this Sunday, or at least improve my boots before leaving for Diva East on the 29th, which is a bit last minute. I searched the Bootfitters thread here and asked @sevensaes and Marc Stewart at Windham was highly recommended, but he's booked until the 29th. Greg Pier was listed under NJ bootfitters, but he is booked out until Feb 8. Doug at the Ski Barn was also mentioned in the Bootfitters thread, so that's where I thought I'd go on Thursday.
My actual first question is, if I take a pair of boots that I already own to a bootfitters, how do they charge you and do they typically tell you how much things cost or do I have to ask? (With my first pair of boots, all of the modifications which happened within a year period including the performance insoles were free, IIRC. It's too bad that I missed the opportunity to take my current boots back to Ski Monster in Boston...) And what is the range of costs? I've read about several hundred dollars being spent at a bootfitters, which is hard for me to swallow!
My second question is, how can I prepare for the appointment? How specific do I have to be - is it enough to say that the cuff is too tight, and the boot is too loose, but when I try to tighten the buckle there's a hot spot on the top of my foot? Do I have to volunteer the information that I have one flattened arch and am recovering from plantar fasciitis and tendonitis in that foot, or will they ask about foot injuries? I have a hard time connecting to my own experience if I've never thought about something before in the face of rapid-fire questions (like at the doctor's when they ask, 'do you have x symptom? how about y? how about z symptom?' Or at the eye doctor's, when they ask 20 times, which is clearer, A or B? How about B or C?) How can I communicate to be taken seriously as a skier?
Thank you for reading...