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Boot transition

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
Current state: Adequate green/blue parallel skier. Can generally self-correct moments of backseat and maintain control. Currently not interested in leaving blues/greens due to parental responsibilities, but anticipate needing to adjust next season. Have boots that are OLD. But plastic still seems fairly plastic and the boots fit like a dream after adjustments for foot changes this season.

Desired state: new boots BEFORE the existing boots do one of those stories y’all tell on here...ski going down the mountain with the boot, while I’m somewhere else.

Challenge: As I work on my skills, I’m REALLY happy with the way my boots and skis (Atomic Cloud 9s) are working with me. I don’t want to mess with my progress by messing with a combo that’s working. I also want my new boots to work with me through advancement of my skills, if that makes sense.

Questions:
1) Has anyone ever transitioned between boots gradually? I.e., if I were to get new boots, is there any conceivable way in which I could do short sessions with the new ones until I get them adjusted perfectly, but longer practice/skill refinement sessions with the current ones? (My skis have demo bindings, if this makes a diff)

2) If no to #1, what do you recommend?
 

SMichael08

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Others will quickly correct me if I'm wrong, but if the boot sole length (BSL) of your new boots matches your current boots (likely, but not a guarantee, even at the same boot size) then you shouldn't have an issue, even without demo bindings. If it's not the same, your demo bindings will likely help with that transition.
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
I’m embarrassed to admit it!!!
I have Dolomites from 2002. (borrowed time, tbh) 4 buckles, adjustable canting, ski/walk lever.
They’re silver. They look so pretty with my black skis.

And they feel fantastic when I’m clicked in.
 

MrsPlow

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Couple of things to watch out for - check what sort of soles are on the old and new boots. If the new boots come with GripWalk soles, double-check that your bindings are compatible (some of mine aren't so I've stuck with the alpine soles that also came with my boots). If the soles are alpine, that shouldn't be a problem but in either case it's worth asking if the toe height is the same for your old and new boots.

Other thing is that some older boots might not be the same BSL as newer ones, which would mean adjusting the bindings each time you swap between boots.
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
Good tip. The skis are newer, so the binding is gripwalk compatible. But I hadn’t thought about the toe-height thing. And this is why I posted.

I have to psych myself up for the fact that I’ll have to just figure out some way to give up on these boots. I really do love them. Did I mention how pretty they are? The little holographic sticker on the name gives me joy.

:rotf:

I’m laughing at myself b/c obviously, most of the boot is covered by the bottom of my pant/gaiter and NO ONE (especially me) should be looking at them.
 

vickie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I got new boots last weekend. Same BSL as my previous boots.

I'm taking lessons and told the bootfitter I would not sacrifice days of practice to break in new boots. He believed and I hoped it would not come to a choice like that. I wore the new boots last Tuesday and felt a warning on my left ankle. It was fine when I took them off. I then wore the new boots Wednesday thru Friday. They fit better than my old boots. I'm hoping to have a long and happy relationship with these boots.

If the new boots become a problem, I will switch back to the old ones as needed. I've had no adjustments made to the bindings to accommodate different boots; they haven't needed it. So yes, it is possible to switch back and forth between boots. I really hope your new ones give you reason to not want to switch back.
 

lisamamot

Angel Diva
1) I have not eased into new boots, primarily because I got new boots for a reason. I do however have resort boots and hybrid AT boots which have a 3mm difference in shell length and my hybrid boots have GripWalk and the resort currently do not. I may switch my resort boots over to GripWalk (that is an option for me) to lessen the differences but have a pair of skis that I would need to change the binding on to do so. I could switch back and forth between my boots on my GripWalk compatible skis, but it requires AFD and forward pressure to be adjusted each time and I am not comfortable yet making those adjustments myself. If it is in your comfort zone, you could certainly get your new boots and have a tech test the two different boots and let you know what the adjustments would need to be.
2) Boots don't have to hurt to fit properly. Unless you have a complicated foot (which many do), you may be good to go with minor tweaks. I have a fairly easy to fit foot, but I also searched long and hard to find a boot that fit me correctly without a series of mods. I was not interested in a shop putting me in the best boot they had rather than the best one for me. After a ton of online research, and exhausting shops in my area, I went to another state and hit 4 shops before I found the best boot for me. Once I found it, they were pretty spot on right out of the box.
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
That’s a great perspective. I guess what we hear about more is the problems, right?

TBH, very little really adjustment went into this boot fitting well. That being said, when it didn’t fit perfectly, I was almost in tears from the pain, but now I know what to feel for before ever skiing in new boots.
 

MrsPlow

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Iwannaski - I'm not one to judge. I chose my first boots because they were red and seemed to fit. Wore them till the rubber on the heel fell off! Turns out they were 2 sizes too big. 3 pairs of boots later and I finally have a pair that I actually like. With my latest boots I could ski all day in them almost straight away (1 session of about 2 hours to get used them then skied all day the next day with no problems).
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
I’m fairly muscular (not light)... with narrow, skinny and slightly floppy feet... and as a bonus, a tendency towards metatarsalgia in one foot. So the force that my feet take is decent, and my left foot is basically the princess in the Princess and the Pea. My Diva Left Foot, if you will.

Having finally figured out how critical my boots are, I’m apprehensive of messing myself up in a change.

I’m really grateful for the advice.
 

Tennessee

Angel Diva
Ok. So you LOVE your current boots. Unless they really are about to disintegrate, why not just ski them until you don’t like them any more??? I only ask because it takes me YEARS to find and get a boot to fit and it’s a very difficult process. Last time I found a boot I liked and customized, I went and bought another pair same brand, same last, slightly different (one year newer), slightly stiffer model so that I would never have to do the whole process again in my lifetime!!! Seriously. If you like your boots maybe get a second opinion on whether they are still safe or not. Why invite trouble when it sounds like your boots are working for you? Just my two cents.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
^^^ What she said.. I skied my Solomons for over 1000 days (8+yrs) because I loved them. They finally got so sloppy, the liners were too packed out so I went shopping. Luckily I have fairly normal feet but still spent hours trying on 10pair of boots til I settled on Atomic hawk 100's. The ## is the stiffness of the boot- for a beginner unless you weigh alot and are pressuring your boots I doubt you need over 100. I'd ski them until they fall apart or are so packed out your heels are lifting.
 
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elemmac

Angel Diva
Ok. So you LOVE your current boots. Unless they really are about to disintegrate, why not just ski them until you don’t like them any more???

I completely agree with this. I'm a huge proponent of "if it's not broken, don't fix it". But, with them being almost 20 years old, the plastic could be starting to break down (even if it's not noticeable). I would start looking, but there is absolutely no need to jump into anything.
 

Kimmyt

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Good tip. The skis are newer, so the binding is gripwalk compatible. But I hadn’t thought about the toe-height thing. And this is why I posted.

I have to psych myself up for the fact that I’ll have to just figure out some way to give up on these boots. I really do love them. Did I mention how pretty they are? The little holographic sticker on the name gives me joy.

:rotf:

I’m laughing at myself b/c obviously, most of the boot is covered by the bottom of my pant/gaiter and NO ONE (especially me) should be looking at them.

The obvious solution for this is to buy a new pair of skis for the new boots and then you can ski both boots with their own skis. ;)

I joke, but not really.
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
it would almost be rude not to, right?
This is my sale philosophy.

Obviously, these kind people took the time to put together this sale for me, it would be rude not to! :smile:
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
@elemmac ... that’s the thing, right? The plastic breakdown. Takes me back to my polymer class in grad school, like the good nerd that I am. LOL.

so, literally, every week before I ski I check and make sure nothing looks/feels brittle... the good news is, they were stored in their box, in the dark and mostly at the same temperature for most of their life. I’d actually given them away in April 2020 and couldn’t find new boots in my size in December - literally sold out and no shipments to come. My friend who I had given them to found them too small (I’m in a 25.5 with a size 10 shoe) and had just parked them in a closet, so i managed to get them back.

It’s almost like I was meant to love them, no? It’s like the Toy Story of ski boots.
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
so, literally, every week before I ski I check and make sure nothing looks/feels brittle... the good news is, they were stored in their box, in the dark and mostly at the same temperature for most of their life. I’d actually given them away in April 2020 and couldn’t find new boots in my size in December - literally sold out and no shipments to come.

This is great that you check them. I know I'm guilty of not checking my equipment before going out. Sounds like they've been well cared for, which definitely works towards the longevity of them. Where you say you couldn't find any boots in December, I'd revisit this next year. Start early...October is generally when shops start to really ramp up inventory.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
Take a good look at the soles now and again. These are the interface with your bindings, and they take a beating on gravel and any other surface besides snow. If the soles get messed up, your bindings might not work property, and :nono:
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Questions:
1) Has anyone ever transitioned between boots gradually? I.e., if I were to get new boots, is there any conceivable way in which I could do short sessions with the new ones until I get them adjusted perfectly, but longer practice/skill refinement sessions with the current ones? (My skis have demo bindings, if this makes a diff)

2) If no to #1, what do you recommend?
I ended up buying three pairs of boots between 2008 and 2015. Combination of learning about boots and skiing an increasing number of days, especially after regular lessons starting in 2013. Bought the last two pairs during late season sales from a local boot fitter (North Carolina). Meaning in March, just in time for a trip to Alta in April.

When I got Boots #3 (black 3-buckle), Boots #2 (blue, 4-buckle) still were in pretty good shape but I needed stiffer boots. I kept using the blue boots at my home hill for a little while. Partially to keep the soles of the black boots in better shape since I really didn't need the better boots for groomers that take 2-3 min to finish. Boots #2 and #3 had the same BSL, so I didn't have to fiddle with binding adjustments.

If I were to get new boots with a different BSL, I doubt I would bother to continue to use the old boots. Another factor is that I have custom heat-molded footbeds. So those have to be moved too.

By the way, the blue boots had Intuition liners. When the original liners (somewhat heat moldable) for the black boots packed out (3 seasons of 50+ days), I had the Intuition liners re-molded. The next step for extending the life of the black boots is to get the sole pieces replaced. I'd done that for the heel pieces of Boots #2 . . . or maybe Boots #1.
 

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