Bootfitting Question

[Little Lightning]

That process is exactly what my boot fitter does. Good to hear others do it too.

I've been using the same boot fitter for years so he knows pretty well what will work for me. I needed new boots last year. I had been wearing Dalbello Krya 85 so he put one new Dalbello on my left foot and then other brands on the right for me to compare the difference. It turned out the Technica Mach 1 LV 85 was a better fit. That was a surprise since low volume boots generally don't fit my higher instep well. Just goes to show how the magic of a good boot fitter works.

Enjoy your new boots.

 

[SnowHot]

I was originally planning to come back for the November sale, but due to this being the last boot they had in this model and there was no 2019 version to try on for comparison -- I didn't want to risk the 2019 version not fitting quite the same. Plus these boots ended up being under my expected budget and super fleet insoles were included with my purchase -- so it was a great deal!

The 2019 Nordica Speed Machine is unchanged form 2018.
The cool thing is, Nordica's GPX line is gone, replace by the Pro Machine(98mm Last) Speed Machine (100mm Last) and Sport Machine (102mm Last)
All of these have the cork liner

 

[Pixie Perfect]

The 2019 Nordica Speed Machine is unchanged form 2018.
The cool thing is, Nordica's GPX line is gone, replace by the Pro Machine(98mm Last) Speed Machine (100mm Last) and Sport Machine (102mm Last)
All of these have the cork liner

Okay that’s good to know, I’m glad I didn’t wait for the store sale because I didn’t want to risk nothing was available in my size and I got a good deal on last season! What’s the benefit of a cork liner?

 

[SallyCat]

Ugh, it stinks that 98 is what boot companies offer as their "narrow" or "low volume" option in off-the shelf non-racer boots.

With all of the heat-molding adjustments available now that can widen boots (and since no amount of heat molding will make a boot smaller) it seems like a great time for a boot manufacturer to make a 92-lasted, truly narrow, low-volume boot for the general public. The molding process would allow for the boot to fit a range of feet within the narrow category, making it worth producing.

If ONE company did that, it would be pretty interesting to see how many people would opt for it; that would be some valuable sales and R&D data. Because a lot of people with narrow, lv feet just end up toughing it out and doing the best they can with whichever of the 98 mm boots don't suck the most.

 

[SnowHot]

Okay that’s good to know, I’m glad I didn’t wait for the store sale because I didn’t want to risk nothing was available in my size and I got a good deal on last season! What’s the benefit of a cork liner?

The Cork gives you some contour around the ankle and heal area, making it fitted in that area.

Ugh, it stinks that 98 is what boot companies offer as their "narrow" or "low volume" option in off-the shelf non-racer boots.

The standard narrow recreational boot is 98mm (measured at that width in a 26.5), but there are some models that are 95 or even 93.
Don't confuse "narrow" with "low volume". Manufacturers have done a disservice to boot fitters by labeling a narrower boot as low volume.
Narrow is width, while LV is technically the overall volume around the instep.
As a fitter, this is how we measure the instep as it relates to volume of a boot.

 

[badger]

The Cork gives you some contour around the ankle and heal area, making it fitted in that area.

The standard narrow recreational boot is 98mm (measured at that width in a 26.5), but there are some models that are 95 or even 93.
Don't confuse "narrow" with "low volume". Manufacturers have done a disservice to boot fitters by labeling a narrower boot as low volume.
Narrow is width, while LV is technically the overall volume around the instep.
As a fitter, this is how we measure the instep as it relates to volume of a boot.

Would you describe in more detail that volume measurement with the tape and it's corresponding volume size?

 

[SallyCat]

The standard narrow recreational boot is 98mm (measured at that width in a 26.5), but there are some models that are 95 or even 93.
Don't confuse "narrow" with "low volume". Manufacturers have done a disservice to boot fitters by labeling a narrower boot as low volume.
Narrow is width, while LV is technically the overall volume around the instep.
As a fitter, this is how we measure the instep as it relates to volume of a boot.

Indeed, I'm a 26.5 with a very low instep, so I know the drill all to well (and agree; those "LV" labels on boots are meaningless). I need both narrow and low volume, so I'm in a junior race boot. It fits incredibly well, but it's a Lange, so I expect it to be cold as an ice block and stiff as concrete in any temp below 20 degrees. I sure wish there were more viable options. Who makes a rec boot in a 93 last? Would love to try that boot on.

(I tried on a Scarpa F1 AT boot last week and boy did that fit well! I don't imagine it's suitable for all-day resort skiing, but man. That's a nice boot.)

 

[WaterGirl]

(I tried on a Scarpa F1 AT boot last week and boy did that fit well! I don't imagine it's suitable for all-day resort skiing, but man. That's a nice boot.)

WAIT!!!! you liked a 102mm lasted boot????

The AT boot sizing and/or description of said sizing is not the same as Alpine -- I thought I would have an issue with finding a narrower LV boot based on "description" --- nope not a problem

 

[SallyCat]

WAIT!!!! you liked a 102mm lasted boot????

The AT boot sizing and/or description of said sizing is not the same as Alpine -- I thought I would have an issue with finding a narrower LV boot based on "description" --- nope not a problem

I know, it's crazy! AT boots don't seem to have the same correlation between size and fit as alpine boots. Or maybe they are more versatile in the way you can tighten and loosen them? Dunno. I'm told a lot of people size up in their AT boots for more comfort walking, but I'm not sure I'd do that. My experience with hiking boots is that the boots either fit or they don't; if you try to "leave room" you're just going to end up with blisters, toe bang, and less stability.

 

[SnowHot]

Would you describe in more detail that volume measurement with the tape and it's corresponding volume size?

That measurement is usually taken when there is a difference in size of the foot length and arch length.
That is often an indicator that the instep measurement (or vamp measurement) could be larger than foot length.
There are some boots that have a bigger "vamp" measurement. There is no standard number or measurement, like the last measurement, in the industry to give a bootfitter an idea so its up to us to try on every boot on the wall and get an idea how it fits.
Here are two examples of boots from one manufacturer that have completely different volume in the vamp measurement. You can almost see in the images that the Vector RS has a bigger volume in the instep area than the Raptor RS. Technically, they have the same last width, but the Vector RS *feels a lot bigger and wider just because the instep area is generous.
Does this help?

 

[SnowHot]

Indeed, I'm a 26.5 with a very low instep, so I know the drill all to well (and agree; those "LV" labels on boots are meaningless). I need both narrow and low volume, so I'm in a junior race boot. It fits incredibly well, but it's a Lange, so I expect it to be cold as an ice block and stiff as concrete in any temp below 20 degrees. I sure wish there were more viable options. Who makes a rec boot in a 93 last? Would love to try that boot on.

(I tried on a Scarpa F1 AT boot last week and boy did that fit well! I don't imagine it's suitable for all-day resort skiing, but man. That's a nice boot.)

Have you tried a Head Raptor RS? They are really narrow and have a very low instep.

 

[SallyCat]

Have you tried a Head Raptor RS? They are really narrow and have a very low instep.

Alas, for those with truly narrow feet, a 96 last isn't narrow enough. My boots have a 92mm last.

 

[CarverJill]

I have the Nordica Speed Machine boots from 5 or 6 years ago! I have no idea of the last but know they were rated 90/100 flex. Its cool to know they are still around.

Oh man, I need new boots this season for sure. Its just tricky living in San Diego, I can't just go to a nearby store for a few hours. I probably need to plan to devote a day of one of my ski trips to getting it done this season. Maybe I'mm come see you @SnowHot!

 

[tinymoose]

Alas, for those with truly narrow feet, a 96 last isn't narrow enough. My boots have a 92mm last.

I have this issue too. My feet are narrower than most of the narrowest boots. My heel especially is super narrow. We've basically dealt with this with intuition liners to take up space.

 

[liquidfeet]

Zipfit liners will also fix the problem of extremely narrow heels (my solution), as will Boot Doc injected foam liners (what I'll try next time maybe). Custom liners allow the narrow-heeled skier to avoid going to race plug boots for a snug fit.

 

[SallyCat]

Zipfit liners will also fix the problem of extremely narrow heels (my solution), as will Boot Doc injected foam liners (what I'll try next time maybe). Custom liners allow the narrow-heeled skier to avoid going to race plug boots for a snug fit.

I used ZipFits for two years for exactly the reason you mention. The heel-hold that they provide is really incredible. I will say, though, that it is worth the effort to try to find a shell that fits properly. Even with ZipFits, I was constantly adjusting my buckles and had a lot of metatarsal pain and annoying looseness. The narrow-lasted junior race boots I'm in now actually give me a proper shell fit (and thankfully were not plugs). They hold my feet so much more effectively that I don't get met pain and I'm much more confident skiing without the sloppiness I had in my old boots.