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Budgeting Price Ranges for Set of Custom Boots

bunnabelle

Diva in Training
Hi Everybody,
I am 5'1" with very muscular 19" circumference calf and 11" ankles. From what I understand, I'm going to probably need customized boots with some combination of:
Boots Recommended for short, wide calves
Shell Heat Molding
Liner Modification (Molding?)
Heel Lift
Buckle Catch Extension
1. Is a good boot for me possible?
2. Including boots, what's a reasonable high and low for gear and if I'm not buying gold plated luxury items.
3.Suggestions>anything else that can be done for a good fit, suggestions on gear/service options. (Located in CA)

Thank you!!!
 
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edelweissmaedl

Angel Diva
The modifications you mention sound like they would normally be included in the boot price (except maybe the buckle catch extension). So it seems the retail boot price could be close to your end price.
You should be able to find something that works for your foot/leg.
I don’t live out West so no boot fitter suggestions. Start with this thread though. https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...ion-usa-western-rocky-mountain-regions.16791/
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes, a good boot for you is possible. But you need a good bootfitter to pick it for you. The search you need to be doing is for a good bootfitter, not a good boot.

Buying boots is different from buying any other kind of shoe. Ski boots are a tool. They do much more than simply connect the skier to the skis. They transfer the skier's movements to the skis. How well they do this depends on how well they fit.

"Luxury" doesn't matter. Manufacturer of boot doesn't matter. Color, fashion, etc. don't matter. The skis don't know how much you paid for the boots either, so price does not determine how well you can control those skis. The only thing that matters with boots, for a recreational skier, is how well the boots fit.

Well, there's one more thing: you can get a boot that fits well but is too soft. So flex matters. If you find a boot that fits but is too stiff in flex, that flex can be softened. If it's too soft, there's not much you can do.

The boot shell (the hard plastic part), separate from the soft liner, needs to match the foot's anatomy as closely as possible. Length, width, and height over the foot are essential things that need to match. How wide the heel cup is extremely important, as is the circumference of the cuff from the bottom to its top. The bootfitter, after looking at your feet, will remove the liners from a pair of boots and have you stand in them barefooted. This is a shell-fit. How small the amount of empty space is around your feet will determine if the boot is a good fit.

An experienced bootfitter (not a shop attendant or salesperson) will choose the boots that the shop has in stock that come closest to matching these anatomical features of your feet and lower legs. No internet recommendations can come close. A knowledgeable bootfitter needs to see your feet to select the best boots for you.

Know this: a boot that fits well will be tight in an unfamiliar way, but never painful. If a bootfitter finds a boot that matches your anatomy closely, he/she can alter the shape of the plastic liner to match your foot even more closely. The plastic can be heated and "punched" out to accommodate bulges in your feet. Or the plastic can be ground from the inside to make a pocket for that same bony bulge on your foot. Making a too-tight boot larger in spots is the way to go. This service is free. The boot's price actually includes this service. Good luck on finding a good bootfitter near you and getting boots that you'll love, ones that will help you build your skiing skills for years to come.

You can start another thread asking for bootfitter recommendations near you.

Hope this helps.
 
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liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Oh... to get boots that really fit at a budget price means you'll be buying boots that are last year's stock, or the year before. Or buying them on sale at the end of the season, when stock is low but for some reason your size is still on the shelf. If you need a popular size, forget about end-of-season sales.

To choose to buy boots based on low price is an iffy proposition. Pay top dollar for boots, and get skis cheap, used, on craigslist or ebay or sideline swap. Or do a seasonal rental of skis for the first couple of years from a nearby ski shop while using your great-fitting but expensive boots. That's the best way to go.

I speak from experience. I made all the mistakes possible, year after year, in a seemingly unending search for boots that neither hurt nor allowed my skis to wobble without my permission. It took finding the right bootfitter to finally get my feet into the right boots.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Oh... to get boots that really fit at a budget price means you'll be buying boots that are last year's stock, or the year before. Or buying them on sale at the end of the season, when stock is low but for some reason your size is still on the shelf. If you need a popular size, forget about end-of-season sales.
I'm on the second pair of boots from a local boot fitter in NC. Neither were the current model year. As a small shop not in ski country and the owner, he seems to keep a good supply of "new old boots" in storage. While I usually do my boot shopping after Pres. Day when late season sales for the southeast have already started, I have no doubt the boots I ended up buying probably were available during the season too.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Hi Everybody,
I am 5'1" with very muscular 19" circumference calf and 11" ankles. From what I understand, I'm going to probably need customized boots with some combination of:
Boots Recommended for short, wide calves
Shell Heat Molding
Liner Modification (Molding?)
Heel Lift
Buckle Catch Extension
1. Is a good boot for me possible?
2. Including boots, what's a reasonable high and low for gear and if I'm not buying gold plated luxury items.
3.Suggestions>anything else that can be done for a good fit, suggestions on gear/service options. (Located in CA)

Thank you!!!
Can't help with costs for CA since I'm in the southeast.

I'm 5'0" with relatively short legs. What I have now are 3-buckle boots. The last pair were 4-buckle.

Maybe @Pequenita has some suggestions.
 

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