Challenging Ski Boot Situation

[Elizabeth.I]

Hi Ladies! Wondering if anyone is in the same boat as me.

I'm an expert skier and I need new boots. I'm currently in the Head Raptor B5s (yes, they are junior boots haha). My feet are very narrow (currently in boots with an 87mm last) and relatively short for my height (I'm 5'7" and I wear a size 23). My problem is my shins/calves are slim and very long which makes cuff height an issue. I was told by a boot fitter that typically by the time you drop down to a size 23, they reduce the cuff height (as they assume you'd be a shorter person). This leaves me in boots with a cuff that's way too low (as it is in my current boots). I was speaking with Lou (one of the best boot fitters in Calgary) and at least out of the brands he carries, he thinks I'll need to have a custom boot made (i.e. transplant the cuff from a bigger boot onto the tiny boot). Problem is this is expensive. Does anyone have any ideas at all regarding how I can get high performance boots with an appropriate cuff height without paying a lot of money for custom boots? Any experience with the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 Professional boot? Lou doesn't carry atomics. Not that I think I need a 130 flex per say (or want to pay $1000) but that's the only boot with a man's cuff that is small enough.

Thanks!

 

[Jilly]

That size is an issue. First not many made, and this year could be worst. Second is what - junior or ladies. Can "Lou" suggest anything, even if he doesn't stock it? Wish I could ask my boot fitter but he's just on his way back from Atomic headquarters in Europe. Lange, Head, Dalbello??

Surefoot might be an option, but that could involve at trip to WB I think.

 

[WaterGirl]

@Elizabeth.I Question - the last width you are in now for your size is "87"? or is the boot listed as 87 for reference size?

The narrowest boot that I know if would be a Lange World Cup which starts at 92 so in a 23 it would be 86. Not sure about the cuff height scaling on the WC, but it is not a junior boot. As I understood (I could be wrong) the cuff height changes around size 26 (22-25 would be one size, 26-30 another??) So most people complain that the cuff height is too tall on a smaller boot?

 

[elemmac]

For my own curiosity....what is your boot doing (or not doing) that makes you feel like the cuff is too low? How is it affecting your ski performance?

Does anyone have any ideas at all regarding how I can get high performance boots with an appropriate cuff height without paying a lot of money for custom boots? Any experience with the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 Professional boot?

Possible solution without purchasing a whole new boot: Wrap liner from Intuition. I've skied Dalbello boots in the past with a wrap liner, they hug your leg like no other ski boot, and they're often taller than your average liner. Talking to your boot fitter about a tall Intuition liner might be a good start.

 

[Mudgirl630]

Hi Ladies! Wondering if anyone is in the same boat as me.

I'm an expert skier and I need new boots. I'm currently in the Head Raptor B5s (yes, they are junior boots haha). My feet are very narrow (currently in boots with an 87mm last) and relatively short for my height (I'm 5'7" and I wear a size 23). My problem is my shins/calves are slim and very long which makes cuff height an issue. I was told by a boot fitter that typically by the time you drop down to a size 23, they reduce the cuff height (as they assume you'd be a shorter person). This leaves me in boots with a cuff that's way too low (as it is in my current boots). I was speaking with Lou (one of the best boot fitters in Calgary) and at least out of the brands he carries, he thinks I'll need to have a custom boot made (i.e. transplant the cuff from a bigger boot onto the tiny boot). Problem is this is expensive. Does anyone have any ideas at all regarding how I can get high performance boots with an appropriate cuff height without paying a lot of money for custom boots? Any experience with the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 Professional boot? Lou doesn't carry atomics. Not that I think I need a 130 flex per say (or want to pay $1000) but that's the only boot with a man's cuff that is small enough.

Thanks!

I have narrow and very low volume feet with chicken legs.
Not an easy combo to find great fitting ski boots as you know very well.
I have purchased MANY so called recreational narrow last boots. All failed.
I now am in Atomic Redster race boots. The narrowest last they offer is 92mm. I have never heard of any boots narrower than 92mm. Then again, I do not know anything about junior selections. I did not want to go to junior section because I did not want the low cuffs as I am not short. I also use after-market liner called Zipfit. The combination of the boots and the liner finally got my floppy feet secured in place. I used to buy new boots every other season with a lot of time spend tinkering/adding so much stuff. Most of the time, I had 4 to 6 layers of thin incerts in my boots to stop my heals moving until I got my current set up. It was crazy.

I ski everyday in the season. I skied 147 days last season. So needless to say my boots are my life. People who have average feet do not understand how difficult to find great fitting boots for people like us. I do get that we are very much minority. The great thing about the Zipfit is, they should last around 1000 days skiing. Those liners that come with boots are packed out after 30 days. For me, that is one month.

I had Atomic Hawx for one season. Nope. Moved on.

I am also 5'7" and wear 23.5cm.

Hope you get to find great fitting boots as they are EVERYTHING.

 

[Elizabeth.I]

That size is an issue. First not many made, and this year could be worst. Second is what - junior or ladies. Can "Lou" suggest anything, even if he doesn't stock it? Wish I could ask my boot fitter but he's just on his way back from Atomic headquarters in Europe. Lange, Head, Dalbello??

Surefoot might be an option, but that could involve at trip to WB I think.

Thanks for the reply! I'll honestly take anything that fits, whether junior, ladies or mens! I doubt Lou would recommend brands outside of what he carries (since he's definitely a business man) but I could ask. He has Dalbellos as well so that could be an option, although I suspect they won't have anything narrow enough.

I'm not in a huge rush to buy boots though, so if you do have a chance to ask your boot fitter sometime in the near future, I'd love to see what he has to say! Unfortunately Whistler is a bit too far for me to travel for boots.

 

[Elizabeth.I]

I have narrow and very low volume feet with chicken legs.
Not an easy combo to find great fitting ski boots as you know very well.
I have purchased MANY so called recreational narrow last boots. All failed.
I now am in Atomic Redster race boots. The narrowest last they offer is 92mm. I have never heard of any boots narrower than 92mm. Then again, I do not know anything about junior selections. I did not want to go to junior section because I did not want the low cuffs as I am not short. I also use after-market liner called Zipfit. The combination of the boots and the liner finally got my floppy feet secured in place. I used to buy new boots every other season with a lot of time spend tinkering/adding so much stuff. Most of the time, I had 4 to 6 layers of thin incerts in my boots to stop my heals moving until I got my current set up. It was crazy.

I ski everyday in the season. I skied 147 days last season. So needless to say my boots are my life. People who have average feet do not understand how difficult to find great fitting boots for people like us. I do get that we are very much minority. The great thing about the Zipfit is, they should last around 1000 days skiing. Those liners that come with boots are packed out after 30 days. For me, that is one month.

I had Atomic Hawx for one season. Nope. Moved on.

I am also 5'7" and wear 23.5cm.

Hope you get to find great fitting boots as they are EVERYTHING.

Wow, thanks so much for your reply! I was feeling like the only person out there with this problem since I was even told that the problem could not be solved without a custom boot! It's great to hear about your experience because it gives me hope haha. I'll definitely look into the Redsters and some ZipFits. I was kind of wondering if I should look into true race boots so it's good to hear about your experience. I wish I could ski every day, I get between 65-70 days per season but it never feels like enough!

 

[Mudgirl630]

Wow, thanks so much for your reply! I was feeling like the only person out there with this problem since I was even told that the problem could not be solved without a custom boot! It's great to hear about your experience because it gives me hope haha. I'll definitely look into the Redsters and some ZipFits. I was kind of wondering if I should look into true race boots so it's good to hear about your experience. I wish I could ski every day, I get between 65-70 days per season but it never feels like enough!

Even skiing that many days, never enough days for me. I would go to Argentina for the season in summer, but I have two dogs and I do not want to put them through that many hours in flying.

I would highly recommend saying Buh Bye to your boot fitter. I have come across so many of them over the years with having "our" fitting problem. Yours sounds not very experienced with many brands. A big red flag. I would find someone who works with racers. They are the ones who told me about what I wear now.

My boot fitter who got me into Zipfit also carry Intuition. He did not recommend Intuition. He said they do not last anywhere where near the Zipfit. They pack out much faster. I sure do not need that. As for Zipfit, you can add or take out the material to fit the right amount of volume for your feet. The material inside is not sold, so it can be altered just the way you need, they can be shifted. There is nothing else out there.

Please let me know if I can help. I know what you are going through. Not many of us out there.

 

[Elizabeth.I]

For my own curiosity....what is your boot doing (or not doing) that makes you feel like the cuff is too low? How is it affecting your ski performance?


Possible solution without purchasing a whole new boot: Wrap liner from Intuition. I've skied Dalbello boots in the past with a wrap liner, they hug your leg like no other ski boot, and they're often taller than your average liner. Talking to your boot fitter about a tall Intuition liner might be a good start.

I use longish, stiff skis that really need to be driven and when I pressure the front of my boots, it feels like I have nothing to really push on! I just want more precision and more effective power transfer when I lean into my boots to drive the skis. My current boots are adequate for the task but I feel as though I could do better!

Thank you for your suggestion regarding the Intuition liner! I know they're very good so definitely something to look into. Fortunately, I do need new boots anyway because they're pretty trashed. I think I've used them for 200+ days. When I bought them, I wasn't as strong a skier so I didn't notice the difference but as I've improved over the years I've noticed that the boots are lacking!

 

[WaterGirl]

I would highly recommend saying Buh Bye to your boot fitter. I have come across so many of them over the years with having "our" fitting problem. Yours sounds not very experienced with many brands. A big red flag. I would find someone who works with racers. They are the ones who told me about what I wear now.

Great advice.
@Elizabeth.I move on to someone who actually asses you and your foot, and and don't forget mobility of your ankle joint.

Your description sounds like something I have experienced - not getting a response despite effort. For me it was having too much ankle mobility as well as LV in general. Also highly recommend a fitter that works with race boots. Although you may want to search out the race boot brands, each is a little different, the Lange is the most upright I believe at 12 degrees, some of the others are at 16. There are other add ons to make a tongue that can take up the room infant for your skinny calf, the reverse is a rear spoiler but that will push your angle more forward. The zip fit will give you the ability to add more material to the tongue for a better fit with the caveat that it will not take up any space in the width of the boot as it it only neoprene in some areas including the forefoot. And FWIW the supply this year may not be as consistent as one would like, shopping is recommended sooner than later.

 

[Elizabeth.I]

I do want to note that Lou is a great bootfitter and does actually take the time to assess one's foot and do a shell fit. He's just more knowledgeable about the equipment he carries rather than equipment in general! He carries Head, Rossi, Dalbello, and Technica.

 

[Elizabeth.I]

@Elizabeth.I Question - the last width you are in now for your size is "87"? or is the boot listed as 87 for reference size?

The narrowest boot that I know if would be a Lange World Cup which starts at 92 so in a 23 it would be 86. Not sure about the cuff height scaling on the WC, but it is not a junior boot. As I understood (I could be wrong) the cuff height changes around size 26 (22-25 would be one size, 26-30 another??) So most people complain that the cuff height is too tall on a smaller boot?

The stated last on my current boot is 93 on a 26.5, so 87 is for my tiny boot specifically haha

 

[Elizabeth.I]

That size is an issue. First not many made, and this year could be worst. Second is what - junior or ladies. Can "Lou" suggest anything, even if he doesn't stock it? Wish I could ask my boot fitter but he's just on his way back from Atomic headquarters in Europe. Lange, Head, Dalbello??

Surefoot might be an option, but that could involve at trip to WB I think.

Jilly, if it's not too much effort, I wonder what your boot fitter thinks of the Atomic Redster STI 110. Seems like it might be a good match! And it seems like he's knowledgeable about Atomic!

 

[Jilly]

I suspect that he has brought back a pair for himself. I swear he has ATOMIC tattoo'd somewhere.
The Redster might be a good fit.

Have to you spoken to anyone at Monod's?

 

[Elizabeth.I]

I suspect that he has brought back a pair for himself. I swear he has ATOMIC tattoo'd somewhere.
The Redster might be a good fit.

Have to you spoken to anyone at Monod's?

No, but I was thinking of potentially making a trip to Monods for boots. Unfortunately, Lou doesn't carry Atomic and I don't really trust any of the other boot fitters in Calgary....

 

[Jilly]

I'll try for a name. Got some contact's out there. Like most of the Monod's were at a friends wedding in 2019.

 

[Elizabeth.I]

I'll try for a name. Got some contact's out there. Like most of the Monod's were at a friends wedding in 2019.

Wow that would be great! Thank you!

 

[Jilly]

Got my feelers out. Even 1 to the CSIA women in skiing FB page. Should get something back by the weekend. It's too summery here.

 

[fgor]

My boot fitter who got me into Zipfit also carry Intuition. He did not recommend Intuition. He said they do not last anywhere where near the Zipfit. They pack out much faster. I sure do not need that. As for Zipfit, you can add or take out the material to fit the right amount of volume for your feet. The material inside is not sold, so it can be altered just the way you need, they can be shifted. There is nothing else out there.

Seconded - my bootfitter recommended Zipfit over Intuition (they carry both) for my small feet, after I was swimming in my stock liners after only 20-30 days. Same reason - I needed liners which were going to take up more room and not pack out, since the shells were too wide. (This was before I got my current Redsters - I was already in the narrowest/smallest boot they had in stock and the lead time for ordering boots in is rather long here - so we opted for new liners as a stop-gap solution)

The stated last on my current boot is 93 on a 26.5, so 87 is for my tiny boot specifically haha

93mm stated last gang

Jilly, if it's not too much effort, I wonder what your boot fitter thinks of the Atomic Redster STI 110. Seems like it might be a good match! And it seems like he's knowledgeable about Atomic!

I JUST got this exact boot. I went from the Atomic Hawx Ultra 115 S W (too wide for me) to the Atomic Redster STI 110 and I've had maybe 6-7 days on them so far. They're great! The flex is a little stiffer than the Hawx Ultras but it feels more supportive, and the shell fit is just so much better. I've really enjoyed them both on and off piste. So far the stock race liners are working well for me but I still have a pair of zipfits which I can use if the stock liners pack out.

 

[Elizabeth.I]

Got my feelers out. Even 1 to the CSIA women in skiing FB page. Should get something back by the weekend. It's too summery here.

Thank you so much for all your help! I really appreciate it!!