Help/questions: I tried new boots today

[frenchgirl]

I went to the ski shop and tried several boots, mostly Solomon and Tecnica. The ones I liked best were the Solomon Divine 7. They are currently on sale for $250. First I tried the 24.5 then the 24. The 24.5 felt great but I am afraid that after a while they will be too big(too wide). when I tried them on the latches on my feet were on the secondor third to last notch. The 24 feels fine too. So the guy said to go with the 24. I said I would think about it and I think he was surprised that I did not buy them at the time. I felt bad about that.
1. Is it hard for you if someone spends time and you do not buy the boots? I did ask for his card so that if/when I buy I want him to be recognized for his work.
2. If I buy the 24, will they feel like the 24.5 after they are broken-in?
3. Do some brands pack out more than others?

Anne

 

[amanda]

I have a pair of Solomon boots that I bought in 2005 and they have definitely packed out 1/2 a size. This is my 4th season on them and they need to be replaced because they are now too big. You might want to go with the 24 to avoid my predicament.

 

[MaryLou]

I also have some 4yo Salomons, they've packed out - should get new ones but I'm not in the mood to deal with it (and they aren't that bad yet since most of my ski days are just 2-3 hours). So if the smaller size is still comfy - definately get that size.

Don't worry about the sales guy - for every one or two of you, there's one person that just walks in and buys quickly.

 

[frenchgirl]

Don't worry about the sales guy - for every one or two of you, there's one person that just walks in and buys quickly.

Thanks I felt really bad, but I want to try some at another store too just in case there's another one that fits me even better.

 

[altagirl]

I'm very familiar with feeling bad in situations like that, but you'd feel worse trying to return them if they weren't what really fit you best, right?

And definitely go with the smaller option. I mean push your heel back in the heel pocket and you want your toes still basically right to the end. Like just short of your toes being scrunched up.

 

[SnowHot]

Maybe you said it and I missed it but, Did you do a shell fit?
Take the liner out and see how much room you have behind your heel with your toes all the way to the front of the boot shell.
Also pay attention to the volume on both sides of your foot.

If you have too much room in the shell, then you'll be swimming in the boots after the liner packs out.
Treat your feet well!!!

 

[PowDiva85]

there are no half sizes in ski boots. with the exception of a few langes a 24 and 24.5 shell are the same legnth. The difference is the factory insole comes with an extra shim. Since most people throw the stock insole away there is no difference. So it sounds like you should find a boot thats width is a little narrower.

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

Yup, I'm very familiar with going into the ski shop and trying on boots only to walk out without buying. If the person spends a lot of time with me I do feel bad about walking out without purchasing, but since not every shop carries every brand or model, it is a good idea to try several shops in order to find the boot that is right for you. If you are not convinced that these are the boots for you, it may be worth it to shop around a bit-- at least then you will be more sure one way or the other.

 

[volklgirl]

Did this person shell fit you? If not, please read the boot threads in the Gearipedia section then go forth informed and insist on a proper fitting.

There is no shell size difference between a 24.5 and a 24.0. They are both a 24.5 shell with the 24.0 having either a thicker liner, a shim under the liner, or a thicker insole (which should be tossed immediately anyway). Always go with the smallest size you can possibly stand with the knowledge that they will pack out to at least 1/2 to possibly 2 sizes bigger.

Yes, walking away can leave you feeling weird about the fitting, but they get paid by the hour in general, and they understand that they may not have the boot for you. When I get exceptional service, I at least try to buy something, even if it's just a chapstick, then I bring friends back if they need something.

 

[PowDiva85]

here is my only gripe as a bootfitter. I dont mind working with someone who decides to keep looking. I know that if I have the best fitting boot they will most likely be back but I get annoyed when I spend time fitting someone and they go buy it online. I will match online prices so tell me you found it cheaper and I will match but to just go order it online that just really bums me out. and also the people who I spend an hour fitting and then go...op I have a pro form so thanks! I dont mind doing the pro form fit either, I just like to know ahead of time.

 

[perma-grin]

here is my only gripe as a bootfitter. I dont mind working with someone who decides to keep looking. I know that if I have the best fitting boot they will most likely be back but I get annoyed when I spend time fitting someone and they go buy it online. I will match online prices so tell me you found it cheaper and I will match but to just go order it online that just really bums me out. and also the people who I spend an hour fitting and then go...op I have a pro form so thanks! I dont mind doing the pro form fit either, I just like to know ahead of time.

WOW!!!! Did You just hit my pet peeve nail right dead on the HEAD!!!!
P.S I have to reiterate this from Volklgirl and Snowhot, were you shell fit? I measure a 24 but in most boots I can wear a 23. I always go with the smaller shell it's easier to give the boot more room but you are pretty much out of luck if the boots too big when the liner packs out.

 

[Swamp Dog]

but I get annoyed when I spend time fitting someone and they go buy it online.

this is a pet peeve of mine and I'm not a boot fitter. I don't mind spending a few extra dollars at the local shop since they have overhead and staff that an online store doesn't have. They also provide service that you're just not going to get from an online retailer. Good luck getting fit properly from an online supplier.

I think it's pretty ballsy that people will think nothing of taking up your time and then order online. Same thing with bike shops. I've known people who go from one shop to another trying to find a bike that fits and then order it online. Now they need service, head to the LBS and wonder why the owner isn't falling over himself to help them.

You have to support these businesses if you want them around in the future!

I know I could have spend a few dollars less on the package I bought today at my local shop. But I can't put a price tag on the relationship I have with them, nor do I want to. And I want them there when I find out I'm out of wax, or my last pair of socks has a hole in them, or I want to demo the latest and greatest!

ok, rant off, sorry. that one just really pushes my buttons.

 

[SnowHot]

here is my only gripe as a bootfitter. I dont mind working with someone who decides to keep looking. I know that if I have the best fitting boot they will most likely be back but I get annoyed when I spend time fitting someone and they go buy it online. I will match online prices so tell me you found it cheaper and I will match but to just go order it online that just really bums me out. and also the people who I spend an hour fitting and then go...op I have a pro form so thanks! I dont mind doing the pro form fit either, I just like to know ahead of time.

Bingo!

I have a couple of really good friends who are fitters, which makes me sensitive to this as well............its called, "theft of service".
Harsh? Maybe, but that's how its viewed.

 

[pinto]

Hey, what do you do when you have to try on a million boots at different shops because no one has the right thing? I tried four or five stores in Denver, and finally one guy tells me, "You need to go to the mountains because there isn't a lot in stock down here that will work." So I am in Vail, and I go to one place, he puts me in a couple of boots, says he doesn't have the right size, so he calls a store down the street and tells them I'm coming, and what I need (a competitor, but I get the sense they must send people to each other all the time), and then that almost worked but not quite -- so HE sends me to another shop, where they had what I needed.

So I've tried on, like , 10 boots, but by the time I got to the last store, it was all narrowed down and that guy hardly had any work to do. But he ended up getting the sale.

I thought about tipping the other fitters ... but that would get very expensive, and it wasn't like anyone went above and beyond ... They just kept sending me other places. I guess it all evens out in the end? Hopefully?

And no, I would never buy boots online (except I've though about a duplicate pair of the ones I use now, since they have come up super cheap on Tramdock ... but adding all the fitting and footbeds makes them not so super cheap anymore). Last year's model of skis , yeah, I'll buy online. But since I bought ski boots at almost full price in VAIL (ugh), I figure I have to make it up somewhere. :P

 

[PowDiva85]

oh im so glad to hear that customer loyalty is not a thing of the past. some times in this business it feels like people are just worried about price, price, price. which, i totally understand that it is very expensive but cheap products come at the cost of good service. the way i look at it, if i dont have a boot that fits you i am happy to let you go on to another store because i dont want to sell you a boot that doesnt fit just to get the sale because then i have to spend the rest of the winter working on it, for free. No one retailer can carry every model and every brand so we know sometimes we are not going to have the right thing and i just want the customer to find the right thing so I will usually give them recommendations of what to go try elsewhere and sometimes I will call other stores and have boots set aside for them if they need something very specific. Its just part of the job

 

[PNWSkier]

Ditto on the shell fit. I measure a 23.5 and had a pair of Salomons in that size. I had a lot of issues with them and ended up getting new boots that are a 22! I wear a size 7 shoe. The recommended fitter that I saw said that my Salomon boot was a HUGE 23 when compared to others brands. The Salomons were a little snug in the beginning but when they packed out they were way too big. My Salomons said 23/23.5 on the shell and as others said they are the same size.

 

[frenchgirl]

Yes he did shell fit me. I am an 8-8 1/2 street shoe and my current ski boots are 24. I tried a 24 and 24.5. He seemed pretty knowledgeable(old guy) and that is why I only tried the tecnica and the solomon due to my feet shape. I would not think about buying boots or regular shoes too online if the stores here have the boots. As I said before if I buy from that store I am planning on coming when he is here or telling the manager that he helped me. I have also made some purchases there too, like leasing 3 equipements, mittens and poles.
There is just another store in town that I think have different boots. It is an expensive purchase even on sale so I want to make sure I get the best boots for my feet. The ones I tried fit fine but I want to make sure there isn't another one that fits even better.

 

[veggielasagna]

Sizing sounds about right...I'm in a 24.5 (284 bsl) Atomic and wear a size 9 usually.

-veggielasagna

 

[frenchgirl]

Well my boot saga has finally ended! I went to the other store in town and the guy who measured my foot told me I was almost a 25! At that point I was getting nervous. He gave me a Tecnica 25 and if I had known much less about boots I probably would have taken them. But I told him that I was fitted somewhere else as a 24/24.5. When I told him that my current boot is a 280, his jaw about dropped. We tried on several boots, mostly Tecnica and Solomon and the ones I liked the best were the Solomon RS Divine 7. The thing that was strange was the ones I like the best in the other shop was the Solomon Divine 7. The RS ones are the 2009 vs the 2008. To make matters harder for me is that they were the same price. I would have picked the RS ones if he had them in the 24, but he only had them in the 24.5(he only carries the half sizes in all the boots). I know there is not much differences but I was worried about them becoming too big in the long run. Also the RS does not have any soles under the liner, which I thought was odd.
So I went back to the first store and we tried some more. The Head and Atomic(very cute by the way) did not have a high enough instep, the Tecnica were too straight, Lange too narrow so I went back to my original choice, the Solomon Divine 7. I hesitated between the 24 and 24.5, but I felt more mentally comfortable in the 24. He also adjusted the cant for me.