Ladies, I’ve read enough on here to know that buying your own boots and a certified bootfitter is the best way to make sure you get a good fit. However, I’m terrified the bootfitter will reccomend something I can’t afford ($500 is my absolute max). Please share you best suggestions for getting the best possible fit in a rental boot. A little background... my trip to Vail almost cost me a toenail and I got horrible shin bang from boots a full size too big at Breck last week. At Breck, I ended up with the Nodica sports machine 75 iafter my husband made me go in because I couldn’t walk without tears after day 2. I don’t know a thing about the bad boots, but they almost ruined my ski trip and I’d like to avoid that at all costs going forward. I also feel like I don’t know enough about picking boots to make a good choice even with the help of a bootfitter. Please share your wisdom with me.
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How to get the best fit in a rental boot?
- Thread starter Mamabear3
- Start date
Are you referring to daily rentals or are you considering a seasonal rental of boots?
What I have gathered is that the daily rental boots have not worked well for you, so you want to improve that but may not know enough about boots to plunk down $500 with a bootfitter.
There are a number of options for boots. And each has its benefits and drawbacks. You can:
Do you know what size boots you rented from Vail/Breck?
What I have gathered is that the daily rental boots have not worked well for you, so you want to improve that but may not know enough about boots to plunk down $500 with a bootfitter.
There are a number of options for boots. And each has its benefits and drawbacks. You can:
- Rent boots each ski day
- Rent boots for the season (carrying them home with you, etc just like you would your own)
- Buy used boots via a ski forum or a ski swap, etc.
- Buy new boots that are a prior year's model through a bootfitter
- Buy new, current year boots through a bootfitter
Do you know what size boots you rented from Vail/Breck?
marzNC
Angel Diva
Only advice I can share is based on my niece's experience when she was in middle school or high school. She wouldn't just settle for the first pair of boots for a given size. She was renting at my small home hill for just a day or two during Christmas break so not too much choice. However, they did have more than one type of rental boot. So she would usually try 2-3 different styles before settling on the best one.
I eventually bought her lightly used boots for under $100 from someone I knew a bit. She was an adult by then. With the addition of basic heat-moldable footbeds for $40 (Lake Placid boot fitter) to support her high arches (ballet dancer), she was definitely happier than in rental boots. YMMV
I eventually bought her lightly used boots for under $100 from someone I knew a bit. She was an adult by then. With the addition of basic heat-moldable footbeds for $40 (Lake Placid boot fitter) to support her high arches (ballet dancer), she was definitely happier than in rental boots. YMMV
Thank
I’m almost an 8 in dress shoes and I have a narrow foot. The boots I wore in Breck last week were size 24. Vail was over 10 years ago, but I still remember those boots hurt! I will be lucky to ski 4 or 5 day’s a year, but I don’t want to change another bad experience.
I don't know if there's a way to get an okay-fitting daily rental boot. Rental boots are usually unisex and packed out. Which means on the whole, they will be wide. I'd probably carry around Superfeet and wear thick socks to accommodate rental boots. Footbeds are pretty much insoles. You'd pull out the stock ones in the boot and put in Superfeet (or other ones).
Where do the boots hurt your feet?
Where do the boots hurt your feet?
The boots don’t hurt until I’ve b the n skiing a whime. The big ones hurt my lower shin and the top of my shin, the I was just sore the whole trip even with new boots. They never feel tight on my actual foot. The bail boots were just too short. I have narrow feet, so if they are wide or wideish boots that makes sense. With regular she’s like crocs, I can put insoles in and they always fit better. However, I don’t usually take out the existing lining.
Brooke
Brooke
marzNC
Angel Diva
With my niece, I had the big advantage that she happens to be about my size in terms of height and weight. I was also a dancer long ago and have relatively short legs and big calves. Since I know what type of boots fit me, when I saw a pair of boots on sale on a ski forum (not this one) I thought they would do. Asked the seller to measure the height from heel to top of the cuff, which can be too tall in many brands/models. I happen to be going to where the seller lived for other reasons, so made it even less expensive without shipping.
The last time I worked with my local bootfitter, he first brought out 4-buckle boots. They were much too tall. So I went with 3-buckle instead. That was the second pair of boots I bought from that shop. I was skiing much more by then, and had taken lessons and improved my technique to another level.
What my niece got was something like the following, around $40
https://www.rei.com/product/148984/masterfit-ezfit-qf-snowsports-insoles-low-volume
What I got the first time from my bootfitter was Sidas, around $150
https://www.usoutdoor.com/soze/sidas-custom-ski-pro-mesh-insole/
The Sidas footbeds lasted about eight seasons, with an average of over 40 days per season the last five winters. Can move footbeds from one ski boot to another. They cracked a little so I invested in a new pair last season at a destination resort. But I'm actually still using them in regular shoes.
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ski boots need to fit the shape of your foot to avoid giving you pain and to allow you to control your skis. Boots are the most important piece of equipment a skier uses. They attach solidly onto the skis. They should attach solidly onto your feet too. If they fit in all three dimensions, height, width, and length, they won't hurt, AND they will transmit your orders to the skis. Your foot is your steering wheel. No loose steering wheels!
All rental boots are wide. Some people have wide feet, but you don't. You may also have low volume feet, meaning your ankle is small in diameter, and maybe also the top of your foot is low. Having a low volume, narrow-ankle, narrow foot results in rental boots being too tall over your foot, too wide at the sides of your foot, and the lower cuff is going to be loose around your ankle (this leads to shin bang, a painful bruise at the top of your shin).
Even if you get the right length boot (the only factor they pay attention to at the rental counter), your narrow feet will be swimming in there. Plus, usually the rental shop will hand you a boot two sizes too long, for mysterious reasons I won't go into here. So length is often off in rental boots too. To check for good length, set your regular shoes next to the boots. They should be approximately the same length. Really. That means the boots will be difficult to put on. That's a good sign. Loose boots hurt more than tight boots, because some part of your foot moves and another part bangs into the stiff shell. Ouch.
Pain is only one problem with loose boots. Loss of control of skis is another (that loose steering wheel thing).
Boots are expensive for real reasons having to do with manufacturing, so many people rent. Some of them suffer pain. Many of them suffer loss of control and think it's their skill level when it's the boots. Rental shops have to buy new boots every two years or so, and they can't be picky about the sizes. They buy to fit the majority of skiers. This is a major issue in the ski industry. There is no obvious solution.
So what's a narrow-footed new skier working with budgetary restrictions to do? It's a quandary.
One option is to find a local ski shop that rents seasonal equipment, and that sells boots. Talk to them now about renting next season. Ask them if they can rent you a boot next season that actually fits your foot. Ask them if it's possible, if any of their rental boots are narrow enough to fit your foot (and low volume too if that's what your foot needs). If they say yes, ask how early you'll need to show up next fall to get the pick of the litter.
You'll need to talk to someone at the shop who knows what they are talking about. Who knows, the bootfitter may bring out a boot from the back that fits you well and give you a big discount ($300 or so would be a good discount). OR, the bootfitter will find a rental boot that's been returned that fits you, and sell that to you real cheap ($100). Good luck!
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Daily rental boots will never fit the way they should. Now is a good time to be looking. Sales are on. So now is the time. Especially with most resorts closed. You might find a $500 boot on for $250.
Just a note, most brick and mortar stores in resort towns are closing.
Just a note, most brick and mortar stores in resort towns are closing.
mustski
Angel Diva
Try a couple of things that will give you some basic information. There is no true substitute for a custom fit boot, but this will definitely help to get a decent fit off the shelf.
1. have someone trace your barefoot while standing on a piece of paper. Now measure both the longest and the widest point of your feet. Measure in millimeters.
- the longest point (in cm) will be your boot size. It's an easy conversion. If you foot measures 255 mm then the boot size is 25.5. Note that ski boot shells are not different in half sizes. A 25 and a 25.5 are the same shells.
- the widest point is what is referred to as the "last." All manufacturers make narrow, medium, and wide last boots and that is listed in mm. For example a 97 last boot is 97 MM.
2. measure your instep. For most people the instep will measure the same as the length of the foot. This is why MM are a helpful measurement. To measure run a tape from your heel, over your foot at the ankle, to the other heel. If your instep measures larger, you will need to go with that length for the boot or you will need a lot of work done by a boot fitter. This measurement give you information regarding low, medium, high volume.
Here is a video that is pretty informative about all this and will give you a visual of how to measure:
https://patriotfootbeds.com/blogs/bootorials/48749697-measuring-your-feet-for-ski-boots
Once you know your numbers and whether you are low, medium, or high volume ... it will be a bit easier to narrow down which boots to buy. There will be some really great deals online right now.
1. have someone trace your barefoot while standing on a piece of paper. Now measure both the longest and the widest point of your feet. Measure in millimeters.
- the longest point (in cm) will be your boot size. It's an easy conversion. If you foot measures 255 mm then the boot size is 25.5. Note that ski boot shells are not different in half sizes. A 25 and a 25.5 are the same shells.
- the widest point is what is referred to as the "last." All manufacturers make narrow, medium, and wide last boots and that is listed in mm. For example a 97 last boot is 97 MM.
2. measure your instep. For most people the instep will measure the same as the length of the foot. This is why MM are a helpful measurement. To measure run a tape from your heel, over your foot at the ankle, to the other heel. If your instep measures larger, you will need to go with that length for the boot or you will need a lot of work done by a boot fitter. This measurement give you information regarding low, medium, high volume.
Here is a video that is pretty informative about all this and will give you a visual of how to measure:
https://patriotfootbeds.com/blogs/bootorials/48749697-measuring-your-feet-for-ski-boots
Once you know your numbers and whether you are low, medium, or high volume ... it will be a bit easier to narrow down which boots to buy. There will be some really great deals online right now.
One quick fix for shin bang if you're going to be stuck in rental boots: Take a silicone/foam can koozie, cut it in half, and stick one half in each of your socks before you put on your boots. It should sit from the front of your ankle to a few inches up your shin.
It's no substitute for a boot that fits correctly, but it can help prevent bruising, and has saved many ski days for me. You want to do this on the first day; don't wait until you're already hurting.
It's no substitute for a boot that fits correctly, but it can help prevent bruising, and has saved many ski days for me. You want to do this on the first day; don't wait until you're already hurting.
Soujan
Angel Diva
What I've done to save money on boots is to go to the local ski shop to find a boot I like. I'll then try to find last year's model cheaper online. Most of the time boot manufacturers will only change the colors of the boots from year to year in order to force the shops to buy the newer boots. Now is a good time to look for boots because there will be a lot of stock left from last season as companies push out their stuff for next season.
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
After taking up the time of the bootfitter in the local brick-and-mortar store, then finding a comparable boot online for less, the ethical thing to do would be to go back and tell the bootfitter what you found and at what cost. Bargain. That person spent time with you to help you find the right boot. Give them a chance to make a sale. They often will come down in price.
Then, IF you buy from the brick-and-mortar store, the bootfitter will do custom modifications to the shell for free, if you need them. Buying online does not include any custom modifications. And buying online is becoming so popular that it is putting the locals out of business.
Soujan
Angel Diva
I don't have a local bootfitter. I have the sales guy at the big box store (Sun and Ski) which has their patio table and chairs out now. I buy the boots and then bring them to a reputable bootfitter. For me, a good bootfitter is a 5 hour drive away, who I pay for his time to fit me. And the places I usually find the boots the cheapest at is at small shops that can't sell the boots in their brick and mortar store.
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Gotcha. Do what you gotta do.
Thanks for the info. I actually talked to a local bootfitter today and all of this info is very helpful. Bless y’all.
My bootfitter doesn't sell boots when he's east. If he's in Whistler he's at a store. So I go to him first and get his suggestion of what boot is best. Then I purchase it at home and take it to him.
Ah - he's either a 2 1/2 hr drive or 5 hour flying +1 1/2hr road trip.
Ah - he's either a 2 1/2 hr drive or 5 hour flying +1 1/2hr road trip.
