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!
@Mamabear3 you ask what modifications a bootfitter can make.
1. For people in the know, boots should be fit to the smallest of one's feet. That means the larger foot is too cramped. The bootfitter can enlarge the plastic shell of that boot in specific spots (plastic is able to be ground out, or heated and moved outward) to match the larger foot's anatomy. For instance, my boots were too tight left-right across the toes. My bootfitter enlarged the toe box upward and left-rightward. No charge, since I bought the boots from him.
2. Some feet have odd shapes. The sometimes have a "sixth toe" (not really) that sticks out on the outside of the foot. A bootfitter can extend the plastic outward to make room for the sixth toe.
3. Bunions. Same fix. Punch or grind.
4. The plastic shell has ankle pockets molded into it. What if those ankle pockets are too high, or too low, or too far forward or back, for your foot? The bootfitter can move the foot upward if the pockets are too high by messing with the loose bootboard in the bottom. Or if the other issues are present, the plastic can be ground or punched to match the ankle bones.
5. Buckles can be moved out or in with the appropriate tools.
6. If the top of the clog (the part that encloses your foot, as opposed to the cuff) is too high, the bootfitter can raise the bootboard to lift the foot up.
7. If the boot has too much forward lean for the range of forward bending motion in your ankle, the bootfitter can make some adjustments inside the boot to help with that. Sometimes more work is needed on the outside, which will no longer be free as it involves a lot more labor.
None of these should cost money if you buy from a store with a real bootfitter, who has tools onsite to make the modifications. There are lots of things you can pay for to help your boots give you more contact with your feet, thus increasing your control over your skis. It can get quite expensive if you go full throttle for performance. Ask me how I know.
Ok, so I’m starting to feel more confident I can work with a fitter to make this work. It also sounds like the sober I get out to a store the better. Dang Corona. Keys is making this interesting. Thanks again.
How expensive can boots get and how on earth did you find out?@Mamabear3 you ask what modifications a bootfitter can make.
1. For people in the know, boots should be fit to the smallest of one's feet. That means the larger foot is too cramped. The bootfitter can enlarge the plastic shell of that boot in specific spots (plastic is able to be ground out, or heated and moved outward) to match the larger foot's anatomy. For instance, my boots were too tight left-right across the toes. My bootfitter enlarged the toe box upward and left-rightward. No charge, since I bought the boots from him.
2. Some feet have odd shapes. The sometimes have a "sixth toe" (not really) that sticks out on the outside of the foot. A bootfitter can extend the plastic outward to make room for the sixth toe.
3. Bunions. Same fix. Punch or grind.
4. The plastic shell has ankle pockets molded into it. What if those ankle pockets are too high, or too low, or too far forward or back, for your foot? The bootfitter can move the foot upward if the pockets are too high by messing with the loose bootboard in the bottom. Or if the other issues are present, the plastic can be ground or punched to match the ankle bones.
5. Buckles can be moved out or in with the appropriate tools.
6. If the top of the clog (the part that encloses your foot, as opposed to the cuff) is too high, the bootfitter can raise the bootboard to lift the foot up.
7. If the boot has too much forward lean for the range of forward bending motion in your ankle, the bootfitter can make some adjustments inside the boot to help with that. Sometimes more work is needed on the outside, which will no longer be free as it involves a lot more labor.
None of these should cost money if you buy from a store with a real bootfitter, who has tools onsite to make the modifications. There are lots of things you can pay for to help your boots give you more contact with your feet, thus increasing your control over your skis. It can get quite expensive if you go full throttle for performance. Ask me how I know.
How expensive can boots get and how on earth did you find out?
After six pairs of boots, all of which did not fit my feet, I finally found a wonderful bootfitter who was willing to work with my feet and get me a boot that fit. I did get a discount, but the boot was very expensive, and I spared no expense to get anything extra that could help me FINALLY get a performance fit. Got it!
I spent more $$ on all those ill-fitting boots than I did on this pair. It was not me being clueless - it was bootfitters putting me in the wrong boots. I'm an "old lady" and they profiled me. I had no way of knowing that was happening, due to inexperience with boots that fit.
I never added it up. But it was four figures once all was included.
I'll post more info later. Your foot sounds like my foot.....Also, what should I say to avoid getting a performance fit. Remember, my standards are low...keep all my toenails, a kid shin bang, and no tears when I walk back to the lodge at the end of the day. Walking always hurts me more than skiing, the challenge is I don’t usually hurt until the end of the first day and by that time it’s too late. My shins were already bruised on day one this trip, ....
I’ve measured my feet and feel confident I need a skinny fit because I wear narrow shoes and the width of my foot is 90mm. The most comfortable boot I wore last trip was 24.5 and it matches my shoe size and measurement. There are two bootfitters in Dallas the one at sun and ski suggested I buy either the Solomon s/max 70 or Rossingol Womens Pure Elite 70 online to lock in the price and bring them in to check fit once it is safe to do so and at that point I could exchange for something else if necessary. He said the Rossingol was more forgiving and the Salomon s/max 70 was a tighter fit but more customizable. Both good boots and currently on sale in my size. They are also the top recommended boots for narrow feet. What do y’all think about this option and which boot would you try first?
@Mamabear3, you might consider buying a boot with a stiffer flex. 70 is very very soft. It's made for beginners, and is expected to be replaced as beginners move up the skill ladder towards intermediatehood. The stiffness is to give you support in the fore-aft plane, and to help you put pressure on the front of the ski where it needs to be. A 70 flex will give way on you once you start speeding up on blue groomers.
Unless you weigh 100 lbs. Are you that light?
good advice, I tried shin pads on day 3 and they didn’t help at all. A Ye if I tried it sooner.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.