Ski boots for wide calves

[2ski2moro]

I have really muscular calves and skinny ankles. My calves are easily 18" diameter. I had Salomon boots for years, but in 2015 I switched to Lange boots. Like others have said, a little heel lift will help get the bottom of your calf muscle out of the boot. Combine that with a bit of stretching of the top of the boot, you should be good to go.

Although it is quite a drive from Boston, I recommend Hal at Northern Ski Works at Killington. If you get your boots there, you can go out and ski and come back in if your boots need a small tweak. Northern Ski Works is not on-mountain, but a short drive down the mountain road.

BTW, if you need or want a custom insole, let Hal make one for you when you get your boots. Discounts are always good.

 

[captain_hug99]

Another person with large calves! I have Atomic Livfit 80's and love them..... agreed, find a good boot fitter. Someone that will listen to you and have you try on a bunch of boots.

 

[Gratefulgal]

Hey, I just went through this myself and I am very happy with my choice for these Amazon calves of mine.. I got the Tecnica Mach 185 and am currently wearing them around the house as I type this
While I still hate buckling in, it is really the most comfortable boot I have worn thus far. Definitely worth checking out.

 

[Gratefulgal]

I'm sure there are some Massachusetts divas who can help out here, or some who may know of bootfitters nearby - @MissySki maybe? @marzNC doesn't live in MA, but is super knowledgeable about anything skiing related. Maybe some southern VT divas to? @SallyCat ?

Our fitter at Mount Snow is one of the best, and definitely worth checking out

 

[knolan12]

@Babette asked for boot fitter recommendations in the Boston area a few months ago. All I know for sure is that the ski shop at Wachusett seems quite well respected.

I found Ski Monster in downtown Boston online during the summer. But heard something at the Boston Ski Expo that makes me inclined to suggest sticking with a ski shop that's been around for a decade or more instead.

@liquidfeet ? @diymom ?

One of my coworkers highly recommended Ski Monster and I headed there last week with my boots. I thought my boots might have been too small for my calves and hoped they could help. Turns out, my boots were too big (ay yi yi).

I ended up getting a pair of Fischer boots and they handed me a beer while they baked them haha I can't say if they're the perfect boots yet as I haven't been skiing, but I really enjoyed the experience and found the staff member I worked with (George) to be really helpful and knowledgeable. Plus, you can't beat the location right outside Haymarket haha

 

[BlizzardBabe]

Wow, lots of wide-calf woomans! I have 16+ muscular calves, tiny ankles, and a narrow, low volume foot. I've always had to have custom riding boots (much more expensive than ski boots if you can believe it). I've been lucky w/Lange. The cuff can be manipulated, or I could've gone w/the lower cuff race boot and customized the footbeds and plates for a softer ride. I just traded in the XT90 for the RX110 LV and didn't have to muck around w/the cuff, luckily.

 

[GDbecks]

Lots of great info here! I'm also in the big-calf category at 17 inches. I have an extremely small ankle and narrow foot so this has been one of my challenges too! I can't say enough great things about Stan & Dan's in North Conway, NH. They are experts at boot fitting. The brands I've had the best luck with are Lange and Solomon.

 

[AngelphishCO]

@Sbono9599, did you end up finding boots? I also have 19-20” calves and it has been so frustrating to find anything. I’ve been to the “best” bootfitter in Boulder (Larry) and he couldn’t help me. He gave me a few brands to try but I was so disappointed. I expected he could help customize something, but I guess not.

I also went to Christy Sports and they ordered a few boots from another store for me to try. One could buckle but only barely. Not enough to mess with. I’m trying to get in toouch with some boot fitters in the mountains to see if they can help, but I’m so upset that it is this difficult. I know I am not the only person who wants to ski and has big calves. It should not be this difficult. I am highly motivated and have money to spend, so I’m going to keep trying until I have no other options. But I keep thinking, how many women have given up skiing or never started in the first place because they couldn’t find boots. Surely the ski Indus can do better.

 

[diymom]

I have large calves too and love the fur of my Heads. They have a 4 piece overlapping liner at the top which prevents pinching. But they also just happen to fit my foot right. They might not fit your foot.

 

[Jilly]

Atomic LivFit, Lange Short cuff come to mind for big calves. Remember the bales or the receivers can be moved to the farthest point. Might need an allen key, or some are rotate and slide.

 

[HikenSki]

Atomic LivFit, Lange Short cuff come to mind for big calves. Remember the bales or the receivers can be moved to the farthest point. Might need an allen key, or some are rotate and slide.

I have large calves as well and had to adjust my receivers as well as let out the calf adjuster (I have Salomon XPro 80s). While I could buckle the lower and top shin buckles at either position, I found it interesting how they felt different depending on where I placed the receivers. Once I found a "comfy" spot, I used a sharpie to then make a dot on the side of the metal receivers to indicate where buckle had previously been placed that didn't give me any issues. Usually if I am having an issue with a boot and the buckles aren't in those locations that I know work, I take my foot out and try again.

 

[BklynEibhlin]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this thread! Last winter I bought Atomic LiveFit boots and brought them for a week in Whistler. I went to the bootfitter for adjustments and new inserts every day for three days and finally was still in so much pain that I went to the rental center to get a different pair. Those weren't very comfortable either, especially since the damage had already been done to my calves/shins. After reading this thread, I brought them back to the store where I bought them (Long Island) and asked the bootfitter there "I heard that these buckles move?" Thank you from the bottom of my heart... my boots now feel like they were made for me and this years' trip to Whistler won't be another miserable week for me!

 

[Jilly]

I was in the local box store on Thursday night and the guy fitting a lady didn't know they moved. He was going to get her to try on a pair of men's high end boots. She would never have been able to bend them.

As for our local ski shop. It's done right there before you leave. The allen keys are at the service desk. AND IN THE BOX YOUR BOOTS CAN IN!!

 

[dawn61]

Hi all. I'm a novice skier who started learning at the tender age of 55. It's great to know I'm not alone with large calf woes. I live in Devon in England. Do any of you lovely ladies know of a boot fitter in my part of the world that they would be happy to recommend? All my skiing has been done in Kläppen (Salen) in Sweden so far. That could be another location for trying a boot fitter...

 

[Hcrawford]

Ugh! I live in Nashville TN, going to whistler in December, haven't skied in 25 years and a plus size girl, my calves are probably 22 inches. I know there won't be rental boots to fit me, but I don't really want to buy ski boots for a one time trip, where I may only ski one day. i really want to try though, I loved skiing when I was younger and thinner! there are a few outdoor places here I guess I can try for boots, any other thoughts or suggestions?

 

[liquidfeet]

Buy one of these, an "Eliminator Tongue." Can be found in any ski shop, or order online. https://www.tognar.com/the-eliminator-custom-tongue-shims/

Unpack these from the package and take them with you to the rental shop, along with a pair of scissors and some duct tape. You'll fit these into the part of the cuff, on the inside, where the cuff doesn't fit your lower leg. They will fill the space down low on your leg, just above the ankle, which is created by the way the cuff closes over your wide calf up high. If the foot part of the boot fits and the cuff is snug up against your shin bone all the way from the ankle up, then you've found a good fit for the day.

You'll have a gap down low on your lower leg when the cuff is tight up at its top. Cut these rubber shims to size while you sit there in the rental shop, and stuff them in the boot where the gap is. Your goal is to get the gap filled. You'll have to cut them because as sold, they will be too tall. Tape them to the rental boot's tongue, all the way around, so they will stay in place later when the shop employee is not watching, because they will move around as you ski if you don't. The duct tape shouldn't hurt the rental boots. Remember to remove them of course when you're done. They will be reusable in the future.

Oh, and make sure your rentals fit your foot. Your toes should touch the front wall in front of them, and you should not have air above or to the left/right of either foot. That means, essentially, that the length of the boot should be waay shorter than you think. Put your regular shoes on the table next to the boot they offer you at first to check the length. They should be about the same length (yes, really). If not, and they probably won't match, send those boots back and get a pair short enough to match the length of your street shoes. This may seem so wrong, but it's a good way to get rental boots that don't end up too long. You may find it's difficult to wedge your feet in there, but after you do, stand up and see how they feel. They will be oddly snug on the foot since street shoes don't fit this way, but a good snug fit shouldn't hurt or cut off circulation.

 

[Hcrawford]

Thank you very much! I will get these inserts and cross my fingers!!

 

[skiboots]

Hi! You can find greate advice regarding how to choose ski boots here

 

[2ski2moro]

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but that article has so much bad advice, in my opinion.

The best advice is Go To A Boot Fitter. A real boot fitter, not a sales clerk. Beginners and Advanced skiers.

Also read TSD link, Why You, yes you, need a Boot Fitting, in Gearipedia.

 

[Jilly]

That is a complete waste of bytes. Can't even say ink anymore,