Question: What's wrong with my boots?

[sweetnsnooty]

My ski boots fit great, they're comfortable, I love them...except...how did they get so damp inside? After a full day of skiing I learned why my feet were freezing, it was because my boots were damp inside - both of them. I've been drying them out for two full days and they finally feel dry inside. I can only hope that I failed to dry them completely before using them again but I'm starting to think that somehow they leak?

Background on the boots: used about a total of 10 times, I bought them about 10 years ago brand new but they've been sitting in the attic (in CA and the attic would get HOT during summer) for most of those years. So now I wonder if my boots are defective from sitting all of those years? I suppose I can dry them out completely and ski again and see what happens.

Any words of wisdom and/or suggestions? THANKS!!!

 

[Jilly]

What make of boots - Lange by any chance? Notorious for leaking. Everyone who owns Lange boots has duct tape on their boot toes!

Or another thought - my feet sweat so bad that I take the liners out every night after skiing. That way both the liner and the shell dry. Because my shells are translucent, I can see moisture on the inside of the shell. Its not a defect. It's me. So take your boots apart to dry them. Make sure both the liner and shell are dry.

 

[Kimmyt]

My boots are always damp inside after a day of skiing, and I have Nordicas. Don't know if it's due to snow coming in or sweating feet, or a combo. Unless it's forecast to be frighteningly cold out, I don't notice a problem with getting overly cold feet due to additional moisture in the liners (my socks are wool). If there is deeper snow I usually take out the liners to dry overnight because I've noticed they do get damper in that case.

Place them upside down on top of your house or hotel heating vent and they should be dry by morning.

K.

 

[sweetnsnooty]

What make of boots - Lange by any chance? Notorious for leaking. Everyone who owns Lange boots has duct tape on their boot toes!

Or another thought - my feet sweat so bad that I take the liners out every night after skiing. That way both the liner and the shell dry. Because my shells are translucent, I can see moisture on the inside of the shell. Its not a defect. It's me. So take your boots apart to dry them. Make sure both the liner and shell are dry.

I think they're Rossignols...if I recall correctly. Funny, how I can't be sure. I couldn't take the shell out, should I pull real hard in order to remove it? There's no way it's not removable, right?

 

[sweetnsnooty]

I think they're Rossignols...if I recall correctly.QUOTE]

DUH! My boots are Salomons. My old skiis are Rossignols.

 

[michpc]

The liners can definitely be hard to yank out...requires a little muscling. Another suggestion is to buy a boot dryer...they come up pretty cheap on Tramdock occasionally!

 

[sleddog]

If they were not buckled while being stored in the attic, they may have changed shape due to the heat, which could also explain the leaking. You would be amazed at how wet boots can get just from perspiration though.

 

[volklgirl]

Make sure all your buckles are unlatched, grab the back of the liner, and lever the liner foward and down toward the toe of the boot, HARD! This should get your liner to slide out. You may need to remove your footbed first, if you have a custom.

My Salomons never leaked (but my Langes do, like a sieve), so my guess is that it's either just sweat, or your shells warped from being in the attic. You can try reheating the shells over your floor register or over steam heat then put them all together with your foot inside and buckle them up to see if you can remold them, but probably your best bet is to duct tape the toe dam and pull the liners every day for drying.

 

[Jilly]

Some Salomon's of that vintage have a latch that holds the liner to the shell at the back. It's a slide mechanism that latches everything together. You may need to fiddle with that if its there.

Other than appartus, your liner should come out reasonable easy using VG method.

 

[volklgirl]

Good call Jilly! I forgot about that.

ps...I'm assuming these ARE NOT rear entry boots, too.

 

[Slidergirl]

Salomons also had a rep for being cold, especially the ones that were white with the blue/pink knob on top for fixing the fit - the old SX90s, I think. The screws that held the heel plate part of the sole in place conducted the cold right into the boot. Coldest boots I ever had!!! The local boot guys said the best thing was to pull out the liner and use that spray foam insulation around those screws.

As for the Lange boot leak - I do see lots of the racer kids in the lift line with duct tape over the top of the boot at the toe area, especially the girls with the blue Lange WCs. Must still be an issue with some - my Lange Exclusive 100s have no such problem.

 

[volklgirl]

As for the Lange boot leak - I do see lots of the racer kids in the lift line with duct tape over the top of the boot at the toe area, especially the girls with the blue Lange WCs. Must still be an issue with some - my Lange Exclusive 100s have no such problem.

FYI, the Exclusive series is made with MUCH softer plastic than the WC or CRL series, thus is more likely to have a decent seal.

 

[Slidergirl]

FYI, the Exclusive series is made with MUCH softer plastic than the WC or CRL series, thus is more likely to have a decent seal.

I didn't need the stiffness of the WC boot, so I went with the Exclusive 100s. After talking with my bootfitter awhile, we agreed that the Exclusives would do everything I wanted. So far, they have. I can carve, bump, swoop, whatever, with them with either my Victorys or my Auras. Now, if I was still on my old Rossi 7XRs or K2 810s, I would have picked a stiffer boot.

 

[volklgirl]

I agree the Exclusive is appropriate for the majority of skiers out there, and the only reasons I didn't go that way is 1) I'm a heavyweight, and 2) I race.

I was merely pointing out why your Exclusives likely won't leak.

 

[Slidergirl]

No probs, VG. I'm not exactly a lightweight, or even a middleweight myself, so I do know the problems with most women's boots and the flexing issue. I used to have a pair of those stiff-as-a-board Langes. That was back when I was young and could crank those stiff boots with the stiff boards pretty well. And, yes, they sure did leak!!!

 

[cinnabon]

I have a set of the plug in boot dryers - the plastic things that get warm & they work great. I think this is a much better idea than yanking the liners out - what a PITA that it is!

[ame="https://www.amazon.com/DryGuy-Circulator-Footwear-Dryer-Warmer/dp/B0000TSILY/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1233808326&sr=8-2"]Amazon.com: DryGuy Circulator Footwear Dryer Warmer: Sports & Outdoors[/ame]

The ones that circulate air thru may be better, but these are very portable and easy...

 

[Kayakgirl]

If you think it is your feet sweating, hit them with a spray on antiperspirant powder deodorant just before you put your socks on. Does the trick for a lot of folks. And causes the sweat. Whatever the cause, the powder spray on antiperspirant can be a big help.