Boot Fit Tips

Kudos to an amazing write up. Nicely done and very objective writing about something that is so personal and different to each person. An awesome guide especially for noobs like myself....thank you!

i didnt know that they had "boot fitters". I do know that any sort of discomfort will be multiplied on the mountain, in the cold, after several hours of boarding. It's all about comfort regardless of price. Even if the cheapest boot fits me the best (though I doubt it) it's probably the one I'd get.

Thanks for this post considering the fact that I'm a new rider. This will help out a lot in the purchase of my first pair of boots!

I'm glad this thread finally got the Sticky it deserves.

This forum helped. Ive read reviews of the boots that i had bought which were nike zoom force 1's. I never had the chance to try them on in person so it was a riskbuying it. When they came my toes touched the end and i thought to my self wow wrong size. but they were heat moldeable so after that they fit perfect! I love this thread!

Maybe someone could touch on heel lift a bit? It seems every boot i try on my heel slips up, even when there is a correct size. Is this normal?

ianbejamin,

Some brands handle heel lift better than others, but then as we all have different sized feet and ankles it's all about finding the best fit.

Ideally you want no heel lift, but a little is ok. In my case the Nitro Reverb TLS boots worked great with my heel, and I have zero lift. The liner is shaped in a way that it really grabs hold.

If you haven't already, try some Nitro boots.

Originally posted by ianbejamin Maybe someone could touch on heel lift a bit? It seems every boot i try on my heel slips up, even when there is a correct size. Is this normal?   Originally posted by bataleon155 a little heel lift is normal. because not all ankles are the same. if you worry, you can always throw in some j-bars in there.   Originally posted by CLoSeR Some brands handle heel lift better than others, but then as we all have different sized feet and ankles it's all about finding the best fit. Ideally you want no heel lift, but a little is ok.   Originally posted by kimchijajonshim It's not ideal. I aim for as little heel lift as I can get. You probably have skinny ankles. The thing that helped me with heel lift was not only filling in the space around the ankles with j-bars / wraps of some kind, but also filling in the space in front of my shins. The less you can displace your legs in that place, the more efficient your energy transfer, and the less you put your heels in a position to slip in the first place.

Originally posted by kimchijajonshim Originally posted by boardoholic I'm glad this thread finally got the Sticky it deserves.   While this next bit is more of an update for Kimchi, it may be useful for others wondering how helpful boot work can be... The smashing & bruising of the tips of my middle toes seems to have been remedied by the adjustments the custom boot fitters out at Helm of Sun Valley in San Mateo did way back in Sept (http://www.helmsports.com/boot_fitting). I had ZERO issues w/ my toes during the first 2 days of the season I FINALLY got in a week or so ago.   The other trouble spots may need a bit more tweaking as I still felt some minor discomfort on the mounds. Plus, I felt VERY VERY slight pressure on the top of my foot. I'm riding again this wknd and hope to pinpoint any & all remainings problems before my next visit for more boot work. Glad to hear. I'm still on first couple days with my Imperials, so I may need to make a visit down to them.

Toe pain and boots...

I've been riding my Vans for about 3 years, I do about 30-40 days a season. I like the boot, they broke in well. EXCEPT...
I seem to be developing a pinched nerve in my front (left) foot, Morton's Neuroma. Its especially nasty while on a long flat traverse where you're holding toe edge for extended time. I can make it go away by releasing the toe strap, and toe boa, and can clear it up while on the lift.

Morton's Neuroma is something that can get worse if left unchecked. mine seems to be increasing in frequency. I'm going to see a boot fitter and see if the toe box on my vans can be widened or material cut out of my inner liner near the toes.

hopefully I wont have to buy new boots but I wouldn't be surprised if that's the direction this takes...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mortons-neuroma/DS00468

very informative thread, good info here

you should also try to buy the boots in the afternoon or evening, cause your feet are more swollen than in the morning, because you usually haven't walked that much by then.

I stuck a sock into my heel area and it seems to fix the heel lift by eliminating the extra space.  Is this a good idea, or should I still by the more official products?

Originally posted by jdawg224 I stuck a sock into my heel area and it seems to fix the heel lift by eliminating the extra space.  Is this a good idea, or should I still by the more official products?

Does anyone know of a good boot fitter in the Northeast preferrably closer to New York?

I actually had custom insoles done while I was in Steamboat in December but I'm not sure if it was done correctly. From what I understand, my feet are pretty atypical and have yet to find the right boots for me

Oh so they do snowboard boots as well? I noticed Surefoot at Whistler a few weeks ago but it looked like it was mostly a ski shop. I wanted to talk to someone with more snowboard boot experience

I use superfeet which they do offer a winter sport model line although I haven't seen any store carry those in stock.

This is a great boot fitting summary. I have some friends looking to buy gear for the first time. They will definitely benefit from your work. Great job. Thanks.

Originally posted by helmet143 There are some boot fit tips- 1-Your boots should be snug! 2-Don't strangle your feet with too many socks! 3-Growth room is not a good option. 4-Your toes should be free to move, your midfoot should be comfortably supported, and the heel and ankle area should be securely supported with a very precise fit.

I've heard of some people getting away with more than one pair of socks. Instead of using snow-sport specific socks, they use a thin polyester liner sock (typically used in hiking) and throw a normal thin wool sock or athletic wicking sock over that. But doubling down on your typical tube socks is a bad idea.

Originally posted by steez_master17 hey im 14 and about to buy the thirtytwo 86 fast track boot im a size nine in boots and was wondering what size boot to get because people are saying to get a bigger size because i will grow out of a size nine boot fast what do i do?

Originally posted by getkong i basically had that issue when playing hockey growing up.  i generally got skates that were 1/2-1 size bigger and put a thicker insole in them to make up some of the space until i grew into them.

wow, now i know what it's called.. narrowing pad. i got slim/narrow feet and it's pretty loose in the middle. Imma try that when snow season starts!

Thanks guys for this post, definitely will look into this more when im getting my new boots for this year

wow thanks i did not know some of the stuff You Posted

Thanks

wow I got some new nike zoom force ones and this thing fits like a glove. It hugs my foot in all the right places and is super comfortable. My boot is an 8.5 and I usually wear 9 in shoes.