Ski Boot Fit Misconceptions Explained

Expert Boot Fitter, George talks about Ski Boot Construction and some misconceptions about Ski Boot Width.
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[@milanbogdanovic6120]

What a great channel. You are distilling the information into a completely understandable package. Great job brother!

[@Jayman5281]

To bad it’s the wrong information 🤦‍♂️

[@michaelzeng77]

Love ur channel bro, i bought a cheap pair of beginners ski boots a while ago. Now that I’m learning and transitioning to an advanced level, I think its time to invest in a proper stiffer boot. And your channel has been amazing at helping me prepare my first visit to a boot fitter!

[@TheSkiMonster]

That’s great to hear! Tell your friends

[@msapiro19]

This guy is great, but you can also go to your locally owned shop, and they can help you too!

[@tedlaurvik3765]

I found that my Rossi boots are squeezing my foot too much, causing two sore points where the little toes connect to the rest of the foot. The podiatrist I saw, said get new boots that are fitted better the first time.

[@jdhartshorn3]

So I just found a really good deal and bought a pair of 2021 26.5 Hawx Prime 120s, which is 100mm width right, and my feet are 95.25mm wide. I’m planning on putting insoles in the boot because I have a high arch. You think that’s fine if they’re maybe a little oversized width wise? What is that going to mean?

[@TheSkiMonster]

@@jdhartshorn3 sounds like you need a lower volume boot than the prime. Your feet are going to have to work harder to keep you balanced. Everything will feel more nervous when skiing faster or on more technical terrain when you need to turn more quickly

[@jdhartshorn3]

@@TheSkiMonster Thanks for the reply, makes sense. So that’s just because they’ll be shifting around a little more in the bottom of the boot. Just thinking through it in my head it makes sense that if you tighten it good on the bottom straps it’ll be fine height wise but could still shift side to side within the boot?

[@TheSkiMonster]

@@jdhartshorn3 in the atomic family take a look at the Ultra, still good instep height for an LV boot.

[@brianweaver1647]

Great information.

[@Jayman5281]

Not really. He doesn’t understand that the last, or width in the forefoot, doesn’t change just because a boot has a softer density plastic then another. What he is referring to happens with the liner, not the shell.

[@gunnarfjelstul9837]

doesn't the overall fit of the boot change with the last? For example an MV boot will feel roomier all around than an LV boot not just the forefoot area.

[@TAH1712]

In addition to everything said in the video, some manufacturers ( Tecnica for instance ) have Mid, High and Low lasts. So whereas the video discussed length and width of the foot, the height, the remaining vector that would define volume is taken into account. I assume most ski boots are around the mid volume average but some skiers need either a low or a high volume boot.

[@TheSkiMonster]

Yes at about :47 seconds I mention that the boots scales proportionately as shell size changes. regardless of volume, the last is scaled.

[@TheSkiMonster]

@@TAH1712 all manufactures have lv, mv, hv, they may not make it into the model name like Tecnica does. But the reason I used the atomic boots for this, is the actual last measurement of the size is imprinted on the sole of the shell.

[@Jayman5281]

Yep!

[@Jayman5281]

I can assure everyone, one thing. The plastic doesn’t move to make more room in the last. Grinding, and stretching with heat and a press, is how to create more width in 98% of all ski boots. Go see a real bootfitter out west! Like Colorado or California

[@TheSkiMonster]

So you think a material with more give isn’t going to feel different than a material with less give This video wasn’t about custom boot work, it was about how materials and temp affect fit in identical lasts. The plastic does move and softer or warmer plastic moves more easily, hence why we use a heat gun when stretching boots.

[@Jayman5281]

@@TheSkiMonster if you are standing statically, the space of a same lasted boot will not change. The difference in plastic density isn’t enough to create the kind of change you are talking about. Not to mention most boot companies make that part of the boot the thickest to avoid deflection while under flex forces. If anything, the difference in feel that you are addressing, comes from the foam of the liners. I know some pretty bad ass guys in Italy that make the things. Maybe try asking them.

[@TheSkiMonster]

@@Jayman5281 Ever notice how softer flex boots are easier to put on than stiffer boots, warmer boots also easier than colder boots? Same is true for the pressure on the side of your feet. If you take the boots mentioned in video and put the prime 115 liner in the prime 95 it feels roomier in the prime 95 with 115 liner than with the prime 115 liner in prime 115 shell -- only variable that changed in that scenario is the plastic injected. If you can't feel that, that doesn't mean others can't, that just means your feet are less sensitive. This video and all others boot videos I do were validated by some of your favorite boot brands global product managers, we've become friends over the years and have enjoyed going to their facilities in Austria and Italy.

[@Jayman5281]

@@TheSkiMonster keep feeding that line of BS to someone else. Good luck

[@mmcollins3]

I'm a boot fitters nightmare. Very wide forefoot, high arch and high instep, comparatively narrow heel and large and low muscular calf. Am a PSIA L3 Certified Skier and hard on gear as I both teach and patrol. Custom cork foot beds are the only thing that has worked for me as I really need the post support in the arc. Just got a pair of Tecnica MACH1 HV's and will have them fit next fall. Currently in the middle of cutting a significant amount of weight and bulk and am noticing it in current boots. Always an adventure when setting up new gear.

[@Jayman5281]

Your bone mass won’t change. Your boot fitter will have to do all the same work. Keep those cork orthotics and use in the new boots🤙

[@adamhansen8805]

Obviously I haven't see your foot so my opinion isn't super valuable, but I have a very similar situation where I have a super wide forefoot and an extremely narrow heel. I've found finding the right boot is super hard, but I recently bough a pair of the Sammy Carlson k2 divergence boots and they are perfect for someone with a narrow heel low calf volume and a wide forefoot. I would really recommend anyone who has a similar situation try them out!