How to return the liner into a boot?

This is probably the dumbest question asked here, but I've never taken the liner out of my boots (only had it done in the store), and I'm wondering what's the correct technique for returning the liner into the boot without harming it after it's already out ?

Since the liner generally has the shape of the boot, I'm not clear how I would put it in correctly without either ruining it or putting it in the wrong shape. . Getting it out seems much simpler since it can change its shape when it's coming out.

Kneel on your living room floor (OK, any location really) place the shell in front of you with the toe pointing at you... have the shell unbuckled. Start to 'feed' the toe of the right liner into the right shell, as it starts to slide in place your hand into it with your palm facing up finger tips touching the front of the toe box. Drive your hand down and in to the boot, reaching toward the front (toe area) of the shell. The liner will slide right in. buckle up the shell. Done.

Excellent question and, by coincidence, I've just done that with my boots since reading your post (I'm about to go off skiing -- yippee!)

Whiteroom is a pro, but his technique won't work for me (I've just tried it) because I can't get my hand into the liner AND get the liner into the boot. What I do is put the boot on a hard surface, stuff the liner as far as it will go. When it has got that far I take finger and thumb (or, if it is really stiff) both thumbs and crease the liner around the achilles (both sides just above the heel) and press down. Once it goes "round the corner" it uncreases fine.

I'm not a bootfitter but I was shown to do it that way by one. It bends the liners, sure, but they seem to be able to take it.

(You didn't ask, but here, by the way, is how I take liners out of boots. Grip the top rear of the liner firmly with one hand and hold the top of the rear of the boot in the other. Now pull the liner forward towards the tongue of the boot. Once you've done that, start to pull the liner up and round. It should come easily.)

I take the liners out of my boots every night and the footbeds out of the liners. I think that dry boots are absolutely essential to warm feet and warm feet are essential to enjoying your skiing.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something. The liner is L shaped, and it's bottom is fairly solid. This is like trying to fit a big L into a slightly bigger L. Which way do I push it? If I shove the toe area straight down, I have no space to turn it 90 degrees...

Well, it's easier to show than to describe, but the thing is the inner, although L-shaped, is NOT rigid, so, as you push down on the heel, the sole crumples/flexes so that it goes round the corner. Believe me, it works!

Try touching the inside toe area of just the shell of your boot with your hand. How did you do it? If you have your palm facing up and reach into the boot while the toe faces you, then you can use your wrist to 'go around' the L shape of the boot, right? Now try it with your hand in the liner, maybe use the other hand to push down and in at the back of the heel.

The goal is to not just stuff the liner toe straight down into the heel of the boot, use your hand to guide it (and to flex/ bend the liner) through the instep area and into the front of the shell.

hard to explain, relatively easy to do.

Brute force also works, you're not going to break anything.

... a warm shell is MUCH easier to work with.

Good explanation Whiteroom, now if I print it and give it to my wife she can dry her own darn boots next time!!

Its easy, just shove it in, you wont damage anything.

And the definition of warm shell is one that has been in a hotel room for a few hours... not out of an oven like me friend learned a few years back. Only a professional should bake shells when making adjustments, and most of them use heat guns and not ovens.

put the right into the right and the left into..........well......... you'll figure it out.

 hi, no problem. Put the liner on your foot, and put your foot with liner into the boot shell. With racing boots this is sometimes the only way to get your boot on.