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Where to buy my boots and get fitted?

#1
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11/3/09 at 5:43am
  • Joined: October 2008
  • Post Count: 10
I live in Atlanta, work in Knoxville, and will be traveling to Aspen at the begining of January for 5 nights. 

Are there any places worthwhile to buy the boots and get fitted in Atlanta or Knoxville?  What about purchasing boots online and taking them in to get fitted?  I am sure Aspen will probably get me the best fit, but is this worth the likely higher cost and time to do this on my trip?
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#2
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11/3/09 at 6:10am
  • Joined: November 2005
  • Location: Truckee, CA
  • Post Count: 332
you are putting this question out to a group of guys that earn a living making peoples feet happy and helping to give their customers a better skiing experience.

ok, now that i have given you the disclaimer, go to aspen and buy your boots there and have them properly fit. leave enough time in your schedule to have the work done first. as well as a little time each afternoon for fit tweaks.

there are a number of good fitters in aspen, some are here on this forum. make an appointment in advance.

you are going to aspen, that costs a lot of money. why would you put that expense in jeopardy? buying your boots online with no fitting help or locally from inexperienced shop help is like tripping over a dollar to pick up a dime. spending the time and the money with a good boot fitter will end up being a better investment long term than buying boots online or purchasing in your local market.

benefits of buying at aspen:

better selection of product ( good chance in your market of chain store only choices )
experienced boot fitters with knowledge and tools to do it correctly.
ski right down to the shop if work is needed.

jim
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#3
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11/3/09 at 7:52am
  • Joined: February 2006
  • Location: Bicester UK
  • Post Count: 1,190
can't really add much to that other than have a great trip

ski boot fitting in the UK www.solutions4feet.com

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#4
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11/3/09 at 5:28pm
  • Joined: July 2008
  • Location: Lexington, South Carolina
  • Post Count: 210
hey wait fellas---I'm not to far from Hotlanta.  not a big box---great selection of boots---experience to boot.

Miketsc
Cped/Bootfitter

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#5
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11/3/09 at 6:48pm
  • Joined: January 2004
  • Location: Chicago
  • Post Count: 576
Not to take anything away from you guys out west, but please don't spread the myth that the only "good" fitters are out west. Yes there are more true boot fitters out there, but guys like myself and Mike are not in the heart of ski country and do a fine job.

http://twitter.com/snowcrestski  
http://www.facebook.com/home.php
www.snowcrestskicenter.com

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#6
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11/3/09 at 8:02pm
  • Joined: November 2005
  • Location: Truckee, CA
  • Post Count: 332
jawilson20 & miketc, no offense intended.

it is a little confusing to us westerners as to where everything is laid out below the mason-dixon line.

"and that's what i like about the south."

JFWIW the op said knoxville or atlanta, and my response was based on not knowing anyone in the boot fit world in either location. as well as not knowing the geography, not a direct assault to lexington or chicagoland.

jim
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#7
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11/3/09 at 8:32pm
  • Joined: October 2005
  • Location: Tahoe
  • Post Count: 3,105
IMHO....the midwest guys have given you a verrrry wise option.

Fly or drive to the nearest (or best) one in your region and get your boots set up, then fly home. Then go on vacation to Aspen and have fun. If by some chance you have an issue with your fit while in Aspen, you can always go to one of the quality guys there, 'splain the situation, exactly what was done and why....and hope that he can finish off on someone else's' work.

Or....just fly back to the Midwest for a day.

Or....get the work started and finished where you will be skiing while you are there, by the same fitter.

Seems easy to me............

SJ
www.starthaus.com   (Check out SH ski deals #2 in the special deals forum)
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#8
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11/4/09 at 3:51pm
  • Joined: January 2004
  • Location: Chicago
  • Post Count: 576


Quote:
Originally Posted by starthaus View Post."

JFWIW the op said knoxville or atlanta, and my response was based on not knowing anyone in the boot fit world in either location. as well as not knowing the geography, not a direct assault to lexington or chicagoland.

jim
No worries Jim, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about this subject. Many of my customers make the  that just because the assumption that just because they get fit out west, the person fitting their boots knew what they were doing. I readily admit there are more good fitter out west and back east than in the Chicago area. It is not the norm to walk into a ski shop in Chicago and talk to a person who is a LIII or has spent their entire lives in this industry. OP, there are great fitters out west, you won't go wrong with them.

http://twitter.com/snowcrestski  
http://www.facebook.com/home.php
www.snowcrestskicenter.com

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#9
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11/4/09 at 8:53pm
  • Joined: October 2001
  • Location: Calgary
  • Post Count: 1,294
So just to reiterate now that you've learned of so many options that are all good.  There is only one option floating that is bad.  And that is the absolute high risk of completely botching the job by purchasing online to save probably less than 5% of the total cost of your holiday.


Take Jim's advice and pick someone local or in Aspen, but don't pick the internet.

Louis Rosenfeld, MSc.
Lou's Skiing Performance Centre

Better Skiing Through Balance, Fit and Research
www.lous.ca

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#10
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11/5/09 at 10:01am
  • Joined: February 2006
  • Location: Bicester UK
  • Post Count: 1,190
can we have a big map with pins in it for those of us who don't know  the geography of the countrys

ski boot fitting in the UK www.solutions4feet.com

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