Fit Stick for Shell Sizing

no stick, but if i am unsure i use the shaft end of my  maglite, recreational fit wants to be less than 20mm so if i can get the head end down there the boot is too dam big, i am pretty good at judging distance with my eyes as it is something i do every day, most fitters on here will be the same, not many of us talk in fingers as they are all different

depends on the person but 5-10mm for racers if the shell shape is very good 10 -15mm for a reasonable skier 20 for a real one week a year don't like tight boots slider....but everyone is different i know racers who will not tolerate anything below 15mm and recreational skiers who like a 10mm shell fit

biggest problem we see is the liner variations from model to model, couple that with the differences in peoples biomechanics and it is a mine field  

Fit Stick: a (one foot long) piece of 1/2 inch CPVC pipe is 15mm on the outside---works great.

mike

I use a Maglite LED torch with a 20mm diameter head as my upper limit for recreational skiers who want comfort over performance, I also have a 15mm piece of dowel that I place behind the foot in the shell, I explain to the customer first that ideally I am looking for the 15mm gap for the average skier, and down to 10mm for top end skiers, my biggest challenge every day is convincing women that the 20mm is the upper limit, I heat mold every boot I sell while using toe caps, this seems to convince them that the length is correct before they part with their money.

For many years I just used to estimate the gap visually, but I find explaining the gap to the customer and using the 15mm stick and torch is helpful to the customer.

Like others have said, the liner plays a big part in the decision also.

I use a 3/4 in. wooden dowel.

Lou