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Boot Height Question

post #1 of 12
7/26/12 at 10:04am
Thread Starter 

Hey everyone so here is the background.  I'd been skiing on Salomon TenEighty/Pro Model boots for the last 10 years, until Salomon quit making them, and changed the fit slightly on everything else.  Last year I bought a set of Head Raptor LTD RS Boots (115 flex), which ended up being slightly too short.  I had a 29.0 in both, but the Head fits shorter.  It's perfect everywhere except the toe.  The shell has room to spare, and I believe the 29.5 is the same shell with a longer liner.  I have an opportunity to buy these cheap off ebay right now, but there was always one other thing concerning me about these, since I am 6'5" tall....

 

700

 

 

See how much taller the Salomon boots are compared to the Head?  Is this something I should be concerned about at my height?  I'm thinking along the lines of legs breaking etc.  Also that Head I have, in a 115 flex, feels about as Mushy as that Salomon in an 85.  The other Head I'm considering, is 110/120/130.

 

There is also a Rossignol Bandit B-Squad in a 29.5 on ebay as well.  Should I gamble and try a different company all together?  My Salomons could probably make it another season, but the soles are starting to wear out and they smell bad.  I am looking for something stiffer.  I had the older Salomon Pro Model in a 95 flex and liked it.

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post #2 of 12
7/26/12 at 10:59am

First things first: have you done a shell check as per 

"Boot Fitting Which Boot Will Work For Me"

at the head of "Ask the boot guy's" section?

 

Secondly:   A 29.0 and a 29.5 boot and liners are the same exact size, the only difference is the thickness of the factory insole installed in each one---the 29.0 will have a thicker insole,which will make you will think it is smaller.

 

and:   A taller boot will reach further up your calf, if you have a large calf muscle the taller boot will push your knees further forward---may or may not be a good thing as this will affect your center of mass.

 

Boots and there set up are too important to be left to buying on the Internet---Most boot fitters will fit and set up a boot for free if you purchase from them, this might be a good thing?

 

One other thought: Mushy is related to the temperature at which the plastic is being mushed.

 

mike

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post #3 of 12
7/26/12 at 11:19am
Thread Starter 

No I haven't done that test yet.

 

I was professionally fitted on the original Salomon TenEighty when it came out in like 2000, size 29.0. (I wear a size 13 shoe btw)  When they wore out, I upgraded to the Spaceframe TenEighty Pro Model, maybe in 2004?  When those wore out, I found a used set of TenEighty's again in a 29.0, because I already knew they fit.  I decided I liked the flex of the Pro Models 95 over the TenEighty 85, so 2 years ago, I bought again a used set of newer Salomon Gun boots in a 29.0, hoping they would fit like the others.  They didn't, and trying Salomons on in stores, I haven't found a recent one I like.  So last year I gambled and bought the Head in a 29.0.  I fits great, except for the length is not the same as a Salomon 29.0.  But the shell is transparent, and I can see there is extra room to work with in the toe area in front of the liner.  A good cm or more.  So this is why I was thinking the Head in a 29.5 could be money.

 

I don't have thick calve muscles.  My concern is the length of my leg because I am 6'5".  Just wondering if there is a danger to my shin having a short boot like that.

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post #4 of 12
7/26/12 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 

...and we only have 1 ski shop in town, which presents two problems, one is selection, they only stock so many in my size.  If none of them fit, none of them fit.  The other problem is paying retail.

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post #5 of 12
7/26/12 at 12:32pm

FujativeOCR,

 

 

     Quote:.."and we only have 1 ski shop in town, which presents two problems, one is selection, they only stock so many in my size.  If none of them fit, none of them fit.  The other problem is paying retail."

 

     Many of us who fit boots have had folks travel in from 1000s of miles away---it must be worth it.  I am on the east coast of the US and have had 2 customers come in from Japan, (I know, that 'sounds" crazy).  You will find there are boot sellers and then there are "Boot Fitters" who happen to sell also.  

 

     If you are willing to spend $70/85.00(lift tickets---retail price) a day to ski, it might be worth putting a little hard earned cash into some boots that really fit and work.  Do the shell check and get back to us.

 

Finally: Paying retail makes the world go aroundcool.gif, Ouch! sorry if that hurtsredface.gif

 

mike

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post #6 of 12
7/26/12 at 1:36pm
Thread Starter 

I've been fitted before.  Did you miss that?  I did the shell check.  The Head shell is perfect.  So is the Salomon.  The Head Shell is also shorter than the Salomon.  The original point of this thread.  You can see it in the picture.

 

Unfortunately, I can't afford the retail price of boots anymore.  My economics don't allow it.  And I've had enough well fitting boots to know what they are supposed to feel like.  I buy boots off ebay or other sites when they drop down around the $200 range.  If they don't work, I can generally sell them for close to what I paid for them and try something else.  The Guns I expected to be like the TenEighty/Pro Model, but the liner was significantly different.  The Head is so very close and perfect, except short vertically, which may or may not affect anything, and the length of the liner is about 1/2 cm too short too.  My longer right foot gets the toes bunched up and get sore after about half a day.  The left ones are fine.

 

Also what is the point of a "Ask the Bootfitters" section, if they are just going to tell you to go get fitted? 

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post #7 of 12
7/26/12 at 3:06pm

To your original question regarding boot height.  You may find matching your height and subsequent lower leg length to boot cuff height is not a bad idea.  I don't know that there is any increased risk to breaking your leg with a shorter cuff.  What you will find is a taller cuff will tend to be more responsive to leg input and less to lateral foot/ankle movements while a shorter cuff will ski more out of the ankles and feet than the lower leg.  It depends upon personal preference which way you want to go.

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post #8 of 12
7/26/12 at 4:42pm
Thread Starter 

^That makes sense.

 

As for the Heads I got...I took them into the shop again today, and we discovered something new about them...it appears Head goofed on the stitching on the toe box on the right liner, the one that hurts.  There is clearly less stretchy material at the front compared to the left one,and the rubbery sole part seems to bend up a bit early, so it's pinching the toes up there.  Taking the footbed out, it appears to, to be bent up at the toe, and shows pinch marks on the underside, as though it is longer than the liner it resides in.  I'm going to try cutting about 1/4" off the end of the footbed and see if that frees up some room in the toe. 

 

I'll report back later.

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post #9 of 12
8/4/12 at 7:42pm

It is usually possible to stretch liners in length and easily by 1/2 to 1 full size.  I don't know anything about the quality of the professional fit you got but the Head Raptor series and Salomon Ten Eighty series aren't shaped even remotely the same so something doesn't smell so sweet to me.

 

Finally there are many things we can and do help with and the bootfitters here are well known and widely respected.  Despite our varied skills and years of work we can't assess fit without seeing your feet.

 

Lou

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post #10 of 12
8/5/12 at 12:51pm

i am with lou on this

 

if you can't see the point of the ask the boot fitters section then do not bother to post here, simply seek the opinions of the masses and you may get an answer that you want to hear

 

the head boots are nothing like the same shape or volume as the salmons, without seeing your feet there is not a lot anyone can see as to if they fit or not.

 

the basic reason for this section of the forum is to help with specific questions, problems and ideas "which boot will work for me " type questions are normally met with a bit of of a cynical eye as it is impossible to answer accurately 

 

as for the unwillingness to pay retail, well that is something you need to sort out yourself, either get a certification which gets you a deal or buy a ski shop, plenty for sale if you want one..why, because there is not a lot of money to be made in the ski industry cuz no one wants to pay retail!!!.... at the end of the day do you pay retail at walmart on your grocery shop???? what makes it so different

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post #11 of 12
8/5/12 at 3:31pm
Thread Starter 

Guess nobody read my posts.  The Heads fit well, and all three Salomons before it fit well.  The 4th one didn't.  I wouldn't even be complaining about the Heads if they had built the liner properly, but it turns out there is a manufacturing flaw in the toe of the liner.  Guess you all skipped over that part.

 

Oh and I had to get all my Salomons punched out on the inner ankle, both sides, next to the hinge.  Where your ankle bone sticks out.  Don't seem to need to do that out of the Heads.  So there you have it, not exactly the same out of the box, they both work.  Both 98mm btw, and 334/333 sole length.

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post #12 of 12
8/6/12 at 9:01pm

glad we got that sorted. congratulations

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