Expert Boot Advice given by Jeff, Boot Fixation  

For the last year, I have been making regular contributions to this site. What I have been doing is answering ski boot questions, and my expertise comes from my 17 years of experience doing alignment, fitting and coaching. I own Boot Fixation in Breckenridge, CO, and I will be releasing a cutting edge book on ski technique sometime this summer (2004).

I think this is a great site and I have enjoyed answering people's question, but there a couple of changes I need to have happen for me to continue contributing. The problem is it is taking far too long for me to answer these questions, and I simply do not have the time. However, I think a few changes could serve everyone involved better.

Here are the ideas...

1. Formatting is extremely important- PLEASE START WITH ALL THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION. THEN AT THE END OF THE EMAIL, NUMBER EACH QUESTION YOU HAVE FOR ME AND KEEP THESE QUESTIONS TOGETHER. What has been happening is I have to sort through each email for the questions, which makes it very easy for me to miss some of the questions.

2. If you want to respond to a person's question, that is fine. There have been some good thoughts. Just keep your response short, three to four sentences maximum. If you need more room, contact the person privately, or start a new thread. It takes me too much time to sort these responses from questions, and sometimes I disagree with the responses. I do not have time to correct some of the long responses.

That is about it. I really enjoy being involved with Epic- it is definitely a great group of people. But if this format is not followed I simply will not have the time to respond to questions. I will just stop responding.

So please help me so I can help all of you. If this format is followed, I should be able to check the site at least every week, which is more often than I could last winter.

Also, sometimes it is easier to ask questions on the phone. You are welcome to call me at my shop with questions, as long as they are not too long. The number for Boot Fixation is 970-453-8546. I am even happy to call back if I am either not at the shop or just cannot talk.

Let's stay in touch,

Jeff Bergeron

EasternSkiBum

Good questions. The Flex between the Salomon and the Nordica W's are actually quite similar. Both boots have good flex patterns. The chief difference is that the Salomons are more upright than the Nordica, and considering your current ankle strain, this may be a good thing. Unfortanately, the Salomons do not have quite as much padding in the heel area, but this should not be a significant problem for you.

Another boot series to consider is Rossignol. Try either the Power 70w, Bandit Xw or the 9.1 or 9.2 Pro models.

Good Luck,
Jeff

Good questions, Gary. What would be ideal for your son would be so of the softer high end race boots. These would do an excellent job of holding his foot and leg, but could still be made to flex. The only problem is that they can be expensive and often require some flex modification. If you have a good boot fitter in your area who can modify flex you can consider the Tecnica Icon XT17 (not related to the other Icons), the Rossi Plug boot in the soft flex (B/B), or possibly next year's Atomic Race Tech. Most boys feet stop growing around age 15-16.

If this is not an option, then your list is fairly good. I would start with the Lange Comp 120 LF (LOW FIT), and if that does not work try the Lange Comp 100 MF (medium fit). The Head could be okay as long as it is in the 97mm width and not the 103mm width (the 9.5 is a 97, but the 8.5 is a 103). I think you will want to stay away from the Rossi.

The Lange Banshee 110 is also an excellent choice.

Good Luck, Jeff

Max,

The best place to look for boots in Colorado's fronge range area is actually in Boulder. It is Boulder Ski Deals, and Larry is the best person to talk to there.

My shop's name is Boot Fixation, and its phone number is 970-453-8546. I do all work by appointment, so you will want to call at least a week ahead for an appoinment. Remind me of your email if you do.

There is no reason why you cannot buy your boots at one shop and have them fitted at another.

Other thoughts- Softer boot flexes are great, but what are known as "soft boots" are terrible. I think you will like the Salomon 1080, which Boulder Ski Deals does carry.

Good Luck, Jeff

Gary,

When buying ski equipment, you want to buy for the skier you want to become, not necessarily the one you are now. Why don't you email back something that gives me some sense of what your ski goals are- how you want to ski and what kind of trails you want to ski on. Also, let me know if your feet and calves are narrow, wide or average.

As far as your question goes, in my opinion the Salomon Evolution is a big clunky boot that does not hold the foot well. Lower level skiers who are heavy can do okay with it however. Give me more info and I will be happy to respond again.

Jeff

Prosper

You do not list your weight, but the boots you listed above will probably work well for most men who weight less than 190 lbs. Still, flex is a very personal issue, so you ultimately have to decide what feels right to you.

As far as the boots go, the Langes are the narrowest in the heel and the Salomon's are the widest. The Lange does have a fairly high instep, however. You may also want to try the Lange 120 LF (low fit), which is narrower still and still easy to flex.

Two other boots you could consider are the Tecnica XT17 and the Kneissl Flexon Original (formerly Raichle). This Tecnica is a real race boot, and can require a fair amount of fitting. The Kneissl can be very hard to find, and both boots flex very well.

Jeff

Gary,

When buying ski equipment, you want to buy for the skier you want to become, not necessarily the one you are now. Why don't you email back something that gives me some sense of what your ski goals are- how you want to ski and what kind of trails you want to ski on. Also, let me know if your feet and calves are narrow, wide or average.

As far as your question goes, in my opinion the Salomon Evolution is a big clunky boot that does not hold the foot well. Lower level skiers who are heavy can do okay with it however. Give me more info and I will be happy to respond again.

Jeff</font>[/quote]See, I try to keep it short and I guess I leave out important details.

My ski goals: get to advanced/expert level, be able to ski (with some grace) anything on the mountain. I'm less interested in bumps and trees, other than surviving them, and no interest in pipes, rails, etc. No real interest now in heading OB. I ski mostly in the east, with a trip west every so often. 20-25 days/year. I guess I spend 10% ice, 10% groomed, 60% in crud/mix, 20% in powder. Currently I spend most of my time on the easier blacks, and want to progress to skiing the harder blacks.

One main reason I'm asking is that I've tried on a handful of other boots over the last few years (I don't remember specific models, but brands were Lange, Nordica, Technica, Rossi) and all of them were very uncomfortable. Usually in the arch and outside heel area. I don't know what this makes my foot...at this point, I just know the Evos feel good. If I had to guess, I'd say average calves, low arch/mild flatfooted, above average width.

While the Evo's are very comfortable, I do feel like they can slide around on my foot a bit when I hit rougher snow. One of the reasons I want someting new.

1. Same question as before. Based on what you know about the Evo's fit, can you make any recommendations that fit similarly but have better skiing qualities.

Thanks again.
Gary</font>[/quote]Gary,

What you seem to like is a blocky, loose fit. Ideally, you could fit into a boot that holds your foot better. I am wondering if there is something peculiar about your heel shape that requires extra room. If this is the case, most average boots (not wide or narrow) could be made to fit with some grinding of the shell. To know this I would have to see you in person. Any good bootfitter can do this work for you, but good luck finding the right person.

If you must go with the wider fit, the Tecnica Rival series is about as wide of a boot as you can find. You may also like the the Head FR 10.5 or 8.5 in the 103mm shell.

Lastly, since you are skiing all types of conditions, make sure the boots flex fairly easily.

Jeff

Redcarver,

In my opinion, the Lange Anthea was a truly terrible boot, so probably anything you buy will be an improvement. Both the Entryx and the Rival are decent boots for her level of skiing, although the former may not be enough boot as she progresses. Both are very wide, so they be too big for performance skiing.

I do not pay much attention to the flex indexes of lower level boots, because their poor quality plastic prohibits good flexing. I would just check and make sure she can get at least some flex from the upper cuff of the boot.

Are you asking me what the flex index of the Lange Anthea is? If so, it would have probably been given a rating of 70-90, despite the fact that it really cannot be flexed. A more accurate rating would have been 220, or stiffer than any race boot.

Jeff

dawgcatching,

Since I am not a medical person, all of the following information is solely based on my experience with skiing. 1.3 cm of leg length difference is large enough that you probably need some correction. Assuming that this measurement is correct, most medical people I consult with recommend starting at a 50% correction (approx 6mm). Over time you can increase this, but probably no higher than 80% (approx 10mm). You may also want to try correcting the height in your shoes.

I recommend the extra height is added to the boot sole, not inside the boot. For shoes, you can just add heel lift to the shoes.

Do not expect to get your hips level immediately. Also, be sure that the difference is in the legs and not coming from the hips being out of position.

Jeff

Tigerpaw,

1. The Lange boots are good for narrower feet, but they do have quite a bit of forward lean. I do not recommend any of the novice level Langes, however.

2. The CRL 80 should be fine.

3. I think you should try the Rossignol Power 70L. It is more upright than the Lange, although not quite as narrow. There is nothing else I recommend she tries.

4. I do not like the Salomon Performa or the Rossi Saphir.

Jeff

Cedric,

1. Basically, you need a boot fitter. You are looking for a tight yet comfortable fit, and it is very unlikely that you will achieve it without some modification to the boots. You could also try the Rossignol Pro 9.1 or 9.2 or the B1.

2. Heat molded liners are neither a significant help or detriment. I do not think it is likely that you need full custom liners such as foam liners.

Jeff

CD77,

1. Boot lifters will make no significant improvement to Nastar racing, but they do help USSA and FIS racing. Basically, they help your carving at higher speeds and forces. They do make it easier to cant the boots, if you know what you are doing.

2. 3mm lifts tend to not be durable, so I would go with 5's.

3. Binding ramp depends on the needs of the skier, and is a lengthy explanation.

Jeff