Ski Boot Disaster at Whistler

Is there a question here? Perhaps you bought the wrong boot- who fit you? . Go to qualified bootfitter and leave the surefoot ripoff artists out of the equation.

First question is, where did you buy your boot?
It sorta sounds like your boots are too big, eh?

If you're local to the Poconos, go see Billy Kaplan, cantman on this board.

http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.php?t=71804

Whistler = Fanatyko for proper bootfitting.

I read it all, but the above is all I need to know. Sorry to read about your experience. You bought a boot that was too big.

Dennis

Yeah, if you have to crank 'em down till your feet go numb, you're probably in boots that are too big.

Run, don't walk, away from Surefoot. I spend a number of years working with a number of their shops and bootfitters and finally threw in the towel -- it just got more and more painful and expensive.

I've had great boot recommendations, fitting and alignment done by an alignment center west of Denver.

If you don't get out that way, try out some of the recommendations from other EpicSki members or check out America's Best Bootfitters website: http://www.bootfitters.com

The right boots, properly fitted and aligned, will make a huge difference.

Good luck.

Rick

I had a lot of problems with Surefoot too- they did cheerfully, more or less, refund my money. I also had their footbeds a couple times- I had terrible ascemic foot pain, which I'm told is the term for when the entire bottom of your foot feels like it's on fire- I believe that's from smashing the sole flat ungainst a perfectly conforming rigid surface and cutting off blood circulation.
The rig I use now is a Thermoflex (Intuition) heat moldable liner with Conformable Instaprint footbeds. Both liner and footbed make a perfect fit but with enough give and flex that the blood can flow. Even when buckled loosely, the whole rig; shell, liner and footbed make a solid unit with my foot, with no gaps, hot spots or wash.
I'm a street shoe size about 9 3/4 (so I wear 10's) and my ski boot size is an 8. You got boots too big. Surefoot did that to me once too. I was never successful with foam, too hard and unforgiving.

I've had the current boot style for over ten years and ski in total comfort pretty much all day- it gets a tiny bit sore, rarely, after really long top to bottoms, but nothing a lift ride won't cure. As shells, liners, and footbeds wear out, I just rotate in new ones, but always the same boot. Took me ten pairs of boots and years of pain to find it.

Yes to that! Kevin and Kevin will work with you to fix all the problems

I will go so far as to say that the boots you bought are not the correct shape for your foot even if the size is correct. Are you also flat footed/very low or no arches?

no of course not..

putting the wrong foot in a salomon boot is a major issue with some stores though...

there are no "bad" fitting boots..just bad fitters...

what size street shoe do you wear? who told you your foot width is 104mm? what does a brannock device say your size/width is? did you feel like you were "wandering" fore and aft in the boot or side to side? did you still feel like you were wandering with the surefoot footbed? did surefoot shell check you in the boot? am i correct in understanding that you had two different surefoot foam liners done?

Dude; never buy boots at Paragon-buy them on the mountain. That's where the bootfitters are. Your boots were too big and sorry, but you'll probably have to start over. Surefoot was trying to help fix a problem that started at Paragon, and that's always a losing battle. If you return to Whistler, start from scratch at the above mentioned place- or a similar one at a serious mountain, buy the boots when you arrive and have them adjusted as you ski, You'll do fine.

Take the boots back to Paragon.

Before you give up, see Jeff Rich. It sounds like the left liner is good, and the problem with the right is the footbed. I always had that problem with those thick rubber slabs from Surefoot. It's hard to retrofit a new footbed into a foamed liner, it has to match the impression made by the original, but I've done it. Anyway, Jeff helped me out once and it's worth a go.

Problem identified. Hate to say it, but no real fix for a boot that's too large or fundamentally wrong shape. Obviously the first here, maybe the second although when a boot's too big it's hard to ID a shape issue. So:

Start from scratch. Write off the boots. But before you go anywhere, reintroduce yourself to your feet. Look at your street shoes. Do you wear wide or narrow street shoes? Do you see yourself as having narrow heels? Wide? How do your soles wear (inside or outside?) Duck walk? Meaty insteps? You get the idea.

Then go do some online research on boot reviews, including here. This will give you a very rough sense of which brands tend to fit which feet. Lange's for instance, run narrow. Your current brand tends to fit feet that are wider in front and narrower in back. You can adjust any model of any brand with shell stretches, grinds, and foam pads, but better to begin with a realistic fit.

Then, find a real bootfitter/shop vaguely close to ski country. Big city chains need not apply. Search the threads in the Boot forum for suggestions. Go there (this may mean building a visit into the first day of a ski trip, but it's worth it) and be critical, try a few brands and models within each brand rather than falling for the first one you try. This is a friend you'll want to live with, work with, not something to be recycled each season.

The one you and the bootfitter decide on will feel really snug all around, but should not make any specific part of your foot hurt or tingle after tromping around the shop for a while. You should have no/very little room beyond your toes unless you lean forward into a ski stance. The boot lining will pack out/conform/get bigger, as you discovered with your Sollies that probably felt wonderful in the store. And if it's the right size and shape, you can adjust any specific problems with pressure points or the arch post hoc.

Good luck.

They say that to cover their asses.....but if you speak to them you would be amazed what any store will do. Will send you a PM

I had the same experience in Whistler a couple years ago. I had boots that were just wrong for me, Fanatyko did a great job of making the wrong boot work OK. When I got home I went right to my local Strolz dealer and got the last pair of boots I will ever need.

Strolz_Boot_Guy
Don Svela Custom Boot Fitting
Strolz Ski Boots Northwest
34116 Church Rd.
Warren, Oregon
503-577-3240
donsvela@gmail.com

green mountain orthotics-stratton
northern ski works- Killington
check out "whiteroom" on this forum, his shop is in stowe

Will second the recommendation of Jeff Rich - he doesn't sell boots, but will tell you exactly what to buy for you're particular boot.

As to someplace near a mountain, have heard good things about The Pro up at Hunter

A big problem with bootfitting: The customer is not knowledgeable enough to give good feedback.

And hanging at the shop is always fun to see which one of the Matchstick ski porn stars happens to come in to drink all the beer in the fridge.

In whistler, get your boots done at "Snowcovers". All bets are off for anything else.