Can't find small enough boots in stock

[Plai]

Generally custom insoles can be moved from one boot to the next. If you bootfitter understands that this is the intention they should be able to make sure that you'll be able to do that. In this case they may have to trim down the the insole when you go to a smaller boot but I would expect that to be workable

+1 my custom insoles move to new boots when I do.

 

[MontanaMom]

So based on the suggestion that I speak with a boot fitter in person and have them suggest what to order, I called up the trusted local shop to see if they are willing to do that. He asked if I called yesterday, and said the guy who answered didn't check their sale table. They have a 22 and a 22.5 in stock.

One is a jr racer boot (the 22.5) Head Raptor 90. Looking them up on line it says they're short, I want the support of the boot being high I think. If I'm leaning forward against nothing I'm not sure I'd trust it to lean forward.

The other is a woman's Head Adapt Edge 80. (From 2016 and In the 22 which may be too small). It is only an 80 flex, I'm used.to more, but we'll see.


So I'm going to go try both Saturday unless I can't wait and decide to leave work early tomorrow to go check them out. The adapt edge has a 100mm last that adjusts to 102mm (seems like a small adjustment, but hey) so maybe it will be narrow enough for my little feet.if it isn't too small.


Anyone have experience with either boot??

 

[charlier]

Slowly, manufacturers are making small sizes for women's ski boots. For example, Atomic is now selling 22.5 for women's boots for all widths. These boots are easy to fit. As long as the heal fits like a snug glove, a good batter fitter can accommodate the the rest the foot. Similar small women's sizes for Lange, at least for their all-mountain piste boots and Tecnica for all their alpine and hybrid boots. A good ski shop should be able to order boots for you and if they do not fit, you should be able to return them. I would suggest custom insoles, or drop-in's at the minimum. Good luck for your ski boot search.

 

[otto]

The Head Adapt Edge 80 is not a true 22 shell. Ask the shop what the boot sole length is? if it is 275mm or bigger it is a 23 with a shorter 22 liner inside. If heel hold is an issue the Adapt Edge 80 is a bucket. The Raptor 90 is a 98mm last that does not have a narrower than average heel/ach.

A footbed would be a nice addition to any boot that you get. It will not change the width and or volume of your foot in the heel/achilles/ankle area. If you are able to find a real 22 shell with a narrow heel and ankle, buy it, put in a custom footbed and ski it for 5 years until the liner is packed out after 100 skier days. Then repeat the process.

I understand that you are on a budget. With your description of your feet and the description of your current set-up that does not work, you are describing a situation that calls for a more thorough search process and ultimately spend more than garage sales and craigslist. There will be multiple opinions out here all trying to help you find the boot love match. You need to find a retailer that has a selection of narrow low volume boots from 90 to 110 flex. These dealers exist, just not close to were you live. Find the dealer and make the effort to go wherever they are to get the fit and flex dialed in. The investment will give you 100 days of better control, comfort and skiing pleasure. Chasing boots on the closeout table is going to have you right back here on the forum starting the process over again. The closeout table, craigslist, garage sale can work once you know exactly what you need. Until that happens you will be throwing darts blindfolded and spun in a circle.

 

[AmyPJ]

^^^Listen to @otto. He knows what he’s talking about. Don’t just buy the only 22.5 boot that’s at the local shop.

 

[Henry]

Mom, are the boot shells in good condition? Are you still pleased with how the shells perform for you? Consider just new liners.

First--shell-fit that boot. Remove the liner and put your stocking foot into the shell. Slide forward until your toes touch the end. How much room do you have behind your heel? Get something round, sharpie pen, penlight flashlight, etc., in 1/2", 5/8", and 3/4" diameters. Use those as a gauge. If you have 1/2" to 5/8" of space behind your heel, the shells fit you. If you have 3/4", they're probably OK. More than 3/4''--their future is as flower pots. If the length is OK, check the width. Pull the foot flaps open and look for about 2 - 3 mm of space on each side of your foot.

If the shells are OK, look into new liners. ZipFit and Intuition are the big names. I've had ZipFit, and they're tops. Friends have had both good and bad experiences with Intuition. Intuition sells way too many models, and shop clerks don't know what will work best for an individual and what won't. So--telephone Intuition and tell them about your boot shells and about your feet. 604-879-9231 https://intuitionliners.com/contact-us/
If they tell you what size and model liners will work for you, you can mail order from them and heat-fit them yourself at home. Or, when you know what model & size liners you need, a shop can order them for you and fit them to your shells.

 

[DanoT]

One is a jr racer boot (the 22.5) Head Raptor 90. Looking them up on line it says they're short, I want the support of the boot being high I think.

Women's boots come with a shorter cuff height due to women generally having their calf muscle located lower on the leg vs men. Jr race boots:

As for me: "Those aren't calves, they're cows".

With regard to ski boot flex numbers, there is no numerical industry standard. In fact due in part to the use of more than one type of plastic on some boots, there is no uniform standard between models from within the same manufacturer. So an 80 flex might or might not be stiffer than a 90 flex boot.

With regard to stated boot last width: The quoted number is for a size 26.5 and then it goes up or down usually 2mm per boot size. So a 102mm wide boot (this is a wide size) in a 26.5 would likely be 94mm wide in a size 22.5 (drop down 4 sizes and 8mm).

And just to confirm that ski boot manufacturing is crazy: There are no half sizes in alpine ski boots. Boxes might say size 26 on one box and size 26.5 on another, but inside the boots would be identical. Some manufacturers label their boots 25, 26,2 7 etc while others would be 25.5, 26.5, 27.5 while still others stamp the shell with 26/26.5 etc. No wonder a competent boot fitter is essential.

 

[otto]

There is a solution to your problem and it is possible that it is alive and well and sitting in a ski shop and or boot suppliers warehouse as I type. The trick is getting in front of someone that can do a proper assessment of your foot and deep dive into your goals and objectives for your skiing, then let the process begin.

On this site when you write in with a query about boots, you will get many useful tips and answers. In general all this help is well intended. The only fly in the ointment is that most of the help comes from personal experience or in some cases from boot fitters trying to sell you stuff like boots, footbeds, and replacement liners. Since we have not been able to see and assess your feet and lower legs, I am pretty sure that the responses that say things like "your foot is just like mine" or I have the same problem as you and I solved it by buying a super cheese wiz footbed, and a model xyz boot from hasbro...

My point is that we are giving you for solutions for problems that either do or do not exist. Go to see someone that can cut through all the white noise and put you in a ski boot that does what you want it to do. He/she is out there waiting for you to make an appointment!

 

[Uncle-A]

One of the community members I think works for a boot company. @onenerdykid please help @MontanaMom, he is a good source of information.

 

[LuliTheYounger]

One is a jr racer boot (the 22.5) Head Raptor 90. Looking them up on line it says they're short, I want the support of the boot being high I think. If I'm leaning forward against nothing I'm not sure I'd trust it to lean forward.

The other is a woman's Head Adapt Edge 80. (From 2016 and In the 22 which may be too small). It is only an 80 flex, I'm used.to more, but we'll see.

One of the fitters might have more info, but I believe the "short" marker on the JR Raptors just means that they're a junior/women's boot, rather than a taller cuff like a traditional men's boot. I have tried some women's boots that felt a lot taller than the Lange SC (same dealio, SC is "short cuff"), but my understanding is that most women's boots will be fairly similar in cuff height to the junior race lines. I personally really like a shorter cuff; I'm only 5'1 and find the taller ones really difficult to flex properly, even in a relatively soft boot.

 

[otto]

One of the fitters might have more info, but I believe the "short" marker on the JR Raptors just means that they're a junior/women's boot, rather than a taller cuff like a traditional men's boot. I have tried some women's boots that felt a lot taller than the Lange SC (same dealio, SC is "short cuff"), but my understanding is that most women's boots will be fairly similar in cuff height to the junior race lines. I personally really like a shorter cuff; I'm only 5'1 and find the taller ones really difficult to flex properly, even in a relatively soft boot.

MontanaMom... This is why the process with boot fitting is a guided tour with a professional guide. LuliTheYounger likes the short cuff for the reasons that she stated. How does that help you find what works? Since the readers here on the forum know little to nothing about you, your foot, lower leg and ankle, strength, athleticism, skiing goals and aspirations. This is the most important piece of equipment for a happy ski life. This is the one part about skiing that is most misunderstood by skiers. The solution lies in the few and surviving specialists that for you can work their way around the product offerings of the boot suppliers to have in stock the boot models that can accommodate many but not all of the feet and customers that come through the door. As the ski retail community has struggled to survive changing environments to stay in business, the void between boot sellers, online boot sellers and true boot artists and scientists just keeps getting wider. As the specialists continue to disappear there is no bull pen of future boot fitting stars to take up the slack. Find your guy soon and get on the road to ski boot nirvana!

 

[ted]

If you truly can't afford to use boot fitter, SidelineSwap has lots of used kids race boots, usually cheap.

 

[Uncle-A]

If you truly can't afford to use boot fitter, SidelineSwap has lots of used kids race boots, usually cheap.

BTW Lange jr. racing boots use to be one of the better ones for woman with small feet. I don't know if that is still true, but it was some years back.

 

[Tricia]

It's a bit of a drive down to Big Sky, but if I go to Red Lodge I could drop down, and their might be a ski shop in Red Lodge. I've not been to either resort yet.

Ski boot Rx in Billings should have what you’re looking for
@Tim Hedin

 

[Tricia]

There is a solution to your problem and it is possible that it is alive and well and sitting in a ski shop and or boot suppliers warehouse as I type. The trick is getting in front of someone that can do a proper assessment of your foot and deep dive into your goals and objectives for your skiing, then let the process begin.

On this site when you write in with a query about boots, you will get many useful tips and answers. In general all this help is well intended. The only fly in the ointment is that most of the help comes from personal experience or in some cases from boot fitters trying to sell you stuff like boots, footbeds, and replacement liners. Since we have not been able to see and assess your feet and lower legs, I am pretty sure that the responses that say things like "your foot is just like mine" or I have the same problem as you and I solved it by buying a super cheese wiz footbed, and a model xyz boot from hasbro...

My point is that we are giving you for solutions for problems that either do or do not exist. Go to see someone that can cut through all the white noise and put you in a ski boot that does what you want it to do. He/she is out there waiting for you to make an appointment!

This. 1000 times this.

 

[Uncle-A]

I understand that it is difficult to find your size ski boot. Also that business owners have to order items that they will be able to sell in that season. Our industry does have dated equipment so if a shop has to carry equipment from year to year they have to reduce last years/seasons equipment. So they know that the sizes at both ends it the scale are a risk to order and the odds of them being sold in the same year/season are slim. That risk is one that many shops can not afford to take if they want to make it to the next season. We have all seen shops go out of business and it is something that we don't like to see but it is a result of a combination of bad snow years and bad business decisions. So I understand why it is difficult to find sizes and we probably shouldn't be too critical of a shop that doesn't carry every size in every boot.

 

[VickieH]

@MontanaMom -- Any progress with the shop(s) this weekend, either in improving the fit of your current boots or determining what make/model/size best matches your foot?