I was lucky enough (with a little help) to get a pair of the new MIMIC foam liners. So, I figured I would share my experience with the foaming process and thoughts on the liners.
Me, I have been skiing for a long time and like most of you I have had experience with all different make, models, and types of ski gear over the years.
My situation going into this; I have a new 2022 Tecnica Mach 1 130 LV boot in a 26.5. The fit with the stock liner with no shell mods was as expected, very tight with some “hot” spots. Specifically, the instep, I have a high instep, and this has always been an issue with Tecnica boots for me. It was also very tight at the throat of the boot, again a common issue for me. There was also persistent pressure on what I believe is called the fifth metatarsal, the small bone on the outside of the foot about 2/3rds back.
The process; First and I think that is the most important part, started with a conversation with me and the fitter, talking about my current shell, footbed, what was working for me what wasn’t, and what I was expecting to get out of the new liner. I told him about my instep and other pressure points. Based on this conversation he felt the liner would address my concerns and no shell mods were needed at this time, but we could adjust if needed. We went on to discuss the process and what I should expect.
Next, we did a fit check with my foot in the liner and adjusted the tongue to my shin. Next was putting the toe cap on and placing a small piece of “fitting” foam on the Meta bone that I mentioned earlier. This would help create the necessary void when heating and foaming the liner. My sock went over everything.
Liners then get placed in the “oven” and heated. Once heated, feet go in the liners and then in the boot and buckled up. After about 8 min the boots come off and the fitter inspected the liner to determine if we are good to move on to the next step.
At this point, and I feel this is critical, we discuss in detail what kind of fit I am looking for. Specifical how tight of a fit I was looking for around my ankles. I was looking for a very tight fit. Knowing this helps the fitter determine how much foam to inject. There are three marks on the syringe that are based on boot sole length that the fitter uses as a general starting point.
This is very important; I was told what to expect when the foam gets injected and that it will feel very tight but not to worry.
So, feet in the liners, liners in the boots, unbuckled, we start the foaming process one boot at a time.
You can feel the foam being injected, and it felt very tight especially on the inside of my foot near the arch and around my ankles. This is were I was glad we had the conversation regarding the pressure and what to expect. If we had not, I would have told him that it feels tight and should stop. I can see how a person getting fitted not understanding this could lead to someone not getting a tight fit.
Once we reached the point that we agreed enough foam is injected the buckles were buckled and I was told to flex back and forth for about 5 min. This helps the foam move into place and fill the voids correctly.
Next, we did the second boot. Once complete I removed the liner, toe caps, fitting foam and put the liners and boots back on.
All I can say is “wow”, and I don’t mean to be corny. The fit was perfect, no instep issues, no hot spots, heal hold was nice and tight as requested. I don’t know exactly how to describe it probably because I have never had such a good fit, but I would say it feels like strong, firm, warm handshake. For me it is the perfect balance between a firm fit and comfort. No regrets, I would do this all over again. The quality and overall build of the liner is top notch.