Trip to local store for ski boot

[Philpug]

It is a teaching tool for the customer. When a customer puts their foot in a shell you can not see exactly the location of the toe, it mat be touching the front of the shell but it may not. It maybe just as valuable to use the shell floor board if the boot has one because it can be removed and the fitter can see the customers foot on top of the floor board.

Fitting a ski boot is as much about educating the customer as it is about making the sale.

You are talking a SHELL or a LINER fit? If it is the latter it is exactly another reason people are in boots too larger.

It is a little extra work but if done right you can get the heel back in to the heel cup, and the customer gets to see the location of the foot in the liner.

I will vehemently disagree, there is no physical way to get the heel in a brand new liner without the leverage of the shell. Sorry, but we cannot have a casual reader reading this and thinking it is acceptable.

 

[snoroqc]

One would think they'd have minimal training ...

but knew once I saw a girl with a bare foot smaller than mine, liking and likely buying a boots too big for me .....

@snoroqc - let me contact my instructor friend at MSA. She'll know where to go for boots. You went to Sport Expert at the base of MSA by chance?

Allo hey, I'm at 3 hours from MSA. My girlfriend dont want a long drive now because of covid etc...Thanks for your help anyway

 

[LiquidFeet]

I am always afraid of statements like this. It is abolutely not the case. there are very good quality shops that while they do race fits it is not the focus. I have seen far too many cases where someone has come from a "Race Team Shop" that have been over booted in flex and fit.

I try to avoid generalizations. I failed there. You're right.

 

[snoroqc]

I try to avoid generalizations. I failed there. You're right.

You generally avoid generalizations haha Just kidding. Thank for your very valuable inputs on many topics here.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Well, maybe I fail all the time . Self-knowledge is a good thing, but difficult, right?

 

[Uncle-A]

You are talking a SHELL or a LINER fit? If it is the latter it is exactly another reason people are in boots too larger.

I will vehemently disagree, there is no physical way to get the heel in a brand new liner without the leverage of the shell. Sorry, but we cannot have a casual reader reading this and thinking it is acceptable.

Can you honestly say that when a customer has their foot in the shell you can see exactly the location of their toe?

 

[chris_the_wrench]

A long time ago I worked for a ski company that rented space inside Sports Authoritys. They gave us zero training on boot fitting. As a passionate skier I was aware of correct bootfit and issues I experienced but had little experience with other peoples feet. Most of my colleagues were snowboarders who understood zero about ski boot fit.

We were set up to fail. We sold alot of boots and skis. I only did that for one season, they only operated in sports authority for maybe one more year. Scary part, is they were/are a major player in that areas ski retail market.

 

[Philpug]

Can you honestly say that when a customer has their foot in the shell you can see exactly the location of their toe?

Depends on the boot but usually no but...you can ask them to slide the foot foward until the toe touches of the front of the shell then in doing a shell fit, you can show them how much room there is behind the foot. If they can see that it is more than an inch (for a recreational fit) you can explain that the liner just cannot take up that volume and the boot will be too large. Personally, I use the stock footbed against the bottom of the foot method more because it gives a better visualization.

 

[tch]

Related: I put my old boots on Craigslist for $40. Still in good shape even tho I’d packed out the liners and had too much room for precision skiing. Figured some local, recreational guy might want to transition from rentals for cheap. Boots 26.5; my feet 10. Knowing these kind of folks would not be into snug boots, I wrote that they would be good for 9 1/2 foot.

Guy showed up while I was out; wife sold them for $30. A couple hours later, he texts p*ssed off, saying there was no way he could get his sz 9 feet into them. I must have lied abt my feet; size 10 feet go into 28.5 boots, not 26.5. No amount of gentle explaining could mollify him.

So much for educating the masses.

 

[Jilly]

@snoroqc, check your PM's.

 

[Uncle-A]

Depends on the boot but usually no but...you can ask them to slide the foot foward until the toe touches of the front of the shell then in doing a shell fit, you can show them how much room there is behind the foot. If they can see that it is more than an inch (for a recreational fit) you can explain that the liner just cannot take up that volume and the boot will be too large. Personally, I use the stock footbed against the bottom of the foot method more because it gives a better visualization.

The stock foot bed is a good visual for the customer I would agree that works well. Another good visual is just turn the liner upside down and match it with their foot, but line up the heel first, it shows the shape of the foot compared to their own.

 

[snoroqc]

I got Head Nexo LYT RS and Technica Mach 1 LV 95 bot 23.5.
I did a shell fit. Her: ''I can't barely fit my feet into the shell, it would be impossible with the liner !''
Fedex just dropped the boots and they are cold.

The lower cuff of the head fit her legs better. Also, the Technica is really narrow.. That sad because the buckles and overall finish of the Technica seem better...
Both boots 3/8 behind the heel. I puted the liner into the Head boot. Let's try them

Her '' Nope impossible. My foot is not flexible enough..''
I helped her to get in. (When you have exprience putting on Lange RL11 shell, you can walk on fire, nails or lego....)
No pressure point, her toe touch the end but are not cramped.
Finally will keep the head.
Lets me be clear, the fit is not near perfect what a good bottfitter can do.
It's a step between her beginner, soft, too large boots and a custom fit.
And more Imortant...she is Happy. Happy wife, happy life. Will see what happends this week end on the slopes....keep my fingers cross and I breath in a paper bag.

 

[Jilly]

Good, because I didn't get any response from the CISA WIS group.

Have fun!!