What does proper fit of the boot cuff feel like?

[Bill R]

I've seen lots of threads about how tight buckles should be and how the boot should feel overall, but I can't find anything that says what the fit of the cuff should feel like. Tight as bearable? Just enough to keep from falling forward or backward? Somewhere in between? ....?

 

[Rod9301]

You should use a booster strap on the inner boot, not on the outside of the plastic shell. That should be tight enough that there is no space at all between the inner and outer shell.
And as tight as you can, but without cutting off the circulation.

 

[LiquidFeet]

The conversation will most likely include discussion of how to use a Booster Strap. The unages bekiw show what @Rod9301 is talking about in the post above. When buckled under the shell at the front of the boot, the Booster binds the lower leg firmly to the rear spine of the boot cuff, eliminating any dysfunctional slop. Slop=lack of control over the forward pressure on the ski.

The Booster is elastic and comes in three levels of strength. It progressively resists allowing the shin to tilt forward inside the liner. The tilt it allows is not usually considered to be "slop."

 

[Average Joe]

The conversation will most likely include discussion of how to use a Booster Strap. This is what @Rod9301 is talking about in the post above. When buckled under the shell in the front of the boot, the Booster binds the lower leg strongly to the rear spine of the boot cuff, eliminating any dysfunctional slop. Slop=lack of control over the forward pressure on the ski.

*note: The Booster is elastic and comes in three levels of strength. It progressively resists allowing the shin to tilt forward inside the liner. The tilt it allows is not usually considered to be "slop."

The conversation will most likely include discussion of how to use a Booster Strap. This is what @Rod9301 is talking about in the post above. When buckled under the shell in the front of the boot, the Booster binds the lower leg strongly to the rear spine of the boot cuff, eliminating any dysfunctional slop. Slop=lack of control over the forward pressure on the ski.

*note: The Booster is elastic and comes in three levels of strength. It progressively resists allowing the shin to tilt forward inside the liner. The tilt it allows is not usually considered to be "slop."
View attachment 162097 View attachment 162108

I don’t think there is a wrong way to use your Booster, for 15 years I’ve been happy with mine outside the shell.

 

[Bill R]

tight enough that there is no space at all between the inner and outer shell.
And as tight as you can, but without cutting off the circulation.

I'm on my third boot since starting skiing, currently an Atomic Hawx Ultra s. I've been moving to less volume with each new boot, but it seems that even with no space between the shell and the liner there has always been, and there is still, some space between my leg and the liner. Am I just not tightening the strap and buckles enough?

I had a booster on my last pair of boots and I tried it over and under the cuff and preferred it over. I was mostly looking for smoother flex on those boots. It seems to me that putting the booster under the cuff will act like a front spoiler or thicker tongue, pushing me back from the front and more upright. Should I be concerned about that?

 

[KingGrump]

Should I be concerned about that?

No.

 

[Rod9301]

I'm on my third boot since starting skiing, currently an Atomic Hawx Ultra s. I've been moving to less volume with each new boot, but it seems that even with no space between the shell and the liner there has always been, and there is still, some space between my leg and the liner. Am I just not tightening the strap and buckles enough?

I had a booster on my last pair of boots and I tried it over and under the cuff and preferred it over. I was mostly looking for smoother flex on those boots. It seems to me that putting the booster under the cuff will act like a front spoiler or thicker tongue, pushing me back from the front and more upright. Should I be concerned about that?

This means the before the booster strap you had a lot of space. The forward lean is set by the rear of the boot

 

[Rdputnam515]

interesting, I have never used a strap inside the outer shell.

would this hold true for stock straps? Say on an Atomic Hawx boot?

does this go for all straps?

ill have to try it

 

[cantunamunch]

interesting, I have never used a strap inside the outer shell.

would this hold true for stock straps? Say on an Atomic Hawx boot?

does this go for all straps?

ill have to try it

On the Atomic, you also have the double strap option (one inside, one outside, frex.)

The Atomic Professional Series

From what I was told, that was how to do it. I guess that's not the case... If you're in NH, I would start by calling Roger's in Lincoln or Ken Jones in Manchester and go from there. Thanks for the quick response. Rogers had 1 size 26.5 in stock total and not sure if they would get more in...

www.skitalk.com

 

[Andy Mink]

I've tried with the stock strap on my Raptors and Curv GT to get the strap under the shell. They don't fit. The cuff is too tall. How does one address that issue? BTW, the Raptor strap is a Booster brand and I really liked it. Should have kept it. The Curv strap is just a nylon strap, no rebound or progression.

 

[Jersey Skier]

Are boot cuffs getting shorter? Just picked up some new RX130's and my Zipfit liner sticks out noticeably more.

 

[Yo Momma]

An integral part of boot cuff fitting for me is always buying a boot w/ an adjustable cuff as my lower legs bow outward a bit. I always put on the shell w/o the liner, lightly buckle and assure that there is even spacing between my leg and cuff around the entire circumference. I always have to adj the cuffs outward to achieve this including on the Dalbello Lupo Ax HD's I just picked up for B/C.

Man, the newer shells bake so nicely and evenly in the oven now! Easy Peasy process followed on the Dalbello website. It's the first time I haven't had to bake my liners in new boots since the advent of Thermo-moldable liners. I first skied the boots, noted pain in several spots adjusted, then baked the shell in my electric oven and BAM.... perfection! They ski like a dream. I put my custom XC ski boot insoles in them and also tried them w/ my Instaprint custom liners w/ Hotronics attached (from my Alpine setup) and no liner adjustment at all. I call them "Lunch Boots" super tight but comfortable enough to wear during lunch.

 

[Tony S]

The conversation will most likely include discussion of how to use a Booster Strap. The unages bekiw show what @Rod9301 is talking about in the post above. When buckled under the shell at the front of the boot, the Booster binds the lower leg firmly to the rear spine of the boot cuff, eliminating any dysfunctional slop. Slop=lack of control over the forward pressure on the ski.

The Booster is elastic and comes in three levels of strength. It progressively resists allowing the shin to tilt forward inside the liner. The tilt it allows is not usually considered to be "slop."
View attachment 162097 View attachment 162108

Long ago I decided I liked the strap inside the shell, as LF shows above. This is also how the Booster people suggest using it. Others like it outside. This has been discussed often on the board. All good.

I'm here to post in this very important thread that I happened to visit Race Stock Sports in Waterbury, VT, a few weeks ago, during a trip, to have an emergency boot tweak done. It was my first meeting with the remarkable P.J. Dewey. He watched me do up my boots (strap inside) and promptly advised unapologetically that "no one who knows anything does it like that."

Okay then. Just throwing another data point into the mix.

 

[AmyPJ]

Long ago I decided I liked the strap inside the shell, as LF shows above. This is also how the Booster people suggest using it. Others like it outside. This has been discussed often on the board. All good.

I'm here to post in this very important thread that I happened to visit Race Stock Sports in Waterbury, VT a few weeks ago, during a trip, to have an emergency boot tweak done. It was my first meeting with the remarkable P.J. Dewey. He watched me do up my boots (strap inside) and promptly advised unapologetically that "no one who knows anything does it like that."

Okay then. Just throwing another data point into the mix.

Nothing like being told you don't know anything! Geez, Tony, you're such a gaper! (I fasten mine over the liner, too.)

 

[Andy Mink]

I've tried with the stock strap on my Raptors and Curv GT to get the strap under the shell. They don't fit. The cuff is too tall. How does one address that issue? BTW, the Raptor strap is a Booster brand and I really liked it. Should have kept it. The Curv strap is just a nylon strap, no rebound or progression.

@Philpug had an old pair of Raptor straps that I installed on my Fischers. Granted, the Raptor strap is a bit bulky but I can see no way to get it on the tongue only. The cuff is simply too tall. I'd have to cut the cuff which I don't want to do. So around the front is the way it's going to work.

This how far up it would be to be on the tongue only. About half the strap touches the tongue.

 

[Tom K.]

Are boot cuffs getting shorter? Just picked up some new RX130's and my Zipfit liner sticks out noticeably more.

Not sure if it's a trend amongst other boots, but the RX130 is a pretty short boot.

When I jump into them from my Hawx Ultra 130S boots, the height just feels wrong. Pretty much love everything else about the boot -- other than liking a bit more fwd lean, but that's so personal.

 

[GregK]

I have been using the stock strap and then booster strap for years on an angle so it just just hits the liner tongue only and doesn’t interfere with the shell. As others have probably mentioned, many race boots have shells slightly trimmed to fit the strap or booster on the liner only as well.
The big advantage of hitting the liner only is that you get the tongue tight against your leg and then the ability to more easily tighten the top buckles uniformly against the liner tongue. Thick having the booster right under the top buckle would reduce the benefits.

Noticed an instant difference in precision and a more uniform flex along with never had sore shins or “boot bang” since moving to “liner only” on strap.

What mine looks like with the booster but a larger strap would be fine too as long as you minimize the hitting of the shell.

 

[GregK]

interesting, I have never used a strap inside the outer shell.

would this hold true for stock straps? Say on an Atomic Hawx boot?

does this go for all straps?

ill have to try it

Did you ever get the cuff’s aligned and the boots heat molded yet? Makes a big difference too and with my skinnier legs, I even added more thickness to the stock rear spoiler to get a bit more forward lean that I needed in my boots.

 

[Average Joe]

It was my first meeting with the remarkable P.J. Dewey. He watched me do up my boots (strap inside) and promptly advised unapologetically that "no one who knows anything does it like that."

Do the straps in the way that makes you a better skier, regardless of a bootfitters opinion.

 

[Tony S]

Do the straps in the way that makes you a better skier, regardless of a bootfitters opinion.

Oh believe me, I do.