The Never-Ending Zipfit Discussion

[Noodler]

Has anyone paired a Zipfit with a Full Tilt boot? I love the performance of my Atomics but I'm getting tired of the difficulty putting them on. I may stick with them but if I don't I'm looking at boots that are easy to get on by design, like the Full Tilt or perhaps the Nordica rear entry HF. Thoughts?

I would first try using UHMW/PTFE type tape on the rear spine of the boot and the heel/toe of the liner and consider going in/out racer style. It really is very easy to do so.

My first ZipFit was in a Krypton, so yes, it works, so you can certainly use the liner in that style boot.

 

[Jersey Skier]

RX 130 LV 26.5

Sorry. 27.5 LV, That would be painful.

 

[Jersey Skier]

Has anyone paired a Zipfit with a Full Tilt boot? I love the performance of my Atomics but I'm getting tired of the difficulty putting them on. I may stick with them but if I don't I'm looking at boots that are easy to get on by design, like the Full Tilt or perhaps the Nordica rear entry HF. Thoughts?

Heated boot bag and @Noodler tape or Food grade silicone spray. Slides right in.

 

[Brad J]

UHMW/PTFE type tape on the rear spine of the boot

@TheArchitect , That makes a huge difference

 

[TheArchitect]

Thanks for the advice but unfortunately I'm already doing most of the suggestions. I have PTFE tape on the boot board, use a boot horn and go in racer style. I also have a heated boot bag which helps. That said sometimes it just won't go in easily, especially booting up in single digits in the parking lot. The section of the boot right above the instep is really tight.

In any case, I've bought more of the tape will line the inside face of the boot horn with it. I'll try putting some on the Zipfit itself again. I tried that but it kept falling off the liner. If that fails I'll try the spray.

 

[Noodler]

Thanks for the advice but unfortunately I'm already doing most of the suggestions. I have PTFE tape on the boot board, use a boot horn and go in racer style. I also have a heated boot bag which helps. That said sometimes it just won't go in easily, especially booting up in single digits in the parking lot. The section of the boot right above the instep is really tight.

In any case, I've bought more of the tape will line the inside face of the boot horn with it. I'll try putting some on the Zipfit itself again. I tried that but it kept falling off the liner. If that fails I'll try the spray.

I guess I could post some pics and possibly a video. Maybe that will help.

 

[TheArchitect]

I guess I could post some pics and possibly a video. Maybe that will help.

Nah, no need but thanks. I've seen a video of racer style and I know I'm doing it right. I think I just need to get crazy with the tape and see what happens. That or stop bitching about it and suck it up.

 

[Jersey Skier]

Nah, no need but thanks. I've seen a video of racer style and I know I'm doing it right. I think I just need to get crazy with the tape and see what happens. That or stop bitching about it and suck it up.

With a warm boot and a slippery surface it’s just a matter of stepping down at the right angle. Now, reaching the buckles with my gut is another matter.

 

[Jersey Skier]

@Noodler Is it safe to heat a liner in the oven without removing Instaprint insole and Hotronics. Rather not have to untape and retape everything, but I need to add some Omfit to one boot.

 

[Wade]

Nah, no need but thanks. I've seen a video of racer style and I know I'm doing it right. I think I just need to get crazy with the tape and see what happens. That or stop bitching about it and suck it up.

I have a tight fitting pair of Atomic Hawx Ultras, and don’t have any issues getting in with my Zipfits without using a boot horn.

The thing that made it significantly easier for me was when I’m pushing my foot down into the throat of the boot, I flex my foot a little earlier than I otherwise might so that my instep effectively creates leverage against the top of the clog and spreads it apart, and my foot slides in pretty easily from there.

 

[BS Slarver]

Having great success and far less struggle leaving the liner in the boot this year. No laces or the strap and no more boot heater cord issues. Then again I’m booting up in a toasty warm van with the boots nicely heated via the auxiliary van furnace.
@Jersey Skier - I added a tube of cork distributed over both boots and all compartments including the tongue and a reheat in the van and voila, good to go !

 

[TheArchitect]

I have a tight fitting pair of Atomic Hawx Ultras, and don’t have any issues getting in with my Zipfits without using a boot horn.

The thing that made it significantly easier for me was when I’m pushing my foot down into the throat of the boot, I flex my foot a little earlier than I otherwise might so that my instep effectively creates leverage against the top of the clog and spreads it apart, and my foot slides in pretty easily from there.

Thanks. I'll try the flexing next time.

 

[Noodler]

@Noodler Is it safe to heat a liner in the oven without removing Instaprint insole and Hotronics. Rather not have to untape and retape everything, but I need to add some Omfit to one boot.

I highly doubt that would be safe. I would recommend spot-warming the OMFit where you've added it using a hair dryer on a lower heat setting. It doesn't take much heat to get OMFit easily moving around. The primary purpose in using an oven is to get a more complete fitting of all the parts and pieces of the liners. In your situation, it's completely unnecessary to put the liners back in an oven.

 

[Jersey Skier]

Having great success and far less struggle leaving the liner in the boot this year. No laces or the strap and no more boot heater cord issues. Then again I’m booting up in a toasty warm van with the boots nicely heated via the auxiliary van furnace.
@Jersey Skier - I added a tube of cork distributed over both boots and all compartments including the tongue and a reheat in the van and voila, good to go !

Gotta mention to the wife that I need to buy a Sprinter to get make my new boots more comfy.

 

[marsound]

@Noodler , I have a few questions about your recommended fitting process (and thanks for posting it!) :

- Do you remove the plastic lace lock device on the liners when putting them in the oven?
- Do you stand the liners upright (similar to how they would be oriented in a shop heater) or lay them on their side?
- Do you still recommend heating the shells with the liners (assuming it's not a heat-mold shell) as outlined in the above process? I've seen you mention that it's best to do the first two mold cycles with cold shells, but I'm unsure if that also applies to a plug shell...

Thanks.

 

[Noodler]

@Noodler , I have a few questions about your recommended fitting process (and thanks for posting it!) :

- Do you remove the plastic lace lock device on the liners when putting them in the oven?
- Do you stand the liners upright (similar to how they would be oriented in a shop heater) or lay them on their side?
- Do you still recommend heating the shells with the liners (assuming it's not a heat-mold shell) as outlined in the above process? I've seen you mention that it's best to do the first two mold cycles with cold shells, but I'm unsure if that also applies to a plug shell...

Thanks.

Plastic lace lock is fine in the oven at these temps.
In my convection oven, I lay the liners on their sides.
If you have a heat-moldable shell, do not heat the shell at all.

There are updated instructions later in the thread that handle the situation with many of the heat-moldable shells that are on the market. The short answer is that you need to be much more careful with the heat in those cases. I have also recommended using lower temps for the liner than originally advised. It's just not necessary to go above 175* F and ZipFit has recently changed their guidance and recommends 150* F.

I'll re-emphasize that this liner heating method speeds up the break-in process. It is not absolutely necessary. The newer liners that use the honeycomb stealth upper cuff covering get even less benefit of the convection oven (as that material is more compliant to adapt to the shape of the upper cuff).

 

[marsound]

Plastic lace lock is fine in the oven at these temps.
In my convection oven, I lay the liners on their sides.
If you have a heat-moldable shell, do not heat the shell at all.

There are updated instructions later in the thread that handle the situation with many of the heat-moldable shells that are on the market. The short answer is that you need to be much more careful with the heat in those cases. I have also recommended using lower temps for the liner than originally advised. It's just not necessary to go above 175* F and ZipFit has recently changed their guidance and recommends 150* F.

I'll re-emphasize that this liner heating method speeds up the break-in process. It is not absolutely necessary. The newer liners that use the honeycomb stealth upper cuff covering get even less benefit of the convection oven (as that material is more compliant to adapt to the shape of the upper cuff).

Thanks, very helpful.

 

[TheArchitect]

Man, that PTFE tape is magic and even more so when you put it on both the liner heel and the boot horn. My liner went into the boot so easily this morning and the boot wasn't even heated up. I wish the tape stuck a little better to the Zipfit but if the worst thing is that I have to put on new tape each season then I'll take it.

 

[Noodler]

Man, that PTFE tape is magic and even more so when you put it on both the liner heel and the boot horn. My liner went into the boot so easily this morning and the boot wasn't even heated up. I wish the tape stuck a little better to the Zipfit but if the worst thing is that I have to put on new tape each season then I'll take it.

Great to hear you're having some success with it. When I put it on the heel of the ZipFit liner, I only use a strip about 3" long and I start it right at the top of the patch of leather on the back of the heel. Then it wraps down over the bottom of the liner. Note that it really does not stick well on some of the older liners that have a different, more fabric-like, exterior sole material.

 

[Noodler]

Great to hear you're having some success with it. When I put it on the heel of the ZipFit liner, I only use a strip about 3" long and I start it right at the top of the patch of leather on the back of the heel. Then it wraps down over the bottom of the liner. Note that it really does not stick well on some of the older liners that have a different, more fabric-like, exterior sole material. The newer, almost plastic-like, soles work well.