Working with boots that are slightly too large

[cin]

Hi guys,

So I get to ride only a week a year in real snow when we go on holiday to Austria or Italy. I bought a pair of UPZ's second hand 3 years ago and have been riding them with pleasure. However they are slightly too large in terms of mondo size. I think they're the mondo 28 model but my feet are more of a 27.5. Due to the fact that I don't get to board much (I do indoors sometimes here in the netherlands), I couldnt afford to get brand new ones in exactly my size.

As I already explained, I have been riding with pleasure, no sore spots or sore legs with these boots. But I feel that I could maybe get more control if I were able to have my boots a little tighter in certain places. Any creative ideas? It's mostly in the mondo size (slightly), and on the buckles on my shins/calfs (I have rather thin lower legs and around my ankles).

I know the obvious answer is to get new boots and have them fitted but that's a €600ish option where I live. I'm hoping to just get that little bit more out of the boots I currently ride for a lot less. If its impossible then that's an answer too, just hoping y'all can think about this with me.

Thanks!

[Jeffrey Day]

First question : Do you ride with footbeds in your boots (inside your liners)? Do you ride with heat-moldable liners?

https://www.tognar.com/ski-boot-fitting/

If you don't have access to purchasing stuff from Tognar, your local ski shop/boot fitter may have some similar items as seen on the above link.

Hope this helps.

 

[cin]

I don't use any footbed, and no moldable liners. Currently using the stock rc10 liners.

Footbeds I thought were mostly for more comfort. Would they also possibly help my slight fitting issues?

The stuff you linked at Tognar does seem to ship world wide so will definitely have a look at that. Thanks!

[jburk]

Intuition has 2 models that are available in a high-volume version which can help take up a bit of extra room, Dreamliner and Luxury. Both of those models can be worn right out of the box, molded at home, or fitted by a shop. 

https://intuitionliners.com/

Their site shows that they have dealers in Europe, including two in the Netherlands. 

[lowrider]

Skate foot beds should be readily available. I have used them to fill up the volume of a sloppy boot.
Provided you don't have issues with foot arch. Have also used felt insoles usually used for work boots but very effective to reduce volume as well as add comfort on cold days. Silicone insoles work as well but don't hold  in position  as well as felt.

[SunSurfer]

The cycle company, Specialized, make footbeds with a range of instep support heights. 

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/body-geometry-sl-footbeds/p/130590

I use these, as well as Intuition liners in my UPZs.

Edited October 13, 2019 by SunSurfer

[cin]

Thanks a lot guys, all these tips really help. I will check out what liners and footbeds are available near me and will try visit a shop in the coming weeks!

[TLN]

On 10/12/2019 at 7:09 PM, SunSurfer said:

The cycle company, Specialized, make footbeds with a range of instep support heights. 

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/body-geometry-sl-footbeds/p/130590

I use these, as well as Intuition liners in my UPZs.

So you're telling I should try insoles from my road shoes in alpine boots? Hmm

[SunSurfer]

Hi @TLN, I'm saying that there are commercially available footbeds, at a reasonable price that may well support the soles of people with varying height instep, without needing to go the full custom footbed route. The insoles can be trimmed to fit the silhouette of a boot liner sole and with a little imagination one can tweak them in other ways.

I use them in my own boots, tweaked of course, and find they provide me with adequate sole support.

Cyclists need good foot support to pursue their sport. 

Edited October 14, 2019 by SunSurfer
typo

[TLN]

@SunSurfer well it was perfect example. cause I'm cyclist and I have spesh insoles: pretty thin but will likely to work in my alpine boots. I got pretty snug fit in my UPZ, so it's getting very painful with any insole. But I only tried ski-specific insoles, none of those are thin. Will try cycling insoles this season for sure

[AcousticBoarder]

Looks like most others have hit the main points I would suggest having been in a similar situation:

1: Moldable liners. High volume ones for your case.

2: Foot beds. In my case they have been the single most useful thing for my feet, but I had many more issues than it seems you have. 

3: Sort of mentioned but not really, you can get (or make) boot shims, not sure if they have a technical name. they are sort of like foot beds but completely flat, they can go between your shell and liner, or under your foot bed in the liner. They just serve to take up space under foot. I am sure you can also come up with a creative solution for one around your shins if you have extra space there specifically. This is the cheapest option, but I would personally focus on liners and footbeds first if you can afford it.

 

[philw]

Atomic ship footbeds with their boots so you can reduce the volume. They're nothing fancy, just bits of flat material which raise the floor of the boot a bit. I'm sure you could make some easily enough.

[Jonny]

The suggestions above are good ones. Here's a bad one but it works if you're desperate and it's cheap. Socks. Get the biggest socks you can find - heavy wool in a huge size is ideal. Put the sock OVER the boot liner, then insert the liners in the shells. Volume will be reduced fairly evenly throughout the foot and shin. They'll get wet and your feet will get colder quicker, but you'll be riding. Back in the day I broke two pairs of ski boots on a big race weekend, and used this trick to get a pair of loaners to work reasonably well.

[Corey]

I chased smaller and smaller boots to reduce foot/shin slop.  It ended with me almost losing two toenails.  It probably works great if you have access to a talented bootfitter to stretch the shell where needed, but I did not.  

It's pretty surprising how little space needs to be taken up to take a 'loose' boot to a proper fit.  I used some thin plastic sheet (cut from one of these) to make a 'footbed' that sat under the liner, against the bottom of the shell.   Then add a higher-volume foam liner (I used Intuition Alpine, something from Europe will work just as well) and I'm quite content.  

I have skinny calves/ankles.  I was going to glue some 3mm bootfitting foam sheet around inside of the cuff of the boot shell if the foam liner didn't support my shins, but I didn't need it. 

[ursle]

The shell of the boot isn't as important as the liner.

Getting a smaller shell would be good, but a custom foamed liner will take up the slack, of course after footbeds are installed, either custom orthotics or just a heat moldable sucker, you want the thin hard ones, not the gel or soft ones.

Call around to the ski shops and find someone that offers custom liners,