Loo Sports

I agree.... Surefoot is a Company with many boot-fitters. This is why I always suggest to work with the managers. We should be suggesting the PEOPLE that you like here. I know that there are people out there with good experiences with Surefoot boot-fitters cause I have delt with hundred of you and nobody has complained to me about my store (or others that I am familiar with) and they all come back, so if we are going to talk Surefoot here, suggest the the specific people and products that you like. I am glad to hear it all, but Surefoot's corporate office is the one who really needs to hear it.

No Offense taken... I have retired and it was not my store that you had a problem with. :) (I hope nobody had an issue at my shop) I am very sorry to hear this... I am also a skier/snowboarder who is married to one of the top alpine snowboarders in the world and I would have never met her if Surefoot did not fit snowboarders.... Besides her, I have fit loads of snowboarders during my nearly 15 years with surefoot. So this is very odd. I don't know what was going on that day in Squaw, but they should have been able to help you out or at least provide some friendly information. Since I am no longer with them, The one thing I can tell you (and anyone with an issue) is to please Contact the corporate office and let them know. They want to make sure that things are right and unless they know about problems, there is nothing that they can do. sarah@surefoot.com or 435-655-8110 ext 102 Its a shame that a few bad apples in Surefoot seem to be ruining the bunch. They do have the best product out there and a significant number of worldcup snowboarders are on the Surefoot liner and orthotic who swear by it.

There is a very intense and lengthy training process... But again if your worried, Always ask to see the manager as they usually have tons of experience.

Todd Koenig - He's the manager. Say hi from me if you see him.

Wow, I am sorry to hear that you guys have not had great experiences with surefoot. (except Copper:)... that was my store for the past 10 years.) I had always tried to provide the best service possible. I am no longer with Surefoot, although I do help them out when they need and I am glad to help try to resolve any issues with them. To always ensure that you will be looked after properly, make sure you see the manager or assistant manager. Make an appointment if possible. Most of these guys have been doing it for years and have access to the most tools and resources available anywhere in the boot-fitting world. As for the NYC shop, there is a new manager in there now. He has moved from Colorado where he had been running a store for about 10 years. His name is Tyler and he is a good friend of mine. I can assure you that he is more then qualified and would be happy to help you out! (especially if you tell him I sent you in). Too add to the list to give some people some more options Seth @ precision ski in frisco Colorado Mosh @ foot foundation in Aspen Colorado Both of these guys are great as well....

Not in Washington, but I am in Whistler BC. Appointments can be made through my Website at http://loosports.com/Loo_Sports/Boot_Fitting.html Otherwise, Surefoot. Anywhere. WWW.SUREFOOT.COM In general, the managers and assistant managers will all be more then qualified to help.

The tongue has a nice little plastic "ridge" going down the front that keeps it centered and also provides direct contact to the shell (it gets rid of the space between the top of the tongue and the shell). In the ones that I have made so far, the new tongue seems that it might eliminate the need for a booster strap for some people. As well, the tongue is made for your anatomy and the mold itself seems to hold it in the right spot... even for snowboarders!

Sigi's personal Olympic backup board.... Has not been ridden since olympic his training. Still has Olympic tune and wax on it! $1199.00 www.loosports.com

Well put!

No problem... I apologize for getting a bit defensive, but it always amazed me when people don't come in to get things fixed or replaced. Thats what we are there, to make things right...:) Do you remember who fit you in Killington? Was it Ray Rice maybe? Great friend and a great guy... And one of the best boot-fitters in the world. Have fun! Ari

Thats to funny!! :lol: That sounds like a great plan... Enjoy and have fun! Ari

If you are unhappy with a Surefoot orthotic, Go tell them. They will remake it differently for you. If you want a Surefoot liner, you will will have to use their orthotic. (unless you have one already that does support you foot in neutral, which is rare) I used to manage a Surefoot and I have made and used every system under the sun, and Surefoots is truly unreal. It is the ONLY system in the snowsports industry that is also used in the medical field. Just go get them done differently. They will gladly discuss the problem with you and make a different one according to the symptoms that you have. Free of charge.

They are going to awsome. I have spoken with Jasey quite a bit about them and hes going to be making a great product! I can't wait to get mine! These will be the new boards to have is my guess!

lets start from the ground up.... Orthotics (not footbeds) are an essential item. Orthotics support your foot in a very crucial position. (the same position that boots are made around) footbeds are just a mold of the bottom of the foot and generally wont hold the foot in the ideal position. Footbeds are WAY better then nothing, but in a perfect world, we would all be on a proper orthotic made by a boot-fitter (doctors cannot deal with the rest of the boot issues and the interface, so thats why i say boot-fitter) When it comes to liners.... stock generic liners are generally not very good for most people... and they wear out VERY quickly. Heat fit (intuition liners) are a better option for some, but they as well wear out quickly. THe best thing possible is a injected liner. They provide the best support, last the longest and are the most comfortable. They are especially best when it comes to the tongue and the heel/ankle hold. They fill in all the voids between the foot and the shell, rather then compressing around the foot. (i hope that makes sense....) This is all assuming that you have the right shell for you. The best boot-fitting can make the right boot way better, but wont make the wrong boot right. When it comes to alpine snowboard boots, your selection is quite slim (as you know). Your boot-fitter was correct in everything he was saying, except the liner part in my opinion. Find the best shell and get thotic and liner.. you will love it. I have personally fit most of the north american world cup riders, olympians (a gold medalist...) and world champs. They all follow this approach. and they ALL use othotics. I hope this helps a bit Happy riding Ari

No shop in Vancouver yet. Just online at www.loosports.com I have retired from Surefoot, but I will still be helping them out from time to time. I will be in Whistler helping out a bit at the Surefoot there for most of December.

Injected liners are designed to fill in the available space around the foot. They are warm (cause they allow blood flow) and the most comfortable thing out there that also is the best performing. When we test performance (i also test ski boots for Outside Magazine) we are looking for how quickly a boot transfers the skiers energy to the ski. Injected liners are always at the top of the list. They are hands down the most comfortable liners out there. (when they are done right). Essentially they are casted around your foot putting the perfect amount of padding in all the right places around your foot. As well, they last way longer then any other type of liner. My wife traveled the world cup and went to the olympics riding everyday with one pair... With others, she would never make one pair last all season. I have skied nearly 300 days on one pair (in three shells) and I still love them.) I have skied and ridden every type of liner under the sun and I can tell you without question a good injected liner is the best thing you can get. There are a few different injected liners out there. Conformable, Stroltz, nordica... Most are fairly similar. The new one from Surefoot called the X1 is a bit different. Full neoprene toe box that is way better fitting and warmer i think. Its also got a bit of softer material next to the body that just makes the liner feel a bit softer. There a bunch of other things about it that are different from past liners that I am sure they would love to tell you about if you went into a Surefoot. I hope that this provides more information then confusion... a post like this could go on forever. Happy Riding Ari

Custom injected liners like the new Surefoot X1 is the best thing you can do for yourself. They will fill in exactly where they need and not where they don't. A good percentage of the world cup riders are riding them and swear by it.

The most important thing to consider is not the perfect boot, but the boot-fitting. There is going to be no boot that is going to fit perfectly...(Sorry) so you need to look for the best possible and work from there. One of the most common mis-conceptions in boot-fitting with a foot like yours is, if it hurts just punch it out again and make it bigger.... This is ok to a point, but its a pretty specific point. Snowboarding puts so much torque and pressure on our feet that unless the foot is STABLE inside the boot, the foot will hurt. -Think about when you were young and the school bully shook your hand and gave you a knuckle grind... It hurt...lots... But now just hold your hand tightly across the knuckles and squeeze. No pain. You could sit there almost all day. as soon as you "roll" your hand it starts to hurt.- So the same thing is going on in our boots. we need some compression on the foot when we ski and ride to get energy to the snow, so to get that we need to think stability not always more room. If you have a really flat wide pronated foot,(like i do) find the best thing you can... Most alpine snowboard boots are actually pretty similar. You could try ski boots. The new Nordica 3 buckle series (all based on the Ace of Spades) could be a great high volume snowboard boot. Once you find your boots, Orthotics are a must! The purpose of an orthotic is to stabilize your foot in a neutral position. Remember I mentioned earlier how its important for our foot to be stable in the boots? IT all starts with the orthotics. If you have a really flat an severely pronated foot, you will not be able to get the ankle to neutral, but you need to be as close as possible. If the orthotic hurts or feels uncomfortable under your foot, it was made inaccurately. An good orthotic should feel comfortable under your foot (no matter how flat your foot is) Once you have a good foundation under your foot with the orthotic, then you need to look at the liner. Most are very unsupportive. Injected liners (like the Surefoot) are the best thing you can do. They provide the most stable fit for the foot while not being "overly supported" Intuition or other heat fit liners can work for some people, but they wont last very long and they are not right for everyone. I hope that helps a bit.... It can be very confusing and I could go on for pages.... but the bottom line is make sure that you have someone that really knows what they are doing when it comes to a bootfitter. And remember that there is no magic boot. A really good boot fitter could make almost anything work for you. Ari