Boot fit issues

[dshack]

I've got a pair of Suzukas with thermoflex liners. I got them molded at REI by a guy who came recommended to me by several skiiers, and seemed to know his stuff pretty well.

The left boot feels amazing. It's perfectly shaped to my foot, it's comfortable all day, no noticable play or pressure points. The right foot, though, has more heel lift than I'd like, and when I tighten the ankle buckle, it really hurts my instep. Tell me if any of these seem like a likely cause:

1) The fitter cranked the buckles down really tight when molding it; he said that it avoids the normal short packing-out period you get it you mold it with looser buckles. I wonder, though, whether cranking them down tight prevents the liner from filling in all the space it should, and making my foot loose.

2) I somehow over-arched or didn't keep my heel back enough when he was molding.

3) The boots are canted outwards (which I don't need) and have a stripped cant adjuster, and that's somehow messing with the fit.

4) I've got superfoot blues in there, which might not be high or supportive enough for my medium but easily-collapsing arch.

My plan at the moment is to fix the cant thing, see what the guy's got to say, and maybe get them remolded. Any other thoughts?

[Pat Donnelly]

I suppose your right foot is your rear foot? I have the same problem. In my former 325's I wore a hole in the liner fabric of the heel cup. Now in my new Suzuka's, the entire liner (and foot) lifts up inside the shell.

A friend placed some padding as show in the photo below to reduce the lift action. Another alternative I am going to try is to place a heel lift under my footbed to decrease volume.

[dshack]

If you were adding volume, does it make more sense to try to add it above the foot or below? Could you also add a little padding above the instep to achieve the same effect?

[trikerdad]

I think they were overtightened when they were formed, forcing your heel back so far that you can't comfortably match it while riding. Having molded a half dozen pair in my wife's convection oven, with good results every time, I adjust them just comfortably tight until they cool. I have to tighten them up a couple times during the day but, they always snug back up with no loose spots.

[Pat Donnelly]

Adding volume is going to be a try and see what works plus the fact that I ride with the rear foot un-locked only contributes to the lift.

[Mike Tokar]

Dave Morgan has some awesome DIY instructions that are probably on his YYZ Canuck site. I paid too much for Suzukas at a shop outside Stratton in order to have their 'expert' do the fitting. The next day on the hill was really painful for me.

A friend and I re-molded them at home later on, and it felt much better than the pro fitter job.

I agree with Trikerdad about not over-tightening the buckles when your foot is cooling in there. I'd also make sure to make a nice pocket for the heel by pounding the heel on the ground when you first put your foot in the hot boot.

[bobdea]

if you paid to get them molded

it's you fitters responability to get it right if you payed, go back for a remolding and don't pay

if they refuse and you payed by credit card, decline the charges

by cranking down the boots you make the liner compressed and it's possible that it was made too big on the inside, the reason many people try to leave allot of extra room for the liners to pack is it give you more leeway to get the fit to be snug and work on troubled spots.

cranking the boot tight is like selling someone too big of a boot hoping they won't come back

[dirk109]

Mike Tokar, That would be the Startingate, Right? I find it hard to believe that if you went back a 2nd time they didn't get it right. So, I guess you didn't go back and now are bad mouthing them. Real Classy. Gary and the guys do some of the BEST boot fitting in the East. PERIOD. If they didn't get it right the 1st time (which happens more them some of you might believe) they will get it right a second time. What a Jack@ss.............................

[Bullwings]

my experience with boot fitting and the suzukas:

they felt great, albeit a little bit of pain the first 2x out (in the instep -- i'm flat footed and pronate a lot, although my shoes don't show it).

by the 5th day, they packed out and were loose.

i went back to the Surefoot that i had them fitted and molded at, and they did a bunch of stuff to give me a really great fit. we spent around 1.5 hours of me trying the boot on and them re-adjusting based on what i told them (no re-molding, yet and i don't think it'll be necessary). Anyways, the boot fits like a glove now, and it was all for free. They told me to come back again if I still had problems with them after that. i bought more smartwool socks so i wouldn't be a complete freebie and because those socks rule.

i have yet to try them out again. i'm still letting my ankle heal up. i'll probably give it a try this weekend. definitely go back and have them re-fitted at the place you originally had the work done.

[pebu]

Mike Tokar, That would be the Startingate, Right? I find it hard to believe that if you went back a 2nd time they didn't get it right. So, I guess you didn't go back and now are bad mouthing them. Real Classy. Gary and the guys do some of the BEST boot fitting in the East. PERIOD. If they didn't get it right the 1st time (which happens more them some of you might believe) they will get it right a second time. What a Jack@ss.............................

Mike may have suggested that he wasn't satisfied with the job that a certain shop has done, but he didn't point out that shops name.

[dirk109]

Well pebu, The Startingate is the ONLY shop at/or Near Stratton that sells Alpine Snowboarding gear.....

[trailertrash]

dirk109, why are you so defensive about the starting gate? if anyone mentions the place or ptc you chime in. do you work there?

btw, i paid too much there for indy's which i did go back and have fit work done and they still didnt get it right.

if they are expert bootfitters i would think they would get closer to the mark for mike and he wouldnt be in so much pain the next day.

[dirk109]

I get my Alpine Gear their and they seem to work for me. As for Mike, That was just a cheap shot. And as for you guys "paying too much for boots" Until this year, The gate was ALWAYS a bit cheaper then Bomber. So god knows where you guys were getting your boots cheaper.

[trailertrash]

dirk, can you recomend any one there in particular?

[pebu]

Not everyone knows starting gate..

Anyways, Back to the issue!

:)

[tex1230]

dirk, can you recomend any one there in particular?

Talk to Shawn and Gary. Shawn has always done right by me on gear and I agree with dirk that all the bootfitters there are top notch. I have weird feet and ankles and they've always done well. I think the guy who did my last fitting was Gary.

[philfell]

This is just an outside perspective, but Dirk you sound a little up tight. I don't think Mike at all did a "cheap shot" against Starting Gate. He gave a story about a personal experience. He didn't even use the shops name, you did.

[dirk109]

Yeah maybe, But it is a great shop. If it were selling boots at a higher price like MT and trailertrash said and had bad boot fitters like MT said, Why would Bomber be doing bussiness with them? Really, They are the ONLY shop in the NorthEast to go for Alpine Eqp.

[tex1230]

nice edit, dirk :)

[dirk109]

Wow, All this hatred for the Gate. I guess Josh Wylie, Eric Warren, PSR, CMC, and a whole bunch of others must be CRAZY for dealing with them......