Boot for big, wide, curvy feet?

[Fastskiguy]

OK, need a little help here, looking for new boots, have large (size 12 ish), wide EE/EEE, and curved feet. Think "nearly deformed" and you'll be about there. Oh yeah, and I pronate like a mofo too. One bootfitter said "Ever think about bowling" <no> Typically would keep my ski boots until they fell apart, hold a memorial service, then start over again with the long process of getting another pair to fit well.

Years of searching for a comfy ski boot yielded fantastic comfort, so I know it's possible. I'd like to shortcut the search for a carving boot by starting with something sorta compatible, then the stretching/padding/grinding process can begin.

200#'s and I'm a rapidly improving intermediate carver. I'd like to buy very high performance boots now with the idea that my skill will develop into them, even it it slows that progression a little. It's just that the fitting process is so time consuming and expensive, I only want to do it once.

I'm in the midwest on well groomed sloped, not planning on bumps or powder. Might end up in the race course someday tho. Hoping for 15-20 days of "out west" riding this season.

Riding a Donek FC II 171 and sometimes an Axis (17....ish?), TD2 step in's. Currently on Raichle 324's, bought used last year and modified as much as the plastic would allow....but still not shaped like my foot. Performance-wise I guess they seem OK....nothing else to compare against tho, biggest problem is the fit. And the color LOL!

Thanks for the comments :)

[bobdea]

the UPZ is also wide up front but has a narrow heel pocket among MANY other issues making it a boot I'd not reccomend to anyone unless they have access to allot of hours with a boot fitter and does not mind having to buy liners because the UPZ liners are worthless.

[Chris Houghton]

I seem to remember comments about the Head boots being larger in volume for the same given size as Raichle. Search the archives, or talk to Michelle at Bomber before you buy.

[ursle]

So after you get a shell, and use the sizing trick, bare foot in the shell, toe up to the front, you want two fingers or less behind the heel, now you need liners

My feet are really wide, I'm in the Indy with zipfit liners, used the thermoflex liners, they were warm but packed out after five days, and my heels were in a different spot every turn, but they were warm, so warm my feet were always soaked, got the zipfit and perfect heel fit, very warm without the excess sweat, no professional installation, just put em in and use em, they are filled with cork and silicone, and will always form to your feet and won't pack out for years

DISTRIBUTED in North America

by ZIPFITUSA

Charlie Webb 303.796.8743

(fax) 303.741.4138 (cell) 303.888.0180

cwebb1020@aol.com

11614 E. Lake Pl

ENGLEWOOD, CO 80111

[Fastskiguy]

So are the choices pretty much Deelux, Head, and UPZ?

[tex1230]

you can go with Strolz or Dale boots but they are REALLY $$$$$

Idon't know anyone in the US who has actually bought either of those for snowboard boots, but I have seen a few people with insanely strange shaped feet in Strolz ski boots and they love them.

[BlueB]

Or... stick to your well fitted ski boots adjust them to flex a bit and learn to ride in them. On good groom they'll outperform any hard boot, but you'll have a bit bumpier ride in less then perfect conditions. It would save you a bunch of money too, and you'll be able to hop from skis to board without changing the boots. As you come from ski racing background and are used to stiff flex, I do not see a problem riding in ski boots.

Firing squad can start flaming me now ;)

[bobdea]

blueb is a great guy but has some crazy ideas when it comes to ski boots

avoid them unless you either want to be really held back by your boots OR highly modify the ski boot to the point where it would no longer be suitable for skiing (for most skiers anyway)

if you can afford it I'd go out and buy a shell and then do a fitting session at a sure foot or another fitter that does injection liners and footbeds.

Zipfits are a great option as well on the liner front, probably the best fit I ever had were zipfits in my burton boots

[BlueB]

blueb is a great guy but has some crazy ideas when it comes to ski boots

:lol: :lol: :lol:

This place wouldn't be as much fun without at least one ski boot hothead, would it?

[Fastskiguy]

Ski boots, man, I'm just not sure about that. I used mine when I first got my ebay'ed carving board and almost quit right there! They just seemed to get me in the "track start" position, dang near kill't me. I picked up the Raichles on ebay and it was like "this works better for me"

But now I would absolutely LOVE a way to run the same boots on my board as on my skis. They'd have to be pretty adjustable but it would absolutely RULE!

* only need to go thru the fitting process once for TWO sports!

* can switch from one sport to the other without changing boots!

* only need to bring one pair of boots to the hill!

* twice as convenient for (air) travel (assuming you want to ski and ride on the same vacation)

Or... stick to your well fitted ski boots adjust them to flex a bit and learn to ride in them. On good groom they'll outperform any hard boot, but you'll have a bit bumpier ride in less then perfect conditions. It would save you a bunch of money too, and you'll be able to hop from skis to board without changing the boots. As you come from ski racing background and are used to stiff flex, I do not see a problem riding in ski boots.

Firing squad can start flaming me now ;)

[BlueB]

* only need to go thru the fitting process once for TWO sports!

* can switch from one sport to the other without changing boots!

* only need to bring one pair of boots to the hill!

* twice as convenient for (air) travel (assuming you want to ski and ride on the same vacation)

You've got the picture... It takes a bit of research to find the models that work for both sports and to do a bit of adjustment.

I agree that propper hard boots probably work better for majority of people. However, for the benefits listed above and for the ski guys already used to boot stiffness, it's logical way to go. I've found the answer in Dalbelo CarveX / CRX, but there's few other models that work. I'm very fond of older Nordicas, too.

Here's a pair of CRX on ebay (not mine), for illustration:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dalbello-Custom-Carvex-Extreme-Ski-Boots_W0QQitemZ180148201524

[Fastskiguy]

Some things about'em sound good but I think I'd still end up with really steep angles and <gasp!> no more step in bindings! I'm sure I couldn't live without those! I do appreciate the idea, I'm sorta looking for solutions "outside the box".

[ursle]

Ha, using ski boots to alpine board would definitly be outside the box, and causes hemroids, and counter rotation, and the next thing you know, you're in softboots riding fakie :rolleyes:

addendum to the zipfit chronicles

your footbeds(orthodics) just pop right in em

when you put em on your feet from the arch or so forward they feel like socks, there's almost no material around your feet, like socks, point is they won't crowd your feet and make em hurt, if your bare feet fit into the shell and you have two fingers behind your heel and the sides of your toes arn't hitting -the zipfits will make the boots feel like slippers, so the shell isn't an issue, and they are toasty warm a bit pricy, but well worth every penny,

jmho

[D.T.]

I have wide feet as well. The last time I purchased boots (the first year of the "Deluxe" line), I put a Head shell on one foot and Deluxe on the other. The Head shells were wider. Granted, I still needed to see a bootfitter (insoles, liners...)

[bobdea]

line used to make raichle SB series boots with din toes and heels on them, they would be the ultimate answer if you can find them

not sure what they called them

[Sinecure]

If you can find a pair of Heads that are long enough, get em. If not (I'm not sure how big they go), try calling Dan Yoja at UPZ - I know they make some big sizes. As stated above, the UPZ liners leave a bit to be desired and other questions have been raised about those boots - I had a pair with relatively few problems a few years back when they were still called UPS.

[BlueB]

If you can find a pair of Heads that are long enough, get em.

Dalbellos I talk about are actually Head/Blax Stratos with DIN blocks... Bordy says they flex diferently - I'll have to try that this winter (Ruwi's got the same size Blax as my Dalbellos). They are definitelly softest flexing (forward) ski boot I ever tried when in walk or carve mode. Almost as soft as LeMans I had before.

[Fastskiguy]

So, lemmie ask a question from a post or two ago...you guys running ski boots, how wide is your board and what kind of angles are you running?

Oh yeah, and I thought of another disadvantage of ski boots...they just aren't as good for walking around LOL!

[BlueB]

I'm lucky - I have small feet. I can squize into 25.5 mondo, but 26 is more appropriate size... I do not like very flat angles (nothing under 45/40), so on my wider boards I ride with a bit of underhang. On a normal 19.5 waist GS board I'm 60/55 and probably could go few deg lower if I wanted to.

As for walking around, you are totaly right, the soles of the ski boots are really slipery. Due to that I smashed my left thumb, last year. To be fair, the old Nordicas I was wearing were really worn out.

ALL the boots should have nice Vibram soles like AT boots, in my opinion.

[boarderboy]

I found my bliss in Scarpa AT's - medium low cuff, fairly soft, very easy walking.

Liners not great, though - count on getting moldables