Mountain Slope .951

[slabber]

3 hours ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

Yup…..including our 13% sales tax & broker shipping fees charged as it’s going through customs.

 

How does MS ship?  You should be able to self-clear and only pay HST, avoiding any brokerage fees. 

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Really appreciate it! Don’t mind my grumbling, I fully get why the price is where it is and why I can’t go somewhere to try them on…doesn’t make my wallet feel any better though.  Cheers!

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Alright! Boots arrived and look very high quality. Unfortunately I am going to need bootfitter services at minimum as they are slightly too narrow in the forefoot for my Wide/EE feet. Length is bang-on perfect at 8.5US / 26.5MP.
 

But first, a question: has anyone else found them super tight around the calf and shin? I’m a little worried. By the time I’d gotten the heel/instep strap to standard tightness, they were super tight around my shin. My calf is literally bulging out over the top of them…in fact after about 5 mins they were pressing so tightly on the outside of my shin I felt I might be at risk of compartment syndrome, even though I only had the top buckle at the first/loosest ratchet! I’ve honestly never had that experience before from a pair of hardboots. It was pretty disconcerting!

Edited December 20, 2022 by ShortcutToMoncton

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Well, after spending another two hours in them last night and this morning: I’ll definitely have to widen a little, which is not a super big surprise…I was hoping to avoid it, but all my hard boots have been widened. I still find that funny because I only have EE feet, not super wide or anything—I wear any normal sneaker other than ones that are known for being narrow (like Adidas). 

I’m still trying to figure out the top mid-shin width. So far I’ve adjusted the top buckle so that it’s at maximum stretch and I only clip on the first ratchet, but it’s still very tight. I stretched them out a bit overnight and it’s a little better, so I think a bootfitter should be OK with it. But I’m really surprised that the default width is so small, I do have mountain-biking calves but I would think that racers are all in the same boat…I’m looking at racing pictures with the .951s and I don’t notice that anyone is just at the first ratchet! 

Other than forefoot width and shin width, I’m very surprised at the comfort level—I honestly don’t feel any other pressure spots. 

One small issue—a clicking spring axle.    For my right boot the little silver axle on the bottom is clicking furiously whenever I engage the spring…it looks like it has slight up and down flex. Left is fine. Anyone play around with that? 

Edited December 21, 2022 by ShortcutToMoncton

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Google Drive Clicking Video

[Jack M]

9 minutes ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

Google Drive Clicking Video

Mine definitely do not do that.  I would ask @MountainSlope about it.

As for your cuff fit around your calves, you could drill another hole to relocate the tooth rack closer to the buckle.  Know what I mean?  But don't do that until you sort out the clicking.  Could be just a benign annoyance, or a warranty issue.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Yeah, I was looking at that….the shell actually has rear bracing material for the bolts, but if necessary I’m sure it would be totally fine with a tee-but approach. But my immediate thought is that I’ll continue to play around with the first ratchet buckle setting as much as possible before going there, so will see if the bootfitter can get just a little bit more stretch out of the shell. It’s probably the type of thing that might be fixed if I could find a slightly thinner stiff liner, but I don’t want to go there yet….but I’m not adverse to taking a razor blade to it if necessary  

I narrowed down the clicking pretty well, you can see it better here when I flex the boot forward: 

Better clicking video

Edited December 21, 2022 by ShortcutToMoncton

[Chouinard]

On 11/17/2022 at 12:13 PM, Chouinard said:

Similar issue to T700's in the calf area...can only buckle at the end position. I am going to heat mold the liner to see if the tongue spreads out and relieves some of the pressure on my shin.

18 hours ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

My calf is literally bulging out over the top of them…in fact after about 5 mins they were pressing so tightly on the outside of my shin I felt I might be at risk of compartment syndrome, even though I only had the top buckle at the first/loosest ratchet!

I molded the liner which helped a little. I removed the black cuff attached to the booster strap which helped a lot.

I moved the buckle rack on my T700's for the same reason.

[rst]

2 hours ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

Well, after spending another two hours in them last night and this morning: I’ll definitely have to widen a little, which is not a super big surprise…I was hoping to avoid it, but all my hard boots have been widened. I still find that funny because I only have EE feet, not super wide or anything—I wear any normal sneaker other than ones that are known for being narrow (like Adidas). 

....

26.5 sounds like good fit for you (widthwise)

 

I assume you didn't heat mold liners yet; so first remove liner from boot and check if you have enough room for your feet inside plastic shell; also there are some set of insoles that come (or used to) with 26.5, if you remove extra one boot will feel wider

 

heatmold liners first, then try boots on a slope and only then make a decision if you need to pinch plastic

 

PS

also my feet are 26.7 and I'm in Shell A... no plastic pinched... just heatmolded liners + custom insoles 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by rst
typo

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Wait…you’re between a B and C shell but stuff yourself into an A!?!

Why…?  

[rst]

1 hour ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

Wait…you’re between a B and C shell but stuff yourself into an A!?!

Why…?  

because A is my perfect fit)))

 

my feet are 95mm wide, and my size boots are always TOO wide for me; so I always go size down;

my shell size is supposed to be B (26.5) so I downsized -1 shell size which is A

 

PS

so stop complaining "boots are not wide enough"  they are huge

 

PPS

I'm not advising anyone to do the same... it is very tight fit; I'm just telling it is possible.

Edited December 21, 2022 by rst

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Hah!

Both the liners and the shell are too narrow for me. The liners by themselves are very tight around the forefoot area; baking might help a little with that one. But the shell itself is also too narrow; even without a liner, when I put pressure on my foot I can feel the shell pressing on both sides, so it will definitely need some punching.

What I have discovered is how much my foot “spreads” when I pressure it. In the shell without a liner, when I keep pressure off my foot I can bang it back and forth with tons of space to spare; but as soon as I press down, suddenly I’m squeezed.

[rst]

2 hours ago, ShortcutToMoncton said:

Hah!

Both the liners and the shell are too narrow for me. The liners by themselves are very tight around the forefoot area; baking might help a little with that one. But the shell itself is also too narrow; even without a liner, when I put pressure on my foot I can feel the shell pressing on both sides, so it will definitely need some punching.

What I have discovered is how much my foot “spreads” when I pressure it. In the shell without a liner, when I keep pressure off my foot I can bang it back and forth with tons of space to spare; but as soon as I press down, suddenly I’m squeezed.

You are on opposite side of the spectrum))

 

Don't take any advises from me... I always have too much room... You, I believe, too little

 

I can only say if you need more room you can pinch and get it, but if you have to much room it's hard to make less of it.

 

I believe you chose right size and you are on a right way to boot fit perfection))

[ShortcutToMoncton]

You are right—opposites! My foot length is actually 25.75…..but I have to increase boot size to 8.5 (26.5)…….

[hknz]

8 hours ago, rst said:

26.5 sounds like good fit for you (widthwise)

 

I assume you didn't heat mold liners yet; so first remove liner from boot and check if you have enough room for your feet inside plastic shell; also there are some set of insoles that come (or used to) with 26.5, if you remove extra one boot will feel wider

 

heatmold liners first, then try boots on a slope and only then make a decision if you need to pinch plastic

 

PS

also my feet are 26.7 and I'm in Shell A... no plastic pinched... just heatmolded liners + custom insoles 

 

 

no way your actual feet are 26.7 in a Shell A without punch.

I have Shell A and I measure the inner shell length very carefully. It is 262mm. My feet are 251.4/254.4, thus having approx 10mm space when shell fitting.

ShortcutToMoncton:

your 25.75 feet should be able to fit Shell A with a pair of Zipfit Gara liner. Because Zipfit is very thin in the forefoot.

 

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Not sure if you noticed, but I mentioned that my forefeet can squeeze both sides of the B shell without the liner. Not sure why I’d go to A and have to blow it out even more…?

[rst]

1 hour ago, hknz said:

no way your actual feet are 26.7 in a Shell A without punch.

I have Shell A and I measure the inner shell length very carefully. It is 262mm. My feet are 251.4/254.4, thus having approx 10mm space when shell fitting.

ShortcutToMoncton:

your 25.75 feet should be able to fit Shell A with a pair of Zipfit Gara liner. Because Zipfit is very thin in the forefoot.

 

@Alexey even published his story with shell A; as I remember his feet 26.7 and 27 or 27.2... he had to pinch only for larger one... reading that story was a decision maker

Shell test shows 7-8mm ... I was ready to pinch, but it worked without plastic work

it seems to me that custom insoles reduce feet footprint

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by rst
added

[hknz]

I have wide 2E feet as well. I can never wear standard Adidas/Nike/Air Jordan shoes without up-one-size. I like New Balance 2E or Asics 4E. My feet also touch (or squeeze) the sides of most of my shells (incl MS951) without liners. I have several hard boots, G-style, Head Stratos, Raichle AF600(same as T700), all in 24.5cm shell. I guess I can wear a 23.5 shell if there is one. Since my right foot is smaller due to an injury, If MS offers a shell smaller than Shell-A, I would definitely try and buy one.

"Up-size" is usually only applicable to people who are fat, who has strong feet/large calf etc.

MS951 is quite wide with small volume. When I first tried the boots and stock liner, my feet were screaming! Then, I know that is my boots.

Wearing a larger shell is always comfortable and happy in the beginning. Problems only occur later on. Just my 2cents.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I agree…..no one is wearing a larger shell (some are wearing smaller), I’m wearing the correct B shell for my foot size. I’ve gone up a half-size on the liner from my foot measurement, but as mentioned my foot is wide and this is the same size I’ve worn my entire adult life, except for really odd-sized boots.

I’m not sure why you think the .951s are “quite wide” — they certainly a bit narrower than UPZ, I tried a pair of stock UPZs last year and they were wider in the forefoot for sure. But that’s OK, it’s normal to punch hard boots for wider feet and all my hard boots to date have been punched and extensively fitted/shaved. I was hoping not to, but fully expecting to.  

The calf sizing is interesting—I measured my calf, 16.5” which Google tells me is likely on the larger size, but not crazy. But compared to my current boots, the plastic on the .951s goes a little higher up (although liners are the same size), so I suspect it squeezes more as a result. Based on initial bootfitter feedback we’ll probably need to shave down the black plastic shell piece on the calf side that attaches to the strap, hopefully we won’t need to remove it entirely but I guess we’ll see! 

[hknz]

My calf is also quite large in the Shell A. I have removed the black spoiler from day 1. But you need some DIY to re-attached the strap.

[rst]

On 12/21/2022 at 7:41 PM, hknz said:

no way your actual feet are 26.7 in a Shell A without punch.

I have Shell A and I measure the inner shell length very carefully. It is 262mm. My feet are 251.4/254.4, thus having approx 10mm space when shell fitting.

ShortcutToMoncton:

your 25.75 feet should be able to fit Shell A with a pair of Zipfit Gara liner. Because Zipfit is very thin in the forefoot.

 

 

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Well I got mine punched out today and molded the liners. May still have to punch out the left boot again a little bit (that foot’s a bit wider) but figured I’d ride on it a couple days first to see how it breaks in. 

Molding the liners definitely made the calf a little better, liner stretched out around the top of the boot a little. For now we left the black rear upper plastic plate alone, but suspect we’re going to need to either shave it down or take off entirely—will see how it goes!!

One thing that’s come out of all this is how amazing it is I’m still going on the Dalbello Krypton Pros. The Dalbellos are actually surprisingly similar shell-wise, but definitely super stiff in comparison, and having springs is a totally different flex adjustment—I’m used to throwing my knees hard into the ground to initiate flex, but at least for carpet surfing these seem far more progressive. Can’t wait to give them a run on Tuesday! 

Edited December 25, 2022 by ShortcutToMoncton

[hknz]

rst:

It is very strange because my shell A may be smaller than yours.

Just to make thing clearer. Shell A can be distinguished by its outlook. Its heel piece plastic does protrude from the boots shell (refer to the right one in the photo). Unlike Shell B,C,D which have heel piece under the boots.

 

[rst]

4 hours ago, hknz said:

rst:

It is very strange because my shell A may be smaller than yours.

Just to make thing clearer. Shell A can be distinguished by its outlook. Its heel piece plastic does protrude from the boots shell (refer to the right one in the photo). Unlike Shell B,C,D which have heel piece under the boots.

 

yeah))

[hknz]

21 hours ago, rst said:

yeah))

It is really weird. What liner did you used? and how did you mod it to gain extra space for your feet?

I guess 2-3mm need for the front and rear of the liner. Thus 262-5=257mm only!