Help explain the basics of ski/touring boot options for noob with WIDE feet

[Grip]

Hey friends. 

I’m having a hard time finding boots to accommodate my wide feet. Sorry I now there have been many different threads on different boot models. Can’t seem to make sense of it all.

My feet appear to be almost 115mm wide and size 27.5 by measurement, confirmed when getting Sidas footbeds made. I’ve tried having UPZs punched out but they’re still not wide enough... room for toes to wiggle but squeezing the hell out of the whole mid foot. For what its worth, I have an SG The Cult board with a 24mm waist width, and SG Plate bindings, so a slightly longer length boot shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I dont plan to race, just want something comfortable to rip carves all day around east coast resorts.

Are any of the light ski touring boots better suited to snowboarding that can be punched out that far (Atomic Badlands, Scarpa?)? I love the idea of light boots you can actually walk in!

Or can beginner level ski boots work? I tried on some cheap Rossignol EVO 70 boots that are 104mm wide out of the box. Quite a bit more comfortable but no idea if they would work at all on a snowboard. 

What other features do I need to look out for - Walk mode, ability to lock forward lean, flex characteristics?

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

[Beckmann AG]

Some shops don't like to visibly distort the plastic for fear of reprisal, so there's a good chance the boots you have can work.

 

Maybe post a photo of your widest foot as seen from above. Or if you're shy, a tracing of the outline.

Also the boot shell to illustrate the extent to which it's been modified.

 

If you put your feet in the empty shells (no liners) are you hard up against the plastic on both sides? 

Have you had the same issues in other boots?

 

Failing the usual solutions, you'll need a large paper bag, a pair of scissors, and a used sporting goods shop.

[philw]

I guess you'd need to try the boots on. I don't know about which boots can be effectively stretched. I have the Backlands, but my feed are 10% narrrower that yours at widest. I doubt beginner ski boots would be a lot different, but the reasons for using stuff like the Backland AT boots is that they're easy to walk in and have very controllable lean/ flex, especially with third-party springs, plus they're light and stiff.

I hate walk mode, I look only for boots which fit the bindings, and which may have sufficient forward lean for my back leg to be happy with.

[lonbordin]

I'm ~115 wide unweighted. The UPZs are the only shells that require minimal shell modifications.  You're not using the stock FLO liners are you? Because a box of cats with lasers can't make them wide enough.  As the learned gentleman inquired... How are the shells without liners?

[Grip]

Thanks! Yup only have stock liners. Maybe worth trying making some stretch slices in the outer fabrics (as I think I read Beckman recommend on another thread)? What liners do you recommend? 
 

I also have wide burton softies maybe u could try swapping? But they have the quick lace system not sure how that would jive. 

[lonbordin]

Liners are personal preference, that said the no liner shell test feedback is what we need you to do to be able to give proper feedback on next steps.  

My gut is you'll need a Low Volume (liner).

[Carvin' Marvin]

My feet are nearly identical in size.  I use 27M UPZ rc10s with Intuition power wrap liners.  The sides of my feet are snug but not uncomfortable when standing.  I did add extra foam strips to the sides of my feet when molding to blow them out a few extra mm.  The stock liners were a definite no go.

[Grip]

Awesome! I had no idea the liners were so fussy. Thought you just bake them and run with it. Heading to boot fitter today and will pay particular attention to clearances with liner out.

[Grip]

Clearances seem good in his opinion for both the liner and the shell (which was punched last winter already). Fitter kindly recommended that he wouldn’t want to stretch them any more. 

Back home tinkering... remembered reading a trick about using both cant-adjusters to raise the upper shell, therefor increasing the volume around the ankle. Feels a lot better actually. Big toe still in contact on the front corner, and definitely way snugger than my wide soft boots... but seems tolerable. Maybe before the extra pressure was pushing my foot to one side or the other, making it seem like a width issue. 

So despite my original intent, and the title of this thread, I think I’ll keep these cinder-blocks for the time being and ride ‘em!