UPZ sizing help

[Billb]

I could use some opinions on UPZ boots recently purchased but not used yet . I have been using Deluxe 225 for last 15 years in 28.5. I never felt they fit properly . Too short and too tight in toe box even though I think I have very skinny feet and I never had proper heel hold in the Deluxe.My feet are 27.9 and 28.2. My new UPZ boots are a 28.5. Front of my toe just touches the boot front. Great heel hold but my toes can move around as if I don’t have shoes on . I’m not a crazy performance minded rider . Just want to be comfortable and be happy with my purchase for 10 years. I waited a while for these and don’t want to exchange because I want to use this weekend but I also don’t want to be disappointed about my purchase . Do you guys think I should try and return to get a 28 ? Thanks 

[lonbordin]

The shell for the 28&28.5 is the same only the liner is different.

The liner is designed for narrow feet.

Either way a trip to a quality bootfitter is always worth it, IMHO.

[GeoffV]

+1 in visiting a bootfitter to get the best thermo liner fitted for you. The UPZs have a bigger toe box and tighter heel than the Deeluxe boots. 

[Mr.E]

Before you ride them, take the liner out and do a shell fit (lots of info on the internet). If they are more than two fingers, get a smaller shell. Boot fitting might be more successful trying to get you some toe room in smaller shells than filling volume in shells that are too big.

[1xsculler]

IMHO, with those foot measurements I’d say a UPZ 28 shell is your size and it is my size for my 28.2cm feet. I use a Deluxe/Palau 131 liner with a slice through the top of the liner at the toes for a perfect fit and, believe me, I tried EVERYTHING else for two years. No cold toes and bedroom slipper comfort. 

[Billb]

Thanks for the replies. I wore them for some time tonight and I don’t think I could use a shorter boot but my whole foot front is swimming while my heel is held tight. I can squeeze 2 fingers in the shell but it is tight. I have a set of 28 Thermofits I have never used ,maybe I will try those . They seem to be higher volume than the UPZ liners . I will wear them a couple more nights and decide by the weekend 

[Corey]

Is that 2 fingers with the liner in place or with the liner removed? 

[Billb]

Liner out. I think I just have skinny feet. Odd though that the Deeluxe I was riding just always felt too tight . Thanks for the replies . 

[Billb]

I still haven’t decided what to do . I don’t take purchases lightly so I don’t want to use them until I’m sure . Ivan confirmed that the shells of the 28.5 are the same as 29.5. I guess that means that the 26.5-27.5 are the same . 26.5 sounds short for my 28.2 feet. I have a deluxe 28 thermofit liner not used, I bought for my deluxe boots . Is that a suitable liner for the UPZ boots ? Thanks 

[pokkis]

Size table

[lonbordin]

24 minutes ago, Billb said:

I have a deluxe 28 thermofit liner not used, I bought for my deluxe boots . Is that a suitable liner for the UPZ boots ? Thanks 

I can be... Many people use other liners for their UPZs. Intuition liners are a popular replacement and often can make up for shell volume issues.

[pauleleven]

I ride UPZ, 260 and 262 feet which should put me in the 299 bootshell but I downsized to 245(two shells down). Shell fit is one and a half and tight. I did extreme aftermarket fitting with a low volume liner and now it's great.

I don't recommend going my route with the two shell down, but seeing you're at the lower end of your current shell you could downsize one shell, because having too much volume from your ankle to the centre of your foot is not great, even when you do aftermarket fitting.

When I ride or try new shells(thinking .951 A shell), I am looking for a decent wrap from ankle forward and strong hold from ankle up, which is what I think Alpine riding should be about, using the cuff. 

In any case, UPZ liners are pretty mediocre both comfort and performance wise, going aftermarket in 20-60 snow-days you will have the option to use anywhere between low to high volume liners for either your current shell or the next size down. It's really up to you what you want when considering the amount of wrap from the ankle forward.

[1xsculler]

On 1/12/2020 at 6:57 AM, Billb said:

I still haven’t decided what to do . I don’t take purchases lightly so I don’t want to use them until I’m sure . Ivan confirmed that the shells of the 28.5 are the same as 29.5. I guess that means that the 26.5-27.5 are the same . 26.5 sounds short for my 28.2 feet. I have a deluxe 28 thermofit liner not used, I bought for my deluxe boots . Is that a suitable liner for the UPZ boots ? Thanks 

I don’t believe UPZ makes 1/2 size shells. They make 27, 28, 29, etc. Their liners, which are considered useless by most people, do come in 1/2 sizes. 
Your foot is very close to the same size as mine   (28.2) and I wear a UPZ 28 shell (312) with a Deeluxe 28 Thermofit 131 liner with a cut In the top at the toes. 
IMHO, a 27 shell will be too small and a 29 too big for you. 
A couple of years ago Deeluxe offered two Thermofit liners, a 131 and a 141. The 131 was thicker and therefore a little softer. Neither had a toe box that could be made to work for me, hence the liner surgery, pictured in my previous post in this thread. 
I went through the silliy exercise of buying both UPZs and Deeluxes in. 27s, 28s and 29s, always buying UPZs without the UPZ liners, and after settling on UPZ 28s sold the others. 
I can’t wear smaller than a US size 13 Nike running shoe. 

 

 

 

 

[Billb]

I used the boots with the stock liners day 1 . My feet were swimming and they hurt bad. After using the boots again day 2 with a new molded thermofit wrap liner bought for my deluxe boots years ago , I have no doubt I got the correct size in boots . They felt great . Thanks for the help. Billb

[dgCarve]

On 1/6/2020 at 11:17 AM, 1xsculler said:

IMHO, with those foot measurements I’d say a UPZ 28 shell is your size and it is my size for my 28.2cm feet. I use a Deluxe/Palau 131 liner with a slice through the top of the liner at the toes for a perfect fit and, believe me, I tried EVERYTHING else for two years. No cold toes and bedroom slipper comfort. 

When I bake my liners I just use a big toe cap that I made from hard foam. It makes lots of room for my toes and there is no need to cut the liner. 

[Gabe T]

On 1/12/2020 at 10:20 AM, pokkis said:

Size table

What does 6,6, 7,7 in US size represent?  Were they supposed to be .5?   Why does cm column have duplicate values?   Typos?

[lonbordin]

21 minutes ago, Gabe T said:

What does 6,6, 7,7 in US size represent?  Were they supposed to be .5?   Why does cm column have duplicate values?   Typos?

Commas are often used in place of the decimal point in European sizing, math, etc.   Yes it does appear those are supposed to be .5 values. That said I would NEVER use shoe size to gauge boot size much less UPZ shell size.  The person who made that table appears to know that most folk are unaware that MONDO is CM.  

FYI- I fit my 290cm foot in the 312mm shell with one small finger space, YMMV.  

Edit- There's other charts out there...

 

Edited February 6, 2020 by lonbordin
moar

[pokkis]

That table is only i trust. Never looked anything than 3 last coluns.

Last column is boot out dim, not internal size.

Edited February 6, 2020 by pokkis

[ursle]

If your heel is tight, done, the looser your toes the better for blood flow.

But, if you go with the 27.5, you can punch out the shell if need be, I'd go with a smaller shell and a conformable custom foamed liner, with orthotics.

If you go the custom liner route, make sure you tape foam or something over the veins from your ankles down to your feet both sides, better blood flow, warmer feet, better balance.

[Mr.E]

It doesn't help that at some point the liners shifted and the shells moved with them.

Ex: the 287mm shell is listed at a 26-26.5 on the yellow/ blue chart, but a 25-25.5 shell on the black and white and Japanese chart. I beleive this shift happened a few years ago when they changed the liners to the newer Flo type.

FWIW, I'm a 27.5 foot, and had an older set of "26.5" 287mm shells, but now fit in a "25.5" 287mm shell. It's the same size lower, but the nomenclature changed.

Edited February 6, 2020 by Mr.E

[lonbordin]

On 2/6/2020 at 10:50 AM, pokkis said:

Last column is boot out dim, not internal size.

This is correct.  I always refer to this size as it's stamped on the outside of the shell as there's little room for confusion when discussing the UPZ boot size while there is room for confusion in the different tables and sizes for UPZs.  I agree that MP size is the way to go.

IMHO, the UPZ shells are oversized and the UPZ liners are undersized.  But that's my opinion (BTW- I have a wide forefoot with a high instep)

Edited February 8, 2020 by lonbordin
Not and as

[johnasmo]

On 2/6/2020 at 10:48 AM, lonbordin said:

IMHO, the UPZ shells are oversized and the UPZ liners are undersized.  But that's my opinion (BTW- I have a wide forefoot with a high instep)

Agree with that.  I use the 312 mm shells (28-28.5), but with size 10 liners that normally come in the 324 mm shells (29-29.5).

I wear US size 12 shoes, which by the UPZ sizing chart had me in the 324 mm shells (29-29.5).  Took me years to figure out those shells were too big.  When I downsized to the 312 mm shells, the shell fit was fine (just at two fingers), but the liner was way to tight even outside the shell.  I had to re-use my old liners in new shells, and all was well.  The larger liner fits in the shells just fine.

[Billb]

Me again , a year later with the UPZs. Not much time on them due to COVID but a handful of days. Orig Deeluxs are 28. New UPZs are 28.5 . I think after all those years the 28 were too small . First day out this year decided the thermofit in 28 are too small and back of my rear heel is in excruciating pain. Never had the heel pain in the Deeluxs but they also never felt great.Went back to the UPZ liners , heated them , put in all pads that came with them , added a heel wrap for rear and boots feel ok . Not slippers but not painful. I unbuckle on the lift . 
Thinking about trying Intuition liners . Shell fit is 2 fingers . Anyone have a suggestion of what liners and volume to choose . I want a comfort fit , not performance fit . 
The heel pain is the direct back of my heel and it is much less painful in the stock liners . But still there . Thanks 

[1xsculler]

I went through a lot of boot fitting gymnastics but never with a heel problem so my solution may not help you. My feet measure 28.2 and the UPZ 28 shell ended up being correct. There is no 28.5 shell. That .5 has to do with the liner. Most people don’t seem to like the stock liner. 
My favorite liner is the size 28 Deeluxe 131. The only way I could get what I think is a perfect, very, very comfortable fit is by doing liner surgery as shown In the attached pic BUT my problem was my right big toe only. There was room in the shell but not in the liner and a bigger size liner did not solve the problem. 
This seems like a crazy solution but it worked great for my particular problem.

I wear a size 13 street and running shoe  12.5 no longer fits  

[Pat Donnelly]

Thermo Fit Liners https://palau-ski-boot-liners.com/ski-liners/alpine-dual-fit-hv/?lang=en