Do hard boots turn to their old shape?

[zoltan]

I had the toes boxed off on my boots, and after some use it almost feels like the boots have lost some of their new shape and my toes has less room than they used to. Do hard boots do this over time? Do I just need to keep having them boxed or does it become permanent after a while?

[Kent]

I don't understand your term "toes boxed off". Explain.

If you had your shells stretched, it really depends upon the process/purpose as to whether the shape will be retained. But...for the life of me, I've never heard of a fitter monkeying with the toe box (length) in a box. Perhaps the height or width....but that's usually a ball-foot issue rather than toes.

Please explain.

[Dr D]

I was listening to a bootfitter yesterday talking to someone about this very subject. He said that lots of times its done without heat or not enough as a temporary measure to see if it will work. He also said some fitters will do it without heat because its quicker and they can get rid of you if they are busy.

so either bad bootfitter or he was trying it out and hoped you would follow up for permanent fix if it worked.

My guy says that working incremantally is best one small change at a time will result in a better fix. but check up on it they may have shined you on a little

[Ray]

yes they can. Especially if you have em sit next to a heater or so ;)

[zoltan]

I don't understand your term "toes boxed off". Explain.

If you had your shells stretched, it really depends upon the process/purpose as to whether the shape will be retained. But...for the life of me, I've never heard of a fitter monkeying with the toe box (length) in a box. Perhaps the height or width....but that's usually a ball-foot issue rather than toes.

Please explain.

My feet are 27.5 and 28, but I wear 26 boots because of my narrow ankles. To keep my toes from being mooshed, my bootfitter squared the toe box of my boots, so now, instead of being pointy (why do you make the boots that shape?) the toe box is more square, thus giving my toes more room.

[Kent]

Do you know how he/she did this? As mentioned above, there are heated/non-heated methods.

Working with heat on ski/snowboard boots is very finicky......and only made worse when working with the toe of a boot. Just a tiny bit of temp difference and your boot is screwed.

Dropping a few shell sizes is fine (I'm 27.5 and wear 25 boots).

Do they make a custom insole with the stretch?

Are you near the fitter? They SHOULD re-check them at no-charge.

[zoltan]

Working with heat on ski/snowboard boots is very finicky......and only made worse when working with the toe of a boot. Just a tiny bit of temp difference and your boot is screwed.

They did it with heat, that I know because they overheated a small section of the toe.

When you say screwed, what exactly do you mean?

[bobdea]

can cause too much stretch AND also make the area that got too hot prone to cracking