1st time buying boots at shop

[b00stzx3]

Wusup ya'll. I've decided I need to have REALLY comfortable boots. No more cheaping out on used/ebay specials. So I'm going to the Baltimore Ski Warehouse soon and would love to hear some tips. I know new boots won't be packed, so gonna go there. I know SOLE custom footbeds really helped before so might buy a pair to take with me there. The warehouse said they have folks there that will help me find the right boots. Even if they aren't great, there's a Pro-Fit bootfiter not far in Northern Virginia. So any advice? I know to put them on moderatley tight, standup, tighten more then walk around to see how my feet react. I've had from terrible to mediocre luck with used boots ordered online. Also I have a tight budget cuz I don't make that much. So maybe 250 or less I'm looking at.

Whatever boot I get, gonna spring for some Spruce releaseables. I'm 24 and too old to heal up from ankle injuries!

I've found some very affordable boots online, some Tecnicas that have "HotForm" liner which molds to your foot which I really like.

[mahatma]

b00stzx3,

You'll do well. Comfortable boots are cheaper than "racing" or "competition" boots. By the way, don't let those words make you feel like you are somehow looking at a lower class of boot. It's all marketing. If you have duck feet like me (feet as wide as they are long) I suggest Head boots. Nice, wide toe boxes and good quality throughout. Anything you plan to add to the boots like special beds do indeed take with you. It could very easily be all the difference. When you put the boots on tamp your heel into the floor (bang the back of the heel into the floor setting your Achilles Heel against the back of the boot). This sets your foot directly against the back of the boot. This is where your foot should be. It also creates an absolute consistent position within any boot so you can judge differences from boot to boot. While the boots will indeed pack out, if the boot is insufferable in the store it will never fit you right. A little tight is fine but more is not. Take a pair of the socks you intend to wear while skiboarding with you. You want everything to be as if you are going to walk out of the shop and onto the slopes. Custom liners pay immediate dividends but at your price range I'd get the most boot I could get and just let the stock liners pack out naturally. But again, custom liners are always a great way to go. Get someone who loves you to buy you a top of the line set of moldable liners for Christmas. Let them pay for the custom work while you are at it. If they won't do that then they don't really love you (ha ha).

[slow]

To have a comfortable boot fit, the shell needs to match your feet otherwise you will have hot spots. Here is what your boot fitter needs to do to fit you properly.
http://www.skiboardsonline.com/vbull...ead.php?t=8813

[b00stzx3]

Wow thanks for all the info!!

Thats a good tip. Tap w/heel thing. I printed out what ya'll both said so I have it when I got saturday.

Thanks for the link Slow, thats good shiz.

Appreciate it guys!!! Lookin at the Tecnica Vento 8. Good price and looks like good features.

[b00stzx3]

Just an update. The place was SWAMPED when we went there. Sales guy helping me was a skiboarder to. Anyways, he brought out a buncha pairs, best fit were the Fischer Viron 65s. However, every pair he brought out were $300. And no Tecnicas I'mma email them and ask if they have any cheaper boots for sale. Ski Chalet in Gaithersburg is having a sale to. I just wanna try on some under-$200 boots!!

[Trix]

in reply to Slow's awesome bootfitting post, something we used to do at the shop I boot fit at was to take a 20mm thick dowel, about 8 to 10" long, and we sanded one end down so it was 10mm. This made shellfitting a ton easier, as often it is rough trying to eyeball a fit. It was easy enough to gently shove a customer into a shell, align them and place the dowel behind their heel to show how much room there was. Easy and fairly cheap to do yourself!

With Slow's post info and a handy dandy dowel, I'd look around for a ski swap if you can find one. Sometimes you can find great deals. Here in Sacramento the local shops all send their slightly older and demo boots, skis and snowboards to swaps just to clear inventory. And generally you can haggle a bit depending on the shop and product.

[JPARK]

I wish i saw this before.
sorry for the late response.. but
I also live in MD (Baltimore) and I did lots of boot shopping years ago.

try going to the princeton sports (there are two different locations)
and ski shoppe in reisterstown (I got my boots from there)

they have boot technicians in almost every ski shop.
Ski shoppe and princeton sports pp were the nicest and knows a lot about boots.
They do little bit of heating molding for you if you buy boots from there.


I suggest that you go to these ski shops and try on the selections of boots.
keep them on for at least 5-10 mins and walk around and all. see if you feel pressure point or if it's comfortable.
that's how i found my new boots and i love them.
(I bought old one from princeton sports but i didn't try putting them on for 5 mins and i had major pressure point. I didn't know how to choose the boots back then, but they have good customer services. I went there to fix the boots every week last winter and they were very nice)


so yeah
let me know how it works.
I believe you don't have to look too far from MD to get a good pair of boots.

[b00stzx3]

Thanks for the replys all!!!!

I really appreciate all the help ya'll have given me.

Good news..... I finally bought NEW BOOTS! And they FIT friggin awesome. I tried on some different models at Ski Chalet in Gburg. Finally settles on the Atomic Hawx 80. I liked the stiff boot as I usually do more carving and all mountain than freestyle. They heat up the liners to for a custom fit. Turns out I was buying wrong sized boots all the other times. Can't base boot size on shoe size mondo conversion. They were $300 so not bad for COMFORT. I'm so siced to get on the slopes.

Pics don't even do em justice they're gorgeous...


@Jpark, we'll have to go tear up some of the local mountains if you're down. I'm always hittin the slopes with snowboarders and skiiers.