Author Topic: Boot shell fit criteria  (Read 1819 times)

HighAngles

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Re: Boot shell fit criteria
« Reply #30 on: April 29, 2012, 10:33:48 am »
FYI -- tried a Lange RS130, and it was way too tight in the midfoot area.  Good elsewhere, esp. in the heel, achilles and cuff areas.  This one might be a contender if a good fitter can punch those areas out.

Svend - Your comment about the mid-foot area being too tight can be easily remedied if you're willing to cough up more cash for a ZipFit liner.  The ZipFit only has 2 layers of neoprene around the mid-foot and will allow you to get into a tighter fitting shell.  Honestly, this is all about the things I warned about - being led astray by a liner (or possibly the footbed).

Put it this way, I could barely get my foot into the Raptor with the stock liner and once I did I was not in my "happy place".  With a ZipFit it's the perfect shell for my foot.  In the end it's all about what your personal goals are for your boot fit.  I prefer to lean toward the side of higher performance which means I want less liner between my foot and the shell.

HighAngles

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Re: Boot shell fit criteria
« Reply #31 on: April 29, 2012, 10:38:17 am »
I happened to browse through a 2013 Atomic catalog yesterday in a shop, and spotted an interesting looking race boot called the Redster.  This has a carbon spine, three replaceable sole plates of differing stiffness, and, most interestingly, a flattened lower part of the inner boot where the foot contacts the side of the shell.  This is supposed to help with edge grip and ski control.  A very interesting looking boot, and some innovative technology in there.

Be careful with this one in regards to assuming the "carbon" spine is what Atomic says it is.  According to Bill Dodge (of Dodge Boots fame) the "carbon" in the spine of the Redster is not actually a piece of carbon fiber shaped into the spine of a boot.  It's actually ground up carbon mixed with plastic which does make the spine more rigid, but it's not really the same thing as true carbon fiber.

Now of course this info is only hearsay and the Redster may still be a great skiing boot (it does have some nice features like the rotating cuff).  In the end though it only matters if the shell is the one that fits your foot best.

Svend

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Re: Boot shell fit criteria
« Reply #32 on: April 30, 2012, 06:04:56 am »
H-A, the Lange was already tight in the midfoot area when I tried the shell fit.  Both sides of my foot were touching the shell, and not just lightly -- it was pretty snug.  Naturally, with liner in, it was far too tight there.

Thanks for the info on the Atomic.  I will try it on for size this coming autumn when the new stuff is in.  But for now, my search is done, as I'm back home from my trip west and all stores here have no more ski stuff on the floor.

Thanks to all for their great advice and input.  It's really raised my knowledge and awareness of what to look for when trying on boots.  My trials last week were most interesting, and I was definitely a more savvy shopper.  Among other things, it reconfirmed yet again that flex index means almost nothing, even within a brand.  But I was surprised at just how drastic some of the differences actually were.

I appreciate all your help, and will pick up this thread again in the fall when my search resumes.

Cheers,
Svend

HighAngles

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Re: Boot shell fit criteria
« Reply #33 on: April 30, 2012, 06:18:07 pm »
Hmmm, in re-reading some of my posts I think I'm getting a bit "preachy" around here.  Feel free to smack me down a bit. ;)

Svend - glad you learned a thing or two.  I wish you luck when you pick your search back up in the Fall.

jim-ratliff

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Re: Boot shell fit criteria
« Reply #34 on: April 30, 2012, 07:26:30 pm »
HA:
I for one, don't feel like you have been preachy. I don't quite know how you manage without actually working in a ski shop, but you have a lot of knowledge about a lot of gear.  I enjoy that as a resource, and all I hear is reasonable suggestions presented respectfully.
As an example, your comment about the carbon spine made perfect sense once you mentioned it. Shimano Ultegra carbon pedals use "short fiber" carbon, the top-line Dura Ace uses longer fiber carbon. Neither is bad, but only one is their top tier (and 20% more expensive) product.
So reasonable reminder that their are various 'carbons'.
"If you're gonna play the game boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."

Svend

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Re: Boot shell fit criteria
« Reply #35 on: April 30, 2012, 09:41:30 pm »
H-A...by no means are you being preachy.  Not a whiff of a soap box or pulpit, so no worries.  On the contrary, I find your replies extremely informative and I appreciate the time and detail you put into them.  So, don't stop.  Keep doing what you're doing.

I think everyone here is mature and sophisticated enough to know that members often post opinions and experiences regarding things that work or make sense to the person posting, and the readers are then are able to interpret this in their own way and take away that which fits their own situation and needs.  A variety of opinions and perspectives is healthy and can only deepen the knowledge pool, and as long as everyone stays open-minded and tolerant of alternative viewpoints, then it's all good.

So, again, thanks for all your help with my questions. 

Cheers,
Svend

LivingProof

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Re: Boot shell fit criteria
« Reply #36 on: May 01, 2012, 07:17:19 am »
One the great things about our forum is that there are many people that make me think when they speak ( ok write ).