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Help me Buy New Boots

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Negromancer
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 1,499
Hey

Before I start please don't tell me "go to a boot fitter" or just link me to the How to Buy Ski Boots thread here: https://www.newschoolers.com/ns/forums/readthread/thread_id/311248/

Because I have been to three different boot fitters and have read that thread already.

My issue is I live in New Zealand so the range of ski boots is very small compared to the US, Canada, Europe etc. I have a very small, wide and high arch foot so finding boots that fit properly is very difficult. I've got a custom footbed which helps a lot though. I need some suggestions on what boots to look for, I ski park 90% of the time (I live near a snowdome).

I'm a size 24.5/25.5 and I've tried:
Salomon SPK 85 - I have a very prominent saddle bone so I found the big buckle on the bottom part of the boot put all of its pressure directly over the top of it which made it unbearably sore.

Nordica Double Six - I tried 24.5 which I found to be extremely tight and uncomfortable so then I tried the 25.5 which was better but there was still a lot of pressure over the top of my foot and my toes weren't reaching the end of the boot.

Then I tried Salomon Quest 90 and Tecnica Cochise 90 which actually fitted well and were comfy but I'm just a little bit unsure of whether or not they would be ok to use in the park. 

So now I need some suggestions on what boots to look for, the ski shops here are willing to order in a boot for me to try on.

Thanks for any suggestions/help :)
Apr 23 2013 6:09PM
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M.M
Posts: 1696 - Karma: 4,494
there is no such thing as a park boot, its not like a all mountain boot that fits good cant be used it just doesnt have some of the features that others "meant" for park like ruber soul, but i wpuld rather have a well fitting all moutain boot than a park boot that doesnt fir so look at all boots
Apr 23 2013 6:31PM
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Negromancer
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 1,499
Ok thank you for the reply so you reckon it would be ok to use those Salomon or Tecinca boots in the park?
Apr 23 2013 6:43PM
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M.M
Posts: 1696 - Karma: 4,494
as far as im concerned, but see if somone else responds
Apr 23 2013 6:48PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
That's not what I think he's trying to get at. He's more or less worried about the Cochise and Quest being walk-mode boots. Anyways OP your feet sound very similar to mine. I tried on a few of the same boots as you did and had pretty much identical results. I ended up going with Dalbello Voodoos. They are way too wide for my foot (I was a gaper when I bought them...) but other then that they have a great fit in the arch. That seems to be my biggest problem with all of the other boots I had tried on. The boss should have a very similar fit as it has an identical lower shell. Good luck, hopefully you have access to some of those to try on.
Apr 23 2013 6:51PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
Oh. Aha I took forever to reply and didn't see the others. To be honest I too found a great fit in a pair of Quest 90's but shyed away due to their walk mode. I've seen people ride with walk modes in the park, it's all preference I think though. And at the end of the day I maybe had a hair bit of buyers remorse sacrificing that awesome fit for the second best fit, all over a walk mode feature. And to be fair there are loads of people that tour and throw down on walk mode boots in the BC. So it's not like a walk mode boot is going to t-hall explode apart while riding. Unless someone has seen otherwise...
Apr 23 2013 6:56PM
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Negromancer
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 1,499
Thanks for the help NinetyFour unfortunately I don't think I could try Dalbello Voodoos because I have never seen them in any New Zealand shops :(

What about the Full Tilt booters, I know they're a wider boot which is what I need. The store can get some in for me I'm pretty sure. I have heard mixed opinions on Full Tilts and a bunch of my mates use em' and say they're great.
Apr 23 2013 7:17PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
I can't really tell you to much about them. Never had a chance to try on a pair of FT's. I know the situation your in though. I live like dead centre of Canada in the prairies... Not a huge selection anywhere within the area, and I don't really know if anyone at the local shops are qualified for bootfitting in any way. I've been asked shoe size several times. Stuff like that. Gonna try to make a two hour trip next fall to get fitted on a lineup of Lange, Technicas, Nordicas, and Heads though. Hoping I can find something... $75 fitting fee on top of that to...
Apr 23 2013 7:47PM
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Negromancer
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 1,499
Again thank you for the help.

It's such a pain because having a small selection of boots makes it difficult and then the shape and size of my foot makes it even more difficult to find any boots that even fit.

I asked the guy at the store to try get some Booters in that are my size and he also said he was going to try get some other boots in for me to try so hopefully the boots that he gets will fit well.
Fingers crossed.
Apr 24 2013 1:21AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6724 - Karma: 11,551
If you have a wider, higher volume foot then you should check out next year's Overload series from Atomic. Definitely a fit you should check out, along with the possibility of adjusting the forward lean (upright or forward options) and flex adjustment.

Check out the link below with kids who have already tried it:



Apr 24 2013 5:32AM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7256 - Karma: 18,388
Yeah I would have to agree with Onenerdy the live fit shell would be a great option. Maybe even look at this seasons Live fit 90. It is a wide fitting forfoot with a lot of height in the instep. There are other flexes too but if your mainly dome riding 90 or 100 should be good, depending on your size of course.
Apr 24 2013 1:20PM
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milk_man
Posts: 5252 - Karma: 5,973
Full Tilt Seth Morrison, Tom Wallisch, Level 1.. FT has so many sick boots. As for me, I have the SPK 100s and they work fine for me, but I'm gonna upgrade to some Full Tilts
Apr 24 2013 1:57PM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
just dont listen to this at all. dont get full tilts unless they fit you and they are actually the best boot for you
Apr 24 2013 2:04PM
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milk_man
Posts: 5252 - Karma: 5,973
Right..Don't get a boot that doesn't fit well and feel good..
Apr 24 2013 2:09PM
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Crispy.
Posts: 6119 - Karma: 7,721
You're dumb, stop posting terrible advice because you know nothing about boots.
Apr 24 2013 2:51PM
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milk_man
Posts: 5252 - Karma: 5,973
You're right..it's not like I just went through the process of buying boots in September or anything
Apr 24 2013 2:56PM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
Do you have a high instep as well as a high arch?  Arch problems can be dealt with using footbeds.  Instep issues need to be addressed in the shell(or footbed if you have too much instep room in your boots).

The Tecnica Cochise has a ton of instep room if you need it.  I'm not too sure about the Quest though.  At a 90 flex, the Cochise will work fine in the park.  Or get the Demon.  They're the same boot, just without the walk mode of the Cochise.
Apr 24 2013 6:14PM
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Crispy.
Posts: 6119 - Karma: 7,721
Full tilts are not the best boot. If you fit into an SPK 100 properly, none of the Full Tilts you mentioned are going to fit you right due to them being a lot skinnier.
Apr 24 2013 9:15PM
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Negromancer
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 1,499
Hey thank you for the help.
I actually really want to try the Overloads on but my on concern is that I will have the same issue that I had with the SPK's. Because there is just one big buckle on the bottom part of the boot I'm a bit worried that it will put all of its pressure directly over the bone on the top of my foot (saddle bone) like the SPK's did which will hurt.

skier996 the Full Tilt boots you listed are not wide and are for narrow feet I'm pretty sure so I don't think they will work for me.

Caucasian_Asian cheers for the help I have a high arch and instep but I have a custom molded footbed which is really helpful for my arch. The Demon's look good now the tricky part is finding them in New Zealand :/

Thanks for all the help guys +k :)
Apr 25 2013 4:10AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6724 - Karma: 11,551
Whether you have one buckle on the shell or two, it won't matter in terms of causing instep pressure. Instep pressure is caused by the last not being the right height for your foot.

Plus, on the new Overload series, the adapter plate (thing the buckle is mounted to) is very hard directly under the buckle which means the pressure that is created when buckling boot is evenly distributed across the top of the foot. Once you are able to try them on, you will notice a huge difference between how the new Overload is built compared to the SPK.
Apr 25 2013 9:30AM
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Negromancer
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 1,499
Sounds great thanks for the help again. I'll definitely try find a pair of Overloads to try on.


Apr 25 2013 4:59PM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
You clearly did t wrong if you can "fit" into a spk and a ft. Which have a difference of 5 mm in the last
Apr 26 2013 1:25PM
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Negromancer
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 1,499
Hey just an update I ended up getting the Salomon Quest Access 80's because they just felt the best and by far the most comfy. They seem to have a very nice flex and great padding so hopefully I won't get sore shins anymore. Unfortunately park boots just don't seem to fit me very well.

I haven't managed to ski in them yet and the boot fitter said that the walk mode doesn't matter. Hopefully they will do well :)


Thanks for the help everyone.
Apr 26 2013 9:01PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
Awesome stuff man. Have a good season with em!
Apr 26 2013 10:15PM
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milk_man
Posts: 5252 - Karma: 5,973
Why couldnt i fit into both? that makes no sense
Apr 27 2013 11:11AM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
The last and instep are different sized. If you fit into one, you can't really fit into the other because they are made for entirely different foot shapes. "Fitting" into both in this case would mean that one of them is too big for you to compensate for the lack of room that the shell would offer
Apr 27 2013 1:43PM
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wagwaman
Posts: 722 - Karma: 98
i also have a crazy wide foot and i bump the full tilt booters which are absolutlely fantastic
Apr 27 2013 2:15PM
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