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List of good boot fitters.

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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7143 - Karma: 17,438
So we see a lot here people asking for advice on boots but more often then not the best respomse we can offer is go see a good fitter. But how do you know who is actually good and who is just in it for the money.

I would like like to compile a list of currently working fitters who people have had great succsess with. Ideally we can create a list which can help people locate te best fitter in their area easier.

If you have had good experiences post them up. I will update this thread with names and locations. You can give bad experiences too as obviously these can be useful but I don't think it's right to hav a list of bad fitters.

So to start off I will do the uk an whistler as these are the areas I know.


UK

Julian Thorpe
head of podietry for sidas uk.

Jules is one of the best fitters in the world. He is a qualified podiatrist and knows more about feet and boots then anyone I know. He does not fit often these days but you will catch him at the London ski show and if you contact his clinic you may convince him to work with you.

Eddie Thelwell
castleford Ellis Brigham.

I worked with eddie for a few years at cas. He is an ex pro and has a lot of knowledge. If you are in the north go see him.



Canada -west

Tom Pietrowski
whistler

i have worked as a fitter for over a decade now. I specialize in custom foot beds toachieve the best fit possible And minimize the amount of shell and liner work required. I have worked with some of the top pros but I'm more then happy to help anyone with issues they have. I enjoy a challenge and enjoy helping people get back to skiing who have had potentially skiing ending injuries.

Ernie (I'll have to cheack his last name)
salomon store whistler.

I worked with ernie for a for a few seasons and he is an awsome fitter. He is an olde dude by don't let that put you off he knows his stuff. His footbeds are good and he knows his boots. has some awsome stories too.


Well that is my start. I would love you guys to post up fitters who have gone above and beyond. I'll edit this post to update with more people.

Hopefully this this can become an awsome resource.
Aug 12 2014 3:30AM
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Al.Capone
Posts: 661 - Karma: 2,779
Sh4dowI got my boots at Deep Powder House at Alta. I don't remember the guy's name, but just go in and ask to talk to their bootfitter. Great place to get boots, the guy knows his stuff.


Was it Dusty?
Nov 29 2014 6:03PM
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SteezyEvok
Posts: 290 - Karma: 109
onenerdykidSome good recommendations for Northern Vermont:

Skirack in Burlington
Inner Boot Works in Stowe
Race Stock Sports in Waterbury
Alpine Options at Sugarbush


+1 for Skirack there's some great guys there. I would stay away from Race stock sports my experience with them was absolute bullshit and I'll never go back. Guy was a dick and didn't take his time at all then tried to convince me a boot was fitting perfectly was clearly it wasn't. After all, i was skiing in it lol. Inner boots works seemed like a good place but idk my experience with them was bad too. They seemed to know their stuff but on that day it was extremely busy and they didn't want to spend any time with me, instead they pushed me aside and catered to the gapers dropping thousands on new stuff for the whole family. Whatevs no problem i guess i could of came back on a different day but it left a bad taste in my mouth. I did have a good experience with the guys at Slopestyle in Montpelier, id suggest people give them a try. Overall tho id stick with Skirack because they spent a ton of time with me trying to get things right and didn't refused to sell me a boot that didn't fit. Very personal there
Nov 29 2014 9:35PM
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hippystinx
Posts: 937 - Karma: 171
if you have money surefoot keystone, if you dont kick rocks....although if i do another full tilt width expansion from kids who dont fit into them, i am going to freak out
Nov 29 2014 10:28PM
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NEPTR
Posts: 766 - Karma: 1,936
go to any sure foot
Nov 29 2014 10:33PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7143 - Karma: 17,438
KBonego to any sure foot


I woul personally say to avoid sure foot if possible. The boots tey sell are the same as any shop but they push foam injection liners one everyone which in most cases are totally un needed. There footbeds are in all honesty garbage too, I can't tell you how many I have replaced over the years. If they are your only option they are better then buying online but if you have any other shops I would try to avoid sorefoot.
Nov 29 2014 10:52PM
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hippystinx
Posts: 937 - Karma: 171
i agree with the pushing expensive products that not everyone needs. But the hate on the orthotic is unsound. Yes if a bad tech makes a bad ortho then yeah there will be shitty products. But the non weighted/ semi weighted 3d scans produce a much more anatomically correct product than any heat fit, cork, or otherwise pressure created foot bed. And side note I will post some pics of the new x4 pro liners, they are freaking awesome. Injected foam is a vast improvement over any other liner out there, save in some circumstances such as back country where some one might choose intuition for lightness.

but as far as the surefoot system goes of literally measuring peoples feet and matching them to a shell with the closest measurements is pretty sound. Getting all the specs of a shell from the manufacturer helps i think with the fitting process, and really saves alot of the "2 finger" fit kind of shit that comes into work all day.


tomPietrowskiI woul personally say to avoid sure foot if possible. The boots tey sell are the same as any shop but they push foam injection liners one everyone which in most cases are totally un needed. There footbeds are in all honesty garbage too, I can't tell you how many I have replaced over the years. If they are your only option they are better then buying online but if you have any other shops I would try to avoid sorefoot.


side note.....

what is your hydraulic expander set up look like. What kind of blocking does your shop use. I think there is a market for some nice shaped blocks for expansions. Specific toe box, instep...etc i think it would make the process a whole lot quicker and more solid..just saying..

and i typed alot i really hope to get a response from a solid boot fitter..i get pushed surefoot propaganda all day it would be nice for the other side
Nov 29 2014 11:14PM
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hippystinx
Posts: 937 - Karma: 171
i agree with the pushing expensive products that not everyone needs. But the hate on the orthotic is unsound. Yes if a bad tech makes a bad ortho then yeah there will be shitty products. But the non weighted/ semi weighted 3d scans produce a much more anatomically correct product than any heat fit, cork, or otherwise pressure created foot bed. And side note I will post some pics of the new x4 pro liners, they are freaking awesome. Injected foam is a vast improvement over any other liner out there, save in some circumstances such as back country where some one might choose intuition for lightness.

but as far as the surefoot system goes of literally measuring peoples feet and matching them to a shell with the closest measurements is pretty sound. Getting all the specs of a shell from the manufacturer helps i think with the fitting process, and really saves alot of the "2 finger" fit kind of shit that comes into work all day.


tomPietrowskiI woul personally say to avoid sure foot if possible. The boots tey sell are the same as any shop but they push foam injection liners one everyone which in most cases are totally un needed. There footbeds are in all honesty garbage too, I can't tell you how many I have replaced over the years. If they are your only option they are better then buying online but if you have any other shops I would try to avoid sorefoot.


side note.....

what is your hydraulic expander set up look like. What kind of blocking does your shop use. I think there is a market for some nice shaped blocks for expansions. Specific toe box, instep...etc i think it would make the process a whole lot quicker and more solid..just saying..

and i typed alot i really hope to get a response from a solid boot fitter..i get pushed surefoot propaganda all day it would be nice for the other side
Nov 29 2014 11:14PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7143 - Karma: 17,438
^the biggest issue wit the footbeds is how they surport the foot. Like superfeet they only surport the sub Taylor joint not the full medial arch. For some aspects of skiing where impacts are not a consideration, suc as just skiing groomers this can be fine. The issues arise when impacts come into play. By no surporting the full medial and lateral arch the foot collapses heavily under load and the sub Taylor joint surport can be pretty painful as it's often very stiff. The sidas or dr doctor system of surporting the entire foot is a much better way to go if you freeride or ride the park. Full surport footbeds better contrail the foot under load and will usually be much more comfortable. Hopefully that explains the issues with that style of footbed. As I say for some skier they can work but for the general new schooler skier tey are not the best choice.

In regards to te stretching kit I am pretty lucky an have a lot of kit available. We have presses with various heads and cups, the internal hydrolic stretcher again with various heads including a few custom one I have made from wood and we finally have a wintersteiger ultracam. That is a great tool. It can increase volume very easily including the instep. It also has an auto heat/cool function but I don't personally use that too often. If you have any stretching questions let me know.
Nov 30 2014 12:32AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6656 - Karma: 10,861
hippystinxi agree with the pushing expensive products that not everyone needs. But the hate on the orthotic is unsound. Yes if a bad tech makes a bad ortho then yeah there will be shitty products. But the non weighted/ semi weighted 3d scans produce a much more anatomically correct product than any heat fit, cork, or otherwise pressure created foot bed.


I have to agree with Tom here- I've have replaced countless Surefoot footbeds over the years since they simply aren't as effective as footbeds like Aline or a properly made Sidas-type. When it comes to boot-fitting, I'm an empirical realist- if it works, it works and if it doesn't, it doesn't. I've literally never been in the situation where a Surefoot footbed was the most appropriate option for someone.
Nov 30 2014 6:04AM
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hippystinx
Posts: 937 - Karma: 171
onenerdykidI have to agree with Tom here- I've have replaced countless Surefoot footbeds over the years since they simply aren't as effective as footbeds like Aline or a properly made Sidas-type.



I guess being on the other end, i seem to replace heat molded orthos daily because 9/10 the tech that did them had the person crush the insole.. How do you compensate for the pronation that occurs 90% you heat mold someone using pressure heat/cork mold? To make any of the foot beds you are talking about the user needs to apply pressure which in my opnion leads to a pronated or supinated ortho that that person is going to be riding on. The amfit 3d scanner which surefoot uses is one of the only methods i am aware of, that can create a non weighted scan of some ones foot, which coupled with a properly instructed tech, can lead to some very nice true sub talor neutral footbeds, with as tom mentioned earlier, do support the full medial and lateral arch fully custom to your individual foot. The scan is even so accurate that it creates a nice toe crest to support the metatarsals


All i am saying for surefoot is there is a reason there are 30 of em. and every year there seems to be an expansion somewhere else. Looking to Denver next. it is a good product that alot of people swear by if they can afford it. The sidas custom foot beds are a nice option for alot of people because they are what 60-80 bucks, but i don't think they compare to a fully custom 3d milled insole. but again it is probably about what types of products we are trying to push and to what target audience

side note, have you or tom ever seen the new foam injected liners in person, they r pretty impressive]
and typos everywhere
Dec 3 2014 10:21AM
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TBONE902
Posts: 266 - Karma: 708
Aerobics First in Halifax NS
Dec 3 2014 10:27AM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7143 - Karma: 17,438
hippystinxI guess being on the other end, i seem to replace heat molded orthos daily because 9/10 the tech that did them had the person crush the insole.. How do you compensate for the pronation that occurs 90% you heat mold someone using pressure heat/cork mold? To make any of the foot beds you are talking about the user needs to apply pressure which in my opnion leads to a pronated or supinated ortho that that person is going to be riding on. The amfit 3d scanner which surefoot uses is one of the only methods i am aware of, that can create a non weighted scan of some ones foot, which coupled with a properly instructed tech, can lead to some very nice true sub talor neutral footbeds, with as tom mentioned earlier, do support the full medial and lateral arch fully custom to your individual foot. The scan is even so accurate that it creates a nice toe crest to support the metatarsals


All i am saying for surefoot is there is a reason there are 30 of em. and every year there seems to be an expansion somewhere else. Looking to Denver next. it is a good product that alot of people swear by if they can afford it. The sidas custom foot beds are a nice option for alot of people because they are what 60-80 bucks, but i don't think they compare to a fully custom 3d milled insole. but again it is probably about what types of products we are trying to push and to what target audience

side note, have you or tom ever seen the new foam injected liners in person, they r pretty impressive]
and typos everywhere


I thin you are misunderstanding the bag system whic sidas and a few others use. We allow the foot to sink into te bag but because they are them stood on a soft platform we can manipulate the foot into a neutral position while weighted. This is the big factor. Wit no weight bearing footbeds te shape is never high enough in te medial arch to keep the foot neutral while weighted. Superfeet use a true non weight system and it does not produce as good a result as the weight bearing system as long as the weight nearing is do right. But I do agree a huge part of it is the person makin it. Superfeet and surefoot will be more consistent as it takes the production away from the fitter. But this mean that a good fitter can do nothin to inprove or chane the shape. This is why experienced fitters te frustrated by them. The fact surefoot is not fully custom is another conversation too. At best they are semi custom as the insole produced is infact not te exact foot shape but rather a pre programmed shape which happens to best fit te foot being scanned. But as I said abor for some skiers they can work but for the type of skiing we do other options are better.
Dec 3 2014 7:35PM
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haggis_hunter
Posts: 399 - Karma: 207
tomPietrowskiI thin you are misunderstanding the bag system whic sidas and a few others use. We allow the foot to sink into te bag but because they are them stood on a soft platform we can manipulate the foot into a neutral position while weighted. This is the big factor. Wit no weight bearing footbeds te shape is never high enough in te medial arch to keep the foot neutral while weighted. Superfeet use a true non weight system and it does not produce as good a result as the weight bearing system as long as the weight nearing is do right. But I do agree a huge part of it is the person makin it. Superfeet and surefoot will be more consistent as it takes the production away from the fitter. But this mean that a good fitter can do nothin to inprove or chane the shape. This is why experienced fitters te frustrated by them. The fact surefoot is not fully custom is another conversation too. At best they are semi custom as the insole produced is infact not te exact foot shape but rather a pre programmed shape which happens to best fit te foot being scanned. But as I said abor for some skiers they can work but for the type of skiing we do other options are better.


^This. I was in the past one of those people who went through all the hoops and in the end I had to admit my boots were not fitted properly. I ended up getting the sidas ones made properly and its a game changer. The un weighted systems will never account for people like me who have a slight ankle roll on one foot.
Dec 8 2014 6:07AM
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[tk]
Posts: 3863 - Karma: 1,906
Anyone know any in the Bozeman area?
Feb 16 2015 7:09PM
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steeze4days
Posts: 358 - Karma: 1,948
NUSSC_FreestyleUK again but the guys down at Ski Bartlett seem to know whats up when it comes to boots.

Also not sure what they are like in the rest of the country but Snow + Rock did a good job for me down in Portsmouth.


+1 for ski bartlett!
Feb 17 2015 7:50AM
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alpinesjl
Posts: 28 - Karma: 20
Surefoot does a really good job
Feb 17 2015 9:59AM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
Dave Williams at Soul Ski and Bike in Banff is the only guy that works on my boots.
Feb 17 2015 10:18AM
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s-hand
Posts: 1334 - Karma: 1,800
Does anyone know anywhere to go in the PA/NJ/MD/VA/WV region that is any good?
Apr 19 2015 11:07AM
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K.Breit
Posts: 211 - Karma: 143
Steve Forsythe with Centerline Sports in the Seattle area. Specifically between Bellevue and Redmond, WA but he has worked miracles for me & a few buddies. He gets so into it when he is working with you and talks about form and technique and things to go do the next time you ski to keep on improving. I've only gotten the chance to see him a couple times, but in those times, he has done some things that have irreversibly helped my skiing.
Apr 19 2015 1:06PM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
just a note:

there are hundreds of excellent boot fitters out there. they all fuckup on occasion. I have tossed footbeds and liners out that were made by some of the most known and respected guys in the game. It doesn't mean they are bad, it just means they don't always get it right.

In the Seattle area there are several outstanding fitters who will more than likely have you skiing happy. They have all fixed or replaced eachother's shit at onetime or another.

A lot can happen that can influence each case. They were really busy, distracted, tired, girlfriend broke up with them. Whatever. They will fuck up every once in a while, they will know it, and most likely own up to it. Just go back and be nice about it. If you do go to someone else for whatever reason, don't bad mouth the first guy. It won't earn you any brownie points. For the most part, we all know each other, get along, and ski with each other. Telling someone that their friend is an idiot isn't gonna make them want to help you any more. That's a good way to watch what could have been a simple grind or punch (potentially done for free) turn into a brand new set of boots and footbeds at retail.
Apr 19 2015 6:01PM
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kaPOW
Posts: 310 - Karma: 44
Any recommendation in the Portland area? Is the new evo store good?
Apr 20 2015 2:22AM
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K.Breit
Posts: 211 - Karma: 143
cobra_commanderjust a note:

there are hundreds of excellent boot fitters out there. they all fuckup on occasion. I have tossed footbeds and liners out that were made by some of the most known and respected guys in the game. It doesn't mean they are bad, it just means they don't always get it right.

In the Seattle area there are several outstanding fitters who will more than likely have you skiing happy. They have all fixed or replaced eachother's shit at onetime or another.

A lot can happen that can influence each case. They were really busy, distracted, tired, girlfriend broke up with them. Whatever. They will fuck up every once in a while, they will know it, and most likely own up to it. Just go back and be nice about it. If you do go to someone else for whatever reason, don't bad mouth the first guy. It won't earn you any brownie points. For the most part, we all know each other, get along, and ski with each other. Telling someone that their friend is an idiot isn't gonna make them want to help you any more. That's a good way to watch what could have been a simple grind or punch (potentially done for free) turn into a brand new set of boots and footbeds at retail.


That is a very good point, I failed to mention that there are other bootfitters in the area. I simply have not met or heard of them, but I am a pretty aloof guy. I think that fucking up on occasion goes for any aspect of life for all of us and we shouldn't knick any one guy for stuff like that.

On another note, the majority of people I know that ski do not actually go to a bootfitter however, so I think a starting point is good. I do know a few people that do see bootfitters and they are the happiest campers about.
Apr 21 2015 8:26PM
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CaptTurner
Posts: 179 - Karma: 356
Stan and Dan sports in North Conway New Hampshire was great, I had a guy named Pete, and he was amazing. I am physical therapy grad student, so when I went in there I was very pleased to see that when it came to the anatomical structure and the nuances of the foot that he knew what he was talking about.
Apr 22 2015 7:58PM
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sammy_JJ
Posts: 257 - Karma: 115
In Calgary Alberta Canada. At SKI WEST I would recommend Ryan, Dave, Eric and Jared. They all do a fantastic job and go up and beyond.
Apr 23 2015 9:43PM
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.CJ.
Posts: 1509 - Karma: 3,669
kaPOWAny recommendation in the Portland area? Is the new evo store good?


Threads
Apr 23 2015 10:30PM
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Big_Mtn
Posts: 551 - Karma: 1,647
kaPOWAny recommendation in the Portland area? Is the new evo store good?


Shaun at the evo store in portland knows his shit. I had a great experience getting boots.
Apr 26 2015 10:40PM
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cydwhit
Posts: 5067 - Karma: 42,847
Ok, so, finally at a point where I can buy some new boots and I'd really like to get fitted this time after struggling through three years of second hand Full Tilts. Problem is I'm looking for something like the Dynafit Mercury or TLT 6 (although I am open to other boots with similar performance, basically a waaaay touring oriented boot) The issue is that I can buy those for like 40% off online so I'm not as stoked to go in and pay retail, even though I need to get fitted and get footbeds.

What's the protocol on buying boots elsewhere and then paying to get fitted/footbeds? Also, I don't live anywhere near a shop so I'd have to drive 5 hours to Seattle to get to Evo. Should I just wait and save up some more and run over to Whister with a fat wad of cash, put on a blindfold and have Tom fit me for real? Should I gamble, buy boots online and wait till I happen to be in more of a boot fitting mecca to get them dialed? Any input is much appreciated!
May 13 2015 1:19PM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
there are shops in Spokane.

evo will price match anything online in the US (dynafits have been going for cost or less on bc.com)

Not a lot of options in the touring boot market - often it comes down to moding one of the current options (merc/RS or TLT6/Spectre) to work with your foot.
May 13 2015 1:33PM
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cydwhit
Posts: 5067 - Karma: 42,847
cobra_commanderthere are shops in Spokane.

evo will price match anything online in the US (dynafits have been going for cost or less on bc.com)

Not a lot of options in the touring boot market - often it comes down to moding one of the current options (merc/RS or TLT6/Spectre) to work with your foot.


Sick! Thanks. Maybe price matching at evo is the way to go then, I've been eying that deal on BC. I should really check out Sports Creel, I ski with some of their people but I've never been in and never heard anything good, or bad about their boot fitting.
May 13 2015 1:44PM
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s-hand
Posts: 1334 - Karma: 1,800
I do NOT recommend going in Inner Bootworks in Stowe. They definitely know what they are doing, but the guy who was working with me did not spend very much time analyzing my foot, ankle flexion, skiing abilities, etc. He measured the length and width of my feet and brought out a couple models for me to try on and that was it. It seemed like as soon as I mentioned that I spend a lot of time in the park he kind of wrote me off as a legitimate skier, and from that point was just trying to get me out the door as soon as possible. I will say that the boots are a LOT better than my old ones, but I am still not fully satisfied with the way they fit. I have a lot of to move in the forefoot region, which I feel could have been avoided had he taken more time to look at the volume of my foot. It has me considering buying another pair of boots in the near future from someone else, which is not good.
Feb 26 2016 12:45PM
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BingPow
Posts: 567 - Karma: 5,494
Thread is a bit old, wondering if anyone has any new ones or if innerboot works and ski rack is still the way to go in Burlington
Oct 5 2022 1:47PM
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mstanley9
Posts: 3 - Karma: 34
At Bootdoctors in Telluride, co there’s a lady named Sam who has saved my feet many times. Definitely recommend her if you’re in the area
Oct 5 2022 2:39PM
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AlaskaDogfart
Posts: 267 - Karma: 2,926
Does anyone have any experience with Boot Mechanics in Denver? Gonna be in the area in a few weeks and its the only place I could find that still had appointments open
Oct 5 2022 6:11PM
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