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April, 2025

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Boot Fit: Adding A Shim, Adhesive Choice?

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Krampus
Posts: 45 - Karma: 57
Hithere. Thanks for stopping by!

I have a pair of Dalbello Boss boots with a Polyurethane shell (so I have read)

I also have a pair of fucked up feetsies. There is a significant difference in the size of my heels, to the tune of about half of a shoe size.

I'm tired of losing my right big toenail to toebang. Two years in a row now and I'd love to not make it a third!

I've got some materials set aside to shim the heel of my boot shell but I'm not really interested in breaking down the shell material with adhesive.

In your experience, will using your average one or two part plastic bonding epoxy (Dept store Loctite, for example) be a safe choice?

https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-Plastics-Bonding-Activator-681925/dp/B000Y3LHXW

https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-Plastic-0-85-Fluid-Syringe-1363118/dp/B0044FBB8C/ref=pd_sim_60_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PD8TT11K1NZVY8TRA927

It seems that PU isn't on the list for either so I have my concerns. Better options? Am I over-thinking this?

Thanks for your insight
8 years ago
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Krampus
Posts: 45 - Karma: 57
The fit of my larger foot is perfect and I wouldn't change a thing.

The size discrepancy is about 85% in the heels of my feet so that's where the shim will be going.
8 years ago
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rballs_
Posts: 709 - Karma: 2,992
This is super cliche and I know it doesn't technically answer your question BUT: Get fitted by a bootfitter. I recently did this and yeah, it cost a bit of money, but if you're skiing multiple times a week it's completely worth it. I spent years just buying boots cause they felt comfy in store, had a nice flex, looked cool etc and I wish i wouldve gotten fitted long ago. Even my friend who has the most fucked up feet I've ever seen got fitted into some comfy boots.

It's hard the explain the difference good fitting boots make in your skiing and how good they feel but trust me on this one.
8 years ago
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Krampus
Posts: 45 - Karma: 57
You have given good advice, but unfortunately it's not really for me :(

I live in WV. Nothing around me, I'm on my own.

I only ski maybe 5-7 days a season. Last year was not a good year, I went one whole day (puke, but it was a great day at Seven Springs! Minus the toebang obviously) and one flipping backseat landing claimed my nail.

Just looking for a cheap fix really, and everything I have read is light on material discussion. Super light, like non-existent.
8 years ago
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rballs_
Posts: 709 - Karma: 2,992
KrampusYou have given good advice, but unfortunately it's not really for me :(

I live in WV. Nothing around me, I'm on my own.

I only ski maybe 5-7 days a season. Last year was not a good year, I went one whole day (puke, but it was a great day at Seven Springs! Minus the toebang obviously) and one flipping backseat landing claimed my nail.

Just looking for a cheap fix really, and everything I have read is light on material discussion. Super light, like non-existent.


IN that case, i would maybe try footbeds in your boots to take up some volume. you can even try PMing onenerdykid. He's a bootfitter and a wizard when it comes to boots.
8 years ago
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Krampus
Posts: 45 - Karma: 57
Could that negatively impact the fit of my "good" foot and make it feel cramped?

I haven't tried footbeds before. I have liners that mold to your feet so footbeds were not recommended when I bought the boots. I also won't be going back to that shop for a plethora of reasons (besides the fact that it's literally hours away) so I suppose it's worth a shot.

They fit great in the shop and had no troubles my first 6-8 days in them but I'm sure that wiggle room over time is unavoidable.

I'm still looking for a quick fix in the meantime! Working up until the day of my trip, if I can find a solution for 3-7$ that would be wonderful.
8 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7290 - Karma: 18,697
KrampusCould that negatively impact the fit of my "good" foot and make it feel cramped?

I haven't tried footbeds before. I have liners that mold to your feet so footbeds were not recommended when I bought the boots. I also won't be going back to that shop for a plethora of reasons (besides the fact that it's literally hours away) so I suppose it's worth a shot.

They fit great in the shop and had no troubles my first 6-8 days in them but I'm sure that wiggle room over time is unavoidable.

I'm still looking for a quick fix in the meantime! Working up until the day of my trip, if I can find a solution for 3-7$ that would be wonderful.


What type of shim are you looking to use that you are gluing it into the shell? So is it the larger foot or the smaller which you get toe bang on? Either way footbeds and then possibly expanding the toe box if its the larger foot would probably be the best way to go. If you dont live near to a fitter wait until you go to ski and maybe try to pop into a local fitter at the mountain the evening you get there. Most mountains will have some decent fitters who can hopefully help you.
8 years ago
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Krampus
Posts: 45 - Karma: 57
Yeah I think I'm just gonna stick my head in a shop and see what they have to say.

I intended on shimming the smaller foot with some combination of layering adhesive, soft foam, denser foam, some kind of squishy rubbery material, and even laminate cardboard.

Bought my boots from a shop in Ohio, they felt I should be fitting the boots to my larger foot but I feel like buying them for my smaller foot and having them punched out would have made more sense?
8 years ago
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haggis_hunter
Posts: 399 - Karma: 207
EVA foam and a some decent carpet adhesive (like what automotive trimmers use), you can get stick back EVA foam from 3M which makes it even easier. I got my EVA foam from a cosplay website.
8 years ago
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Krampus
Posts: 45 - Karma: 57
For PU, my guys say you shouldn't need a primer, but you need a glue + a hardener. Glue: Helmipur GPV + 10% SWIFT hardener 9510

That's the exact stuff we use and should be available at most any cobbler or shop that resoles mountaineering, A/T, or tele boots.

In general, you can size down and then punch out but just know that it will result in a colder boot. For me personally, I find it easier to size to the bigger foot and then make it tighter for the smaller foot. It usually ends up being a more comfortable solution. But it would depend on your personal threshold for cold/pain...
8 years ago
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6744 - Karma: 11,760
As Tom said, footbeds. This will help you more than anything.

But in terms of securing the heel lift in the shell, you probably don't need to glue it directly to the PU. Isn't there a boot-board in the shell, underneath your liner? You can just tape or glue it to that. And then you wouldn't need a crazy specific PU glue.
8 years ago
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Krampus
Posts: 45 - Karma: 57
Oops I didn't meant to submit that earlier without crediting it as your response to my PM.

That sounds better than gluing to the shell itself. I'd like to keep the lift in the heel to a minimum so if I can secure a vertical wedge at the base so it won't break free and wiggle around I'll try that. I'm going to play around with it here in a little bit get back with ya.

Thanks
8 years ago
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Krampus
Posts: 45 - Karma: 57
No toebang!

I couldn't get anything to stick in the heel area of my boot without being pushed away when I crammed the liner in. Trying to shim the heel wasn't the way to go anyway, it doesn't matter where you take the slop out as long as it's out, such a minimal difference isn't gonna change much about the feel or transfer of energy.

So in the end I cut a piece of cardboard the size of my toebox and stuck it in there with medical tape.

Worked like a charm.
8 years ago
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