finding boots for tender feet

I'm need to buy a pair of ladies beginners boots for wide feet with a
high instep and large calf muscles, so they need to be tall and wide
around the toe area without a long run up the leg.

Can anyone recommend boots for someone that has already had to abandon
their first ski holiday due to the hire shop not being able to find
*any* boots that didn't cause excruciating pain.

Thanks.

On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 at 22:45 GMT, Sue Donime penned:
I'm need to buy a pair of ladies beginners boots for wide feet with a
high instep and large calf muscles, so they need to be tall and wide
around the toe area without a long run up the leg.

Can anyone recommend boots for someone that has already had to abandon
their first ski holiday due to the hire shop not being able to find
*any* boots that didn't cause excruciating pain.

First:

* Where did you experience the pain? (Arch, heel, toe ...?)
* How long after putting them on did you feel pain?
* What actions made the pain worse/better?
* Did both feet react exactly the same?

--
monique

Sue Donime wrote:

I'm need to buy a pair of ladies beginners boots for wide feet with a
high instep and large calf muscles, so they need to be tall and wide
around the toe area without a long run up the leg.

Can anyone recommend boots for someone that has already had to abandon
their first ski holiday due to the hire shop not being able to find
*any* boots that didn't cause excruciating pain.

Best bet is to find a good bootfitter who carries several boot lines
specifically because each of the lines fits differently shaped feet.
Such a bootfitter should be able to help get you into a comfortable,
well performing boot.

Where approximately are you located - maybe someone can direct you to
such a specialist in your area. I for instance can offer suggestions in
the North Tahoe area...

"Sue Donime" wrote ...
I'm need to buy a pair of ladies beginners boots for wide feet with a
high instep and large calf muscles, so they need to be tall and wide
around the toe area without a long run up the leg.

Can anyone recommend boots for someone that has already had to abandon
their first ski holiday due to the hire shop not being able to find
*any* boots that didn't cause excruciating pain.

Thanks.

How many hire shops (rental shops in American, BTW) did you visit? Did the
shop staff explain how a ski boot should fit (many don't) and try a few
different sizes?

A ski boot that is too big will often cause at least as much pain while
skiing as a boot that is too small. Specifically, a larger size boot will
have a taller cuff (the "long run up the leg"), and if the boot is too big
the cuff will dig into the calf muscle, causing intense pain.

Boots are made with a wider forefoot and a narrower heel. If the boot is too
big, buckling the boot snugly will pull the wide part of the skier's
forefoot into the narrow part of the boot, making the boot seem "too
narrow".

Ski boots are meant to fit snugly, and grip the foot much more firmly than
street shoes. It is normal for one's toe to reach the end of the boot; many
beginners find this very disconcerting and will insist that the boot is too
tight. The boot is also designed to hold the skier with ankles and knees
flexed. Again, any beginners are put off by this, and will try to stand too
upright, making the boot pinch the toes and dig into the calf.

A good rental shop employee will explain all this to the customer while
fitting boots. A poor rental shop will deliberately give the customer a
boot that is too big, knowing that the boot will feel just fine while the
customer is in the shop, and not caring if the customer is able to ski in
the boot or not, as long as the customer is in and out of the shop quickly.
--
mark

(Sue Donime) wrote in message . com...
I'm need to buy a pair of ladies beginners boots for wide feet with a
high instep and large calf muscles, so they need to be tall and wide
around the toe area without a long run up the leg.

Can anyone recommend boots for someone that has already had to abandon
their first ski holiday due to the hire shop not being able to find
*any* boots that didn't cause excruciating pain.

Thanks.


Really you should go to a good bootfitter. Salamons tend to be good
boots for someone with wide feet, langes tend not to be. Rossigonol
boots are rather similar to Langes. These new soft boots might suit
you though. Nordicas are reasonable except for the Dobberman series.
You really need a good bootfitter though. You may also want to get
custom footbeds. They do cost a lot...Around 100, but they improve
the fit immeasurably. If you really just can't get comfortable that
might be useful especially if your instep is hi. There are other ways
to compesate for weird foot problems, but custom footbeds are the
best. Super feet would be a brand for that but other companies make
them as well, Reliable Racing has a mail in one, but I haven;t tried
it. A womens boot should be better because of the wide calf.

(Sue Donime) wrote in message
I'm need to buy a pair of ladies beginners boots for wide feet with a
high instep and large calf muscles, so they need to be tall and wide
around the toe area without a long run up the leg.

Can anyone recommend boots for someone that has already had to abandon
their first ski holiday due to the hire shop not being able to find
*any* boots that didn't cause excruciating pain.

I sympathise having experienced similar foot shape problems.

I am in the UK.

I will relate my footie tale as briefly as I can.

Until say 15 years ago I could not buy shoes to fit. Due to a similar
foot shape to Sue. Now there are a few models that fit not too badly.
I ALWAYS buy the exact same shoes since I know they fit.
There in one model of business style shoes and one model of casual.

First boots were in the sale (say 11 years ago)
Skied a week a year for a long time, loosen boots at every opportnity.
Ended up with some nerve damage (slightly numbish little and next toe
which seems to have gone away now)

3 or 4 years go decided to throw as much money as possible at the
problem

Went to fancy HUGE ski shop in UK who have speciality foot people
expecting to come away £400-£450 worse off.

Surprisingly but hey he is the professional -
He sent me from the consulting room to the shop below where the first
person who saw me sold me Lange boots for my short wide high feet.
I asked questions like, should the pattern of my socks be strongly
visible on by feet after wearing the boots for 15 mins.

Yes yes, they need to be tight, they will pack out (in?) .......

[I now believe that Lange boots are known as being particularly
suited to narrow feet.]

Then went to see the professional.
He saw his job as being ENTIRELY SEPERATE from the mucky sale of
random boots. He fitted me out with a nice footbed. Sorted canting
etc.

Went on a weeks trip to Alps.

Ended up wearing new boots for a bit each day and then reverting
to the old ones.

Went back to shop on return.

Unhappy customer with sore feet. Let's give him some boots that won't
hurt.

I am now happy, boots feel comfy.

A bit later get some proper ski training.

Instructor is going on about ankle flex - i.e. I need to flex the
ankle
joint with the knee and others.
- I can't really understand, flex ankle ... crash.
EVENTUALLY the penny drops. I am stopping the boots from flapping
about
from side to side by holding the shin against the front of the boots.

Go to Nevada Sports in Tignes le Lac where for £10 Jojo fits
foam cuff round inner boot which takes up the slack.

Skiing developed from there and have done about 15 weeks on these
boots but have suffered further nerve damage cos' one day I did not
take
the boots off at lunchtime. (As you can see I do not do ski touring).

I went to Footworks in Chamonix quite prepared to buy new boots.
they cut off some of the foam that had been added at the back.

I still get cold feet.

Anyway I am now working on further removal of the foam that was
added by Jojo.

I may well be particularly stupid with respect to this saga
however I know that I have not been particularly well served
by the industry.

** What are you to do? **
Hire or buy in RESORT.

Go to local to you ski shops and try to find boots that fit.
Make a note of the model.
You could then try to find some the same for hire in the resort.
Set it up by phone in advance and reserve the boots.

I think that you should go skiing somewhere where you plan to get
new boots if you need to. i.e. Go where your selected bootfitter
works.

Several British instructors, one who himself has foot problems,
recommend
Precision Ski in Val D'Isere
Footworks in Chamonix

A pretty serious local recommended Nevada Sports in Tignes france.
It is a shop that sells ski foorwear. NOTHING ELSE.
The proprietor apparetly was boot man to the french ski team for many
years.

If you want to buy boots only consider one of the places listed above
or somewhere that you have heard a LOT of good stories about.

Ask Instructors, Racers. Find people with funny feet and go where
they go.


GOOD LUCK.

(AnyBody43) wrote in message . com...
(Sue Donime) wrote in message
I'm need to buy a pair of ladies beginners boots for wide feet with a
high instep and large calf muscles, so they need to be tall and wide
around the toe area without a long run up the leg.

Can anyone recommend boots for someone that has already had to abandon
their first ski holiday due to the hire shop not being able to find
*any* boots that didn't cause excruciating pain.

I sympathise having experienced similar foot shape problems.

I am in the UK.

I will relate my footie tale as briefly as I can.

Ask Instructors, Racers. Find people with funny feet and go where
they go.


GOOD LUCK.

BTW

I am a Ski Instructor - BASI 3.

Skiing has offered me wonderful experiences, however if you have non
standard feet the mountain is a little higher than it is for
those with standards compliant little footsies (

I have not suffered much and would not give it up for anything.

A wee bit of nerve damage has not diminished the Mountain
Experence at all.

More good luck ...

Sue Donime wrote:
I'm need to buy a pair of ladies beginners boots for wide feet with a
high instep and large calf muscles, so they need to be tall and wide
around the toe area without a long run up the leg.

Can anyone recommend boots for someone that has already had to abandon
their first ski holiday due to the hire shop not being able to find
*any* boots that didn't cause excruciating pain.

BTW, don't despair - there is always a solution, if the standard sources
don't work for you. Mel Dalebout does wonders with the Daleboot.

http://www.dalebootusa.com/test.htm