http://www.footpro.com.au
A good bootfitter is worth their weight in gold. Or beer, as the unofficial ski resort economy would dictate. In the various ski towns I lived in I managed to find the local guru and was eternally grateful for their services. During my recent trip to Chamonix I needed some work done, and when I went to the store that was recommended, I didn’t know which signal was more appropriate – signed posters from every significant World Cup Skier of the recent decade, or the fact that there was booze stashed in every nook and cranny in the place. I decided it was the booze, as it meant happy locals, and the fitter saved my holiday.
One of my good instructing mates Andy Filer did his bootfitting apprenticeship under Simon Bright, and I used him for all my bootfitting needs for many years. I was devastated when I found out that Andy was taking some time out of the profession, but he delighted me when he said his former mentor was opening his own shop – Footpro. I have been to see Simon a number of times for all my boot work and he has been absolutely fantastic. I have referred many family members and also ski.com.au forum members and have heard absolutely nothing but positive feedback. Recently Andy has joined Simon at Footpro, which is fantastic news as there are now two of the best bootfitters in Melbourne in the same place.
I have been working on building the Equipment section of this website, so it was natural that I should approach Footpro for their top 5 tips on Bootfitting:
Dr Footpro’s Top five bootfitting tips.
1) Be patient and allocate enough time. A ski boot fitting will take approx two hours. Trying on ski boots and the boot selection process should take up a third of that time, the rest of the time should be spent analysing the foot type and assessing your biomechanics, constructing a custom ski boot insole and then completing the fit with any required modifications.
2) Get in early. Get your boots fitted at the start of the season when stock levels are good. Even midway through the season the selection of boots is smaller in certain models and sizes. This means your boot fitting technician is potentially working on a smaller range and only able to show you what would have been third and forth choices one month earlier.
3) Don’t bother researching ski boot models, research ski boot fitters. In my experience most people who spend hours researching the best boots end up more confused then informed. Ski boot write ups don’t explain how each brand and model will have a different last (foot shape) which results in you getting excited about a ski boot that was never going to fit. On the other hand, researching who can provide the best boot fitting service is something worth spending time on. Most capital cities will have at least one highly regarded ski boot fitting lab. Google and ski forums are good places to start looking and don’t be afraid to call past the ski boot shop prior to your purchase and suss out what they offer.
4) Communication is the key. Great ski boot fits are made easier when customer and ski boot technician are communicating well. To start off it helps to talk with your technician about previous experiences, medical conditions, skiing goals and where you like to ski. No point trying on a high end freeride boots when you spend most of your time skiing terrain park. A skilled boot fitter can make all the right moves but the customer has to do their part and communicate with the boot technician about whats going on inside the boots. If only feet could talk.
5) Comfort and performance does exist. Get your boots fitted professionally and they become an extension of your body. No more blaming your boots for a lack of ability. To achieve this level of fit the boots will feel very tight to start and gradually get more comfortable over the next two days of skiing. The comfort of the boots will evolve because the internal liner of the ski boot is designed to stretch and pack out. After this stage of wearing in you can better judge the need for further boot modifications. If you do need something tweaked it’s always best to visit the place of purchase as most ski boot professionals should offer a comfort guarantee that includes free boot adjustment.
In the name of happy feet!
Contact Andy for an appointment:
andy@footpro.com.au
Footpro -14 Glenferrie Road, Malvern VIC (03) 9509 9199
I couldn’t agree more with all these tips – personally I think number 3 is the most important. Wherever you are, find the local boot guru.
Thanks Simon for these tips, and I will be posting in a week or so a very interesting article of his on forward lean/ramp angles in modern boots. It is something I figured out a few years ago and discussed with Simon, and I’m thrilled to see being manufactured.
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