1/22/08, teleboot liner replacement ideas

boot fitting is nothing but a racket. Buy your boots online, take them home and cook them yourself. It's easy. Don't let anyone tell you that you need an expert.

boot fitting is nothing but a racket. Buy your boots online, take them home and cook them yourself.  It's easy. Don't let anyone tell you that you need an expert.

I think that is true most of the time, but not always -- a friend of mine with "complicated feet" (bone spurs, left foot bigger than right, narrow heel, wide forefoot) was always skiing in a lot of pain -- until she worked with Martin at Sturdivuents in Bellevue.   It took several sessions (one price, keep coming back until it's right), but finally she can ski without pain. 
Martin did a lot more than bake the liners -- he also stretched the shells in spots, added pads in others, etc to make things fit right.

That said -- I've baked all my own thermo liners with fine results -- but my feet are pretty darn boring (thankfully)

I've used "Morrow replacement Snowboard boot liners" with good success in an old pair of T2's -- I'm not sure were you can find these now -- but they were a smoking deal and the perfect height for old T2's and any T3.

For my tall boots I've used the Bomber HPD liners with excellent results LINK    

I have over a decade of experience with this situation having been general manager and professional boot fitter starting in 1990.  I am no longer in this profession full-time but still do custom boot fitting on a part-time basis. I have had people come from as far away as British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana for fitting.  My services are not cheap, but you get what you pay for.  There are only a small percentage of skiers that need true professional help.

For most people a standard off-the-shelf ski boot with a thermo-flex style liner works great, however, there are people that fit outside the norm.  If a person has a particularly long, wide or odd shaped foot, shell modifications before you mold a liner is necessary.  One such situation is a person with a EEEEE width foot.  There are many other situations like this that require a professional boot fitter with the equipment to modify the shell before molding the liner.  Sometimes there are not inexpensive options.  Equipment and the sport of skiing are not cheap.  Think of how much you spend on the equipment for skiing, the house you live in, the car you drive and the fuel costs you incur to ski.  If you purchase all the equipment and get to the mountain only to find that your boots are uncomfortable, what is the point in not spending what it takes to have comfort in the sport you love?

Sorry md2020 you are completely off base on this topic.  I am sure other topics that you have experience with you could talk circle around me.

Intuition liners work great for some people, other moldable liners may be a better choice.  All moldable liners are not created equal.  There are differences in thickness that have to be considered as well as the volume and anatomic differences in the foot.  A professional boot fitter has the experience in evaluating each situation.  Also, all so-called boot fitters may or may not have the experience to evaluate your situation and to modify the shell to make a moldable liner work.  There have been several suggestions on shops and boot fitters that can help you with your individual problems.

Good Luck…

Someone once told me "take time buying boots since you'll spend a lot of time in them" and I've taken this to heart.  Quick fixes and do it yourself baking may work fine for some people,  but in my opinion you get what you pay for.  Buy the good liners, have a professional cook them, work out the hot spots (including shells) and your feet with thank you over and over.  At this point I love my boots and thanks to Eric at Marmot Mountain Works (plug) I can honestly say they are as comfortable as any pair of shoes I own (exception for flip flops). 

Even if you don't buy your liners or boots locally most places charge around $50 for the fitting and if you need a more custom fit go to a pro, your feet are worth it.

Whew.  That's all for now.