Skiing isn't strictly related to running, but I do use it as a form of winter cross training. So I'm going talk about my boot buying experiences because I think its important for anyone considering a boot purchase to read!
In the fall of 2010, I decided that I was finished renting every time I went on a ski trip! I went to a ski shop near where my parents live. With the help of a sales person, I tried on a few pairs of boots. He told me that the boots should be very tight but didn't give any other description of how my boots should fit. I walked out excited for the season to start with my very own boot, ski, and pole set. I settled on the Dalbello Aspire 67 boot.
Alek and I didn't ski a lot in the 2010-2011 season. Every time we did ski, the boots hurt my shins and the top of my foot. I thought that they must still be breaking in, so I stuck with them for another season. During the 2011-2012 season, we went on one ski trip. The boot fit was worse than I remembered, this time I felt like my calf was also being pinched.
At the start of the current season, we planned several trips. During the first trip, I noticed that my boots were cutting off circulation to my toes. The calf and shin issues were still plaguing me. While I hadn't skiied much in the previous two seasons, the boots should definitely have been broken in by now.
This past weekend we had our second ski trip of the season. Knowing that every trip would be miserable in the boots, I did some investigation to find the best place for boot fitting near Killington. Several forums highly recommended
Northern Ski Works. Before skiing on Saturday, we stopped in.
Once inside, I was directed to the boot fitting area. After waiting for my turn, I met Hal, a bootfitter, and explained how my old boots were wrong. He had me take off my shoes and then he flexed my foot at the ankle to determine my range of motion. He mentioned that my ankles don't want to bend beyond 90 degrees and with my good musculature (read huge calf muscles from running), my calf muscles actually push against the ski boot. Since my ankles don't want to bend very far, this lifts my heel out of the boot causing all sorts of issues because my leg is being pushed too far forward.
Hal fit me with the Nordica Cruise 85w ski boot. It has a more straight stance than most boots, accommodating my ankle stiffness. The boots are also highly adjustable. Hal was able to adjust the top of the cuff near my calf so that it would fold out more giving my calf some space. He adjusted the "canting" or the left to right tilt of the boot so that the tongue wouldn't bother my shin bone. As I mentioned pressure points, he pushed the padding of the liner down. Hal said that some of the pressure points would have naturally gone away as I broke the boots in, but he helped me get comfortable nonetheless. He also put a lift in the boot liner so that my heel would touch the bottom of the boot even when my ankle didn't want to flex. Finally, I was having some rubbing at my left ankle. Hal took a look at my ankles and said that mine isn't located where ankles typically are located, but he heated the boot and molded the plastic to make space for my ankle.
My boot purchasing experience at Northern Ski Works was amazing. After the visit, I had the best day of skiing for quite some time. I had much more control and my feet and legs were comfortable even at the end of the day. I strongly recommend going somewhere with a full time boot fitter if you're thinking of purchasing your own set!
