Find Your Perfect Ski Boot
A properly fitted ski boot comes with a range of benefits. Unlike an everyday boot you might wear for work, ski boots shouldn’t be bought off the shelf and worn without customisation.
Everyone’s foot shape and skiing style is different, and your friend’s perfect ski boot may be different from yours. That’s why it’s important to have a correctly fitted boot that has been specially fitted to your foot shape.
Benefits of Properly Fitted Ski Boots:
Properly fitted ski boots offer greater control of your skis, as the control comes from the leg. Even the best skis in the world will be difficult to control in a badly fitted boot when your foot is being squeezed or sliding in your boot!
A properly fitted ski boot will:
- Improve your control over your skis
- Keep your feet warmer (by improving circulation)
- Make your skiing experience more comfortable
- Stop common problems like shin bang
- Improve safety and reduce risk of falls (by improving control)
What Problems Can Badly Fitted Ski Boots Cause?
Badly fitted ski boots can cause a huge range of problems and make your time skiing unpleasant. From cold feet to joint pain and aching toes, an improperly fitted ski boot can cause severe discomfort and make your skiing trip miserable!
Common problems caused by badly fitted ski boots include:
- Shin bang – this is where your shin presses against the front of the boot, causing pain. This is normally caused by boots being too loose around the top, resulting in the foot slipping forward.
Fix this with: a heel lift to push the foot into the right position. - Blackening toenails – this is normally caused when your feet press forward into the boot, putting pressure on the toes and causing a bruise under the nails.
Fix this with: a heel lift to pull the foot back. - Calf pain – caused by a loosely fitting boot that allows the foot to move around.
Fix this with: tightening the boot or replacing the boot entirely for a better fit. - Ankle pain – this is caused by the ankle rubbing against the inside of the boot or by pressure from a badly aligned shell, ankle pain can make skiing painful and risk causing joint damage if ignored.
Fix this with: a custom footbed to realign the foot. - Pain across the top of the foot – caused by boots that are too tight over the arch of your foot resulting in pain and discomfort in the mid foot area.
Fix this with: stretching the boot or replacing the boot entirely for a better fit. - Bunions and bumps – these are caused when the boot rubs against the foot and is common on the back of the ankle or behind the little toe on the outside of the foot and can be very uncomfortable.
Fix this with: adjustments to the liner to correct the foot position. You may also want to consider stretching the shell.
How to Avoid Ski Boot Pain
The easiest way to avoid pain from ski boots is to have your boots fitted professionally by a trained ski boot shop.
A trained ski boot fitter like our team at our Ski Racing Supplies shop in Sheffield will help you to find the right ski boot based on your feet size and shape as well as the type of skiing you do, helping you find a proper fit that will keep you comfortable when skiing.
Benefits of Professional Ski Boot Fitting
Professionally fitted ski boots are beneficial for skiers of all ages and experience levels – it’s not just pro skiers who need proper boots!
Badly fitted ski boots can cause lifelong damage to your feet, ankles, and knees due to pressure on the joints and make injury more likely in the event of a skiing accident.
A properly fitted ski boot will reduce pain, helping you ski for longer and making your skiing experience much more enjoyable!
Our team at Ski Racing Supplies consists of experienced boot fitters and even former International Ski Racers and coaches. Our boot fitters are professionally qualified and hold certifications from both Masterfit and Sidas, so you know your feet are in safe hands!
What to Expect During a Professional Ski Boot Fitting
Professional boot fitting might sound daunting, especially if you haven’t had one before. Rest assures, or professional ski boot fitters will walk you through every step of the process and ensure your boots fit perfectly.
Appointments are usually around 2 hours and consist of professional measuring, boot selection, insole selection and boot modifications if necessary. During peak season, we may be busy with a lot of boot fittings and appointments might be more limited, so book your place early and get in ahead of the ski season to avoid disappointment!
Ski Boot Fitting Steps
- Biomechanical Assessment – we start by asking a series of questions to better understand you, the type of skiing you do, and any past problems you may have been facing. If you’re experiencing issues with your current boots, tell us about them and we’ll find a boot that solves your problems. We’ll then measure your feet to better understand the size and shape of your feet to choose a boot that suits you.
- Ski Boot Selection – based on the information you gave us and your foot measurements, we’ll help you choose a boot that will be both comfortable and stylish. We’ll offer a few options so you can choose something that feels good and reflects your own personal taste.
- Insole selection – once we’ve chosen a suitable ski boot, we can choose an insole. A proper insole will help support your foot, offering greater control over your skis and reducing pain.
- Ski Boot Modification – like we said before, everyone’s feet and skiing styles are different, there’s no one size fits all. Once you’ve chosen your boot and liner, we’ll make adjustments to insure your boot fits perfectly.
In addition to standard boot fitting services, we also offer a range of optional extras that can make your ski boots more comfortable and improve performance when racing.
When you purchase ski boots from Ski Racing Supplies, we offer these additional services at a discount. For all other boots, we’re happy to help you with any trouble you’re having, though this will be at our full cost as outlined on our ski boot fitting service page.
In addition to offering a discount on optional services, all ski boots fitted and modified by us fall under our Ski Racing Supplies Boot Fit Guarantee.
Ski Racing Supplies Boot Fit Guarantee
Whilst boots may fit perfectly when you leave our Sheffield ski shop, once you ski in them and break the boot in, the fit may change slightly and require further adjustment. This doesn’t mean that your fit is incorrect, it just means your ski boots are adapting further to your foot shape. Whilst breaking your ski boots in is a good thing, it can sometimes result in the fit being slightly bigger than originally thought, meaning you may need extra adjustments.
We take pride in our service, and we want you to be happy with your new boots!
If you experience any problems with a pair of boots fitted by us, simply bring them back to us within the first year of purchase and we’ll provide modifications free of charge!
So, if you’re looking for the best ski boot fitting in Sheffield, we’ve got your feet covered.
