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Yes there's a performance downside as well as discomfort. You will get pushed into the backseat skiing a boot that is too stiff. The goal is to get a boot that is stiff enough to support you but not so stiff that you can't get forward on the boot and drive your skis.

@@PowderHouseUtah thank you for the clarification. Great info! Do you think adjusting the forward lean angle could help reduce some of the backseat throwing?

Yes, this is a common solution. A spoiler will definitely help you get forward. It really just depends on how much you're trying to compensate with the forward lean. A boot that is a little bit too stiff this will work for, but it's unlikely to make enough of a difference with a boot that's way too stiff.

@@PowderHouseUtah thank you!

Even more important than who is fitting your boots is who is making your insole. There are different philosophies and methods out there that can hurt or help a given person. Since you are in pain the arch is probably too high or the material used for the footbed too stiff. Another cause of footbed pain is in people with a low arch that collapses a lot when weighted. Since we build the arch up for these individuals to add support this can cause some discomfort at first as the foot needs to adapt to the support. The same thing happens with shoe orthotics. Sometimes podiatrists will only recommend wearing an orthotic for a certain amount of time per day as you adjust. However, excruciating pain that will not let up after a few days skiing is indicative of something being off with the footbed itself. As for people not needing footbeds there are two main reasons. 1. Extremely athletic, supportive feet that do not pronate excessively in a race shell fit to minimize movement. Bode Miller is one of few racers that skied without a foot bed in a race fit boot, modifying the inside of his shell to allow for a little pronation. 2. Extremely flat feet that cannot tolerate any support even after an adjustment period (I would get a podiatrists opinion). That being said, footbeds are very beneficial for the majority of skiers and foot types. The exceptions make the rule!

Hey, in the optimal fit section of the video JP is talking about the overall fit that someone receives(both the fit and the flex). Weight and height have the most to do with determining your optimal flex.

@@PowderHouseUtah I agree. It isn't clear to me since you are talking specifically about fit.

If you’re heavier your weight will cause the boot to flex more as it’s creating more pressure. So heavier people may need a stiffer flex to get the same feeling as a lighter person with a softer flex.

Thank you! They are Volkl Super RS P20 skis.

Thanks

They work great for some and not for others. Foam injection liners give you a great close fit, but the foam they use can be too stiff or too much for some causing discomfort. The best liners we've found and the only ones we carry are Zip Fits. They are worth every penny to invest in!

Hey, glad you finally got into a good boot! More flexible ankles do better in softer boots, while more stiff ankles do better in stiffer boots. Within this general grouping there is a lot of nuance based on your body, skill level, and what you want out of the boot. Ankle flexibility can't solely determine your optimum flex but it's a very important factor.

While your boot fitter isn't wrong, they're definitely lazy! Without a footbed your foot moves forward into the front of your boot/liner. This packs it out but also kills your toes. Another scenario could be that the boot you bought is the right fit but too tight out of the box. We even see this with just the liner, not the shell being too tight. A quick heat mold or other modifications can solve this in store and there is no 'eventual packing out' of the toe box that has to occur. So they're right, but this isn't the type of solution you'd expect from a top notch boot fitter.

Long story short, it wouldn't be economically viable! However, this is such a common anxiety around buying boots I'm glad you brought it up! Yes, a boot fitter is trying to sell you a boot they carry but they also don't want to sell you the wrong boot and have you complain because that will impact their business. Using the tips outlined in Myth 4 you can better discern whether you're dealing with a boot fitter or a salesmen who wants you to pull your wallet out. Here at Powder House, we turn people away that we don't have the correct boot for as it would be worse for us to sell a bad boot. The best thing you can do is find and vet a great boot fitter and don't stress about the particular model. There is so much redundancy across companies that it is not the most important factor. The most important factors are that the shell dimensions and flex are correctly determined in store. Also, a good boot fitting shop will only carry the models that they find are the best of the bunch for their selection.

Great point! Ski boot flex changes slightly based on temperature at the mountian on a given day. More stiff on super cold days and less stiff on warm spring days. However, this doesn't factor into the decision making process when purchasing a new boot. During an analysis a good boot fitter can determine the correct flex for someone in store regardless of fluctuations of temperature on hill. Tying this into myth 5, it is very hard to determine a great boot for you based on feeling alone in the store unless you are knowledgable in boot fitting and/or have skied in a well fitting custom fit boot previously.

Slops? Or slopes? 😅

Thank you! We're glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the comment!