Intuition liners: remolding just the toe box section

[El Chupacabra]

I want to remold just the toe box section on some Intuition liners -- molded without a thick toe pad (just the thin one), and that was a mistake.

Instead of remolding the entire liner, what's the best way to do this just focusing on the toe box? I have a heat gun. Can I put thicker toe pads on my foot, cram it into the liner, and heat up the toe box with the heat gun -- then once it's soft, put the foot+liner back into the boot and buckle up?

[JimLad]

What I did was to put 3 pairs of socks on. Then warm only the toebox of the liner, cram it into the boot and crank the buckles. It's tight all over but only the front section will remold.

[Kied]

Yep, I do the same for customers every once in a while. Just get your foot/ pad/ footbed ready before you use the heat gun, so that when it's hot you can cram everything in quickly. Make sure the heat gun air vents are open and keep the gun moving, otherwise you'll melt the thing. The key is patience, don't try to heat it up to quickly, but rather gradually like a good sauce.

[Tye 1on]

I'll be interested to hear the responses here. I took my boots in to the shop i'd bought them from with the exact same symptoms. They chose to reheat the entire liner....

[barnescli]

I made the same mistake. I was going to reheat the whole thing but now will wait to see how your idea turns out. Post your outcome.

[mntlion]

just spot heat and stretch,

also make sure that your heel is back ALL THE WAY in the liner and shell, if the heel is to far forward then your toes will pushed to far forward too

[El Chupacabra]

What I did was to put 3 pairs of socks on. Then warm only the toebox of the liner, cram it into the boot and crank the buckles. It's tight all over but only the front section will remold.

Sounds like a good easy way to do this, without hacking up several pairs of socks.

It's gonna hurt though...

[Jim J]

If you haven't skied several days on them yet, I would do that. The liner will pack out a little bit.

[El Chupacabra]

If you haven't skied several days on them yet, I would do that. The liner will pack out a little bit.

I know it'll pack out -- but the toes are REALLY tight -- as in, I'm not going to make it to the lift without needing to pull the boots off..

[jondrums]

my first two days in intuitions gave me two big black toenails, and I was going to do the same, but after another two days they're totally money.

[hutash]

I had the same problem, but I used a thick toe cap the first time. Instead of reheating my boot fitter ground some material off my cork beds, and a little off the boards in the boot. I haven't skied them yet, so I don't know how well it will work.

[RaccoonFace]

I'll be interested to hear the responses here. I took my boots in to the shop i'd bought them from with the exact same symptoms. They chose to reheat the entire liner....

X2! Big mistake! Just heat and reform the areas that need it.

One thing you may want to consider is the shell around your toe. You may be able to make your toe area bigger but it may make the liner thinner in these areas. I'd suggest pulling your foot bed out and setting it in the boot without a liner. If you're touching any of the shell you may want to grind/punch the boot in these areas. That way you're not ruining the liner by repeatedly heating it.

[/$0.02]

Skiing tomorrow? Meeting Jim at Rose...

okbye

[El Chupacabra]

Update: OUCH! But successful.

I cut the toes off 2 pairs of old regular white socks. That wasn't anywhere near thick enough. So I cut out a middle section of the sock, folded it over, and added that to the 2 toes -- and then put on the ski socks. That looked about right.

Foot + sock contraption into Intuition, heat gun the toe, get it nice & soft & hot, cram all that into the boot. Painful. I only bothered buckling the toe buckle, since that's the only part I was trying to mold.

Repeat for other boot. Wait 10 minutes. Realize I can't feel my toes.

Pull feet out. PAINFUL. Remove extra sock wadding, reinstall liners, try it like normal, and.... SUCCESS. Still tight around the toes, but properly tight, not painful toes-in-a-vise tight.

So, spot heating with a heat gun works fine. Warning: be careful -- the Intuition liners start to melt very easily under a heat gun. Keep the gun moving always.

[El Chupacabra]

Skiing tomorrow? Meeting Jim at Rose...

okbye

Yeah, Mrs. C. and I will be there at 8:30 for some groomer sessioning, and new boot break-in time. We have to meet some people at 9 at the main side lift.

I think we're only going to stay for an hour or two. If it warms up in the afternoon, I think we're going to ride at Peavine -- word is that the trails are mostly snow- and mud- free.

[Rasputin]

I know it'll pack out -- but the toes are REALLY tight -- as in, I'm not going to make it to the lift without needing to pull the boots off..

Sounds somewhat snug. Ever thinking of rebaking just the toe?



Cereal though, it's an interesting concept; I've found the toe box to be in need of remolding before.

[hutash]

Will a hair dryer be hot enough to accomplish this?

[XXX-er]

I was at a shop that made toe caps from cardboard ,buddy cut strips of cardboard to tape across the front of my toes with masking tape ,wrap everything with masking tape ,thro a thin sock over it ...worked fine

I suggest buying a case of corona for the cardboard and then you get to drink the beer

[El Chupacabra]

Will a hair dryer be hot enough to accomplish this?

Probably would. If not, nothing will happen, so no harm in trying.

[bodywhomper]

bump. i'm not sure if this is the best thread to bump, but i was challenged finding more recent info in the longer intuitions threads with my searching skills.

have people had success remolding only the toe with the hot-rice-in-a-thin-sock technique, but only a small amount of rice dropped into the interior toe of the boots and only the toe gets remolded?

i had my liners remolded themselves by accident in my tele boot shells while in a hot closet. i fully remolded the interior of the liners using the rice in a thin sock method. this worked well except for the toes. i need more space in the front side (tip) of the toe box; touring sucks and it's painful with a half day riding the lifts even after 10 days on them. i don't have a heat gun and don't think remolding the exterior of just the toes will work too well because of the tele boot shell (maybe i'm wrong). i plan to add more structure and space to my constructed toe caps. my toes are long, and sometimes the squeezing in the front when molding the liners causes my toes to flex a little bit and the liners come out too short for my toes. i'm pretty good about keeping my heels in the far back pocket of the shell. and the rest of the liner fit feels good.
tia
cheers

[rickybobby]

I have done this ^ several times. It works. Maybe use a heat gun a little too.

[XXX-er]

Heat gun is a pretty cheap and useful tool for many things

you could also try boiling water

[bodywhomper]

Do I need to remold from the exterior to get more length? My thought was that I didn't want to remold the shape of the exterior of the liner because it's pretty dialed with the bellows on the tele boot shell. Maybe that's not as big of a deal as I'm making it out to be....?

[FlimFlamvanHam]

I've done the rice in sock method for heels and instep touch ups but never toes.

The problem I foresee is getting enough hot rice into just the toe section and for long enough and to remain hot enough to get the aggressive toe mold you seem to need. Try it. If it fails then I guess you have to go full bake with big toe caps/pads.

[teledad]

I've done it, just used less rice than the full method and crammed it into the toe. Actually even when heating the full liner I split the rice between two socks, one for the toe and midfoot area and the other for the heel and calf. Makes it easier to get the rice down into the toe.

[margotron]

im in the opposite camp. i put on 2 socks that i hacked apart and probably could have got away with none. I like a tight forefoot.

What the deal here? Obviously re-heating causing shrinkage of the liner so I'm at a loss.