Boot punching question

[Chugachjed]

I had both of my KR2 pros punched a couple seasons ago, first season of the KR2 and now it seems like they're narrow again. I.e. My foot without the liner is touching the sides and they've been hurting/cold recently. Can a punch come unpunched seasons later?

[cmcrawfo]

More likely that your feet are getting wider.

It happens to most people as they age. Getting fat, and not wearing supportive shoes will expedite this.

[mntlion]

boots can be re-punched.

[cmcrawfo]

boots can be re-punched.

but,the real question is .... can a boot shrink back after being punched?

[skinipenem]

Now that is an interesting question. The same thing had happened to my feet or lange rs 140s over this past summer. Wearing my wife's sexy nylon socks in order to fit without full on numbness. .. no pics.

[SJG]

Control Top FTW

[mntlion]

but,the real question is .... can a boot shrink back after being punched?

yes, with lots of flexing (use) or with heat (hot air drier, warm storage, etc)

[skinipenem]

I knew my feet didn't get fat. They look so good in the control tops bitches!

[skiing-in-jackson]

but,the real question is .... can a boot shrink back after being punched?

Certainly. It happens all the time. Different materials, temps, punch sizes, locations and alignment of the stars are all contributing factors.

Generally how long the punch is allowed to remain in the press has a lot to do with how long it retains it's shape. The longer the better.

[Chugachjed]

To push out a whole toebox area could I get away with this( https://www.amazon.com/FootFitter-Pr...BZD&th=1&psc=1 ) and a heat gun?

[mntlion]

dont think it would be strong enough? but try?

(or pay your local shop/boot fitter a few bucks and let them do it?)

[wooley12]

My $02. Might work but the odds of that punching out a toe box are low. It's designed to ease small spots for bunions in leather/fabric boots. A ski boot is a lot harder, bigger, different shape. For the same money have Pro Guiding in North Bend do it. It's on your route.

[cmcrawfo]

To push out a whole toebox area could I get away with this( https://www.amazon.com/FootFitter-Pr...BZD&th=1&psc=1 ) and a heat gun?

It won't work.

I tried something similar a few years ago ... and a variety of other DIY boot punching techniques... It ended in frustration and 1st degree burns.

[Nevada29er]

To push out a whole toebox area could I get away with this( https://www.amazon.com/FootFitter-Pr...BZD&th=1&psc=1 ) and a heat gun?

Mine just showed up in todays mail. Currently stretching some Mocs. After that I will try my toe box with the bunion attachment. Or you can make my BootPunch 2000 http://http://www.tetongravity.com/f...-out-ski-boots

[Nevada29er]

I tried out the Amazon boot stretcher on some old boots today. Works like a charm. Used the larger plastic punch piece, and wrapped it in foil for heat protection. Heated the shell to around 300F, and got a pretty aggressive punch.

I would say not to go too small on the stretcher. They come in M, L, XL if I recall, I got the L and didn't have a whole lot left on the rod. I suppose I could have buckled it down another notch or too.

Happy Stretching!

[Chugachjed]

I ended up bringing them to XavierD and GregL and they sorted me out.

[SeatownSlackey]

^^wise man

[skiing-in-jackson]

How long punches last and how well they hold their shape has a lot to do with the condition of the boot. Two nights ago a guy brings me some Nordica Hot Rods for a toe punch. Not wider, just a little longer.

Someone else already did a good sized grind on the toes. I punched them and they receded almost immediately. A bunch of ridges were left and maybe the ridges were causing the pressure this guy was feeling.



Sometimes if too much material has been removed, the punch won't hold well. Some guys do a light grind before a punch because they think it will hold better, but I don't think that's true. Quickly cooling the toes in a bucket of snow is key. Also the longer the press/dies are in place the better it will last.

Here is a hydraulic press with a round punch on the front. Two times was a charm for this particular job.



I got in there before the punch with a world cup flapper ball and smoothed everything out before I made the new punch. You can sorta see the area around the die that got cleaned up.

I can't believe the Amazon thing worked. But hey, whatever...

Caveat Emptor: When stretching a boot for width, overstretching (over widening) will cause the instep (top of the foot) to collapse/get shorter/less tall- this causes another set of problems.

[Nevada29er]

The Amazon stretcher wouldn't work for lengthening the toe box, but for widening, sure works great.

It's just plastic, stretches real easy with some heat. Doing it at home allows you to keep the stretcher in there a lot longer than a shop, unless you're going to leave your boots overnight, pain in the ass.

As far as the instep lowering on big stretch, it could be a good or bad thing depending on the fit of the boot. My Dynafit Titans have too high an instep, and too tight of a toe box, so its a win-win on that boot.

[MultiVerse]

but,the real question is .... can a boot shrink back after being punched?

Now that is an interesting question. The same thing had happened to my feet or lange rs 140s over this past summer. Wearing my wife's sexy nylon socks in order to fit without full on numbness. .. no pics.

yes, with lots of flexing (use) or with heat (hot air drier, warm storage, etc)

Certainly. It happens all the time. Different materials, temps, punch sizes, locations and alignment of the stars are all contributing factors.

Generally how long the punch is allowed to remain in the press has a lot to do with how long it retains it's shape. The longer the better.

Can a toe punch be undone?

Does the plastic have a bit memory so that if I use a heat gun or dunk the toe of the boot in boiling water will the plastic shrink? Is it risky? The boots are Dynafit DyNA Evo skimo race boots.


Also, on a separate note, can a used but otherwise good condition Palau/Intuition liner be reheated without putting them in your boot or on your feet to puff them out a little bit? I'm hoping to gain back some volume and would prefer to have a thicker liner but I am also considering Bontex shims or thicker insoles.

[gregL]

Can a toe punch be undone?

Does the plastic have a bit memory so that if I use a heat gun or dunk the toe of the boot in boiling water will the plastic shrink? Is it risky? The boots are Dynafit DyNA Evo skimo race boots.


Also, on a separate note, can a used but otherwise good condition Palau/Intuition liner be reheated without putting them in your boot or on your feet to puff them out a little bit? I'm hoping to gain back some volume and would prefer to have a thicker liner but I am also considering Bontex shims or thicker insoles.

You want the boot shorter or narrower? Typically you can reheat boots with a heat gun (I am not a fan of hot water) and they will return at least partially but usually not all the way to original shape. With a very thin shell like the race Dynafits I would first try cooking the whole shell in a convection oven at around 225 F. for around 9-10 minutes and letting it cool without your foot in it. Closed-cell EVA liners will puff up again when rebaked but the effect doesn't last that long if they are well used, I would use shims or simply a higher volume liner.

[XavierD]

I have taken several boots that were punched for gregL’s feet and made them fit mine. So yeah, a punch can be taken out, somewhat.

[TransplantedFromRMNP]

I have a boot punching question for you expert mags out there. Not to hijack this thread but I don’t want to get flamed for starting a new one.

I need to punch / lengthen a few pairs of boots. One pair of 28.0 black T1s w red buckles, one pair of 28.5 Dynafit One Px (White & Black w orange buckles)

One foot is a little bit longer and my big toe gets smashed and really hurts after a few hours of skiing.

I called a local shop in Denver and made an appointment, the guy on the phone tells me he’ll be able to get the punch 3mm max. Does this seem right? I didn’t tell him what type of boots I have. If these are made of different types of plastic that could affect the punch, but it seems like 3mm is a very small punch to me.

[stuckathuntermtn]

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