Best online retailer for Solly boots

[abraham]

Thank you Greg, that's quality beta.

At first impression the Tecnicas felt "cushier" and the Sollys definitely have a tight grip on the heel/achilles.

In your opinion, given that both 27.5 shells are ~100mm, would it be worth going with a Tecnica MV last? Basically I just want to forego the numb left foot issue I've had with the X Max that I never had prior. But... a sweet deal on some LV Mach 1's that can be worked on still has my attention. Again, no frankenstein feet here.

You should probably just come out to buy a pair from Greg, oh I dunno, sometime in February/March.

[BmillsSkier]

well, it is worth noting, this was prior to a transition from runningback/returner to defensive lineman. i probably wasn't much bigger then than you are. like i said, i still ski a 98 lasted boot but the Mach1 LV felt much narrower at the metatarsals.

Good to know, thanks. That's exactly where the X-Maxes crushed my left foot once they fell out of form and reverted back to factory mold. If that's the case, maybe I suck it up and buy the current model year MVs. Given the return policy on the LVs though it might be worth ordering both, mixing a gallon of gin and tonics and walking around the house/shooting pool in both for a side by side comparison one Saturday afternoon.

[BmillsSkier]

You should probably just come out to buy a pair from Greg, oh I dunno, sometime in February/March.

Right?

How did I miss Greg's expertise up till now? Probably too locked up here in the PR I'm guessing.

Problem is I gotta chase the kids around Christmas/New Years and I'm trying my best to be proactive here.

[gregL]

In your opinion, given that both 27.5 shells are ~100mm, would it be worth going with a Tecnica MV last? Basically I just want to forego the numb left foot issue I've had with the X Max that I never had prior. But... a sweet deal on some LV Mach 1's that can be worked on still has my attention.

I haven't seen your feet (I don't think you did the Verifyt scan), but generally unless you are really challenged by a large volume foot or tall instep most good skiers should shoot for a LV or "narrow" last - none of them is really that narrow these days. It does depend on your access to bootfitting and willingness to put in some time, though. Numb feet are generally a product of instep pressure reducing blood flow of the deep plantar artery (just under the intermediate cuneiform) - the X-Max was quite low there, while the S/Max is taller (so is the Mach 1 LV). Both the S/Max and Mach 1 LV have pretty substantial bootboards that can be easily ground thinner to give you more height if that's an issue, all you need is a belt sander.

[Gcooker]

Jesus fuck…. Just get Full Tilts


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[ntblanks]

I haven't seen your feet (I don't think you did the Verifyt scan), but generally unless you are really challenged by a large volume foot or tall instep most good skiers should shoot for a LV or "narrow" last - none of them is really that narrow these days. It does depend on your access to bootfitting and willingness to put in some time, though. Numb feet are generally a product of instep pressure reducing blood flow of the deep plantar artery (just under the intermediate cuneiform) - the X-Max was quite low there, while the S/Max is taller (so is the Mach 1 LV). Both the S/Max and Mach 1 LV have pretty substantial bootboards that can be easily ground thinner to give you more height if that's an issue, all you need is a belt sander.

Following this reincarnated thread. GregL - do you recommend sanding the top or the bottom of a bootboard? (I have Mach1 LV and there's just a tad too much pressure on the instep so that's where I was heading)

[BmillsSkier]

I haven't seen your feet (I don't think you did the Verifyt scan), but generally unless you are really challenged by a large volume foot or tall instep most good skiers should shoot for a LV or "narrow" last - none of them is really that narrow these days. It does depend on your access to bootfitting and willingness to put in some time, though. Numb feet are generally a product of instep pressure reducing blood flow of the deep plantar artery (just under the intermediate cuneiform) - the X-Max was quite low there, while the S/Max is taller (so is the Mach 1 LV). Both the S/Max and Mach 1 LV have pretty substantial bootboards that can be easily ground thinner to give you more height if that's an issue, all you need is a belt sander.

Again, thank you Greg for the quality info; another reason why this place is awesome. If I was local I'd be in your shop for a proper fit for sure.

I'm going to give the Tecnicas a run. First time out of a Solly boot in at least 2 decades, I'll be sure to report back.

[undertow2]

Again, thank you Greg for the quality info; another reason why this place is awesome. If I was local I'd be in your shop for a proper fit for sure.

I'm going to give the Tecnicas a run. First time out of a Solly boot in at least 2 decades, I'll be sure to report back.

Bmills, nothing of value to add especially with Greg weighing in but I was a lifetime Lange guy until my shop introduced me to the Sollie XMax…. Have yet to fit in a boot that fits my narrow ass foot and heel as well as the XMax 130…. Loved them so much I started hoarding them (farthest boot to the left has over 150’days)…. Never really tried the Tecnica as I am a tall guy and most of the ones I have seen have a low cuff…. The only other boot that I tried that also fits like my beloved XMax was the Atomic Hawx - that boot was super low volume and loved the flex…. Good luck in your pursuit…



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[BmillsSkier]

Bmills, nothing of value to add especially with Greg weighing in but I was a lifetime Lange guy until my shop introduced me to the Sollie XMax…. Have yet to fit in a boot that fits my narrow ass foot and heel as well as the XMax 130…. Loved them so much I started hoarding them (farthest boot to the left has over 150’days)…. Never really tried the Tecnica as I am a tall guy and most of the ones I have seen have a low cuff…. The only other boot that I tried that also fits like my beloved XMax was the Atomic Hawx - that boot was super low volume and loved the flex…. Good luck in your pursuit…



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Nice collection there!

I thought about looking at the Atomic Hawx as they're stablemates with Solly I figured they might offer similar performance with a slightly more normal-width fit.

[EWG]

Good to know, thanks. That's exactly where the X-Maxes crushed my left foot once they fell out of form and reverted back to factory mold. If that's the case, maybe I suck it up and buy the current model year MVs. Given the return policy on the LVs though it might be worth ordering both, mixing a gallon of gin and tonics and walking around the house/shooting pool in both for a side by side comparison one Saturday afternoon.

For what it's worth I have 26.5 S/Max 130s (I go about 6', 190lb). Pro fit two years ago by a bootfitter with an excellent rep. My left foot is about a 10 3/4, so a 26.5 is tight there (right foot is 9.5 or so, so have to go tight on left). Got more comfy as the season rolled on. Course, season ended in March.

Cue start of last year. Good god the things were tight. Seemed to revert back to factory form, or so I thought. Greg convinced me that some of it was my foot getting out of shape all summer - flips flops instead of ski boots. In any case, I pulled the left liner, heated the front of the foot area up with a hairdryer, used a broom handle to push it back out, and things were better. Still took about 7 days to get everything back to where it was. Pretty good by the end of the year.

I'm very happy with them.

So for what it's worth, there's a way to hack the fit by heating the whole things up again and wearing them year 2. Any other specific questions please ask.

My kid is 19 and about 165. He's in the Tecnica Mach 1 LV 140s starting last year. He never got them fit, just wore them right out of the box. Says they are incredibly narrow and tight. I'm not sure I have any info on them for you from that, but it is pretty funny to laugh at my kid for stepping into 140 LVs without getting the liners heated. He'd call and complain and I'd just laugh.

[Woodsy]

1. your local ski shop/bootfitter
2. the ski shop/ bootfitter where you ski most if noting local.
3. The closest decent ski shop/bootfitter
4.Book a vacation in Utah fly out a day early and go to the gaddam sports loft

buying boots online is bad for everyone

[Dexter Rutecki]

Haven't read much of this, but I'd just throw out the idea to Bmills that he might not need Solly's the way he thinks he does...I was in Salomon boots for years but switched to Head and have been happy ever since (the Solly's were fine but for my feet Heads actually took less work). And yeah, go to a good bootfitter and just get whatever the right boot is that fits/they make fit. For BMills might I suggest stopping by the Ski Haus at Cedar Hill?? Or Ferdl out wherever the hell that place is/was.

[BmillsSkier]

For what it's worth I have 26.5 S/Max 130s (I go about 6', 190lb). Pro fit two years ago by a bootfitter with an excellent rep. My left foot is about a 10 3/4, so a 26.5 is tight there (right foot is 9.5 or so, so have to go tight on left). Got more comfy as the season rolled on. Course, season ended in March.

Cue start of last year. Good god the things were tight. Seemed to revert back to factory form, or so I thought. Greg convinced me that some of it was my foot getting out of shape all summer - flips flops instead of ski boots. In any case, I pulled the left liner, heated the front of the foot area up with a hairdryer, used a broom handle to push it back out, and things were better. Still took about 7 days to get everything back to where it was. Pretty good by the end of the year.

I'm very happy with them.

So for what it's worth, there's a way to hack the fit by heating the whole things up again and wearing them year 2. Any other specific questions please ask.

My kid is 19 and about 165. He's in the Tecnica Mach 1 LV 140s starting last year. He never got them fit, just wore them right out of the box. Says they are incredibly narrow and tight. I'm not sure I have any info on them for you from that, but it is pretty funny to laugh at my kid for stepping into 140 LVs without getting the liners heated. He'd call and complain and I'd just laugh.

Sounds like the same issue I’ve got with my X-Maxes, I bake the shells and liners and the things go back to factory if not continuously skied in. Love em while they work, it’s become too annoying to have a numb left foot when they don’t.

1. your local ski shop/bootfitter
2. the ski shop/ bootfitter where you ski most if noting local.
3. The closest decent ski shop/bootfitter
4.Book a vacation in Utah fly out a day early and go to the gaddam sports loft

buying boots online is bad for everyone

Don’t disagree with any of this. I preface this entire thread on going to a boot fitter if I had that option locally (one where I could take em out same day and report back). Unfortunately life isn’t like that for me here and when I’m out west or up north my time on snow is precious and half the time spent chasing kids so I gotta get it as good as I can before and not spend time off the slope in the shop. One day it’ll swing back to that place, just not today.

Haven't read much of this, but I'd just throw out the idea to Bmills that he might not need Solly's the way he thinks he does...I was in Salomon boots for years but switched to Head and have been happy ever since (the Solly's were fine but for my feet Heads actually took less work). And yeah, go to a good bootfitter and just get whatever the right boot is that fits/they make fit. For BMills might I suggest stopping by the Ski Haus at Cedar Hill?? Or Ferdl out wherever the hell that place is/was.

Thanks Dex, brand loyalty is a bitch I’m finding.

You gave me a good laugh at Ski Haus. Next to my locker at BMBW when I was in HS that was my usual hangout. Unfortunately I haven’t lived in NE OH in 2+ decades and Ski and Sport Haus is now a very nice trendy restaurant now with a lovely covered patio where the tuning shop used to be. The cougar watching is insane.

Geigers is on the other side of downtown Chagrin Falls though and they have a great boot fitter, maybe I’ll bring up the Sollys for one last ditch effort when I visit my fam in town there for the annual clam bake in a few weeks.

[gregL]

Following this reincarnated thread. GregL - do you recommend sanding the top or the bottom of a bootboard? (I have Mach1 LV and there's just a tad too much pressure on the instep so that's where I was heading)

You sand the top (side next to the liner) - the bottom is normally molded to fit perfectly into the shell so it won't slide around.

[ntblanks]

You sand the top (side next to the liner) - the bottom is normally molded to fit perfectly into the shell so it won't slide around.

Excellent.

And pertinent to the thread and/or anyone looking to squeeze into an lv boot with a tight instep but otherwise locked-in.

Thanks.

[gregL]

. . . And pertinent to the thread and/or anyone looking to squeeze into an lv boot with a tight instep but otherwise locked-in.

Don't forget about chopping out the elastic and extra vinyl in the liner tongue area, and sanding your footbeds down to a bare minimum . . . it is also possible in most cases to heat the plastic in the instep area and use some sort of wooden or metal form to make the area taller, but that's getting into bootfitter territory.

[ntblanks]

Don't forget about chopping out the elastic and extra vinyl in the liner tongue area, and sanding your footbeds down to a bare minimum . . . it is also possible in most cases to heat the plastic in the instep area and use some sort of wooden or metal form to make the area taller, but that's getting into bootfitter territory.

Good stuff.

Keeping away from modding liners cuz they're zipfits and I use them in a few pairs.

I realize too much sanding = lowering the foot in the shell which can screw the whole fit up.

These are the Mach1 LVs with the nasty bear trap. Hadn't thought about heating & stretching that. Just seeking 1mm so the BB sand might be the best route.

Thanks, G.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Thanks Dex, brand loyalty is a bitch I’m finding.

You gave me a good laugh at Ski Haus. Next to my locker at BMBW when I was in HS that was my usual hangout. Unfortunately I haven’t lived in NE OH in 2+ decades and Ski and Sport Haus is now a very nice trendy restaurant now with a lovely covered patio where the tuning shop used to be. The cougar watching is insane.

Figured the Ski Haus reference might be worth it for you and the two other people here who might remember that place. I know it disappeared, but it was a few blocks from where I lived and as a kid it seemed like a place that belonged in CO but somehow ended up in Cleveland Hts. Still use a nice Lowe Alpine pack I got there in the early 90's. I kind of knew there was a restaurant there now, didn't know about the cougar scene--our place was always down the street at NightTown.

Geigers is on the other side of downtown Chagrin Falls though and they have a great boot fitter, maybe I’ll bring up the Sollys for one last ditch effort when I visit my fam in town there for the annual clam bake in a few weeks.

Yeah, if I hadn't happened to have skied in CO this spring with an old friend who still lives in Cleveland I wouldn't have been able to make the Ferdl reference, but he (and some others in Cleveland that I knew) swear by that place. He mentioned he got all his gear from Ferdl and I suddenly remembered that guy--first time I'd heard/thought about him in 20 years, probably.

Still, I'd give some other brands a shot. Like I said, going from Sallys to Heads was completely painless for me. And you probably could get a boot fitting appointment around Beaver Creek or wherever after lifts close--just book it a month ahead of time.

edit: to add, Ellicotville??

[ntblanks]

I'm another X-Max graduate (2014 model, stock liners, no mods) so I'll share one thought: Ended up riding RX LV 130s with zipfits last season. Heel-hold = excellent with that combo. I guess one takeaway is how much the liner impacts fit vs. shell alone. Not advocating the RX per se. Will actually be testing M1 LVs and Raptor 140s to see if they take it up a notch.

[Gcooker]

I’m a bit of a brand whore with ON3P skis… so I get the Solly love…..

But I implore you to try Full Tilts or Dalbello’s


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[BmillsSkier]

Figured the Ski Haus reference might be worth it for you and the two other people here who might remember that place. I know it disappeared, but it was a few blocks from where I lived and as a kid it seemed like a place that belonged in CO but somehow ended up in Cleveland Hts. Still use a nice Lowe Alpine pack I got there in the early 90's. I kind of knew there was a restaurant there now, didn't know about the cougar scene--our place was always down the street at NightTown.

Yeah, if I hadn't happened to have skied in CO this spring with an old friend who still lives in Cleveland I wouldn't have been able to make the Ferdl reference, but he (and some others in Cleveland that I knew) swear by that place. He mentioned he got all his gear from Ferdl and I suddenly remembered that guy--first time I'd heard/thought about him in 20 years, probably.

Still, I'd give some other brands a shot. Like I said, going from Sallys to Heads was completely painless for me. And you probably could get a boot fitting appointment around Beaver Creek or wherever after lifts close--just book it a month ahead of time.

edit: to add, Ellicotville??

Gonna be in the Beav during my normal annual Ellicottville time this year so no hope of finding the guy who sold my last pair of Sollys, if he's still around that is.

Short history, current events re CLE: Ski haus moved from the Heights to Chagrin Falls sometime late 90s on Chagrin Blvd and Main, which that building is now the aforementioned cougar den. Then the Geigers (Lakewood family ski shop) bought Ski Haus and I think one other local shop and moved across town in Chagrin. That's where the renowned bootfitter is. Plan is new boots, take them to that guy this fall.

Oh, and NightTown was awesome. Unfortunately the longtime owners decided the pandemic was a good time to call it quits. Closed with a string of parties last year. Cedar-Fairmount-Coventry is/was such a great part of town.

[BmillsSkier]

Did the right thing and hung out in the ski shop with the bootfitter for a few hours today and cross-shopped the S/Pro, Mach 1, Dalbellos, Hawx and Langes.

The Mach 1’s took the cake. Such a great snug fit with no pressure points and easy to dial in. The win of the day was going up to 27.5 as my foot has apparently changed over the years and I could benefit from slightly more height in the instep that they offered.



Now I just gotta wait around for winter. Thanks for all the advice boys.

[stealurface831]

That is a real good lookin boot.


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[BmillsSkier]

Thanks man, I’m totally stoked about em. Turns out the bootfitter and I had quite a bit of overlap too skiing-wise. Forgot to ask if he had change for a nickel.

[EWG]

Thanks man, I’m totally stoked about em. Turns out the bootfitter and I had quite a bit of overlap too skiing-wise. Forgot to ask if he had change for a nickel.

Disappointing. You missed a perfect opportunity when checking out.