Kids boots flex and when to go short cuff adult boots

[Core Shot]

Interesting video from pros. Two finger shell fit and liner fit I get.
But damn it seems like they want a lot of cuff flex for these racing kids.





My problem is my 12 y.o. Is cursed with my high instep foot. The usual kids boots are the Lange rsj which have been good until this year.

Seems like the only way to get more foot volume is to get a short cuff boot, but the only Lange is XT80, with a walk mode and high price tag.

http://www.lange-boots.com/product/x...ide-short-cuff

Not getting women’s short cuff, calf size way to big.

Anyone know the width of a Lange rsj? They only say “kids last”. And yet the wide xt80 sc is listed at 100mm which seems wide for a kid.

Any other brands known for larger instep for kids?

[gregL]

What size foot? How much does your 12 year old weigh?

Lange makes the RS SC 70 and 90, they are real boots with real price tags and narrow 97mm lasts. evo has them on sale here: https://www.evo.com/shop?text=lange+rs+sc

When a brand gives a forefoot width, it is for the sample size (i.e. 26.5 for mens) and the width goes down by 2mm each time you drop a mondopoint size, so a 100mm boot is 98mm in a 25.5, 96mm in a 24.5, etc. Most kids lasts are a bit wider than average (101 or so) but when sized down are substantially narrower, I suspect the RSJ falls into this category.

What you really need is the potential to make the instep taller - most experienced bootfitters have a way to punch the area. There are also the standard methods of cutting out the elastic and vinyl in the instep area of the liner, getting a thinner footbed, and grinding the bootboard if the boot has one (the thin piece of plastic in the bottom of the RSJ isn't really grindable).

[Core Shot]

Interesting. I never knew last width changed with size, but it makes sense. Duh.

He’s boot 25.5, weight 110 pounds, 5’2” eyes of blue.

I’m not sure about bootfitting helping a freakish high instep. Been on that road for decades myself, and it rarely helped me. Getting higher volume is way more important.
That’s why I was thinking of getting him into a higher volume (assuming that comes with the choice of a wider last) boot.

[XXX-er]

I got a high instep so I get lotsa pain on that 1st Metatarsel and the only thing that has 100% worked was a Powerap liner

[waxman]

110lbs? should be able to get an RS90sc on relatively easy even with a high instep.

[gregL]

I’m not sure about bootfitting helping a freakish high instep. Been on that road for decades myself, and it rarely helped me. Getting higher volume is way more important. That’s why I was thinking of getting him into a higher volume (assuming that comes with the choice of a wider last) boot.

No boot maker intentionally designs a boot for an abnormally high instep, and you'd prefer not to have him in a wider boot with extra volume if all he needs is more height over the cuneiform(s). As for bootfitters who can make the instep taller, some people are better at it than others.