Cork in boot liners?

[Orthoski]

Snagged a new pair of Nordica boots which ski wonderfully, but noted that they have cork in the boot liner. Not a huge oenophile, but I know that with wine bottle corks dry out and hence you have to lay the bottles on their side to keep the cork from becoming desiccated and brittle. Is this going to happen to the boot liners over time? Should I be filling them with pinot over the summer and laying them on their side?

Just curious about the longevity of using cork as a liner material. Realize there are experts in the community that would know if there's something different about the way cork is incorporated into liners that keep it from becoming dry and brittle over time.

[mntlion]

Nordica have used it for many years, no issues.

[RShea]

Just put them on regularly during the summer and wear them to bed. The sweat will keep that cork from drying out, then you will only have to deal with the smell and stink.

[Kootenai]

I stopped taking my liners out to dry in front of the fire and now just put them on the boot dryer. I believe the -taking them out/putting them in- exercise was causing the liners to tire prematurely. It also seems to have helped minimize the stank.

[Orthoski]

Thanks everyone. Agree with the boot driers at room temp, which is what I've done over the years. I always thought there was some degree of mechanical damage inherent to taking a liner out of a boot and then forcing it back in - not to mention it always felt like a pain in the #$# to do.

[MegaStoke]

...I always thought there was some degree of mechanical damage inherent to taking a liner out of a boot and then forcing it back in - not to mention it always felt like a pain in the #$# to do.

A ski boot horn makes a huge difference getting liners in and out of shells without damaging the liners. Regardless, totally agree that boot driers are the way to go.

[turnfarmer]

Most corks used in foot orthotics are like Birkenstock cork, they are mixed with a heat moldable matrix such as Eva or nylon, they are not pure cork so drying out and crumbling is not a problem. Pretty sure the cork Nordica uses is similar. There is also another version where the cork granules are suspended in an high viscosity liquid that allows them to automold to the foot, ie ZipFit and the Nordica race liners.

[turnfarmer]

A ski boot horn makes a huge difference getting liners in and out of shells without damaging the liners. Regardless, totally agree that boot driers are the way to go.

QFT
Also prevents most of the hand bang that can happen when inserting liners.