Basic Boot JONG questions

**ANON-505** · 12-02-2006, 07:51 PM

For the past decade I've tele'd and I'm a complete jong when it comes to alpine boots.

My brother moved back to the mountains after a many-year stint in So Cal and the midwest, and tomorrow he's going to buy boots. Eventually will have them tweaked by a boot fitter, but he'd like something that fits pretty much out-of-the box.

He WAS a good skier, but hasn't been more than a few times a year over the last decade. About 6', 170 lbs, 9ish street shoe, low volume (narrow) foot. He'll be skiing Volkl Karmas, probably mounted a few cm's back.

So here are my questions:

1. I know enough about alpine boots to know they all have some kind of flex rating. What is a good flex number for all mountain ripping? Not necessarily a big hucker, but he'll be skiing steeps and trees. NO park/jib shit.

2. Generally speaking, what boot makers make a good boot for low volume/narrow feet?

3. Within the answers for those two questions, do you have any specific models you'd recommend?

Thanks all. For tele, there are only two real choices. You've got Garmont for fat feet and Scarpa for narrow. easy. God there are a ton of options.

**mntlion** · 12-02-2006, 08:03 PM

1) a boot should allow you to flex about as much as you can bend you ankle without the boot on

2) most companies make a big volume and a narrow volume boot. Usually the stiffer it is the narrower it is, and the higher end it is , and the more it costs

3) lange, kryptons, K2, some technicas.

4) but then he would have to tele.....

MAKE SURE HE IS IN A 1cm SHELL FIT ONLY. no bigger or it will not hold his foot in place...

**FrankZappa** · 12-02-2006, 08:04 PM

Check out http://www.tecnicausa.com/skiing/ site. Pretty good charts in there. And it goes back a couple years. Read these charts for foot size stuff.
These worked good for my low vol narrow foot. Mags - got 'em "new" and fit damn good out of the box so far after 4 days on 'em.
Mine are rated at 100 and are fine. Remember it's easier to "soften" a stiffer boot with modifications.
Best thing is hangin' out in a shop and wearing each around for at least a half hour.

**mntlion** · 12-02-2006, 08:52 PM

So you want to buy some new boots? This information applies to All double boots (boots with removable liners): downhill, telemark, alpine touring, snowboard, ice climbing, and any ability or age.

First of all the sizing information on the tags is not always accurate. Different brands fit differently and sometimes the sizing tags on the boot are gone. If it is right type of boot, in the right price range, and about the right size, try it on. The first step is to shell fit. With the liner removed, your foot in the shell only, and your toes touching the front of the boot, you should have NO MORE then 2 fingers, 2 cm or 3/4 inch between your heel and the back of the boot. You also want about 1-3mm around the width of your foot. Yes they will feel a bit snug at first, but they will pack out, trust us.

Put the liner back in and lace or buckle the boot up and make sure that your heel is back all the way in the boot. Then when you flex the boot forward, your heel should stay down, your toes should come back from the front of the boot, and they should feel comfortably snug. Keep in mind that they will stretch out º to Ω size as your foot works it way back in in the boot, and the liner packs out and molds to your foot.

If you go bigger then this your foot will slide around, and cause blisters, you will have to over tighten your boot to make the foot stay in place, cutting off the blood flow and making your feet colder. Boot fitters can make a small boot bigger, but can not make a big boot smaller.

**Adamantium** · 12-02-2006, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by mntlion

1) a boot should allow you to flex about as much as you can bend you ankle without the boot on

2) most companies make a big volume and a narrow volume boot. Usually the stiffer it is the narrower it is, and the higher end it is , and the more it costs

3) lange, kryptons, K2, some technicas.

4) but then he would have to tele.....

MAKE SURE HE IS IN A 1cm SHELL FIT ONLY. no bigger or it will not hold his foot in place...

it is my understanding that a fair amount of the Lange line is not nearly as low-volume as they used to be.

**mntlion** · 12-02-2006, 08:59 PM

the Fluids are very large by lange standard. and some of the other mid range is bigger but

freeride 120, comp 130 and 150 are still "langes"

Squatch · 12-02-2006, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by mntlion

the Fluids are very large by lange standard. and some of the other mid range is bigger but

freeride 120, comp 130 and 150 are still "langes"

kind of. freeride 120 and (i think) the larger option on the 130 are medium fit (still not medium compared to other manufacturers, but wider than the old-school low-fit langes).

**mntlion** · 12-02-2006, 09:43 PM

the 120 freeride and some 130's are the HP fit, you can get the 130 and 150 (ZB and ZC) are the new plug shape (WC fit), and very narrow.

funny the old plug boot fit me well, I just didn;t like the "race" liner and the stiffness, the MF and LF boots gave me shin bang right away, but the rest of the fit was doable.

new 120 FR = first lange I have been willing to try to make work in 20 years....

Squatch · 12-02-2006, 09:53 PM

i just got a pair of 120 LF (first year before the widened it a tad) and I'm loving it. I have the trademark lange foot shape: very narrow all the way, low instep.

edit: Anon, this is very difficult to do over the internet, without seeing his foot. Most people have a bad idea of their foot width until they've measured it. Is "A" narrow (narrow as fuck) or "C" (not really narrow, but not wide, so people think it's narrow). Keep in mind it is a sliding scale, and width increases with size (10 is narrower than a 12 in the same boot).

If it helps, I'm a B width and like a very tight fit.