The boot thread

[kimchi]

So, I finally brought my boots (Salomon HiFi) to a ski service, to do some boot fitting.
It was my first time, doing it.
The things I needed was to make a little more room in toes area (since I started wearing barefoot shoes, like I said in Creature Comforts 3d, my feet have grown in width and (a little bit) in lenght), and to fix the hankle area of the boots.
I have really skinny ankles, and even with Salomon boots, that are really narrow, sometimes my heels rise in the boots.

They made room for my toes, and I'm really happy with the results, but with the hankle - malleolus area I thought to fix, they would add a sheet of fitting foam on the external of the liner, but they opted instead to add a 4mm wedge under the heel, and to put a new insole on top of that. So, in this case, they removed some space in height in the boot, so the feet and ankles are placed higher in boots and they should stay locked better.
Is it a good solution? Is it a common practice?
Because in your boot fitting, through the years, I think I only saw you put some foam around ankle area.

thanks!

Pretty common practice amongst boot fitters. I DIY added 6 mm heel wedges to a set of Burton Imperials years ago and they salvaged that boot for me. I originally did it for heel lift, but actually preferred the way those boots felt with a little bit of added ramp. Burtons with EST sole are pretty flat. Maybe I have a tiny bit less sensitivity railing heelside carves, but I feel much more balanced with a bit of ramp.

My Adidas and K2 boots have perhaps 5 mm ramp naturally built into their outsole shape. I haven't added heel wedges to these and did C-wraps instead.

I also spend most of my time in minimalist shoes, so I thought I would prefer zero drop in snowboard boots-- wrong. In most circumstances I wear thin, flexible, wide shoes with minimal support and zero drop, but I follow different rules for snow and skate. The required motion and energy inputs are just different, so "natural" doesn't serve me in those settings.

[eleveneightnate]

My Adidas and K2 boots have perhaps 5 mm ramp naturally built into their outsole shape. I haven't added heel wedges to these and did C-wraps instead.

That's probably why I don't like adding heel ramp, my Acerras already have lots of it compared to any other stock boot I've had. You're right about Burton, they feel very "zero drop" to me. I like that for park riding.

[Vanni]

thanks guys.
I was not worried about the boots not being zero drop, in snowboarding you don't stand doing nothing for long time, so the posture is compromised or something else.
You are most of the time on the toes or on the heels, and If I really wanted to pay attention about posture and foot health in snowboard boots, I would have quit snowboarding
I was mostly worried about the rideability of the boots, if the turning was somewhat compromised (ski service usually do ski boot fitting, and skiing is a totally different activity, you don't turn skis putting weight on toes and heels).
Actually I don't know if Salomons are somewhat close to zero drop or not, but if not, they don't feel so far off being zero drop (I would be surprised if they are really zero drop).
Anyway, let's see how they work

Thanks @kimchi, your every day experience is relatable with mine, this helps a lot.

[Vanni]

Currently, many boot brands seek to prevent the ankle from moving by squeezing the instep instead of squeezing the Achilles heel.
They made the same but increasing the drop

right, I have another pair of boots, that I never used so far, that have that kind of system.
They are boots with laces, but have a boa system for ankle - instep.

[jota]

Currently, many boot brands seek to prevent the ankle from moving by squeezing the instep instead of squeezing the Achilles heel.
They made the same but increasing the drop

right, I have another pair of boots, that I never used so far, that have that kind of system.
They are boots with laces, but have a boa system for ankle - instep.

Vans infuse longo?

I have the infuse and I’m very happy with them. My ankle doesn't move and my entire foot feels great inside the boot with thin socks. Before in other boots i had to try a thousand inventions, with the vans, everything is perfect.

On the other hand, I changed the Vans insoles that have a drop for others and I am doing tests. I always used a wedge (my slx had a wedge to add). Now I am testing without the wedge and a flat insole. Other days I will try the vans insole... Test is a part that gives you a lot of information. Sometimes you discover things that work for you and things that don't... it all adds to the riding experience

[Vanni]

Salomon Lo-Fi!

[jota]

Salomon Lo-Fi!

The vans system is similar. I ride it quite loose but my foot feels great. My ankle doesn't move. burton uses another system integrated into the boot's own design...

[eleveneightnate]

I bought some Nidecker boots today. Not a sentence I thought I'd ever type but they are very, very comfortable. Medium+ flex, plush and supportive. They feel like the Vans Infuse but a better fit for my feet, cheaper and lighter. The asymmetric tongue is a potential game changer for me. The first boots I've been able to just put on and immediately tighten the lower section with causing pain on top of my feet. Let's see how they break in.

How are these working out for you? Nidecker is having 50% off some of their boots from last season and I've definitely been curious about them since reading about how well they fit for you.

[unsuspected]

I bought some Nidecker boots today. Not a sentence I thought I'd ever type but they are very, very comfortable. Medium+ flex, plush and supportive. They feel like the Vans Infuse but a better fit for my feet, cheaper and lighter. The asymmetric tongue is a potential game changer for me. The first boots I've been able to just put on and immediately tighten the lower section with causing pain on top of my feet. Let's see how they break in.

How are these working out for you? Nidecker is having 50% some of their boots from last season and I've definitely been curious about them since reading about how well they fit for you.

Have tried Nidecker boots(can't remember which model) and they don't fit me at all, way too narrow. If you like the fit of Adidas and new Vans last these aren't the boots for you.

[sinned]

Have tried Nidecker boots(can't remember which model) and they don't fit me at all, way too narrow. If you like the fit of Adidas and new Vans last these aren't the boots for you.

Useful insight. Have 2 backup pairs of Tactical ADV/Lexicons, but was looking at the Nidecker Kita Hybrid for '24. Still want to try.