Boot fitting has a reputation as a service reserved for racers. It isn't: the people who benefit most are ordinary skiers whose feet don't fit the manufacturers' standard mould. Here is what these adjustments really correct.
This is the adjustment that gives the most for the price. The stock insole in a ski boot is a simple sheet of foam. A footbed shaped to your foot supports your arch and spreads pressure across the whole sole. In practice: your foot no longer collapses with every turn, cramps and numbness decrease, and power goes more directly to the edge. Most skiers feel the difference from the very first run.
Many liners are designed to be heated and then moulded to your foot. The liner then follows your shape precisely: the heel is held better, sensitive areas are less compressed, and much of the painful breaking-in of the first outings disappears.
This is the adjustment that changes life for unusual feet. Bunions, prominent ankle bones, a wide forefoot: the plastic shell can be heated and pushed out locally by a few millimetres, exactly where it presses. The boot's overall hold stays intact; only the painful area is relieved. A few millimetres are often enough to turn an unbearable boot into one you forget you are wearing.
Let's be honest: a boot two sizes too big cannot be rescued, whatever the adjustment. Boot fitting refines a boot of the right size; it does not make up for a bad initial choice. If you are starting from scratch, begin with our guide on size and flex, then come and try boots on.
In our workshops in Val Thorens, every job starts with an assessment: your foot, your boot, how it feels and exactly where it hurts. We then suggest the right fix, from footbed to shell work. Details are on our services page. Your feet carry you all day on the slopes: they deserve a boot that fits their shape.
