JonSnowThanks for the advice.
I do plan to see a boot fitter although before I go I want to make sure I know exactally what I want and also have an idea of possible boots that would be suited.
I guess the main purpose of this post was to find out if I should avoid a shell size that is bigger than my liner size.
Obviously the shells are used usually for two different sized liner's.
I understand that this room is accounted for by means of extra padding (and that we are only talking about half a cm) It seems it would be far better to search for a boot with a shell size that matches my liner size for obvious longevity and connectivity reasons.
I need to know if I am being over the top about this? I just want to get my next pair of boots right.
Part of your problem is that you think buying a boot is all you need, when in fact you need to get footbeds too.
The right boot for your foot isn't the perfect match until you get fitted for proper footbeds as well. Your foot is built for walking, not for being stuffed into a plastic cast with a giant lever arm attached to it. As such it is flexible and it will move around even in the right size & shape boot for your foot. A footbed creates the proper interface between your flexible foot and the rigid shell so that it is securely held in place. Without this, every boot will feel a bit sloppy because of the natural flexibility of your foot and the rigidity of the ski boot.
Secondly, only trying on boots will give you a general idea of what boot will work for you. The job of the boot-fitter is simply not to get the boot out that you want to try on but to assess your foot, ankle, leg, and flexibility and then find/match the right boot to that. Once you do that AND get a footbed, then you will have the right fit solution for your needs.
Thirdly, if you find the right boot in the shop buy it from that shop. You might save a little bit of money buying it online but the internet isn't going to fit your boots for you. When you buy from a shop, they usually offer some kind of fit guarantee and will adjust the fit of the boot for you free of charge for X amount of time. This will be more than worth it in the long run for you.