Sell em to your shoe guy

I got fitted for a new pair of boots this season after running my Salomon ghost 90's for several seasons.

I tried on alot of this year's boots, the new S pro 130's felt like the softest 130 I've ever worn, almost similar to my old Ghost 90's.

I ended up going with the Nordica pro machine 120's which ironically felt like one of stiffer boots in the whole shop, compared to the other brands 130's. I can't say much cause I never skied the new salomons, but their flex rating only seemed relativistic

**This post was edited on Jan 14th 2020 at 12:34:59pm

TRVP_ANGELSell em to your shoe guy

Shoe guy owes me hundreds of dollars and ghosted me a while back I’m still upset about it

Why did you buy them

The.BrentistWhy did you buy them

this

150 shipped to MN?

Is that the only boot you tried on?

Sounds like Salomon was running a sales contest at the time and the dude was trying to get his points up

DayManTLDR: bought fancy new boots from bootfitter, hate them, can't return cause they're used now, i am fukt

So I went out to Colorado for a 3 week trip to ski and visit friends/family. First day I'm there I go ski Winter Park and my right boot basically snaps in half. The shell is totally fucked and made them unskiable. It was my 5th season on them so it wasn't totally unexpected, but still I was in no financial position to buy a brand new pair. After calling around to a bunch of shops in Denver asking if they had any of last years models at a discount, Evo was the only one that said they might be able to help me out.

They ended up basically catfishing me with that phone call because once I get in with the bootfitter at the Evo store he tells me that they don't actually have any discounted old stock. At that point I just said fuck it and committed to getting a fresh $840 pair of Salomon S Pro 130's. They fit great in the store, and I told him I'm a super aggressive skier with some history in racing so I like a ridiculously stiff boot. He ensured that these were the boots for me. I voiced my concerns about them being too soft when I tried them on but once again, he ensured that they would stiffen right up when they got out in the cold and that they would feel totally different on skis.

The next day I take them out skiing for the first time. Right off the bat something feels wrong. They're even more soft than they were in the store once I get skis under me. I've had rental boots feel stiffer than these. At first I figured maybe it was just because they were new to me and I had to get used to them, but they never got any better, only worse if anything.

They were so soft that I figured something had to be wrong with them. It's to the point where I can overflex them to the point of relying on my ankle mobility for resistance. My ankles have never felt so compromised in a ski boot. When I try to engage a hard turn and put a lot of pressure into the boot it basically just folds over itself and bends in half.

So at this point, I'm convinced that something is wrong with them, they feel like a 90 flex boot instead of a 130. I drive my ass all the way back to Denver from Steamboat and miss a day of skiing so I can see what's going on. I tried to explain the situation to the bootfitter at Evo and he was kind of a dick and wouldn't believe me that anything was wrong with the boot. Like why would I drive 6 hours round trip and miss a whole day of my ski trip to lie about something being wrong with my brand new boots??? And since I had skied 2 days on them, they obviously were no longer eligible for a return. Another bootfitter gets involved and insists that I need booster straps and that booster straps will solve all my problems. As a long time customer of booster straps, I know they can help, but I knew they wouldn't solve a problem of extreme over-flexion like I was experiencing.

The guys at Evo sent me on my way and basically just told me I don't know what I'm talking about and there's nothing they can do to help me. I bought some booster straps and they didn't help at all, I'm still having the exact same issue. I now have beautiful $840 boots that I absolutely hate, and no money to get a different pair either.

Anyone else ever have something like this happen?

At least they look nice

Sounds like a you problem, bud.

Pipe_MunkyIs that the only boot you tried on?

Sounds like Salomon was running a sales contest at the time and the dude was trying to get his points up

The only other pair he had me try on was some Atomic Hawx 130's and those didn't feel right

vibes OP. In my experience shopping in person at Evo is not the best environment for clear decision making. I also had the experience of getting home from Evo and realizing I bought the wrong boots. Luckily I was not needing to ski in them right away and I returned them unused. My current boots are actually from EVO but I picked them out with the help of a bootfitter that isn't affiliated with EVO and ordered online. Looking back at the experience in store at EVO it seemed like the guy was very young and no way he had much experience. My guess is he was probably just a sales guy and not a boot expert that knows all the ins and outs of how to modify boots etc. In my case I need a very modified boot to get a good fit so trying to just pick a couple and get the best fit in store really doesn't make any sense. The sales guys gave me and the person I was with beers and really played up the whole bro brah deal bantering with my friend etc. to the point where it almost felt easier just to buy some boots and say I wanted to go think about it than to just walk away from the deal.

TLDR not a fan of my in person EVO experience

Something sounds off about your boots

I’m 200 6’1 skiing the same boots and they are as stiff as most of the 130s I’ve skied

What were your old boots?

And why not buy Full Tilts??

evaroniWhat were your old boots?

And why not buy Full Tilts??

Because he wanted a stiff boot. The stiffest FT isn't stiff.

Lol salomon

SessionBecause he wanted a stiff boot. The stiffest FT isn't stiff.

Is joke

Get white plastic it’s the stiffest

Check to make sure the screws on the back of the shell by the Achilles tendon are all screwed in. If you wanna get janky with it you can even drill a new hole above the old ones and add a Tnut and screw to stiffen it up. Good luck man, flex ratings are not a standardized system, one company's 130 can feel like another company's 100.

evaroniWhat were your old boots?

And why not buy Full Tilts??

true, FT makes a all moutain boot that is absoulty killer and they are accautly a trust worthy brand, if the boot doesnt fit amazing at the start you get them molded simple as that!

My question is, why the fuck did you buy them for 840$?? They’re like 450$ (not trying to be a toxic Newschoolers user)

also I have the 120s and I think they’re fine

749 + tax dood

Upon checking my email receipt they were actually 812 so my bad on that

If you can find them for anything less than that let me know but I was just in a hard situation where I was on my annual out west ski trip and wanted to ski ASAP so I was kind of forced into the purchase if I wanted to not miss any more days skiing than I needed to

I'm also 6'3" 205 so I've got a lot of mass to throw around in a boot

Did u have them heat molded and possibly over heated ? We’re basically the same size and I’m an amateur bodybuilder been skiing 24 years , I don’t think they’re stiff , But what your describing is far from what I’ve experienced railing groomers and pow drops , skied in as warm as 60 degrees no probs can bend even my stiffest skis

there’s a screw on the back to change from a 130 to 120 maybe check that ?

DayManI'm also 6'3" 205 so I've got a lot of mass to throw around in a boot

**This post was edited on Jan 15th 2020 at 5:44:05pm

DayMan749 + tax dood

Upon checking my email receipt they were actually 812 so my bad on that

If you can find them for anything less than that let me know but I was just in a hard situation where I was on my annual out west ski trip and wanted to ski ASAP so I was kind of forced into the purchase if I wanted to not miss any more days skiing than I needed to

Why didn't you just rent for the few days you were out west?

Write evo a shitty review on all platforms. Be the squeeky wheel. Unleash your inner karen. Ask for managers. 8 hundo on a damn boot I'd be fucking livid if I didn't absolutely love it.

that said I’ve returned used boots , idk what evo policy is

ill probably never shop there again anyway as my local boot fitter is now my connect I support his shop , but your story is another reason

BiffbarfWrite evo a shitty review on all platforms. Be the squeeky wheel. Unleash your inner karen. Ask for managers. 8 hundo on a damn boot I'd be fucking livid if I didn't absolutely love it.

I personally don’t find that boot to be as soft as you say.. and not one of my clients over the last 2 years that I’ve sold that boot to has complained about it being too soft... it’s no softer than the Lange RX/RS 130 or many other boots in that class. Sounds like you’d have taco’d most boots that you would have tried on.

that said, if you need a a seriously stiff boot, you should have gone with a race boot or something race derived like a firebird or Doberman or a raptor.

nosebutterpizzaWhy didn't you just rent for the few days you were out west?

I was there for 3 weeks and skied about 18 days

Also have you ever tried rental boots?? I'd almost rather not ski

**This post was edited on Jan 15th 2020 at 6:51:34pm

DingoSeanI personally don’t find that boot to be as soft as you say.. and not one of my clients over the last 2 years that I’ve sold that boot to has complained about it being too soft... it’s no softer than the Lange RX/RS 130 or many other boots in that class. Sounds like you’d have taco’d most boots that you would have tried on.

that said, if you need a a seriously stiff boot, you should have gone with a race boot or something race derived like a firebird or Doberman or a raptor.

My old boots were Salomon X Pro 120's and they felt sooo much stiffer than these. They were totally fine until I snapped the shell at the beginning of the trip. I realize that I sound ridiculous and it's probably just a weird personal issue but I'm just sad that I spent so much money on something that I'm not happy with and that Evo was so unwilling to do anything to remedy the situation.

I talked to a family friend who is a fitter/owner at a smaller shop and he was saying that they guarantee any fit and even if I used them for a couple days, if I totally hated them, they'd fit me into a pair that I actually like. I know that's probably not a regular thing and wouldn't expect it to be but it just made me realize that small local shops are 100% the way to go. I already knew that but it really cemented it for me. That same guy also hand flexed my boots and said they felt like a 100 and not a 130 so idk if I ended up with a fucked up pair or something.

SavageBiffDid u have them heat molded and possibly over heated ? We’re basically the same size and I’m an amateur bodybuilder been skiing 24 years , I don’t think they’re stiff , But what your describing is far from what I’ve experienced railing groomers and pow drops , skied in as warm as 60 degrees no probs can bend even my stiffest skis

there’s a screw on the back to change from a 130 to 120 maybe check that ?

**This post was edited on Jan 15th 2020 at 5:44:05pm

Did not have them heat molded, and have swapped the screws around to see if that makes a difference with no luck. I seem to be the only owner of these boots having this problem so I guess its a me thing

Stories like these are why I'll stick to my heavier boots for inbounds skiing. Something tells me 10-15 years down the road we'll all be looking back and saying "remember when everyone tried to make super light inbounds boots? Glad we're past that trend."

As far as Evo goes, I would seriously look elsewhere for purchasing boots (OP I'm sure you made this decision already). After my last round with them, as much as I respect the boot fitters there, they just experience way too much volume to be really dialing in boots imo.

Damn man sorry for your situation, I know what it’s like to be in a shitty boot , I’ve had em too big too small I’ve been thru it all , and these boots are like the payment for my suffering , solved all me issues , hope you find a good pair , I’d seriously start with a true boot fitter , good luck selling

fwiw I wouldn’t of stuck my feet in rentals either

these boots are made thin , I can see there being inconsistencies in flex due to manufacturing error , or over stretching a boot or heating a boot

DayManDid not have them heat molded, and have swapped the screws around to see if that makes a difference with no luck. I seem to be the only owner of these boots having this problem so I guess its a me thing

As far as these types of boots being a trend I don’t think so , they will continue to improve like most things, that said mine perform as advertised , almost wish Id gone 120 ...always be a market for lightweight boots and true downhill chargers

DayManMy old boots were Salomon X Pro 120's and they felt sooo much stiffer than these. They were totally fine until I snapped the shell at the beginning of the trip. I realize that I sound ridiculous and it's probably just a weird personal issue but I'm just sad that I spent so much money on something that I'm not happy with and that Evo was so unwilling to do anything to remedy the situation.

I talked to a family friend who is a fitter/owner at a smaller shop and he was saying that they guarantee any fit and even if I used them for a couple days, if I totally hated them, they'd fit me into a pair that I actually like. I know that's probably not a regular thing and wouldn't expect it to be but it just made me realize that small local shops are 100% the way to go. I already knew that but it really cemented it for me. That same guy also hand flexed my boots and said they felt like a 100 and not a 130 so idk if I ended up with a fucked up pair or something.

It’s a super tough call man.. obviously the fit is right (internally they are suuuper similar to your old xpro) so it’s a super odd request to take for a boot fitter...

“Hey so I think my old boots which were a 120 flex and are virtually the same dimensions internally as these felt stiffer than the 130 flex boots I just bought that are meant to be a bit stiffer and are essentially an updated version of my old ones... can you take these back and give me a stiff boot from another brand that you’ll likely need to do a bunch of free guaranteed work on to make fit as well as these? Thanks”

im not saying you’re wrong in your assessment of the boots performance - you feel what you feel - but it’s a super weird thing to hear from a customer and I and other fitters would find it hard to flat out return the boot based on that... especially when it’s the first case brought up that I’ve heard in multiple years of selling that boot where a customer felt it was too soft (I have actually softened that boot for at least 2 clients before)

id try your foot in several other boots to compare flex, and see if we can find a fit match, but I wouldn’t expect the mach1 mv 130 or speedmachine 130 or Recon 130 MV or Hawx Prime 130 being any stiffer in flex than the Spro.. if anything I’d expect most of them to be softer...

OP that sucks, there’s nothing worse than a brand new pair of boots that fit right. I may have missed this but is there any way to go back to EVO maybe another one? The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Ripping rental boots isn’t that bad, seems more like a you problem than a ReNtAl boOt.

DayManI was there for 3 weeks and skied about 18 days

Also have you ever tried rental boots?? I'd almost rather not ski

**This post was edited on Jan 15th 2020 at 6:51:34pm

I'm so happy now i've tried enough boots to know pretty much what I like.

Also go with your instinct. If something like flex aint seeming right, don't buy em. UNLESS the boot fitter is extremely knowledgeable, you will know if they are cause they'll be old and have a beard.

HYP3R_REAL1TYI'm so happy now i've tried enough boots to know pretty much what I like.

Also go with your instinct. If something like flex aint seeming right, don't buy em. UNLESS the boot fitter is extremely knowledgeable, you will know if they are cause they'll be old and have a beard.

I have a beard and some of it is grey.

counting it.

Did you happen to call the flagship store up here in Seattle? Tell them you had a horrible customer service experience. Don't be rude, but I would share all of those details with them about those so-called "bootfitters". I think they'll try to help you out.

Bought em skied em

did you expect to learn how to backflip???

buy some used race boots on ebay

It’s worth a shot

CK_MediaDid you happen to call the flagship store up here in Seattle? Tell them you had a horrible customer service experience. Don't be rude, but I would share all of those details with them about those so-called "bootfitters". I think they'll try to help you out.

i misread the thread title as i hate my boobs

and you know different boot companies rate their flex different, a 130 from one might be a 90 from another.. did you have salomons before or is this your first pair of salomons?

**This post was edited on Jan 18th 2020 at 10:09:56pm

Bootfitter here. Different companies use different plastics and different molds for their ski boots. In my personal experience fitting people and working with boots this year, the newer Salomon boots do seem to be on the softer side of their stated flex ratings. As for EVO in Denver goes, I have fitted customers that have had similar experiences with the bootfitting process at that store. I know that out of all the bootfitters who work there only one or two actually have any masterfit experience (unless they have changed it in the past 6 months or so). If you can't get new boots, I would try booster straps (although I wouldn't claim that they will "solve all your problems").

CabbageRustler69the newer Salomon boots do seem to be on the softer side of their stated flex ratings.

Just as of this year? do you think it's a permanent thing or salomon just fucked stuff up for a year and will be back to normal?

b00mSkisJust as of this year? do you think it's a permanent thing or salomon just fucked stuff up for a year and will be back to normal?

It seems like ever since they started implementing their heat-moldable shell technology into the majority of the boots in their line this has been the case. That being said, I am not an expert on plastics and I do not personally know any of the science to suggest that these two things have a causal relationship. They did it as sort of a sales gimmick to market their boots to lots of people with a wide range of feet. That way, a person with a really wide foot that wanted a pair of S-Pros could just mold the shell and add up to 6mm of last or so. My guess is they will probably stick with it for a while, but if people keep expressing and documenting the same issues I can't imagine they would continue it for very long. Once again, I just fit the boots I don't make them, but in my experience fitting they have been on the softer side.

CabbageRustler69It seems like ever since they started implementing their heat-moldable shell technology into the majority of the boots in their line this has been the case. That being said, I am not an expert on plastics and I do not personally know any of the science to suggest that these two things have a causal relationship. They did it as sort of a sales gimmick to market their boots to lots of people with a wide range of feet. That way, a person with a really wide foot that wanted a pair of S-Pros could just mold the shell and add up to 6mm of last or so. My guess is they will probably stick with it for a while, but if people keep expressing and documenting the same issues I can't imagine they would continue it for very long. Once again, I just fit the boots I don't make them, but in my experience fitting they have been on the softer side.

Isn't heat molding standard practice when boot fitting? salomons (at least the high end ones) have been heat moldable for quite a number of years haven't they?

b00mSkisIsn't heat molding standard practice when boot fitting? salomons (at least the high end ones) have been heat moldable for quite a number of years haven't they?

Yes and no, it's a standard practice to heat mold liners, but not shells. My personal stance on molding shells is unless you have a really messed up foot, you shouldn't need to mold a shell to fit you, and you can probably find a different brand that fits better, has a comparable flex and performance, and is a similar price. Most people's feet do not need a shell mold, usually weird feet issues can be fixed with punching or grinding a shell. And yes, salomon has had that technology for a few boots in their line for a few years now, but last year they decided to make it standard for most if not all of their boots. Whereas in the past not all the boots had that capability.

CabbageRustler69Yes and no, it's a standard practice to heat mold liners, but not shells. My personal stance on molding shells is unless you have a really messed up foot, you shouldn't need to mold a shell to fit you, and you can probably find a different brand that fits better, has a comparable flex and performance, and is a similar price. Most people's feet do not need a shell mold, usually weird feet issues can be fixed with punching or grinding a shell. And yes, salomon has had that technology for a few boots in their line for a few years now, but last year they decided to make it standard for most if not all of their boots. Whereas in the past not all the boots had that capability.

okay thanks for explaining. When you say it is usually just liner that has to be molded and not shell, do most boot fitters agree with you, or is that just your personal opinion?

and what is the downside to heat molding a shell, or to having a heat moldable shell?

**This post was edited on Jan 18th 2020 at 10:43:44pm

b00mSkisokay thanks for explaining. When you say it is usually just liner that has to be molded and not shell, do most boot fitters agree with you, or is that just your personal opinion?

and what is the downside to heat molding a shell, or to having a heat moldable shell?

**This post was edited on Jan 18th 2020 at 10:43:44pm

All the bootfitters I have worked with have a similar stance on molding shells. I'm not saying I won't mold a shell (I have a few times and will almost certainly do it again in the future), and it does solve a lot of issues to do so. But there are other avenues I always explore first before I heat mold the shell, such as finding a different brand, adding footbeds, molding the liner, punching, grinding, etc. There isn't a downside to molding your shell. If it's designed to be molded, and the mold is done properly, the boot should perform just as well as if it were used straight out of the box. Back to the original question of this thread, in Salomon's case, the newer boots seem to be softer, and that could be because of the change in their plastics. Just what I have noticed fitting, cannot back it up with any sort of science.

CabbageRustler69All the bootfitters I have worked with have a similar stance on molding shells. I'm not saying I won't mold a shell (I have a few times and will almost certainly do it again in the future), and it does solve a lot of issues to do so. But there are other avenues I always explore first before I heat mold the shell, such as finding a different brand, adding footbeds, molding the liner, punching, grinding, etc. There isn't a downside to molding your shell. If it's designed to be molded, and the mold is done properly, the boot should perform just as well as if it were used straight out of the box. Back to the original question of this thread, in Salomon's case, the newer boots seem to be softer, and that could be because of the change in their plastics. Just what I have noticed fitting, cannot back it up with any sort of science.

i appreciate all your answers. one last question then, you said there isn't a downside to molding your shell, but you also said that you and others try other avenues first before molding the shell. so why try other things first if there's no downside to molding the shell?

b00mSkisokay thanks for explaining. When you say it is usually just liner that has to be molded and not shell, do most boot fitters agree with you, or is that just your personal opinion?

I would agree with him.