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OregonDeadthanks. I put in my order. Clearance sales are going off right now and my old boots have made it 5 full seasons + so it is worth it just to get into new liners if nothing else. Heard of others going to these from the pinnacle too so I'm guessing they will work for me
Rock_InhabitantI tried on my boots for the first time in a year and after an hour of wearing them the pain on the outer edge of both my feet was brutal. Are they simply too small? Could I get them punched in the side? (I’m a teen btw so I’m still growing)
onenerdykidPossibly.
Could be linked to not having a footbed (as you pronate, your foot shifts laterally to the outside).
Could be linked to your foot being a new shape (i.e. wider, longer, more flexible).
Could be the liner packed out and now your foot is butting up against the plastic rather than liner padding.
You won't have a real answer until a boot fitter can see your foot inside the shell. And you never want to stretch for width until you have a proper footbed holding your foot in place. Otherwise, you will just slide into the extra space that was made once you go skiing.
Non_State_ActorWhat company do you think makes the best footbeds? I had a pair made from Boot Doc but they felt really flat, not supportive through the arch at all, and the started to come apart really quickly so I switched back to a pair of of the shelf Sidas or Superfeet Green to finish out the season last year. Looking to have a new pair made.
Non_State_ActorWhat company do you think makes the best footbeds? I had a pair made from Boot Doc but they felt really flat, not supportive through the arch at all, and the started to come apart really quickly so I switched back to a pair of of the shelf Sidas or Superfeet Green to finish out the season last year. Looking to have a new pair made.
OlimarNot really a question about an issue wtih my boots, but more a question for a boot fitter. How does the new Atomic Backland XTD differ in fit from the Hawx Prime XTD? Ive been skiing in a 28.5 Hawx Prime XTD for the passed couple of seasons, would it be safe to say that the Backland XTD 120 would fit me just as well?
mattpaul611Shin bang fixes. Boots fit great just shin problems.
onenerdykidSuper similar fit between the two, but not 100% identical. You just can't get an absolutely, 100% identical fit between the two constructions, from both a shell and liner perspective. But it's really close.
Basically, if you have a Hawx Prime XTD right now and you want a dedicated touring boot based around the same foot shape, cuff shape, cuff height, etc. then the Backland XTD is your ticket.
OlimarSo i went to a shop to try them on and the brand new, unmolded Backland XTD felt noticeably more roomy than my old, packed out, head molded hawx XTD. Both the same listed size. Any thoughts on this? I guess I just need a proper boot fitting session in person, but I have an industry deal and I dont want to waste the fitters time if Im not going to buy from them.
onenerdykidBackland XTD is a 100mm last, but it is not the same exact last that is used in a Prime XTD. Nor is it the same liner construction. Hawx Prime XTD has a last & a liner made for alpine skiing, Backland XTD has a last & a liner made for touring. The fits are close, but also different. If you need a tighter fit out of the Backland XTD, I would recommend checking out thicker/firmer aftermarket liners to find the shell/liner combo that suits your fit & performance expectations.
kylemcleanNot really a problem but just a question and not gonna throw out a whole thread for it. I got my first touring setup this year and have been contemplating putting some laces in my liner, which are lace compatible. Boots aren’t a touring boot so I want to be able to open up the tops of the cuff to get a little more range of motion, but am worried about the extra movement of my foot causing friction problems and the laces popped into my head as a potential way to reduce that friction. Any thoughts?
Obviously also gonna talk to my fitter that did the liners about it too, but figured tossing the question out here wouldn’t hurt either
deelonmuskI’m not sure this would help a ton but given that it would be a really cheap and easy experiment, why not. Liners are stiffer than you’d think and the built-in flex zone at the back of every touring-oriented liner is there for a reason. I would try both keeping the whole boot + liner loose and then also trying the liner taught via laces and a loose cuff.
What boots are they and what touring binding/adapter are you using?
kylemcleanThat’s sort of what I figured. Not a permanent change so if it didn’t work can just take the laces out.
Using a set of Nordica Speedmachine 130 with some pretty stiff injection liners paired up with a set of barons for the bindings
db_Hello together
I have a Lange xt3 140 lv, we have warmed up the liner and shell as well as last year and widened it a bit in the forefoot area. now i notice a heel lift. can I solve this with a small heel wedge and how does this change my foot/leg position in the existing forward lean?
Are there small, fine pads (self-made?) to stick to the inner shoe, I find the C-pads all a bit too tight?
Thanks for your input.
db_Yes, the entire boot. So it is possible that it was also enlarged there. The heel fit out of the box was very, very tight.
I wore the boot about 5 times without adjustments and then warmed it up.
I generally have a wider heel, so I was a bit surprised that the heel lift occurred.
ok, then I will ask there, I thought maybe there is a magical fabric input for this topic :-) thanks
**This post was edited on Jan 2nd 2024 at 6:17:08am
ThaLoraxWhy did you heat the shell of a boot that does not have a heat moldable shell and what was thr goal of doing so?
db_why do you think that doesn't work?
was the bootfitter's idea/suggestion.
ThaLoraxLange plastic is not thermomoldable. It is only meant to be spot heated for punches, not the entire boot.While most brands have gone to moldable plastics, brands like Lange, Rossignol, and Nordica have opted to use more traditional plastics that are not moldable. However, if you heat any boot up, it's probably going to expand. Some boots just aren't made for it
ThaLoraxLange plastic is not thermomoldable. It is only meant to be spot heated for punches, not the entire boot.While most brands have gone to moldable plastics, brands like Lange, Rossignol, and Nordica have opted to use more traditional plastics that are not moldable. However, if you heat any boot up, it's probably going to expand. Some boots just aren't made for it
db_What is the overall difference on the plastic when fully heated and then only at the critical points?
I have not been able to detect any damage to the plastic, the flex has remained the same. The way the boot looks now, it probably won't last another 5 seasons :-).
As I said, the heel was fine until a few days ago, so I assume it's the liner and I just need a small solution. As suggested by onenerdykid.
tomPietrowskiIf a boot is made from PU it can be heat molded. it may take longer to cool to keep the shape but there is no reason you cannot mold any PU boot.
blazer258I finally got some new boots from a shop after 8 years of using boots I bought online. I went in looking to take their recommendation on model/size. They sized me, measured, etc... and put me in a 27.5 Nordica Speed Machine 110 with a footbed. (Given I get only a handful of days in per season, he said the 110 may be better than 120 to break in quicker)
I got three days back to back on them and the heel, toe, arch wasn't too bad. The issue was the pressure coming down on top of my foot. From what I've read in this thread/online appears to be the Navicular bone (that arch bone on the top of your foot). Even when the buckle was loose I felt this pressure and kept them unbuckled on the lift/gondola. Leaning back, popping, etc... put a ton on pressure on it. I don't believe the boots are too big, pretty sung, can wiggle toes slightly.
I'm going to head back into the shop this weekend to see what they can do, but prior to that anyone have any tips here or know what causes this? They said they can work with me to get them fitted correctly, I'm not sure what fitters typically do for this. I'll keep scanning this thread for any advice
blazer258I finally got some new boots from a shop after 8 years of using boots I bought online. I went in looking to take their recommendation on model/size. They sized me, measured, etc... and put me in a 27.5 Nordica Speed Machine 110 with a footbed. (Given I get only a handful of days in per season, he said the 110 may be better than 120 to break in quicker)
I got three days back to back on them and the heel, toe, arch wasn't too bad. The issue was the pressure coming down on top of my foot. From what I've read in this thread/online appears to be the Navicular bone (that arch bone on the top of your foot). Even when the buckle was loose I felt this pressure and kept them unbuckled on the lift/gondola. Leaning back, popping, etc... put a ton on pressure on it. I don't believe the boots are too big, pretty sung, can wiggle toes slightly.
I'm going to head back into the shop this weekend to see what they can do, but prior to that anyone have any tips here or know what causes this? They said they can work with me to get them fitted correctly, I'm not sure what fitters typically do for this. I'll keep scanning this thread for any advice
ThaLoraxWhat type of foot bed/how thick is it?
blazer258^ Thanks for the advice. I'm getting another day in coming up, maybe I'll give them another go with a slightly thinner sock before going back into the shop.
The insole/footbed they put in there (recommended) was a Superfeet Winter thin support.
TyrannicalPandaWhen skiing, I end up with a strong pain under the outer portion of the ball of my foot, centered around my 4th toes. Its in both feet but worse on my right.
I learned to ski as a kid and after a 15 year hiatus, started skiing again a few years ago. At this point, I'd call myself an (over?)-confident intermediate skier who can handle nearly all groomed trails. I started off in rental boots and remember one local mountain I would rent from caused a strong cramp until my foot fell asleep. Another didn't bother me as much. Last year, was my first time skiing more than 6 days a season and I decided my own set of boots was in order, especially considering the pain I was having in rentals.
On my initial fitting February, my boot fitter ended up going one size up in length due to how tall the mid-section of my foot is, sold me a Sidas low-arch footbed, and they did some heat molding on the outside of my foot around the base of my little toe. The new boots helped make the pain a little less intense but it was still a concern for me. I was very thankful that my shop offers unlimited custom fittings when you buy a boot from them (and will credit you for the boots if they ultimately put you in the wrong size boot). So, I went back to my local boot shop two more times and each time they simply expanded out the same area at the base of my little toe.
My 3rd visit to the shop, I worked with a veteran boot fitter (35 years) who finally recognized my strong pronation. He added a heel wedge and maxed out the cant angle adjustment on my boots. But by that point it was the end of the season and I couldn't test them out until this season.
This season, I am still having the same pain, but at least that section of my foot isn't falling asleep anymore. I do feel that with the heel wedges to correct the pronation, I am putting additional weight/pressure onto the outer ball of my foot. My bootfitter did play around with some met pads which felt fine in the shop. But after trying to ski, I couldn't rip them out fast enough. They also noticed that while I have a relatively low arch, it is very long. So we bumped up the size of the footbed from XL to XXL to extend the arch support.
I did also learn that at least part of the issue was my ski technique since I was relying on 15 year old muscle memory instead of lessons. I was muscling my turns and clenching my toes. I've taken a couple lessons now to start correcting that but still having similar pain in my foot. It's a slower onset, but I definitely notice it after a couple hours on the slopes.
My bootfitter is essentially out of ideas at this point, and I'm more or less at a point where I can tolerate the pain while I focused on continuing to improve my skiing. But I thought I would come here to see if there were any other thoughts that might help. Some days I contemplate switching to a board so I don't have to deal with my boots...
onenerdykidWhy not a custom footbed? Why are you hanging on to trim-to-fits?
Sounds like you also need to wear supportive footbeds in your everyday shoes. You can't wear nothing for 10 months of the year then hop onto a footbed, inside a plastic cast (a ski boot), with a met pad and expect everything to be great.
TyrannicalPandaThanks for the advice. I was open to a custom footbed but the bootfitter was trying to save me money and recommended that it probably wasn't going to solve the issue.
I'll certainly look to get something for everyday shoes as well. I imagine that won't be an immediate difference but will make an impact next year?
BallClapperHeya, I have the 2023 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD in the 120 flex. I got this boot middle of last season and it has been the best fitting boot I have ever owned, this season about 10 days in I started getting brutal heel pain. My heels would lift when doing butters and rub on the back of the boot. I think my liners might be getting packed out but am now coming to the unfortunate conclusion that perhaps my boots are too big. When I went to a boot fitter last season before buying these boots I measured at a 26.5 but those bothered my toes, went for a size bigger instead of punching out the 26's. Can this issue be fixed without buying new boots? I have looked at the zipfit freeride liner but even with the industry discount it's a big pill to swallow. Any diy hacks or other less pricy options out there? Thanks.
onenerdykidIf you went one shell size larger than your measured size, then you are 99.9% in the wrong boot. But let's check.
Remove the liner from the shell, step into the shell barefoot, slide your foot to the front so your toes just barely touch, examine the space behind your heel.
1-ish cm (one finger) = high performance fit
2-ish cm (two stacked fingers) = standard fit
3-ish cm (three fingers) = problematically too big and best to start over
What do you have?
BallClapperMy hand was too big so a friend with smaller hands got three. I originally bought the prime because I had swelling in both my feet and ankles due to an injury. Once I thought that died down I switched to these. I do feel my feet slop around a bit now... Is there anything I can do to not buy a new boot and still achieve a high performance fit?
onenerdykidA high-performance, 3cm fit is not going to be a reality, unfortunately. Everything you'll do to fix it will be a band-aid solution and you'll just be throwing money away. You can try to get an aftermarket liner to take up excess space, but that will be a $300-450 fix that still won't fix your issue.
Rock_InhabitantAre boot spoilers effective?
onenerdykidYes. Just depends if your liner will accept them (are they prepared with velcro?) or if you mount them on your cuff. Specific boots tend to have specific solutions.
Rock_InhabitantI have a little too much cuff space on my boots and might get a boot spoiler to get a better fit. Is this a good idea? Are boot spoilers effective?
pirksterBig dogs, I am wearing K2 FL3X Method Pros and I'm getting really bad foot pain on the outside and the arch of my feet when I wear them. It's to the point that I'm no longer even strapping my bottom buckles. I do have wide feet, and I think that may be the problem. Is there any way I can make the boots fit better?
