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theabortionator
April, 2025

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Making boots skinnier

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Casual.
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 28
basically, my boots are super packed out now and are now to wide for my foot. has anybody here tried to make their boots thinner before and have a bit of knowledge about it, it would be awesome if you could tell me how to do it or even if this can be done correctly.
14 years ago
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rudager
Posts: 11336 - Karma: 4,650
New liner?

14 years ago
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Casual.
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 28
obviously i could get new boots/liner but it would be nice if i could avoid that
14 years ago
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rudager
Posts: 11336 - Karma: 4,650
Well it's your liner that's packed out, not the shell.
Unless I'm missing something here...

Don't start messing with the plastics of the boot. It won't end well.
14 years ago
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Casual.
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 28
i was just thinking i could probably put some sort of material inbetween the shell and liner to make them fit a little tighter but idk so thats why im asking
14 years ago
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Session
Posts: 5408 - Karma: 22,545
It's not that your liner packed out and now your boots don't fit. It's that your boots NEVER fit, and the liner packing out proves it.
14 years ago
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Casual.
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 28
^ you are right. BUT, knowing that doesnt help me at all
14 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7291 - Karma: 18,708
^ that actually helps you allot. You know your boots never fitted so its unlickly much can be done to make them alot better. You can try getting a shop to add padding in the form of foam, but by the sound of it you would be much better off just starting with new better fitting boots. Making boots bigger is easy making them smaller is genrally much harder.
14 years ago
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shr@gler
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 912

Hi Mardock,

Its all relative to how much space you have. You're pretty much on the right path. You can put in whats called a volume reducer. It sits under your liner on your boot board. You can get them in various mm thickness'. It will lift your whole foot in the boot and provide more contact.

You can make one youself if you have some dense foam handy. Trace the underside of your liner on the foam, cut it out and then stick it down with double sided tape.

If a volume reducer doesn't solve your problem, there a variety of shims that could be installed for reducing excess volumes in different parts of your boot. Basically if problems persist, see a bootfitter.

14 years ago
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rudager
Posts: 11336 - Karma: 4,650
Exactly.

They've put foam into toes and stuff, but to completely pack a shell with foam is ridiculous and would be incredibly difficult. Even if it was done. Taking your liners in and out would be a lousy task.

Go get fitted for a new boot. Or even go to a shop and ask them if there is anything they can do. They'll probably suggest new boots, or liners.
14 years ago
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BerGNARdo
Posts: 406 - Karma: 44
the problem with having a bootfitter start messing with them is that it can get really expensive. it might be $50 for the first adjustment, which helps but doesn't fix the problem, then another $50 to get it closer and so on and so on till you would have been better off just spending 400 on new boots that will come with free boot work.

my advice would be to get better fitting boots, or if that isn't an option just ghetto rig some foam to make your feet more comfortable until you can afford new boots. imho having a bootfitter start messing around, especially after its been established the boots never fit very great, will be a phenomenal waste of money if you're paying full price.
14 years ago
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Vietnow
Posts: 58 - Karma: 10
Could try re-heat molding them ghetto style in your oven...
14 years ago
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Casual.
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 28
haha vietnow has the idea!
14 years ago
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6744 - Karma: 11,760
You are at the start of a new ski season.... Whatever you do should hopefully last a while. Go to a boot-fitter, spend $50 on pads and shims. It will be a better solution than trying to reheat your liner which will only die again in 2 weeks and you'll be stuck in the same position as now.

Any temporary choices you make are only going to be a band-aid fix to sort of help the real problem. Your liner is dead, it wont come back to life for very long. If you can't buy new boots or brand new liners, you should invest in the next best step which would be to go to a boot-fitter and have him pad & shim your liner. Maybe that will at least last a bit longer until you can get some new boots.
14 years ago
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mountainviper
Posts: 1931 - Karma: -3
Or.....you could go real oldschool ghetto style and just wear like 3 pairs of socks! But really it's about how long and easily it takes the pressure from your foot to engage the hard plastic shell. So the more cushion between your foot and the shell, the less control you will have. I'd say if you can afford it, go the new boot route.
14 years ago
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nagelthebagel
Posts: 205 - Karma: 36
wrap ductape around the outside of the liners. I have no idea if this works or not, but worth giving it a shot.
14 years ago
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6744 - Karma: 11,760
when liners pack out, it is the internal foam that has compressed (what was 5mm thick is now 2mm thick, for example). wrapping the liners in duct tape will not help this problem unfortunately.
14 years ago
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Session
Posts: 5408 - Karma: 22,545
Unless your willing to get a new boot, bontex, and shims are your only option. Any competent bootfitter should have these around.
14 years ago
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ski2fast4u
Posts: 569 - Karma: 6
here is my good deed of the day

tognar toolworks

buY the narrowing pads and they sell the bontex too.. ductape in place and play around before glueing to the liners

http://www.tognar.com/boot-fitting-pads-custom-shapes-sheets-1-8-foam/
14 years ago
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