"You marry your boots but you date your skis". I've been down that road a number of times in search of the perfect fit, complicated by the fact as an official "old guy" my feet are not as resilient as they were just a few years ago. I ended up in a Salomon boot very similar to yours but had to have the toe box punched out a number of times but I feel great now when I'm skiing. It wasn't cheap but pain free skiing is worth it. Oh and, spend the money on the boot heaters, they are a game changer even for a young guy like you.
@@jonathanchao5067 I went with Thermic and love them. Get the biggest battery size. If you're handy you can install them yourself but most folks will buy them from a retailer and have their shop do it.
After 100 day season ski boots are done. A packed out boot makes you have to crank down the buckles and thats painfull. A packed out boot will lose performance and also increase your chance of getting injured. 110 flex is pretty soft for all mountain skiing but as I get older the 130 is a bit too stiff. Ive found a happy medium with a 120 flex. Stoked for the season and more of your adventures Lucas..... Yeeew!!!!
Thanks for the update and the tips. Boots are I think an even more heated discussion than skis are a lot of times. It was good to hear what the Dude had to say about it all. Can't wait to see you stretch them out in some better conditions.
Boots are such a game changer! I recently changed from an Atomic Hawx 110 to a fitted Technica Mach1 MV 130. Biiiig game changer, guy fitting me said I have really long shins so it makes sense why I was folding the 110s :D
I had my first fitted boots last year and experienced all you did , but after about 5 days they finally feel good all the time but yet super supportive .
I like the Boot gloves for powder days. I would estimate my feet stay 10-15 degrees warmer. Just enough to stop the "toe-cicle". Much less of a price than boot heaters as well. Also boot heaters will affect the current fit of your boot. My wife uses them and every time she refits a new boot, she has a "wear in" period. Just like you are going through with your new boots.
Had the Dalbello 3-buckle boot for a number of years and liked them. Bought Technica Mach 1 boots at 120 flex and they have been great. Guy in Lionshead Village at Christy Sport fitted them and did a fantastic job. Remember to ALWAYS tip your boot fitter.
Hey Lucas, My wife has the new K2 BFD's and runs Hotronics boot heaters and I did put booster straps on her boots as well. If you decide to go boot heater, I would recommend the hot-tronics, but I'd recommend considering the "slide strap" to hold your batteries and then leave looser' on the strap. When you tighten the strap the battery holder gets tight and it allows you to adjust just a smidge when the morning starts. We also fan folded my wife's extra wire and then wrapped it with self sealing silicone tape. It looks very "Pro", but more importantly you'll see there's not a lot of room for straps, buckles for straps, battery, top buckle, oh and wires that must stay plug in under gaitors. =) The other thing I did was split her gaitors and sew velcro onto nylon strap, then put down the front of the gaitor and then last year was a snap, but this hear I went to a tiny magnetic buckle. You'll see stretching gaitors over the battery and boot is difficult, especially with a gloved hand. Sewing the split makes it super easy. You can consider, b/c you'll likely need to fiddle and determine what works just best for you. I can tell you, she loves the heaters and will never go without again if she gets her way, and I try to make her happy. She doesn't have great circulation, genetic in her family. All the best man, really enjoy your videos.
I have always had minor issues with my feet getting cold no matter the boots I was in. I can deal with a little boot pain and get through a day but once my feet got to a cold point that forced me to stop, deboot and regain warmth/feeling, you lose the overall satisfaction of why we ski. Years ago i went with the heated wired foot pad like you mentioned. I felt they worked great and did what they were supposed to on those colder days. Long term issue was outdated battery(couldn't replace) and transferring from old boots to new was a hassel but not horrible. After research, I purchased my first pair of heated socks last year (went with thermics). Pros-you can wear them with anything, Bluetooth app for easy control, no extra space taken as long as they fit as needed within boot and depending on type of socks you wear, some brands are different thickness/fit. Needless to say, they've been great on the colder days no matter the use. Good luck with the new boots.
Ive had new boots for maybe 3-5 ski days last year. First time not using rental boots. Your 14 day segment sounded just like me. I wore them around the house before skiing to kinda break them in some like the fitter recommended and they felt okay. After getting to the slope my feet were in pain and i was unbuckling in line and taking pain killers and foot falling asleep, but once I was skiing and getting some flex in my feet felt okay and it was only once I stopped or was walking around did it start hurting again. Its nice to hear this wasnt just a bad boot or experience for me but other have similar experiences too.
Thanks again for the update on these, my last boots killed me and I was recommended the same boots. If these dont pan out I'm going to buy some end of season BOA's and hope that solves the issue.
Before you jump into new boots look into Intuition liners, I recommend the Powerwrap model. l got these 20 years ago upon the recommendation of an ski instructor at Alta. l had been having problems w/ boot fitting for over a year, he said ''Get these, they'll change everything''. And he was right, perfect snug/tight fit, feet always warm, never need to unbuckle till end of day. l replace the liners every 4-5 years as the foam breaks down, kept the same shells. Cheers.
Thanks for passing on Dude’s expertise. I have been skiing the Pro 120 for quite a few years. I’ve been real happy with them right from the start. However I do wish there was a way of canting the cuffs. I would like to experiment with that. But still a great boot.
Lucas, good luck with the boot sorting-out. Another option, if the the Dallbelo's were fitting, you can stiffen them by getting the 130 stiffness ribbed front piece. They're not very expensive.($35-50)
As an aggressive skier who skis 100-150 days a season i found that salomon boots didnt hold up to my abuse. The cuff kept cracking, i warrantied them several times. I loved the way they fit but they were not durable. I switched to the lange rx 130 and they have been great.
Lucas I was in a Dalbello also and just went to Brian at the Ski Shoe in PC and he recommended this boot for me. I need low volume too and I was in a 100 last instead of a 98 great to meet you and Pappa Joe at the bottom of 9990 the other day
I have Haglund's Deformity too! I almost mentioned it during one of your live streams when you mentioned heel pain. Really curious to see how having your heel punched out helps you out. I've been debating going to a boot fitter to get that done, but I'm in Jersey, so we don't have too many around here. I might try to go to one on my next trip north, which should be in a couple of weeks. I'm also missing a screw on one of my boots too lol. Please keep us updated on how these changes help!
for cold feet, i've had good luck with boot gloves. They look super dorky, but i'm only wearing them on the coldest days of the year. What i've found is that the wind going over my boots is enough to send the chill through. The glove stops that completely, and also keeps the moisture out of the boot so the heat stays in. Another thing that has helped is using an anti-perspirant spray on my feet. I sweat a lot through my feet, and once it soaks into the liner it really loses heat fast. But yeah, if you're working hard (and you ski pretty hard), the boot glove should give you more than enough warmth just by keeping the heat you generate in your boot. If you just have generally poor circulation and always have cold fingers and toes, then you might need to consider a heater in your boots.
To add on to the bottom 2 buckles being tight, the main artery to your foot runs down the top of the foot and when you tighten too much you cut off the blood flow to the toes and end up with cold and/or numb feet. So boot heaters may not be needed and are used sometimes to fix a bad boot fit or lack of education on tightening the buckles. Let’s go new boots.
My sympathy for the pain. I had a pair of Nordicas years ago, where the bootfitter did a ton of work to improve the fit, but they were never right, especially on the instep & toes. Once into Langes and, most importantly, Intuition liners, I was finally able to ski without any major distractions.
I feel this will be good for you. I love 3 piece boots but it takes a certain type of skiing to love them. I don’t wear them unless I’m hitting XL park jumps and hike parking all day. Otherwise I’m in 120 flex Solomon touring boots cause it’s better preforming for that type of skiing (typically pow if I’m not in the park).
I gave up on my Salamon S Pro's for exactly the same issues you were having, felt ok in store but on mountain I was in pain and tried numerous boot fitters to try and stretch at them at the toes and upper foot where I was constantly feeling pain and numbness, all the time I was told that they will come good. I dont think it should be this way, boots should be good from day of fitment and moulding. Ended up with a pair of Tecnica Mach 120 flex, and bang they were brilliant from trying them on in store to hitting the Japanese mountains, brilliant, not a single issue at all, awesome boots
true - but with so many different feet sizes and shapes, i do think its normal to have some manipulation done! sounds awesome that you found what works for you now though.
I feel your pain. My fulltilt boots were stolen this season I went with a Salomon Shift Pro 120. I feel like I can't get them tight enough while I am skiing but the minute I stop I'm in horrible pain. It is very discouraging...
Using the sports car analogy, sports cars are really fun to drive for short periods of time, not on long trips...you are on a long trip.. you need a performance sedan.. nothing kills a day more then cold and painful feet...
nah sports cars are mild. i want a straight up race car for my feet. somthing purpose-built from the factory, like a porsche 911 cup car or a true GT3 machine.
Lucas good video. I picked up some K2 Mindbender 120 boots and my feet were sore at first, but took a few skis sessions to pack them out and now they are feeling awesome. Just apart of the break in process to dial it in right.
I did a similar thing last season. Went from 120 flex to a 130. And back to a three buckle design. (Roxa Boots) I was a little unsure because flexing them at home, I thought they were maybe too stiff. I probably put 15 days of hiking and resort skiing on them, and I think I finally figured out that I probably should have switched to a stiffer boot long ago.
Wow, those are my new boots choice for 23/24 winter! Im going to transition from Tecnica Mach 1 at 130 flex to salomon alpha pro 120......thos salomon felt so wright from the first fit. Will see how it goes! I'm still surprised by Salomon not supplying a power starp already!
Lucas, just saw your video about the Dude Cole Sport boot adjustments. Great job! I highly recommend boot heaters and Zip Fit liners. Switched to Zip Fits several years ago. Love them. I’ve had Hotronics boot heaters for a long time and at switched to the THERM-IC C-pack 1700 Bluetooth heaters. We’ll worth the investment! Your friend will call you a wuss, but you’ll be toasty warm and comfortable while they’re feet are freezing!
My personal experience is that boot heaters a sign of bad/badly fit boots, particularly/possibly a boot shell w/ too low volume. Of course this assumes the rest of your is warm.😉
@@PeterDavis-nj5tc Yes, in some cases that may be true, but respectfully, not in all cases. I've been skiing for almost 40 years. Have always had my boots custom fitted, and with custom orthotic footbeds for an "almost-perfect" fit. I've been using Zip Fit liners for about 10 years now, and the fit with those surpasses any other boot I've had, even the old Fisher Vacuums. I also wear thin or medium weight Smartwool or CEP Merino wool socks. On very cold days on the East coast, having that little bit of additional heat really makes a difference in warmth and comfort. I know I'm a wuss, but I'm ok with that 🙂.
@@peterizz44 I hear ya Pete, and l'm almost + a decade in skiing on ya. l had the first Zip Fit's, the Nordica Hurricane(l think) that Sven originally developed for them in the late 70's, the second best fitting boot l ever had, and the were great. But my Intuition Powerwrap liners are better. My feet were never cold in either boot and l kept/keep them buckled all day. That included living 5 years in Vail w/ the Nordicas. But then, l'm West US skier...''No skiing east of Rockies''😉
I am rocking dalbello krypton 120s, 45days on them and they are feeling good finally. Wish they were tighter lower on the shin 3 buckle and calf muscles don’t mix well. At least from what I am feeling. I will probably go back to a 4 buckle for next year.
your skiing in the vides looks better compared to last year, one could correlate it to the boot. =P & I am digging when you lift the arms up and they spoil the air and give you more control of your ride, kinda of like a car spoiler. Check out big wave surfing, and the number one chick she lifts her arms mad high while riding humungo waves. mountain = one wave is similar... kinda of... peace
When I started skiing I was in rear entry boots.. Then when I got into racing I had zero flex boots that were a pain to get on and off.. When I got back into skiing after 20 years the first thing that the ski shops said was the most important thing is getting the right boots.. I have Lange boots and I think they have 110 for flex.. Last year my feet got cold quite a lot but it was a cold year.. My fingers were also cold so they go hand in hand or you could say hand and foot ha ha.. Out of my 10 pairs of skis, 1 pair and my feet move around.. I think with that pair of skis that there is so much more torque on my feet that they move.. When I was racing I was on straight skis and I had to put everything my body had into the turns.. When shaped skis came around all I had to do was flex my toes and my skis would turn.. It is important for me that my toes don't go numb.. If I don't keep my fingers from going numb it doesn't pay for me keeping my toes from going numb.. For me it starts with my fingers..
Got new boots this year and ended up getting zip fits last weekend. Gotta try them this weekend but my god I can feel the difference just walking around my house in heel hold, especially for my low vol ankle. Also if you want stiffer Zipfit will add a bit more stiffness if you don’t wanna buy new boots. Liners will last longer then The shells cause of the design
Tried them at Canyons today. As you know with new boots going to be some breaking in but liners really did their job holding heal in place. Might need a little more cork in the heal added cause of my foot but most secure my foot has felt in a long time in a boot. @@LucasCatania17
Be CAREFUL on those boots bro. You will ski much faster than you might want to through the trees. I can totally related to Salomon. Im a big believer now on my second pair. They are the Alfa Romeo of boots. And I had / have the EXACT same experience as you on the new boots. I wonder how they are working out for you? Ive gained some weight and gotten older so my arches arent what they were, but in my last fitting I had the same exact mondo size. The ski shop tried to stick me with dalbellos as well as head to accommodate my large calves. But even at 110 those boots felt swimmy up to a point with the flex, and wow the shell itself was so swimmy too with my narrow foot. Finally I insisted on Salomon, they backed off the top buckles a notch, and it felt like a slipper. So now I own Supra pro 110 boas. And the exact thing happened to me, once Im skiing Im cruising, and I also coupled them with some new Elan ripstick (so sweet!), but the pain when Im not skiing! Im hoping they mellow more, soon. In the meantime I ditched my ski socks for, yes old school mens thin dress socks. lol. Better, but the pain and tingling is still there. I hope they pack out soon like my previous Salomons that I still love and miss but I beat them so bad, I had to retire those.
I just got fitted for the same boots, and also wanted the 130 flex but the shop didn’t have it in my size. They threw in some plastic pulse labs inserts that slide over the tongue to stiffen up the boot. Check them out
Oh and BTW, I’ve had Booster Straps on my boots since they came out. Definitely should be strapped INSIDE your shell against the liner and shin. That gives you more control and no shin bang for extremely comfortable boots!
Yes, personal choice. But Having the Booster Straps on the outside defeats their purpose of having your liners and shins act as one unit, increasing control, comfort, and eliminating shin bang entirely.
Great review. I have the Dalbello Pantera 120 flex (green) i notice the same issue like you did, my feet either felt cold, or fell asleep like u said, or pressure on my toes from not moving it while skiing, so i have to wiggle my toes on the ski lift. seems odd, but i dont ski as much as you to get a accurate solution. I do like the SKI / WALK feature. hope the new boots work out !! ⛷⛷
Hope they work out in the long run.. Seems like some major manipulation to the shell in several areas. I wonder what a different brand of shell with simple Intuition liners would have done... Ive never had comforatble boots until I tried Scarpa Alpine boots with walk mode and Intuition liners and they are always warm and have no pain. Ive had multiple friends try the route you took and they are never perfect and all had to add warmers to them. Interesting to hear simular situation from most people Ive spoke to that went Custom boots.
Hey Lucas, I’m getting new boots this year and are look at the Salomons. I was just wondering if you looked at the BOA version of the boots or just knew you wanted the 4 buckle system ones. If you did look at the boa boots, why did you chose the ones you have now over them. Thanks!
the BOAs are super sweet. could see myself changing to those in the future! just wanted to have a year or two of public testing before i jumped into them.
Brent at Park City boot is the best Fitter in PC. Brent can do a full race boot fit (I'm talking a 91 last plug boot) which is very rare. JJ at Sportsden is the best in the SLC Valley. all of these punches tell me you are for sure in the wrong shell.....
@@LucasCatania17 Just trying to help you out my guy. the punches on the heel pocket and the punch on the instep are very telling. The instep on Soloman is usually some of the lowest out there. If you tried on a Atomic Hawx Ultra or a Technica mach one you wouldn't have that same issue. Did you try on multiple shells before purchasing?
i cant afford completely custom ski boots and the services that DaleBoot offers. furthermore, ColeSport has been great in supporting what I do here on RU-vid.
I transitioned from snowboarding a while ago and hated ski boots haha. But after some trial and error, I foul the Salomon S-Lab 120 boots were best for me. They're an alpine touring boot so they need to be paired with an adjustable toe piece binding (Salomon Warden 13). It's no nice having a light boot even with the mild loss in edge power, since I ride in most soft snow. Have you used alpine touring boots? Do you find a big difference in the skiing feel compared to regular boots?
i could be wrong but im pretty sure full tilts are 3 piece boots similar to my dalbellos which are typically more orientated towards freestyle/park skiing, so if thats not your style, could be good to look elsewhere. but the boots themselves are good for what they are!
Boots are crazy I had a new pair of lang couldn’t wear them Ski Barn owner put me in a pair of rear entry, Salomon’s best boot ever. Back in the 80’s then four yrs ago for a new pair of technicas worst food ever. Tongue or something was wrong with the tongue or something in it just talking my leg need to be cut gash. I couldn’t get it them to fix it. Give up went back to ski barn and they put me in a pair of Nordica . Salomon has always been a good boot. I’m sure with your adjustment. It’ll be a lot better now if you just get my damn knee to be OK fine
@@LucasCatania17 never known anyone with healthy circulation it is not true for, even down to -40F which is about as cold you can experience inbounds at any North American resort.
Boots SUCK! Crazy in this day and age that the 'technology' hasn't gotten better. I've got a pair of boots from the 90's that fit better, ski better (Rossignols) than the boots I 'had' to buy (shop wouldn't mount my rossis's--said the heels and toes too wore-out) two years ago (Yep, I went twenty three years with the same boots skiing 12 to 17 days each year.) Back in the day, I use to party in my boots to 'break them in.'
