We have some of the most experienced boot fitters in the
country! Our guys are true boot fitting professionals - most follow
the snow each year to the northern hemisphere, bringing back the
latest boot fitting techniques and trends.
We are so confident that we will sell you the right
boots, we GUARANTEE the fit or your money back.
When you buy boots and footbeds from us, if any problems develop
we will change the boots or customise the fit for you, at no extra
cost. We will continue to offer a free boot fitting service until
you are happy. If the boots still prove to be unsuitable we will
give you a new pair of boots or a credit, provided the boots do not
have abnormal wear and are returned within the season of
purchase.
Buying boots is all about fit (obviously) and this is why we
don't sell boots online. You can check out all the types of boots
we have by using the search facilities, but you will really need to
come into either our Newmarket or Queenstown store so that we can
assess your foot shape and recommend the boots most suitable for
you.
A FEW TIPS ON GETTING THE RIGHT FIT.......
Boot fitting can be a bit of a "science". 80% of
getting the right fit is choosing the right boot for your shape of
foot. Different brands 'specialise' in different fits e.g. wide
feet, high arches or narrow feet, and this is the basis of why and
how we select the range of boots we offer. The other 20% of getting
the perfect fit is achieved by the boot fitter based on your
feedback from trying on the boots selected. The boot fitter can
make small changes to the ski boot liner or shell, changing your
position in the boot can also make a huge difference to their
comfort.
HOW SHOULD YOUR BOOTS FIT?
Always wear the type of socks that you normally
wear skiing when trying on boots. A thin sock is better than a
thick sock as it allows better blood flow, hence warmer feet. Put
the boot on and buckle loosely. Stand up and flex the boot forward
and back before buckling up firmly. Often it helps to give you heel
a kick on the ground to ensure that your heel is as far back in the
boot as possible. This action should pull your toes off the front
wall of the boot and give them some space. Remember you will not be
standing up tall since you don't stand this way to ski, so stand
with your knees flexed forward a bit. This also pulls the toes away
from the front of the boot. Overall you should feel the sort of
pressure around your lower leg and foot (not toes) that you would
imagine from a firm handshake.
Boot sizes go up in whole sizes, while liners are
sized in half sizes. All are measured in cm (mondo point).
FOOTBEDS
We have Sidas footbeds which we custom make to fit
your feet. The process takes between 30 minutes and an hour. We
know that footbeds are indespensible for comfort and a good fit.
This is because a footbed holds your heel back in the "heel cup"
allowing your toes more room and prevents them getting squished up
at the front of the boot. Footbeds also help to control pronation,
a sensory mechanism, basically helping to turn your ankle from a
"wobbly" joint into a "hinge". Footbeds are customised so that your
feet are as comfy as possible in the boot, and they are brilliant
for everyone, but especially people with 'difficult' feet! They
also allow better circulation particularly to the fore foot and
toes so your feet stay warmer and you have better
sensation/balance.
ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS
Our Queenstown and Newmarket stores have the only
laser alignment machines in the country. This enables us to measure
the skeletal alignment from you knees through your feet. This is
very important when it comes to pressuring the ski's as we do in a
turn. Once we have assessed your knee alignment we can make
modifications to the boot shell to compensate, should Mother Nature
not have provided you with a 'perfect frame'! We have specialist
grinding equipment which allows us to reshape the bottom of the
boot if necessary. We suggest you have this done at the beginning
of your holiday as it may take more than one session to fine tune
your stance.
Above all, we stand by our reputation as expert
boot fitters - ask someone who has bought boots from us....
