BOOTFITTING: TAHOE'S BEST

Products Tips Our Procedures Your Responsibilites

Your ski boots are the most complex piece of sports equipment you will ever own, and the biggest challenge in skiing you’ll probably ever face is finding a boot that performs at your specific ability level and fits you perfectly, because aside from matching your skill level a boot must also be the same as your foot and leg shapes.

Since nobody has the same exact foot, leg, and ability level, analyzing what boot would be optimal for you is best let to trained experts. Not only are we South Lake Tahoe's premiere performance ski shop, we are the BEST bootfitters in town. Rest assured that our seasoned boot technicians have received the best training and schooling available to help you select the right boot for you. We are certified America's Best by MasterFit University and have mastered bio mechanical examinations and analysis techniques of skiers' foot, leg and stance anatomy, advanced boot modification strategies, stance alignment and canting, & footbed making skills that will ensure you get the best fitting and performing boots possible. We use the latest, state-of-the-art equipment and techniques









































Products

As a Ski and boot fitting shop certified as "America's Best" by Masterfit University boot fitting training centers, we are able to provide every skier with the finest in ski, snowboard, and footwear boot fit aids. Here are some of the products we offer:

  • InstaPrint Custom handmade Insoles: No two feet are alike, and stock insoles from ski boots are made to fit the 'common' foot shape. YOU NEED CUSTOM INSOLES TO ACCOMODATE YOUR FOOT SHAPE! In skiing and snowboarding, where turning forces are concentrated under the heel, a good fit there is crucial to performing your best. The Instaprint custom insole system has the deepest heel pocket and makes the most precise molds of any system on the market. They are made from medical-grade thermoplastic for long durability, wearability, and performance. InstaPrint insoles maximize balance & stability, relieve foot pain & muscle fatigue, improve boot fit, increase comfort & warmth, & boost power and precision.

  • DownUnders semi custom orthotic footbeds

  • The Eliminator aftermarket boot tongue: relieves shin bite, reduces excess calf pressure, eliminates instep pain caused by over-buckling—especially on snowboard boots & skiers with thin calves who max out cuff buckle settings

  • The Booster Strap: revitalizes boots that have become sloppy with age, bonds your boot to your leg elastically, gives better response without tightening buckles, acts as a remedy for looseness at the upper cuff, stops shin bang, and is available in several models for the exact skier match.
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13 Steps to a perfect fit

  • 1. Ski boot fitting is a process. It's important to begin this process early in your ski vacation so that you can fully utilize our services to the maximum and enjoy yourself with happy feet and improved skiing.
  • 2. Be prepared to spend at least one hour with us.
  • 3. Try to avoid distractions during this time - Relax, we'll do all the work.
  • 4. We have a wall full of many brands and models of boots. We will select only a few of these which are similar to the shape of your foot.
  • 5. Normally we will start you in a boot one size smaller than your street shoe.
  • 6. Understand that for a boot to fit properly while you're skiing it should fit uncomfortably snug at first - the boot becomes larger during the break-in.
  • 7. When first putting your foot into a boot your toes should be firmly touching the front (the boot also becomes longer during break-in).
  • 8. Most ski boots sold today are 1 to 3 sizes too big. The majority of aftermarket boot fitting that we do is done to make the boot fit smaller.
  • 9. You will need to spend some time (around 20 minutes) in your boots for you to know how the boot will truly feel when you leave the shop.
  • 10. We suggest you use some type of footbed (custom or non-custom) in your boots to improve the comfort, performance, and to give you a true fit in the boots.
  • 11. As you ski your new boots, they will break- in and either become more comfortable or you will begin to notice pressure points or spots of pain.
  • 12. This is when it is most improtant for you to return and utilize our "Perfect fit" guarantee, so we can further customize your boot to your foot.
  • 13. Happy Skiing!
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ASK ABOUT OUR "PERFECT FIT" GUARANTEE










How WE make YOUR boots fit

Every single boot fitting and sale begins with a personal evaluation of you and your foot/leg anatomy by us. We are studying the your knowledge of your ski abilities & techniques and your ankle joint, the keystone to bootfitting in our evaluation of your foot and leg anatomy. Depending on how flexible your ankle joint is, you may either be skiing "in the backseat", or sticking your rear end out keeping your body weight behind you even though you may be trying to stay forward, or you may not have extra room to flex forward in your boots if you are too flexible. That is where custom footbeds come into play. We will adjust your boots properly, sometimes through trial and error, and give you a perfectly balanced stance.

Besides properly balanced boots, we are also concerned with properly fit boots. Every boot is mad with a high, medium, or low volume fit. A high volume boot will have a high instep ( the area on top of your foot above your arch) molded into it, along with a wider forefoot area, and possible a more roomy heel cup. If you have a low volume foot (small and skinny) you will have a very hard time getting a perfect fit from a high volume boot that is the correct shell size for your foot.

It is important to know that almost ALL boots are uncomfortable "off the shelf" without any cusomizing work done to them. We are able to use state of the art technology to pinpoint trouble spots in boot shells and liners and add or remove material, stretch or press to remedy the situation. We can carve or create channels in your boots to accomodate bumps, bunions and a wide variety of ailments. However, we are not miracle workers and may not be able to MAKE an improperly fit boot magically fit well.

Most importantly, you must know that you NEED foot beds. We use the Insta - Print footbed system 99% of the time. The footbeds we make with the system shapes not only to the natural contours of your feet but also with the contours of the boots they are being used in. We cast your feet in gel molds with you seated so the procedure is semi weight bearing, and we can balance the footbeds better with you sitting down, actually building corrections into the footbed mold. All of our footbeds require us to have you (the skier) present for about 25 minutes while we are casting your feet. The remaining work is done without you present in our back shop by certified boot technicians. At that point the footbeds have a stiff posting material fused to the molds to take up extra space in the boot and balance properly with the boot.
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How YOU can make this a painless process
There are lots of ways you can make bootfitting a fun, educational, and virtually painless experience.

First: DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR FRIENDS! Your friend is not wearing your boots, they do not have the same shape foot as you, with all its unique bumps and ridges, and your friend's ankle joint is not aligned the same way as yours. We know they want to help you become your best, but by telling you what boot you need without any real knowlege of your leg anatomy they are only hurting you.

Second: Be honest about your abilities. We have already been out skiing today, so we know the conditions and tell by how you speak about your own skiing abilities and tales how good you probably are. Your ego is best left checked at the door, because you could be seriously injured if you ski on equipment that far exceeds your true abilities. Skiing on expert equipment does not make anyone an expert skier. And ladies, Speak up! we also know there's alot of you that rip it up, tell us or you're only holding yourself back.

Third: Shop for quality. Our prices also include our knowlege and bootfitting abilities. Unfortunately, our time is our money. If you are getting a great deal on a boot midseason, you are probably not getting any attention from a seasoned bootfitter. Improperly fitting and unbalanced boots are the root of all problems with skiing. The greatest equipment will not mean a thing without great fitting work.

Fourth: Do some homework! Read a couple of the buyers guides, so you can learn what you should expect to pay for quality equipment. You may find something that sounds like it may suite your needs, as a starting point. You will also find that the guides will reinforce much of the advice and thoughts we present to you.

Fifth: Know that no boot will feel like a slipper, if it does, your skiing will suffer. A snug fit will be uncomfortable at first. It will take many hours to break in. Speak up about any points that are absolutely unbearable, but a little discomfort is normal. Bode Miller skis in a size 9 ski boot and his foot is a size 13!

Sixth (and final): Have fun while you're here! We're serious about skiing and bootfitting, but we're also here to have fun. We joke, we laugh, and we are all in town for the same reason - to enjoy everything the Sierra Nevadas can throw at us. We are just here to make it a little more enjoyable and productive for you. Let us know what you think of our service.
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