Wide boot question for the ladies

[ksampson3]

My wife has a nightmare foot to shod, whether it's with regular shoes or ski boots. She has a size 5.5 foot with a REALLY wide forefoot and a REALLY high arch. She's currently in a pair of Salomon Idol 80's that have been punched out in the forefoot. Unfortunately, she's still getting numb feet after about two hours of skiing. It seems to be a combination of pinched toebox and pressure on the top of her foot from her high arch. The advice she got from our old ski shop was to just unbuckle the boot to relieve the pressure on her foot.

So... I was in the Ski Center today (they've reopened in Gaithersburg after having closed their DC location and moved to Reisterstown for a couple of years) and Brian said that they have some Fishers in that have a heat-moldable outer shell that can accommodate really wide feet. Has anyone had any experience with these type of boots that can have the outer shell heated? Does this really work?

Any thoughts or suggestions for boots to look at would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Jilly]

Salomon has the heat moldable shell as well. Look for CS on the shell and hang tag. Her foot sounds similar too mine, except shorter. I have the Hawk Prime. And my fitter squared off the toe box for my feet. Everything else was good.

 

[coskigirl]

I have Salomon QST Pro 110s and have wide feet and high insteps. I think one of my key solutions has been going to a 3 buckle boot, first a pair of Dalbellos and then these. It helps with the over the instep pressure.

 

[BGreen]

I’m not a woman with wide feet, but I have a friend who swears by the Fischers. The problem he has is cracking them, but he skis 4+ days a week all season. He switched to a different brand when Fischer got away from the heat molding and regretted it all season.

If the fitter is convinced the Fischer is a good fit, give it a shot.

 

[KingGrump]

The Fischer heat molded boots works really well. Great for wide feet.
The Atomic Hawx ultra is also heat mold-able. Nice and light. Both wife and niece are on them.

 

[ksampson3]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm not set on one brand over another. The boot fitter just happened to mention that he has some Fishers to take a look at. I'll head into the shop this weekend with the wife and see where we end up.

When I told the wife that I wanted her to go look at some new boots that might fit her foot better, she got pretty pissed. I asked her why she didn't want to look at new boots and her reply was, "Because I have boot warmers installed in these boots and they're the only thing that keeps me out on the hill when it gets cold." Then I told her that we could just swap the boot warmers to her new boots. Her reply? "Well why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"

 

[KingGrump]

Her reply? "Well why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"

Give it up. There is no winning with them.

 

[ksampson3]

Give it up. There is no winning with them.

Uhhhhh...I'm not touching that one.

 

[KingGrump]

Uhhhhh...I'm not touching that one.

Wise man. That is why you are still married.

 

[Tricia]

My wife has a nightmare foot to shod, whether it's with regular shoes or ski boots. She has a size 5.5 foot with a REALLY wide forefoot and a REALLY high arch. She's currently in a pair of Salomon Idol 80's that have been punched out in the forefoot. Unfortunately, she's still getting numb feet after about two hours of skiing. It seems to be a combination of pinched toebox and pressure on the top of her foot from her high arch. The advice she got from our old ski shop was to just unbuckle the boot to relieve the pressure on her foot.

So... I was in the Ski Center today (they've reopened in Gaithersburg after having closed their DC location and moved to Reisterstown for a couple of years) and Brian said that they have some Fishers in that have a heat-moldable outer shell that can accommodate really wide feet. Has anyone had any experience with these type of boots that can have the outer shell heated? Does this really work?

Any thoughts or suggestions for boots to look at would be much appreciated.

Thanks

I haven't taken the time to read the other replies yet, but first, let me say, the Salomon Idol is an older boot with a toe box that can be a challenge for someone with a square foot.
It sounds like your wife has a bit of a square foot.

That being said, there are some really great options out there. I always hesitate to give suggestions without actually seeing the foot, I'll give a few lines of boots that tend to fit that foot shape in the interest of giving you hope that she can ski pain free.
Head Adapt Edge line
Lange SC (or SX) line
Salomon X Pro line
K2 BFC line (BFC = Built for comfort)

This is just to name a few, and only in the interest of giving you/her hope of a comfortable fit. Please see a bootfitter that can address this with something in one of these new offerings.

The K2 BFC line has an offering that comes with a boot heater built into the liner

The Atomic Hawx ultra

The Hawx ultra is the narrower of their line. The Prime is a bit wider.

 

[ksampson3]

Thanks, Tricia. I trust my boot guy. He's one of the "2 Brians" that have been fitting boots in the DC area for decades. He knows his stuff. I'll see what he has to recommend this weekend and then float his suggestions on here for comments. Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[cem]

there are loads of better boots out there since the days of the Idol... the toe box shape sides the idol had a massive 17/18 degrees of forward lean, this caused a alot of people to try and stand up as it was too much, as you straightened the leg it pushed the foot forward into the toe box or the heel lifted a little and crushed the instep, i for one am glad it is a boot that is no longer on the rack

so may different boots out there now in 100mm and 102mm lasts which are more upright and more mouldable than the old stuff, trust your boot guy and ignore all the marketing about what last a boot is, get the back end solid and work on the front of the shell if needed .. oh yeah and the liners are warmer too

good luck getting her sorted, happy wife means happy life means more skiing for both of you

 

[EricG]

My wife has wider feet and medium-high arch. She Ended up in a set of Dabellos w/ custom foot beds after trying on so many boots. She might end up with a BD liner this year if I like mine.

 

[ksampson3]

Well, no info is good info? The boot fitter took a heel lift out of her boot that had been placed their by a previous fitter. He surmised that by removing the heel lift, it would give the top of her foot more room and would subsequently get rid of the numbness that she's been feeling every time that she goes skiing. Looks like we'll have to wait until the season starts to see if this theory pans out.

 

[cem]

Well, no info is good info? The boot fitter took a heel lift out of her boot that had been placed their by a previous fitter. He surmised that by removing the heel lift, it would give the top of her foot more room and would subsequently get rid of the numbness that she's been feeling every time that she goes skiing. Looks like we'll have to wait until the season starts to see if this theory pans out.

my money is on the forward lean, the previous boot fitter probably put the heel lift in to reduce the net angle, as you say time will tell