Getting Your Ski Boots Properly Fitted

Have you ever had your ski boots professionally fitted? Like many of us, I’ve spent a good portion of my time on skis cursing my boots. But if you can find the right bootfitter, (they are a rare breed) you can turn your frankenboots into your best friends. Gone are the days when performance in a ski boot meant bone spurs and sore feet. In the modern world of skiing, and some boot fitters would argue this has always been the case, you don’t have to sacrifice performance for comfort. I can attest to that; After years of agony, I now happily work ten hour days, six months a year in world cup race boots and they fit me like comfy slippers.

So why are so many people still suffering in their boots? I went to speak to a boot fitter in Whistler who is arguably one of the world’s best and asked him about it. ‘I think first off, a lot of folks out there don’t even know that you can actually have your boots customized to fit your foot.’ George McConkey, who hails from a fairly famous ski family, has been making skiers’ feet happy since 1979. He started working at his dad, Jim McConkey’s, shop in Whistler under the tutelage of Dave McPhail, who at the time was fitting boots for Canada’s Alpine Ski Team. Dave was Steve Podborski’s personal boot fitter.

‘I learned early on that comfort and performance are not separate things when it comes to fitting boots.’ He’s right. Performance and comfort go hand in hand. Another issue is a lot of shops out there tend to focus on the softer part of the boot package: footbeds and liners. While both can contribute to making a boot work for you, they mean nothing if the shell doesn’t fit your foot properly. Factory shells, says George, are generic pieces of plastic designed for a generic foot. Everybody’s feet are different, and in order to make a boot work, the first thing that has to be customized is the shell.

His shop, McCoo’s, isn’t really a ski shop, it’s a clothing and accessories store. In fact, George only recently started selling a very limited selection of boots. What George does that differentiates him from a lot of other shops, is he doesn’t try and sell you a boot. He analyzes your foot, asks what type of skier you are and then recommends which boot to buy. A lot of the time, that isn’t a boot that he sells. Once you have the new boots, you book a time to come back and the real work begins. Working the shell is where George’s experience and skill really shine. He will completely rebuild a shell from the ground up. Re-drilling cuffs, punching, twisting, heating and moulding until it aligns and fits everything from your calves down to your feet. Once that’s done, it’s time for custom liners and foot beds. Two hours later you have a set of boots custom fit for your feet. After a couple of days of break in that may or may not require a couple of tweaks, the results are incredible. I was one of those people that always thought a comfy boot meant a soft, squishy nightmare and a high performance boot meant smaller sizes, excruciating pain and a grumpy demeanor. That all changed after my first visit to George. Now I run a high performance boot, with heaters, customized to my feet and they are as comfy as anything else I wear.

So do yourself a favour and get your boots fitted right the first time. Enjoy the comfort, performance and balance of a properly fitted ski boot. Not only will it improve your mood at the end of each day, you’ll be a better skier for it. With a boot that is fitted properly, your skiing will change. Sliding around in a sloppy boot leads to a whole host of problems both in your knees, back and overall ski style. The same is true in something too small, too stiff and too painful. Proper fit in your boots means better response from your skis, improved technique and being more efficient in how much energy you expend skiing. And believe me, it’s worth it.

Be safe, ski hard.