Getting the Boot
12/30/2024 11:19AM ● By Kaiti Kinshella
Photo by Gavin Liddell.
I had known my friend John for 15 years before I saw him cry for the first time. We were halfway down Vogue, taking our first ski run of the day when John caught up to me, tears streaming down his face. John is hardcore, so I was immediately concerned. When I asked him what had caused his stoic veneer to break, he sputtered, “My ski boots!” as his face contorted in pain. “They are killing my feet!”
I took John off the mountain and back to the local shop where we had gotten his rentals that morning. We described the problem and they got him situated with a more comfortable pair. Fortunately for me, I have never had this torturous experience of ill-fitted ski boots. Call me Cinderella of the ski world if you’d like, but the source of my boot success is this: my boots have always been professionally fitted for me by Ryan O’Halloran.
Ryan has been fitting boots at Ski Haus for 12 years. He first fell in love with creating the perfect fit while studying ski business at Colorado Mountain College. Since then, he has trained under Tim Widmer at Surefoot and completed multiple masterfit clinics. At a fitting with Ryan, customers can expect the five-star treatment. Now, he shares tips that you can take to your next boot fitting session in order to ensure that it is top-notch.
1. The first step to finding the right boot is figuring out what type of skier you are. Ryan always asks his customers, “What do you like to ski?” The answer can reveal how stiff their boots should be: the more aggressive the skier, the stiffer the boot. You should be able to shift your weight to the balls of your feet and stop there. If a boot is too stiff, your weight will be too far back. If the boot is too soft, you will lose control of your ski more easily.
2. Think about what type of ankle you have. The boot must wrap tightly around your ankle in order to help maintain control of the ski and prevent injury. Your ankle will indicate whether you need low, medium, or high volume boots. In layman’s terms: more – or less – cushion in the lining. Also consider your preference on the comfort-vs-performance spectrum. “Little old ladies skiing with their grandkids often want comfort, while ski racers want performance,” Ryan says. Figure out where you fall on this scale (hint: it’s probablys omewhere in the middle).
3. In order to gain a better idea of which boot is right for you, you can do the “two finger test.” Pull some boots off the shelf, take out the liner, and stick your foot in. Wiggle your toes to the front of the boot, and place two stacked fingers behind your ankle. You want your fingers to fit behind the ankle without extra space. Ryan’s philosophy is that “a little tighter is better for performance, and a little looser is better for comfort.”
4. Once you have found the right fit, stand in the boots – with the liner in – for 10 minutes. They may feel tight when you first put them on, but as long as you aren’t in agony, it’s better to have tighter boots initially. They will get looser as you continue to wear them. After five minutes of standing in your boots, they will either get more comfortable or become painful. Patience is key.
5. Go through this process with a few pairs of boots until you have come to a decision. Then, it’s time for the fun part: Go ski! Put your boots to the test to figure out if they really are meant to be. There is a high possibility you will need to test them out on the slopes to figure out where the painful spots are, and then come back to the ski shop and mold the liner. “You can’t truly know if a pair of boots is perfect for you until you have skied in them,” Ryan points out.
The right boot is essential to a good ski session. Now, we can all have a little piece of Ryan’s advice when we choose our next pair of boots: “Remember, boot fitting is a process. Don’t rush the process.”
Ed. Note: Kaiti Kinshella is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her ski boots are still a perfect fit.
I had known my friend John for 15 years before I saw him cry for the first time. We were halfway down Vogue, taking our first ski run of the day when John caught up to me, tears streaming down his face. John is hardcore, so I was immediately concerned. When I asked him what had caused his stoic veneer to break, he sputtered, “My ski boots!” as his face contorted in pain. “They are killing my feet!”
I took John off the mountain and back to the local shop where we had gotten his rentals that morning. We described the problem and they got him situated with a more comfortable pair. Fortunately for me, I have never had this torturous experience of ill-fitted ski boots. Call me Cinderella of the ski world if you’d like, but the source of my boot success is this: my boots have always been professionally fitted for me by Ryan O’Halloran.
Ryan has been fitting boots at Ski Haus for 12 years. He first fell in love with creating the perfect fit while studying ski business at Colorado Mountain College. Since then, he has trained under Tim Widmer at Surefoot and completed multiple masterfit clinics. At a fitting with Ryan, customers can expect the five-star treatment. Now, he shares tips that you can take to your next boot fitting session in order to ensure that it is top-notch.
1. The first step to finding the right boot is figuring out what type of skier you are. Ryan always asks his customers, “What do you like to ski?” The answer can reveal how stiff their boots should be: the more aggressive the skier, the stiffer the boot. You should be able to shift your weight to the balls of your feet and stop there. If a boot is too stiff, your weight will be too far back. If the boot is too soft, you will lose control of your ski more easily.
2. Think about what type of ankle you have. The boot must wrap tightly around your ankle in order to help maintain control of the ski and prevent injury. Your ankle will indicate whether you need low, medium, or high volume boots. In layman’s terms: more – or less – cushion in the lining. Also consider your preference on the comfort-vs-performance spectrum. “Little old ladies skiing with their grandkids often want comfort, while ski racers want performance,” Ryan says. Figure out where you fall on this scale (hint: it’s probablys omewhere in the middle).
3. In order to gain a better idea of which boot is right for you, you can do the “two finger test.” Pull some boots off the shelf, take out the liner, and stick your foot in. Wiggle your toes to the front of the boot, and place two stacked fingers behind your ankle. You want your fingers to fit behind the ankle without extra space. Ryan’s philosophy is that “a little tighter is better for performance, and a little looser is better for comfort.”
4. Once you have found the right fit, stand in the boots – with the liner in – for 10 minutes. They may feel tight when you first put them on, but as long as you aren’t in agony, it’s better to have tighter boots initially. They will get looser as you continue to wear them. After five minutes of standing in your boots, they will either get more comfortable or become painful. Patience is key.
5. Go through this process with a few pairs of boots until you have come to a decision. Then, it’s time for the fun part: Go ski! Put your boots to the test to figure out if they really are meant to be. There is a high possibility you will need to test them out on the slopes to figure out where the painful spots are, and then come back to the ski shop and mold the liner. “You can’t truly know if a pair of boots is perfect for you until you have skied in them,” Ryan points out.
The right boot is essential to a good ski session. Now, we can all have a little piece of Ryan’s advice when we choose our next pair of boots: “Remember, boot fitting is a process. Don’t rush the process.”
Ed. Note: Kaiti Kinshella is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her ski boots are still a perfect fit.