i just ordered in a new pair of technica diablo fires, and i have spent the last 3 days at work tweaking them, trying to get them to fit right. I just don't think people understand how long bootfitting can take. I hate it when people come into the store 20 minutes before close and expect to get new ski boots. It takes a lot of self restraint not to tell them to piss off. I've been trying my on, hot forming them, stretching the boot, hot forming again, padding my foot, and hot forming, each time taking almost 20 minutes, and that is for a boot that i know i wanted and ordered for myself. it takes even longer if you need to determine which boot is right for you first. I guess i'm just getting down to it, that if you are looking for new boots, don't expect to find anything within 15, or even 30 minutes. You are going to need to spend a good 2 hours trying on different boots, and determining which is best for you. Does anyone else out there bootfit as well? what are some of your horror stories?

I picked my boots out in about an hour, of course I'm super broke so they're just on layaway, and I haven't done all the heat forming yet, but my feet usually fit in most boots pretty good. When I used to work at a ski shop I had some lady that came in and had the hairiest legs I've ever seen, and she was all sitting down for me to help her with her boots on, and I think something died in her crotch region cause I could smell it from like 4 ft away, I almost puked, she was a nice lady though, but hippies really should take showers before they go out in public!

I must be lucky, because boots tend to fit my feet like magic. Heat forming slightly improved the fit on my first pair...but not huge difference. I'll see how my new boots fit they arrive Tuesday...but I'll get those heat fitted I"m sure too.

I bootfitted in Banff, Canada last season for 6 months. Learnt heaps about ski boots and proper fitting. This one Swedish guy came into the store and he had a bunion the size of a golf ball. Serious big and round. I couldn't imaging skiing with something like it in my boot. He said that he had already had it cut off once. Poor guy. Anyway I had to punch the hell out of the side of his boot which made him happy. Had one young ski instructor come in who had the worse smelling boots ever. I was almost gagging but had to keep a straight face.

I think the biggest problem is that people assume that their ski choice is the most important to their skiing, however, it is definately their boots and a proper fit. I know I have sat through 8+ hours of bootfitting when having my Strolz made, and typically spend a few hours on any other boot I buy (not including hours of trying on different boots). Also, having taken some class in bootfiting, I realized there was some things that I was doing right, but there was other stuff that I was unaware of as well. I definately think people need to relax and take their time when selecting boots and having them fit properly. The worst thing though is shops that don't fit boots properly. I have seen so many students come to take a lesson with new boots, and by the end of day 1, their comfy new boots are already packed out a bit and now too big.

I've been saying that for the last 3 years on this site. Boots are everything. I'm in Kingston, where the only REAL ski shop in town is the one i work at. The only other competition is Sport Chek. I have seen so many ill fit boots (TOO BIG) come out of that store. it's bad.

iv spent a few days trying on boots, and i just bought a pair of salomon 1080 foil crystals, and i got them heated and then i put them on and did the only bend a little in a ski possition for 20 minutes, i was just wondering, do u do the heat process a buncha times to get it right, or do u do it because it causes the boots linder to stiffen a little? i know when working steel u heat, then cool, then heat then cool, and that improves the strength of the steel, is it the same with boots? PS. when i was getting them fitted, there was an ausi or kiwi sitting next to me, i was 6 feet away and his feet literally smelled up a 15 foot radius, and not "can you smell that" kinda smell, it was a "holy shit does this guy have something evil growing on his feet?" between that and standing with my kneed bent for 20 minutes it made to be one of those martial arts mental discipline kinda moments... lol