Bootfitter's Notes: Stretching a Ski Boot

At the Start Haus there are a couple of different scenarios where we will stretch the toe area of a ski boot.

First, many of our athletes have a big toe that protrudes larger than on the normal foot.  In this instance the athlete will often downsize to get the same control felt by someone with a more squared of toe shape, and most likely a toe stretch will be necessary to make this fit viable many times before they even leave our shop.

We have several toe blocks that we have shaped to match different toe and foot shapes.

Another group who downsize are those with an extremely narrow foot, often feel no matter how low volume the boot is they still have too much room.

Top-level racers and other athletes at the elite level downsize to ensure there is no movement in the foot whatsoever, and hence no lost energy to the ski edge.

In this video Jim Schaffner demonstrates a punch for a Lange World Cup for an athletes who needs more toe room.

Jim makes sure the boot is protected from the toe and heel lugs twisting under the pressure of the punch, and blocks the toe lug from catching heat and melting. Once this is done he slowly heats the boot up to about 300 degrees F and executes the punch.

This is just one way we can customize ski boots to give you the perfect fit. Shoot us an email or give us a call to find out what we can do for you this winter.