# Boots too big?



## Dlearin (Nov 15, 2021)

Hi everyone! I just went to a local store and, among all boats, I only be capable to wear a Salomon Launch and ride anthem. Finally bought a Salomon launch 45'5eu/12Usa / 11UK and my normal street shoes number is between 44'50-45, but my past boot was a Salomon f22 of 45'5 eu and my toes suffered so much.

After read so much posting here found that boot should be a 1 number less than my normal but have been impossible to fit my foot in a normal 44 neither 43 (tried a Vans Hi in 10us and was horrible feeling, Salomon Launch 44 was impossible to enter my foot)

Finally decided for the mentioned Salomon launch that fit perfectly without pain, the salesman recommended the number and so lightly touch the end of the boot.

Have I made a bad decision? Is too big? Is someone with same problem?

Thanks a lot!


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## Elevation212 (Apr 21, 2019)

The answer on this forum is your boots are always to big, on our current trajectory our group think will have everyone recommending toe standing in ballerina slippers within 36 months

There’s no hard rule on your boot size, the best thinking is to find your mondo size which takes into account the width and length of your feet. The benefit here is that many of us wear large shoes due to needing wides rather then longs (which is an option) wiredsports has a video on how to find your mondo size at home

Many will tell you your best bet is to have a boot that is tight bordering on uncomfortable while the boot packs out. My personal view is this is a matter of goals. If you are looking to go to the limit on freeriding/park then I’d recommend going as tight as possible, heat molding and wearing the boots a ton to pack them out. If your are a casual resort ripper I’d recommend a fit that has your toes and sides of your feet making snug contact on first fit but it doesn’t need to be painful

A few other tips I highly recommend, 1. invest in footbed’s, snowboard boot beds are trash and custom or semi custom beds really improve my comfort and activation 2. I’ve become a huge fan of internal boa cuffs (k2 thraxis for example) this boa system snugs my heel down and does an amazing job eliminating lift


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## MrDavey2Shoes (Mar 5, 2018)

Go with your mondo size, do not size up if a boot doesn’t fit. Instead try for a different boot. All boots are different shapes. There’s one out there for your foot in your appropriate size. Sizing up is going to bite you in the ass, or feet I suppose.

once they start to pack out, which really doesn’t take more than a few hours riding TBH, they’re going to require you to over tighten and you’re going to get an ache beneath your foot. That’s because you’ve restricted circulation.

Do yourself a favor and get properly measured for mondo, or do it yourself. It’s pretty simple. Socks off, foot knocked snuggly back against a wall and measure in MM your furthest point. There’s your mondo.
Check out the WiredSports thread on boot fit


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## mark84 (Mar 10, 2019)

As i wrote in an other thread: 
For me(!) the best method for boot length is the one that burton suggests: "First off, your toes should barely touch the end of the boots. If they’re curled in the toe box or swimming around, ask to try on a different size."
I dont see any advantage in squeezing my feet in a too short boot. I rather find one that offers the same tight fit but is a bit longer in the toe area.
My feet are 268mm long so in theory i should be in a Mondo 27 / US 9. I tried it for a full season and wasn`t happy with it. Even packed out the boots were too short and caused pain.
Now I ride a different brand US 10 and the fit is perfect, even after a full season. I do have the same tight / snug fit as i had in the US 9 but no more toe pain. Also no heel lift.
Way better now...


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

Dlearin said:


> Hi everyone! I just went to a local store and, among all boats, I only be capable to wear a Salomon Launch and ride anthem. Finally bought a Salomon launch 45'5eu/12Usa / 11UK and my normal street shoes number is between 44'50-45, but my past boot was a Salomon f22 of 45'5 eu and my toes suffered so much.
> 
> After read so much posting here found that boot should be a 1 number less than my normal but have been impossible to fit my foot in a normal 44 neither 43 (tried a Vans Hi in 10us and was horrible feeling, Salomon Launch 44 was impossible to enter my foot)
> 
> ...


Hi Dlearin,

The only way to get this correct every time is to take your four barefoot measurements. Width is every bit as important as length. 

Please measure your feet using this method:

Kick your heel (barefoot please, no socks) back against a wall. Mark the floor exactly at the tip of your toe (the one that sticks out furthest - which toe this is will vary by rider). Measure from the mark on the floor to the wall. That is your foot length and is the only measurement that you will want to use. Measure in centimeters if possible, but if not, take inches and multiply by 2.54 (example: an 11.25 inch foot x 2.54 = 28.57 centimeters). For width please place the inside (medial side) of your foot against a wall. Please then measure from the wall out to the widest point on the lateral (outside) of your foot.

STOKED!


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

mark84 said:


> As i wrote in an other thread:
> For me(!) the best method for boot length is the one that burton suggests: "First off, your toes should barely touch the end of the boots. If they’re curled in the toe box or swimming around, ask to try on a different size."
> I dont see any advantage in squeezing my feet in a too short boot. I rather find one that offers the same tight fit but is a bit longer in the toe area.
> My feet are 268mm long so in theory i should be in a Mondo 27 / US 9. I tried it for a full season and wasn`t happy with it. Even packed out the boots were too short and caused pain.
> ...


Hi Mark,

Please post up your barefoot measurements as well. 268 is mid range for Mondo 270. The most common reason for riders to not fit in a boot at their Mondopoint size is that they have a wide foot. Let's see if this is what is going on for you. You are leaving a lot on the table when riding a boot at a full size over Mondo.

STOKED!


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

Boots at the correct size are uncomfortable at first until they pack out/heat molded.

Boots that are comfortable right away will be too large in about ten days of riding. This leads to all sorts of problems and pain. Toe bang is a big one, overtightening boots and bindings to compensate for a sloppy fit is another.

Most people have never ridden in a properly fitted boot where you don't have to tighten the shit out of everything to get response. When you find the right fitting boot, the binding straps can be fairly gently resting against the boot and you'll get great response and feel.

But you do have to work to find that fit, and if you're only riding 5 days a season or something like that, you're going to think properly fitting boots are just uncomfortable and we were all wrong to steer you that way.

My boots are borderline, cutting off circulation when they're new. After 5-10 days they're perfect. I used to buy boots that were comfortable right away, and if I try to ride in those now I can feel how painful and unresponsive they are. I _never_ realized how bad it was until I had properly fitted boots to compare them to.

Everyone I ride with who rides more than 5 times a season has come to the same conclusion. It's not some fad where we're all trying to jam into tiny boots for no reason, it's just the right way to size boots for anyone who wants them to last beyond the 10 day mark.


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

Elevation212 said:


> Many will tell you your best bet is to have a boot that is tight bordering on uncomfortable while the boot packs out. My personal view is this is a matter of goals. If you are looking to go to the limit on freeriding/park then I’d recommend going as tight as possible, heat molding and wearing the boots a ton to pack them out. If your are a casual resort ripper I’d recommend a fit that has your toes and sides of your feet making snug contact on first fit but it doesn’t need to be painful


Hi Elevation

A boot sized to Mondopoint and your actual width will be exactly what you have described. Firm contact everywhere (toes, heels and sides). No pain, no discomfort, no numbness. Heat molding is a big part of what you pay for in a boot and it will have no positive function in a boot above your Mondo size. Break in period will aways change a boot. There is no getting around that as all boots stretch ~ 1 full size but this is not a desirable thing, just a reality. 

STOKED!


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## mark84 (Mar 10, 2019)

Wiredsport said:


> Hi Mark,
> 
> Please post up your barefoot measurements as well. 268 is mid range for Mondo 270. The most common reason for riders to not fit in a boot at their Mondopoint size is that they have a wide foot. Let's see if this is what is going on for you. You are leaving a lot on the table when riding a boot at a full size over Mondo.
> 
> STOKED!


thanks for offering your help but I`m happy with my mondo 280 boots. Problem with mondo 270 wasn`t the width but length of the boots (too much pressure on the big toes even after heatmolding). My personal(!) experience is that there is just no benefit in riding boots that small. Its all good as long as you have a firm fit (no heel lift, no side to side play...). I use them for splitboarding too and therefore i want comfort for skinning and sometimes walking too.


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## WigMar (Mar 17, 2019)

mark84 said:


> thanks for offering your help but I`m happy with my mondo 280 boots. Problem with mondo 270 wasn`t the width but length of the boots (too much pressure on the big toes even after heatmolding). My personal(!) experience is that there is just no benefit in riding boots that small. Its all good as long as you have a firm fit (no heel lift, no side to side play...). I use them for splitboarding too and therefore i want comfort for skinning and sometimes walking too.


I size a little under my Mondo, and they definitely aren't walking shoes. Getting from the car to the chair can be unpleasant until they break in. I can tour in my broken-in and modified boots though. I agree that this performance fit isn't for everyone.


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

mark84 said:


> thanks for offering your help but I`m happy with my mondo 280 boots. Problem with mondo 270 wasn`t the width but length of the boots (too much pressure on the big toes even after heatmolding). My personal(!) experience is that there is just no benefit in riding boots that small. Its all good as long as you have a firm fit (no heel lift, no side to side play...). I use them for splitboarding too and therefore i want comfort for skinning and sometimes walking too.


Hi Mark,
A boot which is too narrow will always be too short at the outer toes. This is due to the arced shape of the toebox. If you ever want to know for sure, the width measurements above only take a few seconds. 

STOKED!


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## Myoko (Dec 11, 2018)

Don't mind my toes touching a bit when I bend my knees but will never buy a pair of boots that are too tight length wise. Really do need an hour to try on quite a few boots and pay the person helping for their time even if they don't have the right boot. Just know that every boot will 100% pack out at the top reasonably quickly and there will be a delayed response due to the gap at the top when you lean into turns. People just adapt to it without realising but it does make a difference to transition time when you fix it. This is the reason skiers have velcro straps at the top of their ski boots.


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## IanL (Mar 30, 2021)

Dlearin said:


> Hi everyone! I just went to a local store and, among all boats, I only be capable to wear a Salomon Launch and ride anthem. Finally bought a Salomon launch 45'5eu/12Usa / 11UK and my normal street shoes number is between 44'50-45, but my past boot was a Salomon f22 of 45'5 eu and my toes suffered so much.
> 
> After read so much posting here found that boot should be a 1 number less than my normal but have been impossible to fit my foot in a normal 44 neither 43 (tried a Vans Hi in 10us and was horrible feeling, Salomon Launch 44 was impossible to enter my foot)
> 
> ...


Yeah it's tricky to get the size right. I wear anywhere from a size 9.5-10 street shoe. one foot measures 9.5 and the other 9 in the Brannock device. If your toes don't hit the the front I think they are too big. I think touching the front is not enough. You want pressure and discomfort standing at first because after a few days wearing them they are going to open up. Last season i bought a new pair of boots TM-3'S that were size 9 which was a half size smaller than the OLD DRIVER'S I had and my toes were hitting the front initially and I did heat molding which helped but after two days one foot was loose in the boot so then I got the 8.5's which were totally uncomfortable when I first put them on. 

Now about 7 days later they are feeling pretty good. Toes still touch even when riding but not so painful. Even took one footbed out of the boot because it was so damn tight and then after 5 days put it back in.


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