# When trying on the boots, should the toes be touching without socks on?



## NWBoarder

No one can really tell you what size boot you should get. That is purely up to you. What I can can say though is this, try on boots with you snowboard socks on. Not without them.


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## rideordiechick

I agree, I wish I brought my socks with me. The sales guy told me it should be really tight, not where my toes are bent, but really tight because it will mold to my foot. I'm just wondering if that's true.


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## j1nftw1n

Boots is the single most important piece of gear that is more important than your board or bindings, so if you plan on taking on snowboarding as a hobby do NOT skimp on your boots

Maybe you have heard good things about the Burton boots but dont over look other brands either. Try on as many different pair of boots by as many different brands as possible as they all fit differently.

I generally have to size UP when I buy boots, im a size 11 foot and normally I have to buy 11.5. If your toes are already touching w/o socks more likely than not its going to be too tight with board socks on. Thats going to lead to unnecessary foot pain, numbness, cramps, and will end your day prematurely

Make sure the boots offer good ankle hold, when trying on the boots lean forward like you would onto your toe side edge and if you feel your ankles are not properly supported or lifting out of the liner than these boots are not for you. Commonly people will over tighten their liner and boot to remedy the heel lift but that will only lead to poor blood circulation into your foot and lead to the same as above, unnecessary foot pain, numbness, cramps, and will end your day prematurely. Your ankle should be comfortably cradled in the liner and not lifting out of the boot when on toe edge. 

anyways ive said too much....go try on some more boots already


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## rideordiechick

Thanks for all the great input!

When you say offer good ankle hold, what would be the cause of not proper support? Is it the brand, size, etc... I tried on a size 8.5 boot and the boot was tight everywhere, but that made my ankle feel more supported. At the same time I tried on a size 9 boot and it felt looser around my ankle. Is it because it wasn't as tight or because I went up in size? Or could it just not be a good boot for me?


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## j1nftw1n

rideordiechick said:


> Thanks for all the great input!
> 
> When you say offer good ankle hold, what would be the cause of not proper support? Is it the brand, size, etc... I tried on a size 8.5 boot and the boot was tight everywhere, but that made my ankle feel more supported. At the same time I tried on a size 9 boot and it felt looser around my ankle. Is it because it wasn't as tight or because I went up in size? Or could it just not be a good boot for me?


Cause of not having proper support is because everyones foot shape is not the same, so boot manufactures and designers can only guestimate what they think is the best fit for the general population, each boot brand has their own fit characteristic. When you size up in boots, the last (the mold that a shoe is shaped around) also goes up in size which is why the sz 9 offered less support than the 8.5 . If you have good ankle support but have crimped toes or pressure points from the rest of the boot being too tight than these arent the right ones for you, if the rest of the boot is comfy but your heels are lifting up when going toe side than these boots are a no go. It may be frustrating but finding a good pair of boots make a world of difference. Its true snowboarding boots shouldnt feel comfortable at first, but they also shouldnt kill your feet. Good idea is to buy boots from a store that will fully guarantee your satisfaction. REI is one such great place that offers 100% satisfaction guarantee and an unlimited return policy.


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## Treegreen

rideordiechick said:


> The sales guy told me it should be really tight, not where my toes are bent, but really tight because it will mold to my foot. I'm just wondering if that's true.


You are going to want them snug when you buy them. As snug as you can reasonably go without it causing unbearable foot pain.

One method is to size down a half-size from your normal shoe and try on a bunch of different boot brands. You'll know immediately if the boot is too small. Your toes will be painfully crammed in the boot, or your instep will be shoved up against it too hard, ect. 

That'll give you an idea of how the various brands sizing run and whether or not you will need to try some in your original shoe size. Then you will most likely want to go with the boot that is just on the cusp of being too small, but isn't causing serious pain. 

The reason for this is because what feels perfectly comfortable now will end up being too large after the boot packs out. What feels just a smidgen too tight should end up feeling perfect after pack out.

What that perfect fit/range is will ultimately be determined by your foot and trying on a bunch of different boots to see what works. You will definitely want your normal snowboard sock when trying stuff on.


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## Rufus

When you go back to the shop to purchase boots be sure to take socks with you so you can try on different sizes and purchase the one that fits best. I usually buy boots that initially fit with thin socks then as they pack out I switch to thicker socks.


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## rideordiechick

Treegreen said:


> The reason for this is because what feels perfectly comfortable now will end up being too large after the boot packs out. What feels just a smidgen too tight should end up feeling perfect after pack out.


Thanks for the advice. Perfectly comfortable with socks on, right?




Rufus said:


> When you go back to the shop to purchase boots be sure to take socks with you so you can try on different sizes and purchase the one that fits best. I usually buy boots that initially fit with thin socks then as they pack out I switch to thicker socks.


Great idea! I think I'll try that. How much bigger will the boots get after they get packed out?


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## rideordiechick

I read somewhere that Burton boots don't pack out as much as other brands. Is that true?


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## hktrdr

Piece of advice 1: Nobody (especially not people on an internet forum) can tell you what size boot to get.

Piece of advice 2: Lose the thick socks. Get some thin Merino ones or similar.


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## Nito

rideordiechick said:


> I read somewhere that Burton boots don't pack out as much as other brands. Is that true?


Regarding your question, just pull out the liner and you can tell how much the boot can pack out.

On another note, try the boots on with boot liners (silk or polypropylene) or with stocking on. My gf went boot shopping and she insisted on wearing her ski sock instead of the liners I brought with me. After 2 days of use, she was complaining that the boots were loose and she had ankle lift.


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## rideordiechick

Great! Thanks for the help, guys.


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## wrathfuldeity

yes wear liners, and when riding thin merino with liners. All boots pack out, the question is how much and what to do to deal with the pack out and resulting heel lift. 

read the sticky boot faq 
get boots that have the shell inner laces
get better foot beds....and while ur trying on boots take out the footbeds (that come with the boot...they are trash) and try them on with the better ones that fit your feet/arch


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## Deacon

wrathfuldeity said:


> get better foot beds....and while ur trying on boots take out the footbeds (that come with the boot...they are trash) and try them on with the better ones that fit your feet/arch


On this note... I've seen Superfeet mentioned here, are we talking the same 3/4 orthotic they sell (locally anyway) at Walmart? Has the machine you stand on and it measures your pressure points and arches, etc? I have some of those in my work boots, they're great. I'm going to do this today, no way my Factions are going to fit with those thick effers in there. I'm going to The House today, I'ma bring em with. 

edit.... I'm a dope. Google works, who knew. The ones I have are a Dr. Scholls brand, and they still work great. I guess before i go to The House, I'll have to stop at Dick's.


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## wrathfuldeity

The Deacon said:


> On this note... I've seen Superfeet mentioned here, are we talking the same 3/4 orthotic they sell (locally anyway) at Walmart? Has the machine you stand on and it measures your pressure points and arches, etc? I have some of those in my work boots, they're great. I'm going to do this today, no way my Factions are going to fit with those thick effers in there. I'm going to The House today, I'ma bring em with.
> 
> edit.... I'm a dope. Google works, who knew. The ones I have are a Dr. Scholls brand, and they still work great. I guess before i go to The House, I'll have to stop at Dick's.


Try whatever...I had some old running shoe foot beds that I used for a couple of years and now use ed vissieures "sole" (which I had to trim to fit in the liner) due to high arches.


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## chomps1211

From my own experience with trying to find boots that didn't just KILL my feet,.. I can tell you that when you're new, A lot of the "Advice" given by good experienced, knowledgable salespeople/riders can be taken too litterally or misconstrued!!

I got the same _SHITTY_ advice about "The boots need to fit _really_ tight cuz they'll pack out!" As a result I went thru buying & returning 3 different pairs of boots! ALL of which I couldn't stay laced or strapped into for more than a couple of runs before being in real pain!!!!

Once I found a pair that fit my wide, 10.5 EEE foot? Things got better! (Not perfect, but better!) Between bad advice on sizing, strapping in, tightness of boots, positioning of straps, etc. etc. I've spent a season & a half identifying and trying to eliminate various sources of foot discomfort while riding! 

_Take your time buying boots!!!! _ Take your board & bindings with you and strap into it in the shop with the boots you're considering! Stay strapped in for 15-20 min. Still comfortable? *DON'T* let _anyone_ rush you into a decision! If they try? LEAVE!! cuz the shop or salesperson sucks anyway!

Comfortably Snug, with little or NO heel lift is ideal! They _will_ pack out eventually, mine did prematurely because of the above mentioned problems, but some "C" bars & custom footbeds later. I'm still riding these boots! (appx. 50-60+ days riding on them!) And my feet are more comfortable than they've been since I started!

Good luck! :thumbsup:


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## Deacon

wrathfuldeity said:


> Try whatever...I had some old running shoe foot beds that I used for a couple of years and now use ed vissieures "sole" (which I had to trim to fit in the liner) due to high arches.


Awesome. Got another pair of the footbeds I have in my work boots, and wow what a difference. Thank you. The only thing i noticed is on hard heel sides my toes touch, but are not cramped. Didn't seem like too big a deal.


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## rideordiechick

I got my boots and they're perfectly snug. I wore them around the house and within in a few minutes it started to hurt around the heel. Do the boots flatten out around the heel as well? I have flatter than normal feet making them wide so I'm wondering if the size is too small or if it's normal.


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## Deacon

rideordiechick said:


> I got my boots and they're perfectly snug. I wore them around the house and within in a few minutes it started to hurt around the heel. Do the boots flatten out around the heel as well? I have flatter than normal feet making them wide so I'm wondering if the size is too small or if it's normal.


I think this goes back to what wrathful was speaking to. Pull out your factory footbeds and they'll be a 1/4" thick, at best. Throw that thing in the garbage and get a better one. The guys here all talk about the Superfeet, I grabbed the same ones I have in my work boots (a 3/4 dr scholl's "custom" footbed). My boots instantly became more comfortable and fit far better.


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## rideordiechick

The Deacon said:


> I think this goes back to what wrathful was speaking to. Pull out your factory footbeds and they'll be a 1/4" thick, at best. Throw that thing in the garbage and get a better one. The guys here all talk about the Superfeet, I grabbed the same ones I have in my work boots (a 3/4 dr scholl's "custom" footbed). My boots instantly became more comfortable and fit far better.


Oh yeah, I forgot to do that. Thanks for the reminder! They're much better now. A little snug in the toes but I'm sure that'll flatten out soon. 
Thanks for all your help everyone.


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## Sid700

Hy,
I was trying 32 Jones mtb boots fot splitboard...They are stiff...ok...But, is it ok to feel that my toes are tuching the end of the boot only when i lean back? If i lean forward they are ok...
Should I size up? 
Thanks!


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## kriegs13

Sid700 said:


> Hy,
> I was trying 32 Jones mtb boots fot splitboard...They are stiff...ok...But, is it ok to feel that my toes are tuching the end of the boot only when i lean back? If i lean forward they are ok...
> Should I size up?
> Thanks!


sounds like you should size down...toes jamming to the front on heel side turns usually means your heel is not staying in place and your foot is sliding forward jamming your toes.


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## Sid700

Omg....Buying new boots sucks...Its almost like throwing €€€ out of the window....In the last 3 years i bought new boots every year only because i had pain...Hopefully this year will be better...
My feet is 293mm long and I have size 11,5...Is that ok?
Thanks for the replay


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