# Beginner Boot Questions



## KansasNoob (Feb 24, 2013)

This season will be my 3rd, so hopefully I can give you some newbie insight.

1) I was miserable in softer boots. Last season I bought some 32 TM Two's which are a medium stiff (7 out of 10) and I couldn't be happier. Softer boots make you work harder in my opinion, riding seems a lot easier in the new boots. 
2) Everyone with BOA seems to like it. I went with a traditional boot because that's what I preferred, I can tie in 2 locations if I decide I want part of the boot a different tightness. And I like the simplicity of laces. 
3) I don't think you should have any lift. I don't.
4) Go with whatever fits best, it seems like some brands and models are made for different shapes of feet. Definitely have them heat mold the liners, I heat molded my boots myself and they fit awesome.

You are on the right track for sure buying at a shop, I wasn't able to and got lucky picking the boots I did. Starting off with boots and then picking out bindings and board seems to be what most people recommend. I bought bindings at the end of last season because I found a good deal, and the last piece of the puzzle (board) is in the mail right now. :thumbsup: Demo a lot of boards and see what you like.


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## DevilWithin (Sep 16, 2013)

Thanks KansasNoob! I appreciate the quick response and it's good to hear from someone that can still remember being a complete noob.

1) Cool -- I was thinking that a medium stiffness would better suit me and it sounds like you had a similar experience. 
2) I started out thinking traditional laces would work best, but the dual boas I tried fit pretty well. Again, toe and heel fit are going to be most important. I just didn't want to rule out the boa system since some of the boots felt good with it.
3) Ok, thanks for letting me know. My guess is that it has more to do with me needing to secure them a bit more. I'll make sure to tweak the laces even more when I go back. 
4) Right on...thanks.

Again, I appreciate the quick response. If anything, it just helps confirm some of what I've been researching. Problem is you can research things to death and I can easily fall into that trap since the mountains are so far away from me. I can't wait to get some real world experience once the season opens though.


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## KansasNoob (Feb 24, 2013)

You will have a blast, especially with good boots under you. I had awful rental boots my first couple times and still had a blast. I feel your pain being a long ways from the mountains. My closest hill is approximately 3 hours away, and I've never been there. I figure it's worth the money to go to the mountains. I can say it's more fun each time I go. There are lots of experts on here that can point you in the right direction if you have specific boot questions. There are lots of things you can do to improve the fit, hopefully your shop knows their stuff.


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

DevilWithin said:


> I mentioned in my introduction post a few weeks ago that I'm from Atlanta, so it shouldn't come as a big surprise that I'm not having any luck finding an experienced boot fitter. Yeah, it sucks - but I live here for now. I figured I need to start my setup with boots and then worry about the bindings / board. Those questions will come next...
> 
> There are really only two shops and I tried both this weekend. One of them said "the guy that knows snowboards" would be in during the week and he would be able to fit me properly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but thought I'd turn to this community for some advice.
> 
> ...


GA not exactly prime snowboarding territory, but Atlanta is a big place and as a result there are quite a few shops - it will just take some effort to check them all. Peter Glenn, BC, REI, Rocky Mountain, Ambush, etc.

Re. your questions:
1) A medium to soft boot is not going to hold you back anytime soon. It will take much more than a season to 'outgrow' them.
2) Like everything in life, Boas sometimes break. But Boa cables break much less frequently than traditional laces - just depending on the boot it might more of a PITA to replace the cable. Re. resting your board on the boot, solution is simple: Don't do it (and anyway, it would destroy traditional or speed laces even more quickly).
3) That is way too much heel lift - ideally you should not have any, especially in brand new boots (they will pack out and heel lift will increase over time).
4) Just try to and see what fits - all feet are different. If you give us some indication of the shape of your feet (wide/narrow, high/low arch, high/low instep, etc.) we might be able to give you some guidance.


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

DevilWithin said:


> Thanks KansasNoob! I appreciate the quick response and it's good to hear from someone that can still remember being a complete noob.
> 
> 1) Cool -- I was thinking that a medium stiffness would better suit me and it sounds like you had a similar experience.
> 2) I started out thinking traditional laces would work best, but the dual boas I tried fit pretty well. Again, toe and heel fit are going to be most important. I just didn't want to rule out the boa system since some of the boots felt good with it.
> ...


Disagree with 1). Very generally speaking you want something in the 3-5 rage (out of 10). Stiffer boots can feel a little easier initially, but can really hinder progression.


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## DevilWithin (Sep 16, 2013)

Thanks hktrdr...I appreciate the response. I've been to both Peter Glenn and Ambush. Unfortunately, REI doesn't carry ski/snowboard boots in Atlanta -- they don't have a snow sports department. I think they may carry goggles, but that is about it. I forgot about Backcountry though...assuming that is what you meant by BC. I'll give them a call to see if they carry Snowboarding gear this week. Rocky Mountain is kind of a funny place -- they sell patio furniture most of the year and then stock ski/snowboard equipment in the fall / winter. I didn't think I'd get a good boot fitter there, but it might be worth a shot. They are just down the street from Peter Glenn. 

My feet are normal width and size 9.5. I also have a low arch. Instep is pretty normal as well. For reference, I initially tried on the 32 Lashed in a size 9 thinking they would be snug and they actually had my toes curling. The 9.5's fit much better. Snug up front with my toes just touching the front when I stood up.

Thanks again for the help!


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

hktrdr said:


> GA not exactly prime snowboarding territory,. Peter Glenn, BC, REI, Rocky Mountain, Ambush, etc.


BC surf and sport and REI do not carry snowboarding gear here.

Peter Glenn, Ambush have decent selection. Rocky Mountain sells patio furniture till about mid October but they will have a good selection as well. Sun and Ski is a clearance store with some good deals but no experenced staff. The only one with 2014 gear in is Peter Glenn. Wait about two weeks and they will have new stuff out. The dude at Peter Glenn knows his shit and is a really cool dude.


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## DevilWithin (Sep 16, 2013)

Thanks Mystery2many -- I think we both hit the reply button at the same time. 

Good to know that the dude at Peter Glenn actually knows his shit. They said this weekend that he was the manager and a snowboarder, so to come back during the week when he works and he'd be able to fit me properly. They had a good bit of 2014 stuff already in. Ambush only had last seasons stuff and they said give them 2 - 4 weeks for the 2014 boots. The guys at Ambush were cool, but definitely didn't know a ton about fitting snowboard boots. It sounded like they know everything based on what the boot company reps trained them on.

Thanks again!


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

Haha. Yea I think we did. Oh by the way Peter Glenn is having a big sale Oct 3-10.


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## DevilWithin (Sep 16, 2013)

Cool -- is that the sale where you get to spin the wheel for a discount at the register? The salesperson was telling me about it and they have slots on the wheel ranging from 10% up to 40%. That would be pretty awesome to spin the wheel and get 40% off!


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

I'm not sure. But they've done that before and 40% off is awesome. Go check out Sun and Ski. Almost everything in there is 40% off.


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

Mystery2many said:


> I'm not sure. But they've done that before and 40% off is awesome. Go check out Sun and Ski. Almost everything in there is 40% off.


I hate to sound like an old fogey, but PG's sales nowadays pale in comparison to the gobs of gear they used to carry some 7 years ago or so.

There are two Peter Glenn locations in Atlanta. If you are talking about the dark haired dude with the out-of-place accent (sounds more californian than georgian) then yes, he is the most avid snowboarder PG has on staff in Atlanta.

Ultimately, geography and number of clientele will limit how good a fit you can get in this town. Its not like any of the shop workers here can take a long lunch and head up a lift to demo all/half/any of the boots that come in. Your best bet is to be willing to spend a ton of time, and potentially a ton of money to get something that will still work and feel comfortable after you've been riding in them for 6 hours.


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## DevilWithin (Sep 16, 2013)

I spent about 2 hours over there last week and Derek (the dark haired guy) was very helpful. I ended up with a pair of 32 Lashed boots and some superfeet insoles. He was very patient and helped show me some tips / tricks on lacing my boots properly. Really good guy and I'd rather support a local shop to make sure there is one a year or two down the road. The 2nd Peter Glenn location in Atlanta is no longer open, so we only have this one in Sandy Springs area. 

For what it is worth, I tried on multiple brands (32, Burton, DC, and K2) and different lacing systems (traditional, BOA, quick pull). I liked the traditional lacing the best since it gave me the most flexibility to tweak the fit. Hell - I tried on so many boots that I had my fingers raw and blistered by the end of the visit. The BOA's were convenient, but every brand I tried on had bad pressure points. The quick pull wasn't bad, but the fit on the traditional laces worked better for me. 

Anyhow, I appreciate all of the help from the forum. I feel good about the boots I purchased and I'm confident they were the best fit for my level / riding style. 

Thanks again for the advice!


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

Peter Glenn isn't a local shop, it is a national chain.
All the other ski shops in Atlanta (Rocky Mountain, Ambush, etc) are local companies.

I did not know that the Galleria location had closed down, thanks for the info. I wonder how long the location at the Prado can hold out! With household wages down, and airfares up, skiing is a huge luxury that many young proffessionals in the area will not be able to afford.

Even the cheapest trip out west (Denver) is going to run about $700 for 2 or 3 days worth of riding.

IMO: There is something wrong with your ski resort when your lift pass costs more than a 1-day ticket at Disney World.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Tarzanman said:


> IMO: There is something wrong with your ski resort when your lift pass costs more than a 1-day ticket at Disney World.


????Who gives a fuck about Disney World???

Your comparison makes no sense anyway. If it does, explain.


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

snowklinger said:


> ????Who gives a fuck about Disney World???
> 
> Your comparison makes no sense anyway. If it does, explain.


They are both touristy activities. I am not the only person who has commented on the costs of snowboarding going up.

Is the cost of skiing pricing out the middle class? | news10.net

I compared riding/skiing with Disney World because unlike most ski resorts, Disney world understands that if they price tickets (or a vacation) out of the reach of most middle class families then they are [email protected]$#d and their visits will suffer.

I've only been riding for about 6 years and I have watched lift ticket prices increase by $15-$25 (about 20%). If the trend continues then snowboarding may very well go the way of polo or horseback riding... an activity relegated to the province of the wealthy.


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

Tarzanman said:


> They are both touristy activities. I am not the only person who has commented on the costs of snowboarding going up.
> 
> Is the cost of skiing pricing out the middle class? | news10.net
> 
> ...


Snowklinger as usual is full of shit, if anything he's missing an obvious point you made about the relative cost of snowboarding as an affordable recreation relative to other choices. If mom and pop and the two kidlets want to try it out for a day they'll drop 500 bucks on lift tickets and rentals and lessons, probably more. 

However, Disney is a bad choice in your example, it's an unabashedly greedy company croaked in Walt's aura. They don't pretend to be affordable, a day at Disney is outrageously expensive, and usually it's a multi day tour. They are jammed to capacity at their parks and charge accordingly. Ski resorts are nowhere as lucky, Disney is in what, four places worldwide, whereas there are so many ski resorts. Disney doesn't really care about the costs, tourists just roll on through, while ski resorts go broke all the time.


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