universole

So, Im blaming my boots..

in a few other treads ive discussed my injury.. to sum it up here: After being mis-diagnosed as a sprained ankle an MRI showed I bruised my talus. Doc said a little more force and i would have totally shattered it, I got lucky.

This is my third season on these Ride Anthems. I really loved them, but love is a battlefied. Over time they packed out more and more and I was constantly struggling with heal lift after the first season on them (around 15 days). J bars, custom footbeds, making them tighter and tighter. Almost gave up on them but then i got a new set of K2 Formulas (LOVE MY BINDINGS!) and they were so comfortable and so responsive. i could make them alot tighter than my previous bindings (ride EX)and the bidnings were actually compensating for my heel lift issues. feeling a bit more secure with the help of the bindings decided to suck it up and wait till the end of the season to shop for new boots.

Well it looks like this is the end of my season

I cant help but think if my boots were stiffer and fit properly I wouldnt have gotten this injury.

I went to my local REI. Im a member of the co-op and trust the staff there so i started there with my search. I learned that I have a very narrow feel. A Salomon fit was suggested and this echos what ive read here and elsewhere. Its the end of the season and they didnt have any in my size.

The tech suggested that i try a Van Aura Womens BOA. I tried a pair on (all black dont care if its a womens) and i was kinda shocked. i THINK the fit was great! my only problem with them was that if felt like there was some very minor pinching around my achiles tendon. like there were j-bars in them but a little too high, but my heel didnt move an millimeter and my toes had a little bit of room.

http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorge...0-de0ebcaf6b38

so my questions:

1: If dealing with a womens boot should I go as stiff as possile? Since designed for a women am i too heavy? Will my wieght and a stiff womens boot make it more of a hybrid? Are there other considerations in womens design that im not thinking about that will bite me in the ass later?

2: I feel like i want a boot thats super stiff this time, but i dont know if i feel that way because im a little gunshy because of the recent injury. I mostly charge on the east coast but play in the park occasionally. Will a stiff boot make that much of a difference for casual park riding?

3: If i feel like its a near perfect fit in the shop and in an athletic stance BEFORE heatmolding, should i heat mold? if i do heatmold and they pack out over time will custom insoles make them TOO tight?

4: I cant find the 2010 Anthems in a brick and mortar. Do fits change drastically through different generations of the same style of boot? I really did like my anthems and my theory is if i could get my hands on the same exact boot 1/2 size smaller i would be satisfied. Plus the new Anthems are BOA .. that might help?

When i finally do get back on my board Im gonna have enough of a mind fuck thinking about my injury and overcoming the caution with it, i dont want to have to worry about my equipment on top of that.

This was long, but thanks for reading..

ShredLife

if i were you, i'd start trying on as many different pairs of boots as possible... REI has a pretty slim selection - go to a snowboard shop with a bunch of different brands.

i would try and stick with a men's boot if you're a guy - you WILL find one that fits your foot. here's why -

women have lower calf muscles and women's boots are designed to fit that way.... that said, if you try on a bunch of other boots and those women's boots fit the best then rock em.

one thing to think about is nearly any boot you buy will be better if you replace the stock footbeds... this is also a way you might be able to get a more comfy fit

if they fit good i wouldn't heat mold em

if you only got 15 days out of the first pair then thats the last boot i'd buy again... good boots are good for 100 days easy

universole

in the boots defense, i think the fit was a little big to begin with for me. so heatmolded out of the store they were super comfy and min. heel lift. as they broke in tho they loosened up. 1/2 size smaller and they would have been great.... i think. that was my inexperience three years ago purchasing.

wrathfuldeity

work women's 32 focus boas due to small wide feet...they are stiff

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ShredLife

blaming your boots, defending your boots - make up your mind man!

that reminds me, i was also going to say that i probably wouldn't worry too much about the "minor achilles pinching" as the liners will pack out some as the boots break in... although no pinching is better...

i THINK i have a sort of skinny foot (32s, Salomons - at least men's - are too wide for me) and i have had great luck with Northwave boots...

as a little bit of a burton hater i was hesitant to even try on their boots, but the ruler fit my foot like a brand new skate shoe cushioning-wise so i had to get em. try on as many boots from as many different companies as you can

wolfbaden6

Haha you're all lucky you have skinny feet. I feel as if it's easier to find a narrower boot than a wide one.

universole

which northwaves do you suggest?

ShredLife

decades or legends

unsunken

Interesting... from my experience and from the comments I've seen, Northwave tends to run wider lol. Amazingly comfortable boots though.