Which boots?

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Re: Which boots?

Post by Arnaud » Tuesday 17 January 2012, 9:34

Hi Markus

Head Stratos have the best liners and are very good for extremecarving after ... tuning. It's not so difficult to perform but takes time, and you need some tools.
UPZ works fine also, less tuning, but the liner is not so warm and comfortable as Head's one.

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mandrezak
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Re: Which boots?

Post by mandrezak » Friday 20 January 2012, 1:04

And would you rather go for the RC 8 or RC 10?

Thx

Markus

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Re: Which boots?

Post by mandrezak » Saturday 21 January 2012, 21:45

Ouch, I tried on a Deeluxe boot today in a shop and it was terrible. Heel lift is true and following that, of course, extreme pain around the sensitive area around the achilles tendon would come up after two days.
I had the same with a try old Burton hardboot. Can't remember the name, it was blue.
No way!

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Re: Which boots?

Post by Abrax » Saturday 21 January 2012, 23:01

I do have really slim feet. Being more precise, very "female feet" with slim heel etc. The same problem occurred while I've first tried my Deeluxe Indys with Full ThermoFit heel&tongue liners. The shop assistant did tell me that if they are not comfortable I have to mold the liners in their shop. But the shop was about 150km from my living place, so I've decided to make something with the liners on my own. But there was no pain at all from the far beginning !!!

I've searched a lot, asked here and there and finally I've written this -> viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6598

Which has finally lead me to quite comfortable boot with a liner which DOES NOT HAVE heel lift problem anymore!!! Quite comfortable because I didn't listen to a customer and I've bought half size too big boots.

I'm sorry I don't buy the story about the "extreme pain around the sensitive area around the achilles tendon " after few days -> I'm pretty sure that it is just a bad prophecy.

Basically when you BUY these boots, the shop stuff SHOULD mold your liners at the moment when you first try them! And as this SOLVES the heellift problems, talking about this as a reason of bad hardboots in general is a nonsense!

So Markus:
If you have experienced this "extreme pain" I'm sorry, someone did not do his/her job well and has given you fresh liners without telling you that they should have been molded before the first use!

If you didn't experience this pain, don't say that the Deeluxe is not a good boot! Thousands of people uses them, still ride old Raichle's (the same shell) and are generally satisfied and comfortable! The thermic molding is the key!
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Re: Which boots?

Post by Abrax » Saturday 21 January 2012, 23:12

One more thing to say here:

Head Stratos Pro tuned with Arnaud's ideas did prove to be a good EC boots,

Deeluxe/Raichle with my MOD, seems to be also good EC boots,

Arnaud is making a great job on UPZ's making them another quite nice EC brand but we both believe that a perfect EC boot is still not there.

As you know guru's still use old old Northwaves but it is a very rare boot which price has raised so much that it feels almost not real -> Did I see about 500 euro for a used pair some time ago?

So I'm truly looking forward to see what the time will bring us in one of the following winters :-)

Keep your carve on!
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Re: Which boots?

Post by mandrezak » Sunday 22 January 2012, 11:11

Hi Abrax,

I completely believe you. The thing is, I ave to live with the shops I have around :-/

Thx and all the best,

Markus

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Re: Which boots?

Post by Abrax » Sunday 22 January 2012, 11:42

Sure, but you own an oven don't you? ;)
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Re: Which boots?

Post by mandrezak » Sunday 22 January 2012, 18:21

Even I do ;) and I start working my way into the topic. Thanks for all the hints.
Still, I think it might be easier to fit a boot that fits better from the beginning?

Thx

Markus

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Re: Which boots?

Post by Tomba » Tuesday 24 January 2012, 12:37

mandrezak wrote:Still, I think it might be easier to fit a boot that fits better from the beginning?
Maybe, but you must know that any new termoliner is without any shape, and it can not be comfortable and can`t prevent heel lift until they are molded. Bad thing is, that you won`t know if they are good for you, until you buy and mold them.

Normal (non-therno) liners are shaped (to some standard foot form) in the beginning, you can see how they fit in the shop, but that is it. There is no way to change it if some pain starts after few hours on the snow...

My vote also goes for the deeluxe/thermo with abrax modification. (I speak about comfort, because I am not advanced EC rider...)

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Re: Which boots?

Post by keepTheSport » Thursday 23 February 2012, 11:29

This has been a very interesting thread but I am now totally confused as to what hard boots to buy: Deeluxe, UPz R8 or R10, Head Stratos :? I do like the red colour of the Deeluxe and I don't I mind the bright green I think on UPZ :)

Does anyone know of any UK retailers (preferably Scotland) where I can try on some boots. Maybe I'm just rubbish at searching but I'm not having much luck. I have emailed Blue Tomato for some help, explaining that I don't want to buy boots before trying them on. I am keen to get the boots and bindings/plates by the end of this Summer, so that I can look forward to meeting the 'almighty ECers' in 2013, where i can also purchase a board.

One other thing, I know that soft and hard boots can be used on the Dual but I definitely want hard boots although I haven't made up my mind whether to buy a Dual or Gen board-does that matter with regard to my hard boots?

Any further help is appreciated :)
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Re: Which boots?

Post by benttech » Thursday 23 February 2012, 12:16

Welcome to the reality of buying hardboots... it might be impossible for you to the try them on before buying. All of the boots I bought were a shot in the dark.

You have to measure your foot in centimeters and then decided what mondopoint (MP) boot to buy. But it's never that simple. For example, both my right and left foot, when standing tall with knees slightly bent, measure 29.3cm. With footbeds, my feet measure 29.1 (but my footbed is about .4cm tall, so I have to factor that in).

But every boot shell, whether model or manufacturer, is slightly different. For example, the boots that fit me the best were 29.5 Head Stratos Pros, 29.0 Raichles but 30.0 Burton Winds.

My recommendation, go on ebay.de and buy (seriously) two or three used old pairs of boots in slightly different sizes and models, you could even pick up a pair with Thermoflex liners and intec heels. Itll cost you about 200euros or so I guess, but still, you'll be able to find exactly what works for you, and sell the remaining boots for the same price you bought them :) Instead of blowing 400euros on brand new boots that might not fit you...

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Re: Which boots?

Post by redhead » Thursday 23 February 2012, 13:12

Book a trip on thursday/friday from Edinburgh to Krakow in Poland (easyjet 60£, ryanair 90£) in March.
Take a taxi to shop (10eur).
Buy boots http://wsm24.pl/c/6148/twarde-buty-snow.html
and spend rest of a weekend in very nice city and get wasted with Tyskie :D
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Re: Which boots?

Post by keepTheSport » Thursday 23 February 2012, 16:33

Benttech, I see this is a frequently visited dilemma then :o I shall try Ebay and this site too for second hand stuff. Thanks for advice on measuring feet. Can't find the measuring tape :roll:

Redhead, another good idea, except bit about getting 'wasted' :lol2: I'm past all that drinking lark(in my middle age!) and have instead become a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. Still visiting the shop ain't a bad idea :)

Thanks!
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Re: Which boots?

Post by Abrax » Thursday 23 February 2012, 22:47

redhead wrote:and spend rest of a weekend in very nice city and get wasted with Tyskie
Call us before and you won't remember this evening ;) Oh come on! Just one beer!!!

In CK brewery they sell 1 beer for more or less 12 euro. The trick is that it is served in a tube and it's volume is 5ltrs!!!

So we usually don't drink more than one beer here :angel:

Check it here -> http://www.ckbrowar.krakow.pl/mini_browar_en.html
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Re: Which boots?

Post by Willow 15 » Friday 24 February 2012, 20:50

keepTheSport wrote:Benttech, I see this is a frequently visited dilemma then :o I shall try Ebay and this site too for second hand stuff. Thanks for advice on measuring feet. Can't find the measuring tape :roll:

Redhead, another good idea, except bit about getting 'wasted' :lol2: I'm past all that drinking lark(in my middle age!) and have instead become a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. Still visiting the shop ain't a bad idea :)

Thanks!
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