Custom-made ski boots: understanding boot fitting

We reveal the secret to skiing without sore feet... Don't believe it? But it is possible!

It's a familiar scene: you set off with a smile on your face for a beautiful, sunny day of skiing; then, after just a few runs, the foot pain sets in. Pressure, rubbing, blisters, black toenails, ingrown toenails, moisture, cold: ski boots can become a particularly uncomfortable place of torture. The reason is simple: standard ski boots cannot suit everyone, as each foot is unique. Volume, width, arch, heel, instep height... all these unique characteristics directly influence your comfort and performance.

The good news? There is a solution, developed at Sidas, that combines our historical expertise with our capacity for innovation: boot fitting, and more specifically, the fit protocol.

Discover how this method can transform your standard ski boots into custom-made ski boots. This optimises your comfort and performance.

"We reveal the secret to skiing without sore feet... "

WHAT IS A CUSTOM-MADE SKI BOOT?

Contrary to what you might imagine, a custom-made ski boot is not a unique model, made from an individual mould for each enthusiast. No! Customisation is based on the complete personalisation of an existing standard model. This is achieved through technical adjustments that allow the boot to be 100% adapted to the specific characteristics of your foot.

The aim is to eliminate foot pain, maximise precision and optimise power transmission, as if the boot had been created just for you.

This method, which increases comfort and performance, is called boot fitting. It is an art that requires passion and meticulousness, an almost artisanal craft, mastered by a few skilled bootfitters trained by the Sidas Academy.

‘Customisation is based on the complete personalisation of an existing standard model.’

CLASSIC SKI BOOTS VS CUSTOMISED BOOTS: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?

Custom-made ski boots are standard ski boots that have been modified by a bootfitter to fit the unique characteristics of your feet.

The differences are therefore the result of the modifications made during bootfitting.

They relate to:

• Interior volume: generic for standard boots; adjusted to your foot for custom-made boots.
• Comfort: uneven, with pressure points; versus long-lasting, with good weight distribution.
• Energy transfer: imprecise; versus perfectly optimised, with no loss and very responsive.
• Stability: variable; versus completely balanced.
• Fatigue: rapid, linked to muscle compensation; versus reduced by maintaining an appropriate posture.

‘Custom-made ski boots are standard ski boots that have been modified by a boot fitter to fit the unique characteristics of your feet.’

WHY CHOOSE CUSTOM-MADE SKI BOOTS?

What are the objectives of boot fitting? Here are the benefits of the fit protocol carried out by our Sidas experts:

1. Custom-made ski boots eliminate foot pain.

With boot fitting, you can say goodbye to pressure points, overheating, rubbing, blisters and black toenails. Customising your boots is also a way to reduce cold and moisture inside them.

2. Custom-made ski boots improve performance.

In addition to increasing your comfort, boot fitting also optimises your performance.

This is thanks to greater finesse in your footing, better energy transmission and reduced muscle fatigue. Skiers – whether on the slopes or freeriding – are therefore more precise, more powerful and can ski for longer!

With customised boots, you have every chance of regaining your confidence on skis, if you feel you have lost it.

However, don't wait until winter and the first snowflakes to contact our bootfitters. Being proactive and having a fit protocol carried out before your trip to the mountains ensures that you will:

• Avoiding foot pain during the first few days when you start skiing again
• Having time to make a second adjustment if necessary
• Breaking in your boots before your long-awaited week's holiday
• Avoiding queues in the shops at the resort
• Setting off confident, prepared and well-equipped

‘Don't wait until winter and the first snowflakes to visit our boot fitters. Be prepared and have a fit protocol carried out before your trip to the mountains!’

HOW DOES BOOT FITTING WORK?

Boot fitting is an art. The art of saying goodbye to foot pain. It is a skill that requires logic and meticulousness, as it is based on a precise process, the fit protocol, developed and taught by the Sidas Academy.

Here are the different steps involved in our method of designing custom-made ski boots:

1. A complete analysis of your foot.

The bootfitter observes, measures and uses a digital platform that allows them to detect all the subtleties of your foot. This gives them the exact dimensions (length, width and volume), characterises your arch, your support and your mobility, and detects any sensitive areas (malleoli, hallux valgus, black toenails, friction).

2. Choosing the right boot.

Based on this initial analysis, the boot fitter selects boots that best match the information gathered about your foot, particularly in terms of boot volume. They cross-reference this information with other key factors such as your level, your skiing style, your overall body type and your goals (performance, comfort).

3. Choosing the right sock.

Often overlooked, socks are not just an accessory: they are a fundamental tool because they are in direct contact with your skin.

Our bootfitters always recommend technical ski socks that are thin and lightweight, dispelling the myth that warm socks must be thick socks!

4. Choosing the right insole.

Comfort and performance are the result of a three-part combination that includes the boot, the sock and, finally, the insole. Acting as an interface between your foot and the ski, the insole ensures: greater stability, resulting in a more balanced posture; better distribution of pressure zones, thanks to a more even weight distribution; superior support, to limit muscle fatigue.

There are two types of ski insoles: our 3Feet insoles, as a first step towards customisation; and our Custom insoles, for a 100% personalised solution.

5. Working on the boot.

It is precisely during this stage that the bootfitter demonstrates their craftsmanship by activating two levers to achieve a customised fit:

• First, the liner is customised using thermoforming (the liner is heated and then moulded to the shape of the foot, which is ideal for eliminating pain and pressure points) or injection (foam is injected around the foot to fill in the gaps, which is generally reserved for skiers seeking performance, precision and power).
• Then, the plastic shell is reshaped, which is considered the final touch in creating a perfectly custom-made boot. This final adjustment removes any remaining pressure points with remarkable effectiveness.

"Often overlooked, ski socks are not just a simple accessory: they are a fundamental tool because they are in direct contact with your skin. "

WHO ARE CUSTOM-MADE SKI BOOTS FOR?

Let's dispel another misconception: no, custom-made ski boots are not just for expert skiers and the elite of the discipline, whether in alpine or freeride skiing!

Boot fitting is for:

• Beginners who want to start skiing without pain
• Intermediate skiers who want to improve while having fun
• Experts looking for performance
• People with complex feet (with deformities, atypical widths and volumes, or medical history)

In short, if your feet hurt, boot fitting is for you!

‘No, custom-made ski boots are not just for expert skiers and the elite of the discipline, whether in alpine or freeride skiing!’

WHERE CAN YOU GET BOOTFITTING?

Bootfitting must be carried out by certified bootfitters who have mastered this complex technique. Every year, the Sidas Academy trains hundreds of professionals in the fit protocol, ensuring a high and consistent level of expertise.

To find a specialist shop near you where you can have your custom-made ski boots designed, visit our Store Locator.

THEY TRIED CUSTOM-MADE SKI BOOTS: 4 CUSTOMER REVIEWS

These skiers have had their boots fitted. They give us their feedback and tell us about the before and after:

Camille, 34, regular skier: ‘For years, I thought it was “normal” to have pain in my malleoli after a few runs. I was resigned to it.’

"For years, I thought it was “normal” to have pain in my ankles after a few runs. I had resigned myself to the fact that skiing is a sport that hurts. When I visited a Sidas boot fitter, I discovered that my feet were wider than average at the front... and very narrow at the heel!

He was able to adapt my ski boots: custom insoles, thermoforming of the liner and slight deformation of the shell. The result: no more pain. I rediscovered the pleasure of skiing all day long.

"I always chose boots that were too big because I was afraid of pain. The boot fitter explained that this was a common mistake and suggested a model suited to my foot size. At first, I found it hard to believe that a “tighter” boot would be more comfortable. Once the insoles and liners were thermoformed, there was no more rubbing or overheating, and my skis finally responded the way I wanted them to. I feel much more confident.‘

Sarah, 41, recreational skier: ’I was thinking of giving up skiing... boot fitting changed my mind!"

"After two very painful seasons, I had almost decided to give up skiing. My feet burned from the very first run, and I ended up spending more time waiting for my family and friends in the restaurant than on the slopes... A friend advised me to try Sidas boot fitting.

The analysis showed that I had a high arch, which collapsed when I skied. They made me custom insoles and adjusted the liner. The difference was immediate: no more burning, no more tension, just pure enjoyment. I feel alive again.‘

Julien, 52, committed skier: ’Incredible precision thanks to the injected liner."

"I ski a lot, especially off-piste and freeride skiing, and I was looking to improve my precision. My bootfitter suggested an injected liner to eliminate all the gaps between my foot and the shell. The support is now exceptional, with no pressure points. The transmission is direct, and I can finally feel my footing smoothly. It's as if my skis have become an extension of myself. I feel more confident. In terms of performance, it's incomparable."