No, this isn’t a post about foot fetishes.
This is rant number two on the importance of good boot fitting. With the arrival of winter in Vermont, I headed back to my favourite ski shop: Totem Pole. In the past, getting fitted was a dreaded event. Squeezing into a stiff, unforgiving shell is simply no fun. Enter Torin Tofferi and his team, the boot fitters that make it all okay.
As an ABC trained pedorthist, Torin spends his days marking, stretching and grinding. An astonishing variety of tools come in to play, though most surprising to me was the use of garishly colored lipstick. In Torin’s words: “The trashier, the better.” The bright cosmetic is applied to “hot spots”, where the client may be feeling some pressure or discomfort. The fitter then asks the client to press their foot up against the plastic inside the boot to identify areas that require grinding down or a “punch”.
Boot Punch [bo͞ot pən(t)SH]
noun
1 An area of the ski boot shell that is stretched to better accommodate the foot
Using a heat gun and a specialized press, more room can be created in the boot for those areas of the feet that are a little wider. Torin and his team also use a variety of grinding tools as an alternate method of creating space.
Foot beds have to be one of the most important parts of boot fitting. Molding them directly to the rider’s foot, they are the ultimate in comfort. This is a customization that applies to both skiers and snowboarders.
More work than I can even begin to describe goes into the proper fitting of a boot, but when it all comes together the results are nothing short of amazing. My new Head Raptors are on their way to perfection; I’ll be tearing down the mountain in them soon enough, keeping you posted on their performance.
A huge thanks to the Totem Pole team for letting me into their inner sanctum. You guys rock.
Winter is coming,