How to Properly Size an Adult Ski Boot

In this Instructable I will teach you how to properly size an adult ski boot. Why would you want to do this? Easy, most of the time when I go to a ski shop or a ski swap most of the people are either clueless about sizing boots or they're too busy. By knowing how to size your own boot you can save yourself time, and in some instances money. Overall this instructable should take no more than five minutes and is extremely easy to learn to do. To complete this sizing all you will need is your foot, a sock, and a ski boot. Possible risks include: getting your foot stuck in the boot, pain while buckling the boot, and slipping while walking in the boot.

Step 1: Materials

1) A foot

-to obtain a foot ask a friend or use your own :)

2) A ski boot (with the liner shell and insole)

-to obtain a ski boot go to your local ski shop and try them on, another great place to try them on is goodwill or a secondhand store.

3) Ski/Snowboard/Hiking Sock

-to obtain a sock you can either buy at your local ski store, or order one from Amazon. A great company I use is FoxRiver

https://www.foxsox.com

Step 2: Tools

All the tools you need are your hands

Step 3: Take the Boot Apart

In this step you must take the liner of the boot out of the shell, to do this simply pull it out. Be sure to have all the buckles undone.

Step 4: See If the Boot Is an Approximate Fit

In this step you take the liner of the boot and proceed to try it on. If the liner is already crunching up your toes it is too small.

Step 5: See If Your Foot Fits the Footbed

Inside the liner is a footbed. Take this out and put you foot on it as pictured. Then see how much space you have from the front of your big toe to the end of the footbed. For a perfect fit there should be one pinkie finger of room.

Step 6: Try the Shell On

Next we have the most complicated step. Take the shell of the boot with the liner removed and put your foot in. Put your big toe at the front of the boot, so that it is just touching the shell. Next move your shin forward until it touches the shell. From there take your index and middle fingers and put them in between the back of your leg and the shell. If it is just enough room for your fingers it is a perfect fit.

Step 7: Put It All Together

After completing all these steps you must then put the boot completely back together. Once it is back in one piece put your foot with the sock on into the boot. Buckle up the boot nice and tight. Flex in the boot and see if it is comfortable.

Step 8: Make Sure the Boot Fits

Put simply, trying on the boot will give you a good sense of it the boot fits. Here a quick checklist to go through to determine if the boot fits or not.

1) Can you move your foot side to side?

-If yes it it too big.

2) Flex the boot, if you toe touches the front of the boot when you flex it the boot is too small.

3) Walk around in the boot, if your heel slips then either tighten the boot or go down a size.

By doing these quick final steps you can determine if the boot fits well or not.

Step 9: Buy the Boot and Hit the Slopes

After completing all these steps you have successfully sized your boot. For even more customization with the boots look to see if your liners are heat moldable. If they are, you can mold your liners to specifically fit your foot. If your boot doesn't have this option go the cheaper route and get custom molded footbeds. If a vacuum fit and max performance is what you want then look for a boot with a heat moldable liner. As a quick note, all boots are different but by using this method you can find a boot that fits your foot. Any questions or comments please drop them in the comments section.