People sometimes say I’m nuts. This might be proof. Tired of guessing about how much “volume” ski boots have, or how suitable the fit is for a given type of foot? WildSnow intends to answer those questions once and for all. I spent some time last week figuring out a way of “casting” the interior of a ski boot, so I can basically make a copy of the boot last. The process uses all hardware store and grocery store materials (injection foam insulation), and results in an accurate mold. I’ll be charting this stuff over the next few weeks, and I’ll start a page just for the data. Any suggestions on what measurements you guys would like to have at your fingertips? I’m thinking things like width at ball of foot, height of built-in arch, height at instep and so forth.
Dynafit ZZero at the casting call, some Scarpa casts to right.
We’ve got access to many brands and boot models. Challenge is normalizing size so comparison is meaningful. Since my size tends to be a 28 we’re sticking with that for most, but we’ll drop one shell size down on occasion. In our charts, we’ll make clear what sole length and mondo size the boot is.
You can also measure boot interiors using a molded thermoform liner, but doing so means making sure the liner fills all the voids and so forth. Plus our WildSnow method results in a cast we can store and refer back to when necessary.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
