WINTER LIFESTYLE: Solve Your Ski Boot Problems Once and For All
By Cindy Kleh / Photos by Carter Photographics
 You love skiing, but the foot pain has become almost unbearable. You’ve bought the latest, greatest boots on the market, and you still can’t endure a full day on the slopes.
Or, your chances to ski are limited. You splurge on ski vacations to your favoritemountain resorts once or twice a year. You pay for airfare, hotel, ski rentals, lift tickets and lessons, only to endure foot pain throughout most of your precious slope time.
Do you buy new boots? Get some generic orthotics at a sports store? Go tubing or snowmobiling instead? Not so fast. Winter Park is home to one of the premier boot fitters in the world – Jacques Thomas of Le Feet Lab.
Le Feet Lab can work on your existing ski boots, but often the best option is to start with new boots. “95 percent of my ski boot customers have oversized boots,” says Thomas, who has almost three decades of international experience in ski racing, coaching and boot fitting. “Big boots will never be comfortable, so don’t spend a lot of time and  money trying to make them work.”
Thomas suggests a snug fit for ski boots and thin liner socks instead of thick ones. “A good fit that relieves pressure points will improve circulation and keep your feet warmer.”
Beginners often underestimate themselves thinking they don’t need to have perfect-fitting boots with custom orthotics. Thomas claims that ski boots and foot support should be the highest priority compared to the rest of the ski equipment.
Le Feet Lab offers free consultation and advice, and only sells ZipFit boot liners and Dalbello boots, because their three-piece shell is infinitely adjustable to all of the possible different shapes of feet. “Dalbello boots lock the heel back into the heel pocket, and this reduces movement in the ankle,” asserts Thomas.
The first step usually calls for a good orthotic that can transfer all of the weight and impact from the body more evenly onto the foot and can support the arches, giving them back their natural “spring.” The result is improved comfort andperformance.
Thomas claims that most people with flat feet (planus or pronation) lose up to a full shoe size when the proper arch support is applied. “It only takes 20 minutes and you can walk out of here a better skier.”
“I wasted money and time and endured too may ill-fitted boots. Your boots are the best  investment anyone could make towards this sport.”
– Satisfied Customer, Ed Ferber, Denver, Colorado
“Skithotics” are full-length and more rigid, while those made for telemark and snowboarding boots are three-quarters length and can be used to correct your body posture every day in work shoes or other sport shoes as well.
“I love what I do,” says Thomas, “because people I’ve helped come back from skiing and tell me it was the best day they ever skied. They say they never knew that boots could make such a difference, and that they should’ve done this 20 years ago. It’s very rewarding!”
Follow the links below for more articles within the Winter Lifestyle section.
READ MORE STORIES FROM THE WINTER LIFESTYLE SECTION:
• Mushing Through The Slush: Grand County Mushers
• Bob Holme: From Olympic Nordic Jumper to Terrain Park Guru
• Solve Your Ski Boot Problems Once and For All: One of the premier boot fitters in the world
• Sports & Wellness: All About Concussions & Kids and Sports
• Grand Lake Touring Center: In the Shadow of Rocky Mountain National Park
• 2009 Feature Articles |
