NSW Nordic Ski Club
Choosing and Fitting Telemark Boots: Choosing the Right Boot for You
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Reprinted with the kind permission of Dr Telemark at http://www.telemarktips.com
Ask yourself what kind of tele skiing you want to do. Are you looking for boots to drive lightweight skis with a lot of touring and relatively low angle turning? (Scarpa T-3 or Garmont Libero type). Are you going to be skiing resorts as well as backcountry and you are riding a short/moderate length but fat ski?(T-2 or Veloce class boot). Or maybe you like to ski at the resort a lot and your ride of choice happens to be some long and fat boards. Or perhaps your idea of backcountry fun is ripping 45 degree chutes, jump turning no fall zones all day and you want a lot of boot to help you ski at the max level, with weight considerations being secondary to performance (T-1 or Gara class). Or maybe you're a racer, if so you can skip this part altogether; you know what you need.
The above paragraph has some basic things to think about, but many people tour in heavy boots or rip chutes in light boots. Style and personal preference have a lot to do with class of boot selection. One mistake you do not want to make though, is to ask a light boot to drive a too heavy ski. Choose carefully here, those 200 cm Snow Rangers will overpower those T-3's and maybe even T-2's. Length of ski does matter, the T-2's would be fine on a shorter pair of 'Rangers. The light tele boots will give good turn performance with lighter, shorter skis but remember, the longer, fatter and heavier the skis the beefier the boot should be. If in doubt ask around, see what others are using who have the same or similar skis.
When it comes to selecting the make of boots (rather than the model) fit is the primary criteria. The Scarpa, Garmont and Crispi boots are all quality boots. The Scarpa and Garmont telemark boots have the advantage of numbers, a lot of tele skiers are on them and the track record is good. Crispi is a rising star in the tele-boot world and many people like their flex and thinner, almost non-rockered sole for what they claim to be better feel. The most important thing, though, is fit, fit, fit! Scarpas are said to fit "normal" feet best and Garmont boots have always been best for wider, high volume feet. I am told that this will be changing as Garmont has been modifying their boots to make them fit more like the Scarpa's. Anyway, once you decide on the class of boot that is best for you, try the different manufacturer's to see which fit the best.
Fitting Telemark Boots
Start by being aware that Scarpa boots run big. The sizes are made to the British standard so you try about, or a little more than, one full size smaller than your street shoe size. Getting the right shell size is more critical than ever with modern plastic boots. The fore-foot flexes at a predetermined point and no amount of break-in is going to change it. Having the bellows at the fight place is very important to avoid toe pinch.
To see if the shell size is in the ball park, remove the liner and insert your foot into the shell. Move your foot up until your toes just touch the front of the boot. If the shell size is about right, there should be approximately one and one half to two fingers width of space from the back of your heel to the back of the inside of the boot shell. At this point I recommend that you are an active participant in the fitting of your boots. Use your own hand to check the space, your fingers are proportionate to the rest of your body (at least somewhat) and it is your foot that is in the shell not the salesman's. Also, you will get a feel for the amount of space there. If you have two fingers width it should be a snug two fingers, not a "loose" two. Try to stand flat in the shell, sometimes this is hard to do while bending down to check the space but try to have your foot in as neutral position as possible.
A word about sales people. As the resident web tele-industry cynic, I have to warn you that you should be making the call as to fit. Some of the people working in the shops out there do know their stuff but even a good boot fitter is also a sales person. They may be trying to get you into the perfect fitting boot but they also may be trying to get you into a boot that they need to reduce stock of. I know it sounds harsh but it happens. Be prepared, proactive, and know your stuff when you go into the shop.
Back to fitting. Ok, you think you may have the right shell, now put the liners back in (you did check both boots right? Most of us have one foot that is larger than the other, in my case my left foot is a full half size larger than my right, I go two fingers on the right and the left ends up being one and a half! Consider starting the fit with the larger foot). Now put your skis on the floor (I forgot to tell you this... bring your skis with you to the shop) and get into your bindings. The boots will flex much differently in the bindings than they do without them. Drop into several different tele stances including a real low stance. How do they feel? If they are pinching your toes in the shop they will do it on the snow too, so try a bigger size. Too much slop? try a smaller size. Can't find a size that eliminates toe pinch but still holds your foot snug? try another brand or consider that you may have to go with the non-toe pinch boots and use custom footbeds or other adjustments to tighten up the fit.
If you are already using custom footbeds, by all means use them while fitting. If you anticipate using footbeds such as the Superfeet, then try the boots on with those in.
Wiggle your toes inside the boot with all the buckles tightened up. If you can't wiggle your toes freely you should try a larger size. Toes that are pinched tight in the boots will be cold toes on the snow, among other problems. When I say wiggle, that is exactly what I mean, just barely moving the toes is not wiggling.
Another thing I like to do is to simulate kicking steps. Find a padded or carpeted wall or spot that you can kick (sometimes shops have a high, carpet covered bench set up for boot fitting that works), do this with the boots snugged up like you would have them for hiking. That would be with the upper buckle and power strap loose and the lower buckle(s) snug to reduce foot movement. Give a few kicks and see if your foot slides forward in the boot much. If it does and your toes jam up hard against the toe box, you will be miserable kicking steps and downhill performance is probably not going to be too great either. Try a smaller size or different boot.
Many experienced alpine skiers will buy their boots really tight to start, anticipating a lot of "pack out" of the liner. Be careful here, my experience has been that telemark boots don't seem to pack out as much as alpine boots (I have no idea why). I fit my boots by using a single thin sock then switch to a thick sock later when the liners have "packed out" a bit and that is usually all I need to do. I have also used a simple, flat neoprene innersole like you use in running shoes, slipping it under the stock footbed to take up a bit more room. Don't buy boots that are uncomfortably tight in the shop and expect the "pack out" to make them more comfy... it might not happen.
Some will disagree, but I would err on the side of larger boots. Tight tele boots are not fun, your feet will always be cold due to constricted circulation, toe pinch can be more of a problem, and a host of other foot problems can occur if you spend a lot of time in them. This does not mean that I think you should get your boots so big that your feet are swimming in them, just that given the choice I think it is easier to find ways to take up a bit of room than it is to create more room in plastic boots. Remember, take your time in the shop fitting your boots. Modern telemark boots last a long while so a little extra time spent here only makes sense. Listen to the shop person's advice if you think they know what they are doing but prepare yourself and trust your own judgment as well.
Using Your New Boots
Many telemark boots have forward lean levers on the back of the boots. These should be released when walking, hiking or skinning. Not only are the boots more comfortable this way but it is easier on the boot too. Some of these mechanisms are a simple one position affair like on the T-2's while the T-1 and Gara both have two or three positions. Experiment with the setting to see how much forward lean you like when turning. I know a guy that leaves them up even while skiing down, he prefers the cuff to move. I don't recommend this but try the various settings if you have them.
Some boots have cant control settings allowing you to adjust the cuff to conform to either a bow legged or knock kneed skier's leg. These are located on the outer part of the cuff and should be adjusted if you think you might benefit from it. I discovered that I am a bit bowlegged when I noticed that the hair on my shin was more worn off on the outside than the inside where the cuff rubs! This method did not work for Laurie though (thank goodness). There is more information on this in the "Canting for Telemark.." article on the site.
When buckling up tele boots many of us like to start with the power strap. This holds everything together while you do the buckles, then you can come back and re-tighten the power strap.
Final Thoughts
There are many things that can be done with ski boots to make them fit better after you buy them but most of these things are outside the scope of this article (and my expertise), you will need an expert boot fitter to help here. Many telemark skiers have replaced the stock liner with Thermo-flex liners and swear by them for increased comfort as well as weight savings. I have a partner who has put them in his T-1's and they now weigh less than stock T-2's! These liners are available at a lot of alpine shops, often at low cost. I have always stayed with the stock Scarpa liner, arguably the finest ski boot liner made.
Choose, fit and use your boots wisely and you will be happy with this very important part of the telemark setup.
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