Ski Boot Fitting - Process and Shops Near Westchester County, NY?

February 11, 2013 6:09 PM

I'm looking for a good ski boot fitter no more than three hours away from northern Westchester County, NY. Do you know of any? How about any other tips concerning boot fitting?

The last time I bought boots was from an amazing fitter up at Killington, but that's too far for me these days. This was almost ten years ago and I'm sure things have changed in the industry/process since then.

Difficulty: No (zero, zilch, nada) arches; extremely wide toe box; wide ankles; low, muscular calves and severely knock-kneed on left side.

I'm a professional ski instructor and spend about 100 days on snow each season. I will be looking for a performance (not race) boot and fit. I'll certainly need custom insoles, and almost definitely need shell work and canting plates under at least the left sole.

Are there specific certifications I should be looking for (e.g., pedorthist?)

Last time the fitting was included in the price of the boots, and came with a lifetime adjustment guarantee. Is it fair to assume that most reputable shops operate the same way?

So, people, who are your superstar fitters, and what should I expect from the process in 2013?

posted by Opposite George to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (9 answers total)

Best answer: Hunter mtn ski shop is at the outer range of your travel time at 2.5hrs outside new york, but the are AWESOME. They do multiple sessions of adjustments if necessary free of charge(obviously easier to arrange if you ski there regularly). Costs are most affordable around their Columbus day sales, when they turn over stock.... $250 for top of the line, custom fitted boots, yes please.


Otherwise Princeton ski shop is OK, but nowhere near as good as Irwin at Hunter Mtn.
posted by larthegreat at 6:44 PM on February 11, 2013

Best answer: I don't have any specific advice on who is a good bootfitter in that area, but have you considered asking local racing clubs? When I coached last we had a list people we used for our athletes. In terms of orthopedics, it might be worth considering getting them down by a chiropractor, pedorthist or other foot professional, and then getting them made to your boot along side with working with a boot fitter. My last chiropractor made a set of orthopedics that fit in my boots for my over pronating feet and the fitter I was working with was happy to use my existing insoles. Bonus was I also got a pair for my shoes, and had it covered by benefits as well. Good luck!
posted by snowysoul at 7:11 PM on February 11, 2013

Best answer: One of the bootfitters at the Mount Snow ski shop (the one owned by the mountain, I forget what it's called...the Backside?) is the best on the east coast. He was amazing. I'll see if I can find his card to give you the name. A bit far however, but closer than Killington. He worked wonders with my boots.
posted by Grandysaur at 9:56 PM on February 11, 2013

Best answer: You should definitely ask in the Epic Ski Forums and you will get lots of good recommendations.
posted by mmascolino at 5:44 AM on February 12, 2013

Best answer: I highly recommend Keith at The Pro Ski and Ride in Hunter, NY. In addition to all of the various adjustments to the boots, he can also make custom orthotics.
posted by andrewraff at 11:00 AM on February 12, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for your great tips, everybody! I'll make some phone calls tomorrow.
posted by Opposite George at 7:36 PM on February 13, 2013

Response by poster: Update: I just talked to Keith Holmquist at The Pro in Hunter and was very impressed with his rap. He's also been recommended by other instructors I know, so barring a new amazing recommendation coming in, I'm going to give him a try. I've set up an appointment for two weeks from today, and will report back on how that went.
posted by Opposite George at 6:12 AM on February 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Okay, final update: I visited Keith at The Pro Ski and Ride this past Thursday. I could not have asked for a better experience. Not only are his boots priced at a discount from list price, but the price includes all basic fitting services. Instructors: He also offers further discounts for qualified active PSIA members. And -- get this -- after looking at my 12-year-old orthotics he said "these look fine; you can just keep using them." So that's an approximately $225 sale he gave up, when he could have told me that I needed new insoles and I wouldn't have been the wiser. He definitely belongs to the school of "there is no need to throw extra money at a problem unless it's absolutely required," and is therefore a man after this cheap bastard's heart.

Anyway, after looking at my feet and getting a quick history, he brought out several pairs of boots for me to try. I settled on a pair and the tweaking process began. Everything was done in the shop while I waited, and the boots were ready for me to take home by the end of the session.

Oh, and that money I saved from not buying insoles ended up getting spent on a pair of clearance Telemark boots. That fitting took another hour or so.

Total time spent: About 4.5 hours for two pairs of boots, including selection, fitting, and tweaking. Money spent: Less than I was expecting just for a single pair of boots. Fit: I've been in them about 16 hours so far and it seems like they will need, at most, only the smallest of tweaks (he's told me to come back for any necessary adjustments.) They already fit better than my previous pair.

Bottom line: I'd go back in a heartbeat, and will gladly recommend to anybody looking for a good fitter not too far from NYC.
posted by Opposite George at 7:28 PM on March 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

AWESOME!

That basically fits with my experience with service at Hunter Mtn. I'm glad I wasn't too biased. :)

I've also gone back a year or two later and had liners remolded and tweaked for no charge. (although I generally end up buying something because I feel guilty)
posted by larthegreat at 7:38 AM on March 4, 2013