Wide boots for solid carving

I've got wide feet with pretty narrow heels, my feet look a bit like duck feet 🙂

They're about 11/10,7 cm wide over the forefoot and 25/25,5 cm for left/right, with really quite high arches. They're also kinda fuzzy, if shoes are even a little bit tight I'm soon in a lot of pain, so I'm one of those weirdos that walk around in vivo barefoot shoes, and those are still a bit narrow until I break them in...

This year I've bought home and tried the Vans infuse. Definitely worth a try! I didn't find them very stiff though... But the strap helped! It was a very comfortable boot. But I had to return them because my toes went really numb after about 30 minutes and were gone after 45.

Right now I've got the Burton Ion Wide with speed lacing at home and I'm trying them out by standing at my desk working (I did the same with the Vans Infuse).

My toes did go a little numb after wearing them for 2 or so hours, with my custom insoles to get a bit more volume and to get a bit lower in the boot in the heel. Didn't get nowhere near as numb as from the Infuse. I'm not super convinced about the liner in these, for me the heel pocket is great in the "normal" Ions and really locks me in, but it's wider in the wide model, so noticeable worse heel grip. Because of this I had to really tighten the inner lacing a lot. This in turn led to problems where the upper of the boot pressed into the top of my foot, leaving it visibly red after just having tried them in the store for 10 minutes or so. However, at home I undid the lowest lacing on the inner laces so that it starts by my shin. Now I can really cinch the inner lacing without discomfort to get good heel grip. I'm going to try them without any insoles at all tomorrow to see how that feels. It wasn't a huge difference when just sticking my foot into it after having removed it, but my feet were already a bit numb and sore from standing in them for 2 or so hours. I'm going to try to cant and lift the boots more when trying them tomorrow, and I'll try them without insoles. The liner itself has a pretty beefy sole so they're still very comfortable without insoles in them.

I will probably buy some adhesive foam j-bars to reduce the volume around my heel so I don't have to tighten the boots as much and hopefully that'll help with the toes going numb... 

I tried the Burton Photons in wide too, but they also had pretty terrible heel grip and something about the liner just didn't work with my ankle bones, I could feel uncomfortable pressure points immediately.

@superfelix

Different size feet (which is quite normal) but also same small size 25.0 and 25.5

Check.

Super wide toe area with narrow heels.

Check

High arches.

Check

We could be twins...at least our feet. I also have Ions with the "Asian fit", which seems to translate as wide. I am wondering if we could size up the shell to 25.5 or even 26.0 and get a super thick Intuition liner or even a thick ski boot liner? I would love to find a pair of boots that works for our "duck feet" with BOA.

One tip for dealing with tight boots for our wide feet is to open the Speed Zone laces entirely before you get on the lift...every run. I actual step out of my bindings as well and walk onto the lift. Of course, that means that you have redo the laces and then ratchet the bindings at the top of the lift each time. A serious pain in the neck. But my feet last the entire day. That is one reason why I switched to step-bindings.

Vans are probably the definition of small heel, big toe box.  But your feet are WIDE.

Posted by: @kagurasnowsurfer

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I am wondering if we could size up the shell to 25.5 or even 26.0 and get a super thick Intuition liner or even a thick ski boot liner?

My biggest foot is 254.2 x 94.3, but I have a very high instep so I tend to wear size 8 (mondo 260).  I'll only run the stock liner for 10-15 days though, and then swap to intuition.  I've got the HV Dreamliner in the Vans Verse.  I did not heat mold them, I just let them pack out. 

If you do need more room to start, or hope to fill in some bits, heat molding does help.  I previously had the Pro-Tour Intuition in Thraxis, which had a flexion point that worked well with the harness.  Unfortunately these are a softer liner though, I think I put about 75 days on them and they're done carving.  I'll use them to get a little surfy in the pow.

I've just got the Intuition race liner to go in an old pair of Ride Insano.  The insano doesn't have as much volume and I did get numbing feet when the liner packed out due to pressure on my instep.  The denser race liner certainly isn't as comfortable, but I'm hoping these will be a little more solid for carving. I demo'd the JJA C4 in my Vans when the dreamliner was new, but they've softened up.

The intution are expensive, but I've bought them all on sale at the end of the season for like $150, which is totally worth it.  I try to get my boots on sale as well.  These are expendable items that you're just going to burn through.  I only put about 30 days on the stock Insano, and hope to get A LOT more with the new liner.  I think they could make it to 100.  I don't think the Verse are going to last that long, but I'd love to be wrong.

Intuition has various models, read up and see what you want.  Their sizing according to the fingers you can fit in the shell has worked for me.  Note that I don't think you'll get a wrap liner in a regular boot (I couldn't).  Maybe something like the Ride Trident that already comes with a wrap?  But I don't think Ride are what you want.

Posted by: @kagurasnowsurfer

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I am wondering if we could size up the shell

I have already sized up to a mondo 26,5/US 8,5, this leaves my toes just barely touching on my slightly longer right foot when standing up, with knees bent in a more athletic position the foot glides back a few mm so then I get very high comfort length-wise... I'm not a person that ever can wear too small sizes, my feet would just fall off.

I did try the Photon wides in a US 9, but I felt like I was swimming in those in terms of size.. so I'm scared those would pack out and become way too big after a while. 

Unfortunately I have a very limited selection to choose from here in Stockholm Sweden, the last proper snowboard store went bankrupt 2 years ago. I have a Burton flagship store and a Vans store, and neither of them have competent boot fitters. Neither of the stores can even heat mold the shells... but at least they're across the street from each other 😀 

Then the alternative is to to to one of the big generic "sports" stores, but they don't have much of a selection either which is also problematic... But neither did the Vans or Burton stores..

Posted by: @kagurasnowsurfer

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I actual step out of my bindings as well and walk onto the lift.

Interesting tip! I did notice more comfort when I walked around at home, and it is unfortunate that my left foot is wider as I ride regular so unstrapping from the binding could actually be a good way to let the foot move a bit more! 

The saga continues. I went to about ten shops in Tokyo today.

Fortunately all those shops are within ten minutes walking distance. Unfortunately, most shops did not carry the Insano. The two that did only carried the boot from size 26.5 and up. I did try on a pair of Salomon Malamute, which were pretty wide and I must say were comfy. Anyone, have any experience with these Salomons  Malamutes?

Without insoles didn't work 🙁 I need the arch support because the boot squishes the top of my foot so I need help fighting that... It also didn't make the boots feel wider..  I put the insoles back in and timed a bit better and it took just 20 minutes for my toes to start to go numb, and after 45 they were quite numb... which doesn't feel promising

I did a shell fit (don't ask me why I didn't do it earlier, this is why a boot fitter is important I guess...) and regarding what Board Doctor said...  

Posted by: @board-doctor

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Some Burton wide don’t actually have a wider shell, they just have a thinner liner.

Yeah... The "wide" Ions definitely have the same shell as the regular Ions, but with a thinner liner. This means my left foot is actually making contact with the shell without the liner while having my foot floating in mid-air. No wonder my toes start going a bit numb with the liner in. I can also see the shell flexing when I stand in the boot

I'm open to any and all suggestions... I may try sizing up yet another half size on the regular Ions and expect the liner to pack out a bit...?

I'm quite reluctant to order something online for fear of having to pay a lot of shipping and return shipping if it doesn't fit... 

Posted by: @superfelix

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I'm open to any and all suggestions... I may try sizing up yet another half size on the regular Ions and expect the liner to pack out a bit...?

I'm quite reluctant to order something online for fear of having to pay a lot of shipping and return shipping if it doesn't fit... 

Have you tried the Salomon Malamutes? They felt more comfortable than a

lot of boots that I have tried in terms of width and instep.

Posted by: @kagurasnowsurfer

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Have you tried the Salomon Malamutes? They felt more comfortable than a

lot of boots that I have tried in terms of width and instep.

Nope. I did do a shell fit on the Photon Wides today when I returned the Ion Wides and they were noticeably more narrow than the Ions, maybe 1-2 mm. Needless to say I did not buy them to try at home. 

Salomon says the Malamutes are normal width so I'm not willing to chance it on ordering knowing I'll have to pay for the return shipping 😂  I may order the Salomon Dialogue Wide even though they are just a mid stiff boot, but at this point I just want to find something I can wear, beggars can't be choosers and all that. Apparently the Echo Wides aren't really wide according to reviews... But after googling and reading a thread from 2023 on snowboardingforum apparently the Dialogue Wide are just an E width and I think I need at least a 2E.

Did you do a shell fit in the Malamutes and/or Dialogue and Echo in wide so you can compare them in terms of width of the shell? I've come to realize that a shell fit is the first thing I should do to understand if there's any idea to try them at home. Because it takes a solid 40 minutes before my toes start going numb in a boot that is just a little bit too narrow, like the Ions.

But maybe we're a bit too early in the season...? I feel like the 24/25 stuff should be in stock already but ThirtyTwo's euro site has stuff "coming soon", Burton has product incoming "in a few weeks" (but no specific dates)... But on the other hand I've booked a demo trip for the first week of December so I need something by then because I don't want to demo stuff in rental boots so I can't wait too long... 

Posted by: @superfelix

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I've booked a demo trip for the first week of December

What's a demo trip?  That sounds interesting...

Posted by: @wild-cherry

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What's a demo trip?  That sounds interesting...

The company that owns like all the major ski resorts in Sweden have what they call “ski test weekends” in the beginning of each season on their resorts. The concept is that they entice a bunch of brands to come and everyone who’s got a ski pass for the weekend can demo anything from the brands by showing a QR code linked to your membership.

It’s pretty cheap too! I’m going with three friends and we’re paying about 250 USD per person for ski pass and lodging for three nights and three days on the slopes. 

Posted by: @superfelix

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Posted by: @kagurasnowsurfer

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Have you tried the Salomon Malamutes? They felt more comfortable than a

lot of boots that I have tried in terms of width and instep.

Salomon says the Malamutes are normal width so I'm not willing to chance it on ordering knowing I'll have to pay for the return shipping 😂  I may order the Salomon Dialogue Wide even though they are just a mid stiff boot, but at this point I just want to find something I can wear, beggars can't be choosers and all that. Apparently the Echo Wides aren't really wide according to reviews... But after googling and reading a thread from 2023 on snowboardingforum apparently the Dialogue Wide are just an E width and I think I need at least a 2E.

Did you do a shell fit in the Malamutes and/or Dialogue and Echo in wide so you can compare them in terms of width of the shell? I've come to realize that a shell fit is the first thing I should do to understand if there's any idea to try them at home. Because it takes a solid 40 minutes before my toes start going numb in a boot that is just a little bit too narrow, like the Ions.

I did not do a shell fit. I tried on the Malamutes because one shop that I went to recommended them when I said I need a wide boot but also a stiff boot. I understand your hesitation in ordering a boot without trying it on. I am of the same mind. I talked to one of the Tokyo shop guys and he said that 10 of the shops are in a kind of consortium, where they order together to save money on shipping. As a result they all have the same sizes. So, I need to find a shop outside that group and cross my fingers that they carry my size (or I should say our size). I really want to compare Driver X, Insano and Malamute in one shop. I am also at least a 2E. The most comfortable trainers I own are Hoka Bondi 2E and they are sweet. (The 4E are actually too wide...a first for me).

So I went to a couple shops and tried on some wide boots regardless of stiffness. One pair fit my feet so comfy that I thought I was wearing Ugg boots. I have never had a boot fit so well and rarely have I had shoes feel that good (maybe my 7EE Hoka Bondi's) The problem is that the Ride Lasso Pro Wides are definitely on the soft side. No luck finding Burton Driver X, Salomon Malamute BOA or Ride Insano in my size...yet. I am wondering if I will need to either size up a half size or get a thicker Intuition liner for the Driver or the Insano.

Welp, I just placed orders for 880 USD in total for the Dialogue Wide and Lasso Pro Wide from a Swedish and a German web store 🤷‍♂️ 

I’m not that scared about the boots being too soft, in that case I can just get a pair of boot stiffeners from Mr Cherry. What I am a bit scared about is not finding a good boot before my trip…

Here’s to hoping that Burton and ThirtyTwo Europe gets some new boots in stock soon if those two don’t fit. 

Posted by: @superfelix

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Welp, I just placed orders for 880 USD in total for the Dialogue Wide and Lasso Pro Wide from a Swedish and a German web store 🤷‍♂️ 

I’m not that scared about the boots being too soft, in that case I can just get a pair of boot stiffeners from Mr Cherry. What I am a bit scared about is not finding a good boot before my trip…

Here’s to hoping that Burton and ThirtyTwo Europe gets some new boots in stock soon if those two don’t fit. 

I am thinking along the same lines with trying to stiffen up those Lasso Pro Wides. Your feet will love the fit though. I think that boot is the first truly wide boot. I did try on the Dialogue Wides. They were definitely stiffer than the Lasso Pro Wides but they did not feel as comfortable. The Dialogue Wides felt wider than most boots. I would say that the Dialogue were E while the Lasso Pro Wides were EE or even EEE. So, the choice may come down to either stiffening the Lasso Pro Wides or playing around with liners to make a stiffer boot more comfortable.

So, I was finally able to get my feet into a pair of

Salomon Malamute Dual BOAS. I also tried on a

pair of Burton Driver X. IMHO, the Malamutes were wider

than the Burtons but the instep was more generous in the

the Driver X. I did a shell check with the Burton Driver X

and was able to get 1.5-2  fingers. (I was gonna do the Salomons

as well but the staff was not too happy about me pulling

out the liners, even though I put them back in). Still curious

about the Ride Insano but I have at least one BOA option

worth considering.