Fittment Tricks
HEATING THE LINER
Rather than physically heating the liner the paradigm, that I have been promoting in clinics and newsletters for 30 years, is to heat the shell, for ALL ski boot fitting. In this way, the heat transfers from the shell into the liner to soften and enable all the liner materials to adapt to both the foot and the shell, and so that both the shell and the liner adapt to the feet rather than squeezing the liner and foot into cold and stiff, room temperature shells, forcing the feet to adapt to the shell and liner. Without this procedure, "nothing feels right, until you ski, maybe days later, and then it is often to late to change your mind."
THE HEATING PROCESS
For initial fitting, to mold the liner to both the feet and the shell, we heat the shells. The shells transfer the heat to and through the liners and eventually the feet. It is a very simple and quick process, that only needs to be done once.
Fitting the liners without heating, just takes longer, using body heat and dynamic activity, can take a few days of skiing. Initially this process may feel very tight and lumpy before settling down. This is also the familiar "break-in" processes for ALL ski boots.
In Zipfit this is due to the particular viscosity and density formulation of the molding composite, that is, firm and non compressible even at 70 degrees and even more slowly adaptable at skiing temperatures.
REPEAT THE HEAT
IDEALLY, After the INITIAL fitting process it is best to heat the shells once more so you begin skiing with warm shells and liners; with soft OneMinuteFit molding composite and shells the Zipfit will adapt perfectly to your own very personal anatomy and skiing dynamic. The liners will adapt to you this way within the first couple of runs, depending on how long the runs are. With Zipfit you can heat the shells and liners every day ... the way the world cup racers do ... in their Hot Gear Bag™.
This way, both the liners and the shells are "bone dry" and even the stiffest shells are very easy to put on. The Bag is another Zipfit invention that evolved 12 years ago with the growing proliferation of very stiff and difficult-to-put-on shells. Now the Hot Bag is considered to be an essential piece of every skier's equipment or you can simply continue struggling with status-quo fitting as always.
You can heat fit the shells (and Zipfit) every day for the best comfort and support. This also activates the constant dynamic molding process. You can also transfer the Zipfit liner to and from other shell models, Tele and AT boots; the shell and liner need to readapt to each other by repeating the re-heating. The foot molding is already established.
THE HEATING TOOLS
For initial fitting there's a special German LINER heating convection oven for doing this, which many shops have, and this is safest/easiestto use for heating the shells.
The temperature in kitchen ovens is not finite, and if (accidentally) set on to high, or on GRILL/BROIL will melt the shells (or liners) mercilessly. The alternative is BOILING WATER, such as the rice cooker, that many pro shops have been using now for 30 years. The boiling water is a quicker process and the temperature is finite, around 200 degrees.
Heating the liners on a heat stack is fine, but, it takes a long time for the hot air to penetrate the inner lining insulation materials and soften the composite. And the stacks of course do not heat the shells, which makes entry much easier, molds the outside of the liner and the shells, and slows the loss of heat needed to fully flow the OMFit. You do not NEED TO do this every day, I am encouraging this approach on a periodic basis, because it is essential to all (y3k) boot fitting, and will completely change any skiers experience.
TAKING THE STIFF COLD BOOTS OFF AFTER SKIING.
While holding down the back of the shell step the other foot forward and genuflect your knee down to the floor. This motion spreads the shells stiff flaps and lifts the heel painlessly and effortlessly out of the shell, effectively using the Zipfit as a shoe horn. Heat the shell and/or use a friend to help open a room temperature shell to insert the liner (and foot) back into the shell.
Always “hoist” the liner to seat the heel under the heel huggers every day.
Racers and other experts have been going in and out of their boots this way for decades ... because of the stiff shells. Now the best boot models all have stiff shells, especially after skiing, and getting out the old way can cut and badly bruise your instep skin and bones.
Many times skiers get stuck, painfully, half-way-in and half-way-out. But racers have also been doing this because pulling the feet out of the liners within the shell drags and deforms the lining materials and destroys them prematurely. Laces of course, which create an important ankle-bracing support effect, regardless of the variables in the shell closure systems and internal supportive shapes, are an integral part of support and leverage in today's boots. They make pulling the liner out of the stiff cold shell, and then slipping into the shell again much easier, without risking damage between the foot and the shells.
You can heat fit the shells every day for the best Zipfit fitting
POWER STRAPS
Originally I developed the power strap (40 years ago) to solve shin-bang and bruising, and discovered another significant supportive feature, that buckles only exacerbated. But, the power strap was considered "ugly" and it took tens years to make it market.
Firstly the power strap (on the liner) snugs the tongue back against the shins, to virtually eliminate the gapping problem between the shins and the back of the leg. This significantly increases overall ankle and flexing support before the buckles are closed and adjusted.
The power strap was first seen in production boots in 1982, when I suggested it to Koflach. They were called "cheaters" and even took time to be accepted. Then racers began using 2 and even 3 power straps (two for the liner and one for the shell cuff) to optimize the support and adjust the flexing action (as the boots became stiffer) and not to depend only on the buckles and harsh shell plastics. Then, we attached the shell-cuff power strap to the spoiler, which most designers thought was to eliminate the strap on the liner ... "One's enough" said marketing. Therefore, sometimes they worked and all too often shin-bang returned. Partly because the straps were applied over the top of the shell-cuff plastic ... where they are least adjustable and effective.
Both spoiler power-straps should be adjusted first, BEFORE the cuff buckles are closed, so that they are both under the shell-cuff plastic. Clearly each power strap serves two separate functions. The liner strap (and the laces) wrap the top of the liner around the shaft of the leg to follow the leg shaft continuously with independent support from the shell and cuff. On the Zipfit the laces can be tightened (or loosened) without undoing the power straps, and this pulls the liner away from the shell (for easier buckle adjustment.)
The lace loops end below the power strap, so that the strap, which is a more substantial and wider (webbing) support for the top of the tongue, is a separate adjustment system. The spoiler strap pulls the tongue and liner back in contact with the spoiler, so that you are using and flexing against the shell-cuff-spoiler behind the leg. In this way you can actually leave the buckles much looser and support against the more comfortable and almost elastic webbing of the straps.
Unfortunately, like learning how to put on and adjust boots, most skiers never learn how to use these power strap features, either because the fitters are too busy to explain, or worse, they simply do not know themselves. Skiers still believe that this external power strap is a convenience for carrying the boots over the shoulder, the way racers are seen on the podiums.
STORAGE
No different than any other liners. Perhaps a hang-over from the old Lange and Hanson "flo" days when this was a problem. However, the OMfit cork and ceramic composite and the proprietary retaining sacks compose a completely new system. The viscosity and density is such that it does not "flow" without applying pressure, such as from your feet.
Pushing the heels down into the liners when they are in the shells can be used, if the heel-hugging tends to "loosen," to press the molding compound into and re-prime the "heel-huggers", which, by design, expand sideways to grab and hold the heel-down. This, combined with tendency to drag the lining material down, can even feel like the heels are stopped and cannot be pushed all the way down.
THEREFORE, in this case, the liner needs to be "hoisted," as shown in the video, so you can push the heels down and under the heel huggers without interference from the sides by the shell plastics.REFITTING for EACH SEASON
Best practice is to reheat each season, because at the beginning of each season, after a summer of soft shoes, your feet are filled with fluids and not used to the boot support. It's the early season blues. By heating the shells again and inserting the liners to wear around, or better still just arranging to start the first day in HOT-shells, you will automatically and completely avert the commonly painful early season blacks and blues. Then you will be set for the rest of the season.