A: The life span of a Zipfit depends considerably on how it has been handled. Numerous north-south hemisphere instructors have reported 800 to 1000 days and wearing out as many as 4 pairs of shells. When you do change to new shells you only need to repeat the initial shell heating process ... and changing to another model is not a problem. The Zipfit is already adapted to your foot and only needs to readapt to the new shell's last.

Other factors are the anatomical and functional compatibility of your foot to the shell model's internal last shape. With 200 days in your pocket (without problems?) it is a good sign that you have already taken care of such things as selecting the correct shell size.

Are you familiar with Hot Gear Bag ??

Using this to warm up both the shells and liners, is originally designed for the ZIPFIT liners and shells, to make even the stiffest shell models to put on every morning ... See this quick video showing how easy it is to slip into a hot Head raptor 150, or any 150, without touching the shell ... all of which at room temperature are otherwise a very real struggle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr_pTdTk92I

If the fitting begins to become looser with ongoing years it is very easy to Spotfit Inject very precise quantities of more (OMFIT) molding composite exactly where needed, tongue, ankles etc., using the new Zipfit mini-kit system. Or if needed when the fitting is too tight the OMFit can be easily extracted.

If you have any other questions please write again.

Best regards and happy skiing soon, Sven

A:Thank you for your email. Sounds like you are getting ready with the smell of snow in the air. I heard that they are skiing around Bridger Bowl ... Loveland is open. If the fitting is feeling lumpy or displaced ... everything can be brought back to normal again by simply repeating the "initial fitting procedure."

A: The best way to do this is to heat the shell to about 200 F degrees ... such as in a pot of boiling water ... www.zipfit.com/howtosipfitsteps.html or the video ... www.zipfit.com/howtozipfit.html

1. You only need less than 2 inches of water in the pot, so that the boiling steam rises into the shell to penetrate and soften the plastics.
2. This way the water comes to a boil more efficiently.
3. You only need to steam the shells for one minute.
4. A folded towel over the top will contain the steam and raise the temperature
   ... an important consideration if you are over 5-6,000 feet.
5. Use gloves to protect your hands from the hot shell and buckles.
   Wipe out the water inside of the shell with a thin (paper) towel.
6. When hot you should be able to step into the shell with the liner ...without even touching it ... see youtube Zipfit raptor. This shows hands-off stepping into a boiled Head Raptor 150 race shell, the stiffest shell very difficult to put-on at room temp.
7. The shell heat transfers into the Zipfit, softens the molding materials so that they can remold easily to your feet. In a few minutes you will feel the heat penetrate thorough to your feet.

You may also consider "hoisting" the back of the liner ...

This enables you to press the heel deep into the heel pocket as you lift the back. It also helps to raise the toes of the shell on something like a 2 x 4 ... this way you use gravity to assist your leverage and flex more easily ...
In the web site videos you can see the special tilted fitting and flexing podium.

You can heat as many times as you wish and preferably again just before you go skiing so that you can apply your personal skiing dynamic, the second part of the initial ZIP fitting process.

Your personal skiing dynamic and anatomical features are significant and require, we have found, a noticeably different supportive definition than thatderived from standing and fitting on a flat floor.

Also have a look at the Hot Gear Bag, I developed this bag specifically to make putting-on stiff, cold, damp room-temperature boots every morning as easy as putting on slippers. The world cup racers, and everyone else, love the bag because the boots also stay noticeably warm and comfortable while skiing.

Note also that if you feel you need some additional molding composite in the liners the SPOTFIT injection system can inject a precise amount exactly where needed. If there is too much molding composite the excess can be extracted ... and the initial fitting process repeated once more. All of this can be done by Steve Bagley and his crew at Superior Ski inside Breeze off the Snowbird Tram Square.

Injecting the ankle area ......Injecting the tongue .......and Extracting excess composite

We are currently resurrecting the web site ... with plans to insert some new video and more detailed instructions on boot fitting, adjustments, etc.

I hope this answers your questions. Please write if you have any questions.

Best regards and Happy Skiing (soon,)

Sven

A: Good and important question.
The tongue windows have been an integral feature for several years now. For a while there was the small "flex-slot" and the larger window, and then two years ago I eliminated the "flex-slot" - because -

1. In the low instep boots the plastic bridge would get caught and fold, and not offer enough protection and now -
2. the molding composite is retained better in front of the ankle joint and the sometimes all too sensitive anterior tibial tendon binding-up with the plastic radii of the shell overlaps, and lower cuff strap or plastic tongues (of 3 piece shells) which is excessive in some boot models and some foot-leg morphologies
3. eliminating the stitching on the lower sides also eliminates the classical problem of hard tongue ridges over the sensitive metatarsal bones. Now it's important, if injecting more molding composite into the tongue, that the injection tube goes into the correct side of the sleeve ... because there is no stitching down there to contain the OneMinuteFit.

Before .................................After (last 2 years) ....Injecting into the sack not outside

Below are some examples of one (expert) local Aspen boot fitters problem-solving. The solution was instead to SPOTFIT inject more composite. The skier showed me his boots and it turns out he was in-fact in one shell size too large a boot (and ZipFit) "because of his unusually high volume/step feet." We tried one shell size smaller in the same model, replaced the liners (the others were butchered beyond recovery.) He was instantly happy and has been glowing reports for the past 2 years.

As you can see (far right) the same fitter has been applying the same problem solving methodology on more than one pair of liners.

A: No, you certainly do not have to and shouldn'. The Zipfit liner Power Strap and laces serve to pull the liner, tongue and shaft of the ZipFit snuggly at all times all around the foot and lower leg, much like an ankle brace and support. This is all an independent adjustment and places less demand from the shell buckle or "spoiler" Power Strap or Booster (option) adjustments which have a completely different function. Some racers and extreme skiers even use 3 straps.

When using the spoiler power strap, attached to the shell cuff, I suggest closing and adjusting it directly against the tongue before closing the cuff buckles. This correctly sets the liner-strap position so that it is under the cuff plastic. In this way you can fine tune the cuff buckle adjustments considerably looser and for better vibration absorption, support and control. Effectively, the booster strap gives you a wider range of adjustability for different performance conditions. When the cuff/spoilerpower strap is on top of the cuff plastic it has minimal adjustability and effect for support, and this is what provoked the idea for the Booster strap. There remains a market for this strap because the factories did not and still do not understand the fundamental purpose and therefore function of power straps. Like many skiers, the designers think that it is a convenient way to carry your boots, much as we see the racers do when on the podium.

I developed and designed the original velcro Power Strap system in 1972, when developing and designing the first generations of plastic boots for Nordica. The objective was to eliminate the "shin bang" and vibration, and gapping between the leg and the tongue, the spoiler and the sides of the boot; especially in those days when the boots were considerably lower. The first version was actually a small buckle strap system attached to the top of the liner on the OLYMPIC model. That was when I discovered how this strap could be used even more effectively than buckles for shaft support and comfort. It was popular with the (wc) racers but was never presented commercially, because marketing thought it was ugly, until I was consulting design and development for Koflach in the early 80's.

If you have never heated or modified your shells there is absolutely NO RISK AT ALL in heating your shells to fit Zipfit.

Your shells are thermally molded plastics and are easily re-heated to accommodate your feet and liners. In fact the shells and liners can be heated every day, see hotgearbag.com Heating the shell to heat and fit ZipFit is only necessary to accelerate the initial fitting process.
The heat transfers from the shells into the liners.
The liner materials soften and mold readily to your feet.
The liners are normally NOT heated separately.

Heating is not entirely necessary for initial fitting. Heat overcomes the problem that at ski shop room temperature the heat-sensitive shell plastics and formulation of the OneMinuteFit molding composite is quite firm, even hard.

Therefore Zipfit can all feel lumpy, even uncomfortable and non-supportive (initially), because, it has been "waiting" to adapt to (your) particular shell model cavity and (your) foot anatomy. When molded to your feet the shell and Zipfit are completely comfortable. The Zipfit liner's destiny has been designed to soften everything to comfort, warm, support and protect you from the hard and cold shell plastics ... without compromises.

If warmed to even 100 degrees (body temperature) it will begin molding much more easily and quickly though not as quickly as at 150-200 degrees.
The secondary dynamic fitting is the fitting process of adapting to your specific dynamic anatomy and skiing style.
This allows your feet to align specifically into the optimum (dynamic) relationship within the shells ... since 90% of the time you are turning. This is when the Zipfit really begins to perform ... to become more and more comfortable and supportive. They do not become looser.
This is a big improvement over the traditional static and linear alignment of standing like a stone statue and flexing lightly on the flat floor.
Therefore, ideally, you should start at least the first few runs with hot shells and liners ... they will adapt and support you perfectly in total comfort.

If you have just one experience with HOT shells and you will never want to put on cold shells again. Hence, for convenience, I developed the HotGearBag.

The reason for heating the shells is to transfer the heat from the shell into the liner. Then both the shell and the liner will mold and adapt to your feet.

Then you only need to remain in the boots until the shells cool, preferably for your comfort and to allow gravity and flexing to help work the heels into the heel pockets with the boot toes elevated about 2 inches. Cooling can be accelerated by cold water or by blowing compressed air over the plastic ... or by standing in snow.

The alternative habit for 20 years has been to heat the liners and then squish the liners between the (softer) feet and a cold room temperature shell.
Usually, in this battle of wits, the shell wins and the feet lose.

The best shell temperature for fitting ZIPFIT is only 200-210 degrees ... that means boiling-water at sea level (195 F at 8,000 feet)- including a loss of about 20-30 F before the shells and liners are on the feet. The liner remains unheated until it is in the shell- best again by slipping both your foot and liner into the hot shell.

ALL ski boots should be fitted and sold this way. It is the future.

This is probably more information than you want.
All the same too much is better than not enough.
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to write me.

Best cheer and Happy Skiing, Sven Coomer

A: The UK 6 equivalent in a "mondo-point" is 255. - Size Conversion Table

Regarding the preferred model depends your personal "foot volume":

• Low volume feet would use a GRAND PRIX model, maybe even CLASSIC.
• Higher volume feet would use the WORLD CUP or the new GARA model.

The only real difference between the models is the volume of pre-packed OneMinuteFit molding composite. Remember that if you ever need to inject more or extract any excess when the fitting is too tight you can refer to the SPOTFIT mini-kit system. Generally this need is rare ... because even when tight the OMfit seeks to balance the pressure comfortably. If fitting begins to feel loose simply repeat the "hot shell" initial fitting process and the "heel swiping" routine - instructions.

A: The problem could be you are between the two shell sizes ... and clearly you have chosen the smaller size for a lower volume and narrower fitting shell. You then depend on a liner that maximizes your toe and heel room while giving you optimum heel hold-down and insulation. Please look at the size conversion here.

Your cold toes are simply due to the fact that your toes are touching the ends of your liners. This is most likely due to too much foam material both in front of the toes and behind the heel, and/or the Foot-bed is also crowding the toe room. Remember that just the slightest pressure to the ends and/or between your toes shuts off the blood flow, since the external pressure is greater than your blood pressure in those extremities. Therefore that results in cold toes even at room temperature. Your comparison with just one shell size difference and a looser liner attests to that.

Assuming now that you have the correct size shell the unique elastic neoprene "Sock_Fit" outer toe box of the ZipFit will definitely maximize your toe room and adaptability to the shell, combined with the shearling wool inner toe box lining you now have excellent insulation and warmth. The result is that it fits like a very comfortable sock; of course, without touching the ends.

Indeed, the latest generation of improved AT boots are "looking" more and more like Alpine boots, because of the demand for better balance, ski and edge control in a wider variety of terrain and snow conditions. They definitely are more attractive looking, however the internal cavity "lasts" have been compromised in an attempt to accommodate the largest variety of feet, and therefore they do not support well. This results from the common logic that the differences for the more typical medium -to-low volume feet, with narrow-heels like yours and mine "will be" satisfied by "stuffing" the high volume shells with more foam padding in the liners.

This stuffing logic has been insisted by most designers and manufacturers marketing people since the beginning of plastic boots and the removable liners, while those few of us in the field of applied functional design and development know well from practical experience that this simply does not work. That also includes adding more padding to the outside of the liners which is only a band-aid that may relieve the symptoms.

That said we have to deal with the your problem; since you have already tried the Classic this may be the answer for you. The Tour is the same liner except that you have a much more comfortable "elastic spoiler" for easier walking, while that does in fact compromise your ability to recover and ski smoothly while skiing difficult snow and terrain.

The foot-bed orthotic is important for positioning the feet and especially heels properly relative to the shell and liner padding. If your toes are still crowded this could be to the foot bed being too long, which can curl the ends and push the toes up. This makes the liner-shell feel too short. So by trimming them down to lie flat, beveling the underside edges, or even trimming them back to the front of the metatarsal heads, so that the toes extend over the ends will resolve the toe room problem. The foot-bed will have little or no effect of the fitting around the leg shaft.

A: The CLASSIC model is the thickest of the Zipfit models, and has been filled with molding compound specificially to accommodate larger fitted (oversized) shells. If you use them for a while to mold well to your feet they can then be refitted into smaller (HOT) shells more easily, if that becomes your choice down the road. The model choice depends on the shell type/model internal cavity supportive shape and, in turn, it's compatibility and relationship to your feet. The Grand Prix model might also work very well.

The advantage is that you can try on the different liners, heating the shells for the heat to transfer and mold the liners to both your feet and the shells. This way you can determine which liner works best and choose accordingly. The molded liner you leave behind will quickly remold to the next customers feet and shells; in fact, the fitting will even be slightly quicker and easier because the initial fitting has already been performed.

Thank you for pointing out the you tube link problem. The link has been a bit of a problem for some reason. We are using that while the www.zipfit.com web site is being resuscitated after 5 years. The complete video works on the site depending on the server used ... Google for some reason also cuts short. I will be redoing the videos shortly.

If you have any additional questions please write.

Happy skiing, Sven

A: YES. Both carving and freestyle boots.

Carving is exceptional, the additional ankle-bracing and spoiler support increases both heel and toe edge stability and control, significantly, plus the much improved heel hold down and directional control from the shins through the thinner and more supportive tongue.

ZipFits for Freestyle also work well despite the "pot belly stove" (last) cavity within the outer boots. The Zipfit gives a consistent and dependable support and stability independently of the shell. Furthermore, the lacing pulls the liner away from the outer boot to make adjustment of the outer closures much more adaptable and adjustable.

The CLASSIC model would mostly likely work best for the Freestyle boots, likely because it has the highest volume of molding composite pre-packed. Yet this al depends on your foot volume and the model boot that you are using. If you choose a "thinner" model liner such as the GRAND PRIX and, then if it begins to feel loose you can SPOTFIT inject a precise amount of additional composite exactly where it is needed. Just a little SPOTFIT at a time until the fitting is perfected. The WORLD CUP and GARA model are more specifically for the lower volume shells or higher volume feet, and more suited for the hard shell carving shells; though even some of these have "pot belly" last widths across the ankles, shaped more like a "flower pot".

The new INDY model is worth considering as it is lined with more Ultralon™-eva foam throughout; for an emphasis on comfort and warmth, with slightly less sensitivity and responsiveness than the regular well reinforced ZipFit models.

A: Normally the selection of the best model ZipFit DOES depend on a combination of the last width-volume (93-94 mm or 98 mm) of the boot model and your own respective foot width-volume compatibility with your CS 130. Consideration for choosing other ZipFit models really only becomes factor with 100 mm-2,000 cc + and oversized boots.

However, all these latest generation of race lasted boots coming now from all the manufacturers are much more anatomically functional and compatible. The Atomics are among the lowest volume of the selection. For that reason the thin volume GARA is the best choice, even for low volume and bony feet in the 98mm-1800cc volume shells.

Suffice to say that if in fact the GARA does become loose you have the option to SPOTFIT inject the precise amount of additional molding composite exactly where needed into the tongue or heel-ankles.

All the same this need is unusual and even if it appears to be needed a simple "heel swiping" maneuver re-primes the heel huggers to reinstate them as new.