Visiting with a Masterfit University-trained bootfitter isn’t just about sorting out boot pain and discomfort issues—it’s a chance to completely reboot and elevate your entire skiing experience. A session with a boot tech starts with a quick but thorough biomechanical assessment that will uncover clues about how your foot and ankle function and unveil the root causes of common skiing balance and control problems. The essential information the boot tech discovers about you sets the stage for changes to be made to your boots for comfort, stance and performance.

Finding the right type of boot in the right size, shape and stiffness is a good place to start and your bootfitter may discover that your current boots already fit the bill. If not, now is the time to find that ideal match while a variety of models and sizes are still available in most shops. Don’t wait for late season sales to try and save a few dollars. By then, availability is often limited. Remember, a boot fit for your foot and ski style will last you many years.

An upgraded footbed, either a cut-to-fit model or a custom molded one, will enhance your balance and performance and set a needed foundation underfoot to unlock the potential for a successful fit elsewhere in the boot.

A custom model will provide the most precise fit and is better suited to address personal balance issues. But if you don’t ski frequently or price is a barrier, a cut-to-fit model is a suitable alternative and a big improvement over what comes stock in any ski boot.

Often, a pre-existing custom insole can be rebuilt or tweaked for better function, but be prepared to invest in having a newer, better footbed built and personalized for you that will last the lifetime of the boot and can often move on to other pairs down the road.

Once the footbeds are in place to support the feet in a comfortable, neutral fashion, your fitter will make modifications to the liner and shell as needed for additional, targeted space or for specific tightening where appropriate. The list of possible shape adaptations is vast, and virtually any foot and leg shape can be accommodated.

A balanced stance begins inside the boot with the footbed in place but a Masterfit trained boot tech will also assess your ankle joint flexibility and modify the boots’ angles to ensure proper fore-aft balance underfoot. Master bootfitters will also look at a boot cuff’s adjustment options as well as consider boot sole canting to put you in a neutral “homebase” position for powerful, accurate skiing movements made with maximum efficiency.