The starting point is, of course, to buy the correct size boot. This is not as easy as it sounds. In general, Telemark boots should be bought snug. Your toes should touch the end of the boot before you buckle up the boot, and they should brush the front of the boot when you're standing straight up and buckled up. Your toe should pull away when you flex down into a tele stance. Check out our boot sizing chart for help choosing the right size to start with.

Some of the fitting process basics:

1. Try ski boots on with properly fitting ski socks. No cotton!

2. Don't tuck anything into the boot, not even your long underwear; the crease at the bottom may cause discomfort, and slow circulation throughout the ski day.

3. Buckle boots from the top down. Top buckles first, then flex knees and ankles. This moves the foot and liner back slightly, setting the heel and gives the toes more room. The lower buckles should be latched while the knees are flexed forward!!!!!

4. Check the fit. Your toes should be touching the front of the boot when standing. When you drop your knee into the tele stance, the toes should be free to wiggle - this will ensure the correct length, and allow proper circulation.

5. Walk around in the boots, and not just a quick lap around the fitting bench. They should be left on for at least 5 minutes.

6. Put the boot into a binding on the floor, now drop into the tele stance. Any pinch on top of your toes? If there is, and it happens prematurely in your flex, and it hurts badly, this is not good. Toe pinch is not a liner issue, it's a shell problem, and may not be fixable for your foot.

7. Every good specialty shop will have the capabilities to make adjustments to the liner or shell, as most boots will need some custom work to achieve the fit we should all be striving for. If you don't live near a shop, read on.

You are not buying a new pair of sneakers and your new boots should last you years. Choose wisely. Don't expect the boot to necessarily fit out of the box to where you can ski comfortably the next day and for the rest of the season. Boots take dialing in, and once they are, you'll thank yourself for taking the time to make it right. To get the most out of your telemark boots, it is important that they should fit you as well as possible. The following are a few tips, which should help you dial in the best possible fit.

Socks

The correct sock is a key component in getting comfortable performance from your boots. Try to buy good performance socks. A few guidelines to look for in a good sock are:

· The tightness of the knit - a good sock will normally be quite a tight and smooth knit.

· Make sure there is good shaping to the sock.

· Check that the sock has good stretch and elasticity.

· If possible try to use socks that wick moisture away (the foot puts out around 50ml of sweat per day) like a wool blend.

· Let's face it, you kicked down in the neighborhood of $400+ for boots, do yourself a favor, spend $17 on a new pair of ski socks. There are a few good brands out there. We like the Bridgdale brand, of course they are the most expensive, but they last longer and are contoured right.

Socks are an ideal way of making small adjustments to the volume and fit of the boot so be prepared to experiment with combination and density of socks you use to get the best fit - but we believe that you should never wear more than one pair of socks. That liner stuff is old school and made for old school itchy wool. There are a few exceptions to that rule, sometimes we get people with 2 different size feet and they need to fill up space on the big boot, and I'm sure there are other exceptions you can come up with. Generally, telemarkers aren't as prone to cold feet, because the constant movement makes for good circulation. Believe it or not, sometimes a thinner sock is warmer, because it allows for more circulation.

Boot modifications

It is not uncommon to find that some modification to the boot is required to get an optimal fit. There are several ways to achieve this:

Footbeds

There are now a variety of high performance footbeds available to suit differing needs. Off the rack, there are two principle kinds of footbeds with which you can customize the fit of your boot. The low arch support footbed, which is geared toward the flat foot, and the high arch footbed, which gives a firmer heel cradle and underfoot support. Please note, if you have a flat foot, don't try to make a high arch with a foot bed, this will only lead to discomfort and problems. Try the long-term approach if you want change, Yoga. Standard, "off the rack" footbeds run about $30, and their are a number of brands, step on one of these first before you kick down the $100+ for a custom, not everyone needs a custom. About 90% of skiers should be using a footbed; it WILL improve your skiing. How? Contact to the snow starts with full contact to the footbed, then to the boot, then ski, .... Get it? It works!

Volume Adjusters

A Volume Adjuster is a thin insert, which can be added under the footbed to reduce the overall volume of the boot. This can make up to a half size difference in fit. This "shim" will only set you back a couple of dollars.

Rubbing Bars

Some people have specific foot problems (e.g. swollen toe joints) that can cause problems when fitting new boots. It is worth knowing that boots can often be 'stretched' in specific areas to ease any painful rub points. Some specialist shops have rubbing bars specifically designed for this purpose. It is also possible to modify slightly heel and toe shapes to improve the fit of a boot. However, this job does not need to be a "trained professional," let's be real here, if you've got a rubbing spot in your boot, pull out the liner and use a broom handle to wear it down, this is not rocket science. Heating it will also help form it, try a hair dryer.

Other Options

If your boots have seen a couple seasons and have packed out and are now "too big," (a common experience with Scarpa liners in particular) you still have a last resort before shelling out for a new pair - thermofit liners. These liners typically cost about a $150 (for a Raichle Thermofit) and will have the effect of giving you a new custom fit boot (that's a whole lot lighter. These liners expand when they are heated, and end up forming to your foot as they cool. Done right in a good quality boot fitting shop, this is as good a fit as you can get.

The Future is Now

In recognition of the superior value of moldable liners, both Scarpa and Garmont offer them in all their new boots, and Crispi offers them in their high end models. Garmont still offers the non-moldable liner, but in our opinion the moldable option is well worth the money. Scarpa will offer only heat moldable liners. For those of you who do not have a shop with the skills to offer custom boot fitting (i.e. a boot fitting oven and the abitlity to use it) nearby, don't despair, you will find that if the boot is sized correctly (see above for helpful hints) you can ski it without heat molding the liner. They are modestly pre-formed and can be used right out of the box. Check out our moldable liner page for more info and directions for molding them yourself at home.

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