A common complaint when people get their boots is that they are "way too tight!". Chances are, in most of these cases, the size is correct, but because the liners haven't been molded, they feel too small. If you are interested in a 'comfort fit' or live in a place that you are unable to mold the liners, then aim for having the boots fit like a secure hiking boot out of the box. For people who are skiing 20+ days a season, or want a more performance based fit, the boots should feel extremely tight out of the box. Either way, the best way to make sure you have the right size is to do a shell fit. Keep in mind that two sizes will share a shell size breaking on the half or whole size depending on the manufacturer. Garmont shells break on the whole size (26=26.5) and Scarpa breaks on the half (26.5=27). Remember, we cannot take returns on boots if the liners have been molded.

	Remove the liner from the shell. Getting a shell fit is an indicator of how the boot fits once the liners have packed out a little.
With a very thin sock (or bare foot), place your foot in the shell so that the toes are brushing the front of the boot. Lean forward and using a 3/4" dowel (or equivalent) slide it behind your heel.
	You should be able to fit the dowel between your heel and the shell. If there is too much space, your liner will pack out so much that your boots will feel 'sloppy'; less than that, and chances are that your liners will not pack out enough for your boots to be comfortable enough to ski in.

Getting the right boot size is extremely important for enjoyable skiing. For more tips, read our how to mold liners page, or our boot fitting page.

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