Ski Boot Fitting

I’ve lived with foot pain for 20 years of skiing. This year I decided to do something about it. Knowing I was going to be at Vail/​Beaver Creek for 2 weeks I did my research and came across Ski Boot Fitting. I made an appointment with Greg Hoffman, who works out of Beaver Creek Sports in the village of Beaver Creek. Greg knows his stuff … after spending some time with him I call him the «boot whisperer.» He found me the right pair of boots, made me a custom foot bed, and worked with me over a couple days on the process of getting the boots just right. I’m now skiing without pain and feel great! I can’t say enough about Greg and his service. He’s also a very amiable and interesting guy.

Thanks goes out to Chris of SBF Vail Sports at Lionshead. He came highly recommended and for good reasons. Chris made himself easily available by text and email even prior to my appt with him. He spent over 2 hours having me try on boots, checking alignment (even using a plumb line), molding a footbed, and checking/​double-​checking my level of comfort. He thoroughly explained each step in the process. He made me feel as though I was his only customer that day; i.e., attentive and not rushed. The results, not inexpensive at $ 1200 for a pair of Solomon X Max 120’s (including custom footbed, adjustments, and labor) were far better than what I experienced over the past 15 years with the fancy computerized-​footbed-​making local competitor. Chris sent me out the door with a custom fit that, after 5 days in the back bowls, had no need for adjustments. The boots fit and behaved like an extension of my feet. No doubt, with the aligning, my ability to carve improved markedly. And, as Chris predicted, I didn’t lose my big toe toenails for the first time in years. The toe nail losses occurred in the past despite multiple «adjustments» by the competitor. Speaking of adjustments, Jeremy was in Vail Sports at Lionshead the day I was there. Last year, he added a season to my old boots by making alterations in their shop at the top of Mountaintop lift. He didn’t give a salespitch; rather, he focused on what he could do to get me another year on a competitor’s boot. Bottom line, I highly recommend SBF.

I have been working in the ski industry for years and know the importance of great fitting ski boots. I don’t think there is a more knowledgeable staff that the guys at SBF. Greg Hoffman, Jeff Harper and Chris Wiberg are the guys to go to in Vail. They are hands down the best, no exceptions.

SBF is simply the best. Jeff has been taking care of my boots for years. He knows how to make the smallest adjustments that translate into comfort and performance on the slopes. Jeff added custom insoles to my cousin’s boots on our recent trip to Vail and now I don’t have to hear him complain about his feet anymore.
Go see Jeff at SBF. They are located on the mountain at the top of Chair 4 and at at the bottom of the mountain in Vail Sports in Lionshead Village.

SBF is one of the best boot fitters in Vail. They are located in Vail Sports and have an on mountain location at the top of chair 4. They made my 3 year old poorly fitted boots by another ski shop fit great! They did not try and sell me new boots. Amazing service!

To put it lightly, I am finicky – I skated for years and have high arches and weird bones in my feet – but Greg, Chris, and Dave worked with me to fit ski boots that I can truly hang out in for 8+ hours. They are wonderful guys and really take the time to make sure that the fit is right. I was a Surefoot devotee until I realized that one of the reasons I had been skiing horribly for the last three years was that the hot shot boots they sold me were a full shell size too large. Haven’t been preggers… so where that extra foot size came from is still a mystery – regardless, Greg etc blow them out of the water.
Oh, and they have a location at the top of chair 4 too, for those on mountain boot disasters that inevitably strike if they haven’t already outfitted you.