Ski Boot Fitting & Appointments - All You Need to Know
How our service works:
Booking in a boot fitting with Hike and Ride means you're guaranteed a one to one appointment with a UK industry expert.
We offer 4 appointment times per day. 8.30, 11, 1.30 and 4 - These times are approximate. Some fits are trickier than others. And sometimes traffic gets in the way, but at least it gives you an idea for your day!
Our lead boot fitter, Jen, brings 14 seasons of boot fitting experience. This is backed up with a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Human Movement, multiple Personal Training Qualifications as well as training courses run by Industry Leaders Masterfit University and Sidas. She's worked with Elan Skis and Roxa Ski Boots bringing training to UK retailers including Ellis Brigham and Snow+Rock.
On average we’ve found a boot fitting appointment takes about 2 hours from start to finish. This of course is only a guide as some people just click with boots while others, for whatever reason, need a little bit longer to find a comfortable fit. We’ll never rush an appointment and stay with you as long as is needed.
Fitting ski boots involves aligning your foot in the boot and giving you a stable base in order to control your skis. This usually requires a footbed of some description (think about building a house and it’s foundations- it’s very similar!).
- Some people are really straight forward to fit and don’t need aftercare, some need a minor adjustment for things to be perfect, while others take tweak after tweak to get it right. Everyone is different. Therefore the level of care you need should also be different. We’ve also learned that we are human and although we try our very best to get it right first time, it doesn’t always happen
- People’s feet change shape over time. Changes can occur because of a range of things. Our body’s ligament and tendon strength, injury, diabetes, pregnancy, high blood pressure, weight loss or gain, overuse injuries. We fit to foot shape in front of us and cannot guarantee that in 5 years time your foot will hold that shape, but adjustments can be made to boots to insure a good fitting boot becomes a great fit!
- The old saying you get what you pay for. Yes, there are retailers here in the UK that will get you out on the slopes slightly cheaper, but we also know at those retailers you may be fitted by someone who’s been hired just for the current season with little to no experience. On the flip of that, there are some retailers that charge far greater amounts for their services. We’ve tried to hit a middle ground, all while offering you a great service in a location that suits you (we’re happy to give you specifics at your appointment should you need some reassurances). After a decade boot fitting we can safely say that even we are still learning the ropes
- We’ve built our service around being totally honest and transparent with you. And we will continue to do so- both before the fitting and throughout the whole process. Should we not have a boot in stock that works for you, we won’t go through with the appointment till we have something in that suits. That way, you can rest assured you’re getting the correct service for your needs. After all, we want to see your smiling face back with us again soon (just not too soon!!). We’ll also give you our honest thoughts on which package, footbeds, socks (etc) suit you best and our reasoning behind this and allow you to make an educated decision.
- The consultation charge is applied to all fittings where we are travelling to you. If you would like to reduce this, we can offer a small amount of fittings in Shepherds Bush. In these cases, consultation fee will reduce by 50% to £42.50. Please enquire for further details.
* In very rare circumstances, we may need to make large scale adjustments to boots. Major boot adjustments are subject to additional charges. These will be explained to you at your appointment