Our Boot Fitting Process

Reserve your free, no-obligation assessment or just pop into the shop for an initial chat. Please allow a good hour for your appointment. Sometimes it’s quicker, sometimes slower, but it’s best if you don’t need to leave half way through and we have the time to work our magic.

What happens during the appointment?

There are 8 steps to ski boot happiness:

Grab a coffee at The Boot Lab

1) Over a cup of coffee we’ll ask you to complete a brief questionnaire which covers medical history, measurements etc. This gives us something to refer back to during the boot fit.

2) It’s all about you! We want to know about your skiing and your goals – this is a vital part of the process and really helps us to gauge what you’re looking for in your new ski boots. We’ll find out whether you’re looking at custom liners, boot-warmers or heated socks. Our team have been fully trained and are super friendly so please do relax and enjoy the experience!

3) Get your socks off… Now its time to introduce us to your feet (please don’t be embarrassed, we’ve seen it all!). We’ll have a good old measure and assessment of your toes, ankles etc. so that we can get to know what we’re dealing with. We’ll also have a chat about socks at this stage – we can’t emphasise enough how important the right pair of socks are!

Boot Fitting Ski Boot

4) Narrowing it down: your boot fitter will now choose 2 or 3 boots that he/she thinks will provide the best fit. They’ll then do a ‘shell check’ where we ask you to put your bare foot inside the shell of the boot. We’ll have a good inspection and check whether this is the right boot for you or not. If it is – straight to step 5. If not, we’ll try one or two other boots until we are happy that we’ve got everything in the right place.

5) Time to step up: we will now make your footbed (or insole), tailored to your foot. You’ll step into our squishy mould for 2 minutes to get an imprint of your sole. Then we’ll use one of our nice, warm footbeds to place under your feet for 10 minutes, during which time it will take on the shape of your imprint. This uniquely shaped footbed will sit in your liner and provide support and stability in all the right places. Click here for more info on our footbeds.

6) Moulded liners: If the boot comes with moulded liners, then we’ll do this now. The boot is heated and we place a special cap over your toes. You then put your feet into the nice warm liners and stand there for 15 minutes until the liner cools to the shape of your foot and boot. If you’re going for foam-injected liners, you’ll put the boot on, then tubes leading into the boot will be filled with liquid foam which then expands to the shape of your foot and boot. Click here for more info on our liners.

7) Cosy toes: If you suffer from cold feet or circulation problems then one of our heating solutions can help you stay on the hill for longer and in greater comfort. You have two options: a) heaters that attach onto the footbed or b) heated socks. Both are great for anyone who can’t stand cold toes!
8) Your new boots: we’ll do any shell modifications once the shop has shut, so your boots will be ready for you to test out the following day. (Please arrange a time to collect them from the shop). When you head out onto the mountain, please be aware that they will feel very different at first, but don’t worry we’re on hand to make any adjustments!

Looking after your boots – we have some useful tips to help you look after your boots, (eg. how to store them, dry them out…) which will help them live a long and happy life, giving you the optimum value for money.

Free Adjustments – should you feel that they’re still not quite right, then you can easily pop back to see us while you’re still in resort. Our comfort guarantee means that any adjustments that you might need are free of charge.

Top tip: make your appointment in the first half of your stay – that way you can test your boots out whilst you’re still on holiday and come back to us for free of charge adjustments, should you have any niggles.

Ski socks – Why are they important? – Ski socks are an extremely important piece of kit that are often overlooked. For sure they’re not as exciting as a new pair of skis. But they’re hugely important to ensuring a comfy and fun-filled day on the mountain.

They were not expensive
“Having arrived in Courchevel with little hope of being able to Ski due to a 9 year absence and a Bunion, I headed to The Boot Lab on day one. I had been recommended to go there from the Uk but also by Ski World. Gavin had me in Boots in less than 2 hours and they were the most comfortable Ski Boots I have ever had. They were not expensive for the custom fit service. I am so grateful and happy. Thank you is not enough.”

Susan Goodchild

The Boot Lab
5
2017-05-25T12:22:30+00:00

Susan Goodchild

“Having arrived in Courchevel with little hope of being able to Ski due to a 9 year absence and a Bunion, I headed to The Boot Lab on day one. I had been recommended to go there from the Uk but also by Ski World. Gavin had me in Boots in less than 2 hours and they were the most comfortable Ski Boots I have ever had. They were not expensive for the custom fit service. I am so grateful and happy. Thank you is not enough.”
My first day of pain free skiing in 5 years
"Incredible service from Gavin and Joel. I have serious feet issues and have just had my first day of pain free skiing in 5 years thanks to being properly diagnosed and fitted. I just can't thank the boys enough, or recommend them highly enough."

Scott Jarron

The Boot Lab
5
2017-05-25T12:33:52+00:00

Scott Jarron

"Incredible service from Gavin and Joel. I have serious feet issues and have just had my first day of pain free skiing in 5 years thanks to being properly diagnosed and fitted. I just can't thank the boys enough, or recommend them highly enough."
Professional and genuinely caring
"Great staff, all professional and genuinely caring. I was so impressed when buying boots, I went back and bought new skis and then poles. I will use again and highly recommend The Boot Lab to all."

Gav Miller

The Boot Lab
5
2017-05-25T12:38:51+00:00

Gav Miller

"Great staff, all professional and genuinely caring. I was so impressed when buying boots, I went back and bought new skis and then poles. I will use again and highly recommend The Boot Lab to all."
They really do guarantee a perfect fit
"Amazing attention to detail from the guys. Myself and stepdaughter got new boots custom fitted last week. When they say don't hesitate to come in if something isn't right, they mean it. They really do guarantee a perfect fit and make you feel very welcome if you want to have any adjustments. Very pleased indeed."

Mark Fowler

The Boot Lab
5
2017-05-25T12:40:18+00:00

Mark Fowler

"Amazing attention to detail from the guys. Myself and stepdaughter got new boots custom fitted last week. When they say don't hesitate to come in if something isn't right, they mean it. They really do guarantee a perfect fit and make you feel very welcome if you want to have any adjustments. Very pleased indeed."
Day two, happiest feet ever!!!
"I have the oddest feet. That need much patience. Particularly when finding the right boot. And after considerable time spent with the guys in The Boot Lab, we thought we had. But one day skiing proved we were wrong. Back I went. And another patient hour and a half was spent figuring out what was wrong. Found the problems, and the solutions. Day two, happiest feet ever!!! Thank you"

Maeve McCleane

The Boot Lab
5
2017-05-25T12:42:02+00:00

Maeve McCleane

"I have the oddest feet. That need much patience. Particularly when finding the right boot. And after considerable time spent with the guys in The Boot Lab, we thought we had. But one day skiing proved we were wrong. Back I went. And another patient hour and a half was spent figuring out what was wrong. Found the problems, and the solutions. Day two, happiest feet ever!!! Thank you"
I’ve never seen a shop so busy, anywhere!
"I attended the Meribel shop yesterday, fabulous service! I've never seen a shop so busy, anywhere! And their help, advice and product works.
If you need them, expect to be with them for well over an hour. But it's the best hour plus I've spent in a ski resort. Top guys, top service, top product!"

Phil Foster

The Boot Lab
5
2017-05-25T12:43:34+00:00

Phil Foster

"I attended the Meribel shop yesterday, fabulous service! I've never seen a shop so busy, anywhere! And their help, advice and product works. If you need them, expect to be with them for well over an hour. But it's the best hour plus I've spent in a ski resort. Top guys, top service, top product!"
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The Boot Lab