The travel board seems to be the unofficial ski board so here we go.

BLUF: I live in COS and am looking at investing in some custom/fitted ski boots. Is Surefoot the way to go or are there other fitters I should check out, preferably in the COS/Castle Rock/ south DEN metro?

Been up in Beaver Creek the past week and took my boys up to the base/gondola ride over the weekend. While in the village I stopped by the Surefoot store. Talked with the guy in there who said he was part of the family who owns the company (gave me his business card which I seem to have misplaced) and ran me through their process. He also mentioned that they're running some decent summer sales right now.

I've never owned custom fit ski boots and have been skiing with some Salomons I picked up along with my kendo's at a sniagrab about a decade ago. They have done the job fairly well for the past 10 years but after picking up some new Katanas this year and being a big dude (6'8") I feel I should go ahead and invest in some quality boots. (Yes I know I should've gotten the boots first but couldn't pass up the smoking deal I got the skis on at Corbetts)

The only interaction I've had with Surefoot other than this week was when they resoled my boots last year in Park City for a very reasonable price. I liked the service well enough then. Seems like I'd be looking at the 1200-1700ish range at Surefoot.

My primary concern is that, while I already have my pass for this season, with twin 18 month olds I'm not entirely sure how many times I'm gonna get la jefa to sign off on letting me get up here in the winter.

Are there better options out there?

I could go into boots for hours, but I love Surefoot. If you find the hardshell you like, I can probs get it for 1/2 the MSRP. If they're running a sale, it may be about the same price. Then you just have to pay for the heated liner and custom footbed. That's what I've done for other posters.

You'll probs want a R-120 or higher.

Custom boots will change your ski career. It's night and day.

Edit to add: the custom liner is $465 and the insole is $255. You can get your liner heated and shaved for far less than $465 and just us the insole (that's what most locals do), but even at $720 + boots it's not a bad deal - I usually get 50% off boots so even if you pick a $1000 top end hardshell, you're all in for $1320 vs $1820.

Just checked and here are the prices I can get for hardshells in the 120+

RS 130 LV - MSRP $1,000 OTD $538+ shipping
RS 130 MV - Same price as above
RS 120 LV - MSRP $850 OTD $472
LX 130 HV GW - same as above
XT3 Tour Pro - MSRP $1000 OTD $538
XT3 Free140 Pro MD LV GW - MSRP $1100 OTD $572
XT3 Free 130 LV GW - $538
XT3 Free 120 LV GW - $472
XT3 Free 120 MV GW- $472

I have the XT3 Free140 Pros and the RS130 LVs are LOVE them.

So if you pick one of the 120s it'd be all in with hardshells, surefoot insoles and foot beds for $1,192 + $25 shipping. If you can't remember the guys name (was he at the store at the base of the centennial gondola by Starbucks) I have friends that work there and can ask.

If you have the hardshells, he may be able to cut you a really sweet deal on the insole and footbeds. They make most of their money on the insoles and the footbeds since they're proprietary products so those are usually where they can cut costs more than the shells.

Also, get your mondo size and footbed dimensions from surefoot. Tell them you want a performance fit so that they size they hardshell down a size. You want your boots so tight that you have legit no movement. Most locals size down at least one mondo if not 2. I'm a 26.5 and ski 24.5s.

If you have a Christy Sports close, they can do boot fitting. You really just need the insole and then the liner heated and shaved until it feels cozy. Usually that takes a couple of tries so somewhere that has a local and on mountain presence would be preferred.

I usually tell people to get them fit first thing in the morning, pick them up after lunch, rip a couple runs after lunch to feel out hot spots, and then go back at close and have them reheat and refit and shave over night. That way any residual changes can be done in the store the next ski day and by the end of day 2 you're on the vibe.

Oh yeah and my last set of Surefoots lasted me almost 12 years at 100+ days a year. If you extrapolate that to rentals, you're saving thousands and transforming your entire ski game.

Custom boots are the glue to a more sound ski career. Custom boots and top grade bindings can open the door to a completely new level of accessibility on the hill.

If you need any pivot bindings for those Katanas, let me know. I have a preorder in that arrives in October. Something like $221 for the Pivot 15s. Not a bad deal.

Note - you must be a big dude to rip Kendos and Katanas - those are two hella solid sets of sticks but they are some drivers. Not for the weak legged or the faint of heart. They CRUSH though. Some of the best stability underfoot across speeds, a great arc turn radius for trees, and enough power to push chop while still maintaining a really nice float.

Solid choices thus far my guy.

Oh yeah - whatever you buy - ask them if they will throw in or if you can buy extra ratchets/buckles - thats what's going to typically break first and if you wait until it happens they may not still use the same style and your SOL. Obviously the more you ride the hardshells, the more vibes they absorb and the integrity decreases but they don't usually break (first) if you store them correctly and if the hardshell breaks you can sometimes use the warranty whereas the ratchets are never covered and one mis step down a staircase can harsh that mellow dramatically.

Thanks for all the info, yea the surefoot was the one right to the left as you're coming down the first escalator off the mountain. So I would just go to Christy's to get sized, buy the boot from you and take it to surefoot to get the liners?

Got my pivots from Corbetts when they were running a sale this past late winter/early spring l, just need to get them mounted, which I'm trying to hold off on until I can the boots.

Yea another big dude told me to to check out the Katanas for our size 6'8" 260ish. I got the 191s and will be upgrading from ~10 year old 186 Kendos.

If you want to take a trip to Vail one day, I can mount the bindings in about 15 minutes. I have the Rossy jig. Def wait until you get new boots to get them mounted.

You can go into Surefoot and get them to size you. They don't mind. I was just saying that Christy Sports is another option for the heat treatment and fitting for the liner. They can also heat and punch the hardshell boot out if necessary. If you're going to get the surefoot liner and footbed, I'd just let them know that's the plan because they can do all of that too. It's a ski shop - we're all really easy going.

The nice things about Surefoot is they're nationwide - if you're in PC or Steamboat or JH or where ever and catch a hot spot, you can go in and get it fixed for free. That's not the case with Christys.

Once you get your mondo from SF (I'm guessing you're a 29.5 maybe a 30.5) just let me know the hardshell type and the mondo and I can order it wholesale from the factory.

I think the 191s will fit you much better. Once you get those pivots mounted and a new set of steezy boots, you'll probs find that you're running out of the 191 and potentially push into the upper echelon of lengths at 198/199/200+. It sounds crazy but with enough practice and solid gear, it's not infeasible. I'm 5'9" and started at 163s, then moved to 174s, and now my base quiver set are 181s with 188-191 POW skis.

Found the card, Russell Sullivan was the guy I talked to.