Gear Review
Brought to you by Intuition Liners
A properly fitting pair of ski boots can be the difference between loving to ski and hating it. You want your boots to lock your foot into place without creating pressure points, cutting off circulation, or crushing your toes. Trust me, I fiddle with my boots all the time, and the perfect fit is hard to achieve.
When you buy a new pair of boots, the stock liner is often nothing more than some carpet padding in disguise. They’re soft, flexible, and made to feel great on just about anyone’s foot right out of the box. No one is going to buy a pair of boots if they’re uncomfortable the second they put them on, right? Soft liners make selling someone on a new pair of boots a piece of cake.
Unfortunately, what feels great in the shop, and what feels great on the hill are often two different stories. The soft foam liner will pack down, and before you know it, your brand new boots are loose, painful, or all of the above. Once your foot starts moving around inside the boot and slamming into the plastic shell, you’re going to have bruised feet for the rest of the season. I’ve dealt with it before, and it’s not fun.
So what do you do? Get thicker socks? Crank those buckles even tighter? Complain about it? Just don’t go skiing? You can try all of those, but a custom liner is the real answer to your problems.
Custom liners are the best money you can spend to improve your skiing experience. First off, they get molded to your feet and boot shells. That means no unwanted space, no pressure points, and no cramped toes. The connection between you and your skis will never feel more precise. For me, it’s a no-brainer.
There are a variety of custom liners out there, but many are only sold at specialty boot fitters and cost a lot of money. Lucky for you, your local ski shop likely has Intuition brand liners in stock right now. I am a huge fan of Intuitions. They’re affordable, easy to mold, and there are dozens of options so you can get the exact liner you’re looking for. Molding is so quick and painless, you can be in and out in under an hour, and it’s even something you can do at home.
What’s so great about them? Intuition uses a much denser foam than what you’ll find in a stock ski boot liner. It may sound uncomfortable, but once it’s molded, it locks your foot in place and gives it little room to move around. Since movement is what usually causes pain, it’s super comfortable. No loose spots, no pressure points, just the perfect fit to your foot. The denser Intuition EVA foam retains its shape longer and is much warmer for those with cold feet. Once you feel the difference, trust me, you’ll never go back.
