Boot Fitting

From the very beginning of our company's operation, we have focused on working with the best ski products. The boots we offer are 90% capable of full shell molding and liner customization. We are only interested in the best products that will ensure safety, comfort, and durability for the boots selected for you. Every boot bought from us has a "lifetime" guarantee for liner molding (we usually carry out this process in the first and second season). A well-chosen boot will allow you to enjoy skiing/boarding for up to 10 years before it starts to lose its properties.

The process of fitting such boots:

• Individual foot measurements on matrices and computer scanners.
• Selection of appropriate size, product selection based on physical characteristics of the foot.
• Boot fitting, a process fully guided by our boot-fitter.
• Foot padding with foam to leave appropriate space in crucial places (e.g., ankles, bunions, high instep, etc.)
• Heating the liner in an oven or with a special heater
• Putting on the ski boot with the heated plastic liner
• Fastening the boot as for skiing – fitting process

Benefits:
• Better fit to the foot
• Greater comfort
• These types of boots are usually warmer than standard liners because the liner wraps around the calf better

MOLDING TECHNOLOGIES:

Thermoformable ski boots: Fischer Vacum
Fischer Vacum – the first boots 100% fitted to the foot
Kraft Sport offers Fischer boots made with Vacuum Fit technology. Vacuum Fit technology enables perfect adaptation of the ski boot to the anatomy of each skier's foot, and Fischer Vacuum is the first 100% personalized ski boot.

MOLDING PROCESS:

• Customer interview (we select the appropriate boot model for skills, individual characteristics, and preferences)
• We select the appropriate boot size
• We establish the appropriate position on the Vacuum Fit Station, the one in which the skier usually rides
• We heat the boot shell to a temperature of 80 degrees C. (the shell becomes plastic)
• We put on the boots, cooling pads, and compression suits.
• We stand on the Vacuum Fit station, connect the suits to the station.
• The boots, under the influence of pressure (previously established), adapt to the shape of our foot, being pressed using pressure.
• The molding process takes about 20 minutes and can be repeated up to 5 times.

Boots Can be molded under different pressures, from 100 to 300 mbar, depending on the need:

• 100mabr – Sport
• 200 mbar – Performance
• 300 mabr – Race

Additional benefits of Fischer Vacuum boots:

• Lighter by an average of 15% than regular boots.
• Boot flex is more stable in extreme temperatures (at -20°C, it is more than twice as stable as in regular boots.)
• Vacuum station allows for forward inclination of the boot by 14 or 17 degrees depending on preferences
• The shell adapts within +/- 5 mm depending on the anatomy of the skier's foot.
• Fischer Vacuum boots are made with Soma Tec technology.
• Vacuum technology ends the compromise between comfort and fit!

Liner padding with IPS or ICP foam

For a ski boot to be better fitted to the foot, sometimes modifying the shell is not enough; it may be sufficient to simply modify the liner to achieve the desired effect. At Kraft Sport, we do it in the following way. We locate the place where the liner is pressing on the foot, cut out that fragment of the "bootie" and replace it with foam of a different density. This is a simple procedure that can make a big difference in an uncomfortable point.
It is also worth knowing that the liner wears out over time and its fit to the foot is no longer as good as in the first season. In such a situation, it is not always necessary to replace the boots with new ones; places where the boot has become too loose can be padded with IPS foam, and sometimes we have the option to purchase just the liner.

This procedure can solve problems such as:

• Excessive heel lifting in the boot
• Foot sliding in different planes while riding

Methods of boot fitting we use:
Modifying the boot shell through pressure relief.

This procedure is used in situations where the boot shell presses on the foot at a specific point. It involves locally heating the boot shell using a special heater or, as in the case of Nordica boots, infrared. We heat the shell until it reaches the desired plasticity, then we expand the given point until full comfort is achieved.
Both new and used boot shells can be relieved through this process.
Often it is the case that imperfections in the fit of newly purchased boots only become apparent on the slope, when the boot is cold and the shell is stiffer than when trying it on in the store. Sometimes, however, it is already known during the purchase of the boot that changes in its shape will be required. This usually happens with people who have less common feet (wide foot, additional ankles, deformed foot after injury, bunions, neuralgia resulting from tight boot fit, heel spurs, and others). Shell relief is also a good solution in situations where the boot we want to buy fits the foot almost perfectly and only requires a small, point adjustment.

Boot shell milling

This involves locally and delicately removing material from the shell to create appropriate space for those parts of the foot or calf that are being pressed. Shell milling is used when the boot presses on the foot at specific points, and we cannot adequately heat and shape it.

This method of shell modification can be used interchangeably with shell relief or even simultaneously, but generally, shell milling is used for very small adjustments or where relief is not possible. It should also be known that the thickness of the ski boot shell is not even throughout, and the choice of method for adjusting the shell shape also depends on this.

Thermoformable Sidas insoles

Personalized Sidas ski insoles are recommended for every skier because during skiing, the feet undergo significant stress. Their even support has a beneficial effect on joints, circulation in the foot, stability, and the transmission of impulses from the foot to the boot and further to the ski.
Ski insoles available on the market come in several variants depending on the client's needs; we form them based on the client's foot imprint.

Insole preparation process:

• Foot analysis on a podoscope
• Selection of appropriate insoles according to client requirements (hardness, insole rigidity)
• Taking a foot imprint
• Heating the insoles in an oven to make them plastic
• Forming the insoles and cooling them
• Final grinding of the insoles so they fit the boot and have a regular shape

Benefits of using Sidas insoles:
• The foot is evenly supported, which protects our joints from excessive stress
• We control skis more precisely because the foot is better stabilized, and the perfect mapping of our foot shape makes initiating turns faster.
• Insoles significantly prevent the foot from sliding in the boot, thereby reducing the risk of abrasions, frostbite, or indentations.
• Proper foot positioning has a beneficial effect on other joints – knee, hip, spine.
• Comfort in the boot is incomparably greater
• People with orthopedic problems during skiing often feel pain resulting from, for example, flat feet, bunions, cavus foot, and others. Sidas insoles significantly or completely reduce these unpleasant sensations.
• Sidas insoles can also be worn in regular shoes for everyday use.

Therm-ic heated ski insoles

Cold feet on the slope are no longer a problem; at Kraft Sport, we have insoles with a heating system. The insoles are heated in the front part where feet get coldest, so we feel pleasant warmth right from the start. These insoles are equipped with batteries connected to the insole by cables, which are guided between the shell and the liner so they do not diminish the skier's comfort in any way. Therm-ic heated ski insoles, depending on the type of batteries, provide heat for up to 8 or 6 hours of continuous operation. Such a solution is currently the best solution to the problem of cold feet while skiing, and the latest battery model has Bluetooth that allows temperature regulation from your phone.

Volume reducers

They are used when there is too much space in the boot; this is a simple procedure to better stabilize the foot in the boot when it is too loose. The reducer is placed under the insole in the liner. The liner compresses over time, and there is more space in the boot than during the first days on the slope; in this case, a reducer with more volume can be used or the liner can be replaced with a new one.

Boot dryers

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To take good care of your feet and ski boots, it is worth getting good ski boot dryers with an antibacterial option. The problem of cold feet often results from not drying the liner properly. It is best to do this by removing the liner and insole and placing a dryer in it. Dry liners ensure better hygiene and slow down the wear of the liner.

Shin protection

Epitact, or special reusable gel pads, are applied to the shin at the point of greatest pressure from the leg on the boot tongues. The pressure is distributed evenly on our leg, which helps us avoid indentations, abrasions, and wounds. Epitact can be used up to 30 times. Just rinse the pads under running water after use, dry them, and they are ready for reuse. They are made of a material that has very mild self-adhesive properties, so they effectively stick to the leg and can be easily and painlessly removed.

You need to know that your feet are:

• THE FOUNDATION
They are responsible for maintaining the correct posture, they are responsible for stabilization, movement, and cushioning. The mass of our body rests on just a few dozen square centimeters.
• COMPLEX
They consist of 28 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 27 muscles. During exertion, the cushioning system loses its effectiveness, the foot lowers and deforms.
• ALIVE
They react to many stimuli, repeatedly loaded, they can even change their length
• SENSITIVE
Feet are heavily exploited throughout the day and are like a sensor whose feelings affect our body; unheated toes can cool the entire body
• UNIQUE
The unique shape and characteristics of your feet (length, width, height, toe arrangement, foot arches, foot muscle capacity) create the need for individual fitting

Sidas insoles are created precisely to individually care for the foot.
It is worth remembering that the boots we buy are mass-produced, while everyone's feet are individual and unique. So the question is whether the foot should adapt to the boot or the boot to the foot? We believe that adapting the boot to the foot is the right way, which is why we offer our customers Sidas insoles.
Sidas shoe insoles create an optimal connection between the foot and the boot. By using these insoles, you can feel exceptional comfort because the weight of our body is distributed evenly. We also reduce the risk of injury because the foot is more stable in different planes (longitudinally, medially, and laterally).
By using shaped insoles, you also protect other joints: knees, hips, spine. The insoles cushion well, and a well-supported foot works better, which affects the functioning of other joints during various movements.
Sidas offers various types of insoles: insoles for ski boots, running shoes, general sports, trekking shoes, and for shoes with less volume or for everyday use.