Tag Archive for: Steve Cohen

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Wendy Clinch and Steve Cohen emailed pictures of their license plates. Wendy is founder of TheSkiDiva, an online community of women skiers and author of “Is Resort Skiing Getting More Dangerous,” in this issue. Her Vermont plate reads: SKIDIVA. Steve is CEO and  co-founder of Masterfit Enterprises, the snowsports industry’s foremost boot and shoe fitting company.  While executive editor of Ski Magazine, he created the magazine’s on-hill boot testing program. His New York plate reads: SKI365.

 
 

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Ask The Expert: Ski Boot Advice

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How To Buy A First Pair Of Boots At 65 Years Old.

A Question From Reader Greg Merritt:

I just found and joined your group. I was wondering if you can give me some guidance on how to buy my first pair of boots (so many choices). I am 65 years old and weigh 215 on a 5’10 frame. Have skied Lake Tahoe, Aspen, Breckenridge, Telluride, Steamboat, and headed to Big Sky in March. Ski once or twice a year and can ski mainly groomed blacks and some ungroomed. Have always rented my equipment. But thinking about taking the plunge and purchasing ski boats. Any suggestions?

Response From Steve Cohen, CEO of MasterFit, skiing’s foremost company on boot and shoe fitting.

Wow! You’ve been a lot of great places. Too bad you didn’t experience them with your own ski boots! There’s nothing like having your own boots that are fit to your feet. 

The best advice we can give is to put yourself in the hands of a professional bootfit shop. And doing it at a ski area lets you make quick revisits for modifications, if necessary. 

If you’re heading to Big Sky, we recommend Grizzly Outfitters. They’re a member of the America’s Best Bootfitters organization of top shops that specialize in bootfitting. Check them out at www.bootfitters.com. 

Jon Weisberg

Snow Sports Leaders: Steve Cohen, CEO, MasterFit Enterprises

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[Editor Note: Steve Cohen, CEO and co-founder of Masterfit Enterprises, oversees the Masterfit University Training Centers, the America’s Best Bootfitters organization of top ski bootfitting shops, and Masterfit’s insole and bootfitting products lines. He created the annual national on-hill boot testing program in 1988 while serving as executive editor of Ski Magazine. He is a senior contributor and co-authors all the boot content for Ski and Skiing magazines and their websites, and for the America’s Best Bootfitters website (www.bootfitters.com).]

Steve Cohen, CEO, MasterFit

Experienced skiers advise that ski boots rank most important. Why is that?

Boots are both the suspension and steering link between the body and the ski. If your boots don’t fit comfortably and efficiently transmit power between foot and ski, you’ll never ski to the best of your ability.

What’s more important for comfort and performance: boot liners or boot insoles?

Both are important. But the liners that come with most quality ski boots are pretty good and bootfitters are great at making comfort and fit modifications to them.

The insole is a critical fit, stance and performance component. But the dirty little secret of the ski boot world is that the insoles that come in most ski boots, even the most expensive ones, aren’t very durable or supportive. In fact, boot companies expect skiers to upgrade their insoles so they see it as a place to shave cost.

Think of your boot insole as the foundation for the entire boot. If you aren’t standing on a stable, well-balanced platform, all the joints above that are so crucial to executing a ski turn—ankles, knees and hips—will be out of kilter. That can lead to pain and make it difficult to execute turns.

Explain the importance of Masterfit University and seeking out a shop with an “America’s Best Bootfitter” designation when getting boots fitted.

Would you rather go to an auto mechanic with professional training or one who figured stuff out by trial and error? Masterfit University is where ski retailers send their personnel to be trained in the science and art of bootfitting by the world’s elite bootfitters.

The shops that earn the America’s Best Bootfitters mark of distinction are the best of the best. They have elite skills, knowledge and a complement of specialized tools to provide the best in boot sales and service.

Do you recommend custom insoles for ski boots, or are off-the-shelf models sufficient?

Depends on how often you ski and your aspirations. What we call drop-ins or cut-to-fit models definitely provide better fit, stability and comfort than stock insoles. They’re great for skiers on a budget and those who ski infrequently or at a casual pace. But if you have a complex foot problem, stance issue, ski frequently, or aspire to ski at an advanced level, custom insoles should be inside your boots.

How frequently should skiers replace their boots?

That’s a function of how often they ski. Full-time instructors and others who ski daily will replace their boots every year or two.

For recreational skiers, figure 150-175 days of use or 7-8 years. Whichever comes first. The boot’s shell is subject to incredible stresses in every turn. The plastic eventually loses resiliency and strength and can even crack or explode. The padding in the liner also compacts and loses its resiliency. Components like buckles start breaking. I like to have a transition season where I phase out a boot and break in a new one.

If you frequently walk on hard surfaces with boots, all the guidelines above can be tossed out. Once your soles start wearing thin or losing their shape, it can affect how your binding releases. That’s serious stuff. Your binding may not hold you in when it should or it might not release when it should. Both are dangerous situations. Your boot/binding interface should be inspected and tested periodically by a certified shop.

What should older skiers be looking for when they’re shopping for a pair of boots?

A good bootfitter to guide them. Older feet have more problems and need someone with experience and skills to help in the selection and make modifications and accommodations. Older skiers might also want to consider a softer boot than they used in the past as well as one designed for easy entry/exit and easy to close and open buckles.

Masterfit organizes the annual event where the coming season’s boots are evaluated. The results appear in Ski, Skiing, and at the America’s Best Bootfitters website and inform ski shop sales personnel around the country. How is this information relevant for older skiers?

We have a lot of exceptionally-experienced skiers who are 50+ testing boots for us. Their experiences and feedback gives older skiers a reference point from which to start a boot search.

 

Tamsin Venn

Bootfitting 101: TLC For Old “Soles”

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Here's a boot fitting pro doing a stance analysis. Credit: Steve Cohen

Here’s a boot fitting pro doing a stance analysis.
Credit: Steve Cohen

Older people have messed up feet, says Steve Cohen philosophically. Cohen is CEO of Masterfit Enterprises, a company that specializes in training ski shop salespeople to fit boots properly. The company also tests boots, makes insoles and boot fit aids and runs America’s Best Bootfitters, an organization of top bootfitting shops.

“Think how many miles senior feet have trod. They’re like an old car suspension, a little more played out,” he says.

Help is on the way.

“Many people are in boots one size too big for them, some are amazingly even in boots three sizes too big,” says Cohen. “You need snug fitting boots to steer with your ankle, set your edge, and let the ski do its thing with an arc turn. Movement should be minimal to get your ski to turn where you want it.”

The way to test boot size? Remove the liner, slide your foot into the boot until your big toe touches the front. Make sure there is not more than a finger’s to a finger-and-a-half’s width of space between your heel and the shell. That will ensure a snug fit when the liner is reinserted.

Typical foot problems that occur with age are: thinning of the fat pads cushioning the soles, plantar fasciitis (inflammation caused by the stretching of the connective tissue that runs from the front of the heel to the metatarsal heads sole), bunions, and poor circulation.

One recommendation Cohen makes off the bat is to replace the stock insole with an upgraded model that provides support in two key places, the arch and the

Fitting boots may require custom-fit insoles. Credit: MasterFit

Fitting boots properly may require custom-fit insoles.
Credit: MasterFit

heel.

Other pieces of advice:

  • To ease your foot into the boot, spray the spine of the liner with dry silicone spray or use a giant shoehorn, made specifically for ski boots.
  • Remove liners frequently so they can dry out. Your foot sweats and produces moisture. If it sweats a lot, use an underarm anti-perspirant on your feet.
  • Buckle your boots when not in use, to preserve the shape of the plastic.
  • Use thin socks, the liners will provide the necessary insulation.
  • The cuff of the boot should wrap snugly with buckle bails set somewhere near the beginning to middle of the ladders. If you’re near the end of the ladder, the buckles may deform the shell and change the boot’s intended flex pattern.
  • To keep feet warm, start with a warm boot. Use a heated boot bag to keep boots toasty on the way to the slopes or place a microwavable hot pack inside each boot (remove before skiing!). Use Boot Gloves, neoprene insulating covers that Cohen swears by. Or—bootfitters’ trick—put a layer of adhesive aluminum foil underneath the insole (stock or custom) to help reflect heat back to the foot.
  • When shopping for boots, expect to spend several hours. Go when shop personnel are least busy, midweek, midmorning.

“Never buy boots online. In the shop, you’re buying the boot fitter’s knowledge and skills, which is priceless,” says Cohen. “You will get boots that are comfortable and will last you many years. A lot of people buy new boots before their old ones are truly done because they don’t fit or perform well.”

Check out bootfitters that belong to America’s Best Bootfitters. They can help you select a proper fitting ski boot, make modification to enhance fit, comfort, and warmth. Good bootfitters can also stretch or grind shells and liners to relieve pain caused by bunions or other bony prominences.

It’s all good for the senior soles.