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With a thorough understanding of the shape and mechanics of the foot, Sporting Life's expert boot fitters will
skillfully analyze your individual needs when finding your perfect ski boot. Points of careful consideration
include the type of skier, needs of the skier in relation to size and fit, weight bearing, athletic stance,
ankle flexion, vertical stance, foot structure, and ideal stance. Potential problems that our experts are
trained to recognize include severe pronation, supination, and different applications of misalignment.
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 BACKGROUND
When examining feet before fitting any boots, one must understand the shape of the foot, the width of the foot in relation to length, the mechanics of the foot, and any potential problems caused by any mechanical deficiencies. The type of skier and the needs of the skier in relation to size and fit must also be considered.
 WEIGHTED vs. UNWEIGHTED
It is also critical to understand the principals of weighted and unweighted. Since 1/4 of your body's bones are in your feet, weight bearing tends to make your feet wider and longer than when sitting down. It is important to understand the correlation between this and the amount of mechanical motion your feet make to help in the correct sizing and the type of foundation one wants to use to support it.
 ATHLETIC STANCE
Looking at an athletic stance in regards to comparing both sides of the body and alignment also helps when determining the right equipment and the right criteria when looking at any positive changes that may help you achieve better skiing success.
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 ANKLE FLEXION
Ankle flexion, do you have a lot or a little? An elongated Achilles or a tight one? Range of motion is very important in terms of boot flex and possible ramp angle. You can also see how the outside of the foot changes as you pressure weight to the forefoot.
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 VERTICAL STANCE
Vertical stance is criteria not to be overlooked. The calf height and shape, the height of the instep, and the weight bearing of the foot can be looked at.
 FOOT STRUCTURE
Looking at the back structure of the feet and legs can show many things. Most importantly are the angles in relation from the heel to the ankle. The shape of the lower leg can also be reviewed as it is a direct link and responds to any thing derived from the positioning of the ankle.
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 IDEAL STANCE
Ideal Stance in the simplest of terms is to have the center of the knee mass over top of the inside center line of the boot (over the first and second toe).
 SEVERE PRONATION
Severe Pronation (bad alignment) - Misalignment in the ankle joint (subtalor), whereby the inside of the foot collapses, can be very misleading for the fit of the boot in terms of the elongation of the inside of the foot and the width difference of the foot. In addition, the leg angles and performance can be disrupted. As seen in the diagram, the foot pronates and the knee mass swings to the inside therefore the hips drop and misalignment and balance are lost.
 SUPINATION
Supination - Supination, or having the knee driving off center to the outside, can be hardest to deal with. Its effect can be hard for skiers wanting to better their skills. As boot fitters, the problem solving has to be carefully judged and corrected. Having the knee drive to the outside can make you lose power and feel like you are “catching your edges all the time.” You may also strain and tire your legs and knees out very fast with having to overcompensate.
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 Different Applications of Misalignment
 ACUTE Q ANGLE
The most common with skiers and women is a very acute Q angle. Due to pronation and/or our wider hip, the angle forces the knees to come together making it very hard to hold an edge which also puts a lot of stress on the knees as they rotate to the inside. In today's method of skiing, it would be very hard to ski functionally with both feet and ankle simultaneously.
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