Heat molding your ski boots can be an important step to achieve optimal comfort and performance. This process is often referred to as a “boot bake. A professional boot fitter will heat your boot liners in a fancy little oven, have you stand with your toes on a 2×4 for a while, and boom. Perfect fit.
This, of course, is a dramatic oversimplification of an important process. Professional boot fitters can work magic and their skills should be recognized. Anyone who has ever had a shell punched to alleviate excruciating pain can attest to these skills.
The DIY crowd might be delighted to learn that you can bake your boot liners in your oven at home. SnowCode.org has a fantastic resource for baking your boots at home. It should be acknowledged that beer appears to be an important part of this procedure. A wine cooler or bubbly water should work as well.
The process is quite straightforward. It requires preheating your oven to 300-degrees and then turning it off. Place your boots on a cookie sheet or piece of foil and insert them in the oven. Leave them in for 9-12 minutes, the boots may slightly expand. It is better to be cautious with this part as you don’t want our boots to start to char. The remainder of the process is relatively straightforward.
We can’t recommend that you pop your fancy new liners into the oven. That said, the adventurous and hands-on crowd may enjoy this process. When in doubt, go see a professional.
Images from: Intuition Liners Facebook Page
