The well run rental shop must recognize and attack this problem. The solution starts at Las Vegas or at the regional buying shows. Selecting the proper rental boot is as important as the rental binding and considerably more so than skis.
When shopping for rental boots, put yourself in the role of a beginning skier. You may never have had anything on your feet more complicated than sneakers. Put the boot on and step into a pair of skis. Lean forward. If you feel pain in your ankle or stretching of the achilles tendon, the boot is improperly designed or constructed.
Look for a rental boot that is easy to enter. Avoid boots with a multitude of flaps or buckling mechanisms. The boot should locate the foot perpendicular to the leg. If the footbed is flat, the upper collar should be vertical. If the footbed angles forward at seven degrees, so should the collar. The boot must be compatible with your bindings. Make sure the sole meets DIN standard 7880. The upper must act as a lever in a forward fall. The hinging mechanism and upper collar should apply pressure on the skier several inches above the ankle. Make sure you differentiate between pain and pressure. Do not be fooled by boots that look high but are actually low.
Another consideration is replacement parts. Make sure the company is going to stock buckles not only for this season, but for as long as you plan to keep the boots in service. Otherwise you may find yourself paying for a special run of bales made by the local spring factory.
Along with construction and fit, you’ll be looking at price. Don’t be swayed by the word “rental” stamped on the bottom of the boot. Generally speaking manufacturers do not design rental boots. They design a line of boots for the next season. Then it is decided which price boot will be the most competitive in the rental market.
As a general rule, buy the most expensive boot you can afford. The better built, more expensive boot will generally last longer, be warmer, give the customer a better fit and adapt more readily to modifications.
Your final buying consideration is the boot last. A professional rental facility should offer customers a selection of lasts. To do this, you have three options: 1. buy a variety of boots with different lasts, 2. modify or pre-fit a portion of your inventory, 3. supply a boot fitter with boot fitting aides and train him in boot altering techniques.
To buy a selection of wide, narrow or average-lasted boots rely on company reps to help you determine best width. A rough buying guide is: 15% of your boots should have a narrow last, 75% fall in the middle and the remaining 10% should be wide boots.
There are several ways to pre-modify or change boot lasts. To narrow boots, lace L pads (made from high density foam or bought commercially) between the liner and the shell. To widen boots, warm the shell and stretch the forebody of the foot cavity area. To accomodate wide-calved legs, cut vertical slits in the upper collar of the boot. (If you drill holes in the end of the slits it will prevent them from continuing).
Finally, to customize boots on the spot, supply the rental employee who is responsible for helping people get into boots with some simple boot fitting aides. Insoles and heel cushions, are the “aspirins” of boot fitting. Insoles decrease the volume of the boot, making it smaller, or they can elevate the footbed into a wider cross section making it feel wider. Heel cushions can reduce the arch for people with flat feet. For wide-calved people, the cushion can move the shin up in relation to the collar.
Boots with difficult lasts, whether purchased or created, must be identified. One way is to name the different lasted boots with short three letter words such as cat or hat. This eases the communication for both your customers and rental personel.
To achieve comfortable rental boots takes time, money and effort. It may slow down the rental process, but it will decrease the number of people returning with complaints.
