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What everybody should
know about plastic boots!!!
The first thing to understand is that plastic boots
consist of two different components and this will affect the way they
should be fitted:
-
The plastic shell
-
The liner
The shell will retain its shape and
rigidity throughout the life of the boot. Since the shell is made
from a mold, the majority of companies will only make one shell per size,
without half sizes. For example, the Scarpa Denali 7.5 and 8 US have the
same shell size.
Although half sizes are available in all plastic
boots, it is usually only a difference in thickness of the liner's
insole that will determine between a half size and the next full size. In
other words, a thicker insole will take up volume to make the half size
difference. If we take our Denali example again, the size 7.5 will have a
slightly thicker insole than the size 8.
What this all means is that, its much
more important to make sure the shell is the appropriate size rather than
the liner, since you can always play with different insoles thickness to accommodate
a slightly smaller foot...
On the other hand, the liner will usually
"pack out" in the first couple of week of usage.
When sizing plastic boots, make sure you don't choose
a size that is already too big for you. Usually, the liners are warm enough that
you won't need an extra pair of socks. Furthermore, the liner reduces the
friction between the shell and your foot in the same manner an extra pair of
socks would. Nevertheless, if you do want your boots to accommodate
extra socks or swollen feet (high altitude), be aware that after the liner
packs out, your boots will feel approximately half a size to a
full size bigger than when you purchased them .
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