Excursion/T4 dilemma

[phoenix]

As some of you will recall, I've been skiing a pair of Excursions for a few seasons now. Warm comfy boots to be sure, and a suitable flex; however they're just too high volume for me to get a snug fit. Doesn't matter a lot of the time, but it becomes an issue when the snow is more difficult, and my foot's sliding around in the boot. My last resort would be to spring for some high volume Intuition liners, which might (!) improve things.

Tried some T4's on the other day, and they did seem to fit better, and flex better, than I recall they did a few years back when I tried them side by side with the Excursions. Only issue I see with the T4's is that the top of the cuffs seem to "bite" into my shin a bit when flexing forward, and they feel as though the cuff is lower than the Excursion, and have no "power strap", so it feels(in the shop) as though it's hard to get forward pressure thru the cuff.

Open to hearing thoughts and opinions.

[lilcliffy]

Hey Phoenix,
My understanding is that the T4 was redesigned in recent years- I know that the current model is different than mine.
Just stating this to keep that in mind- some may be giving advice on a different boot. I don't have any experience with the current model.
Gareth

[lowangle al]

I just got some new T4s and they do seem to have a nicer flex in the cuff than the ones I got in 2017. I didn't notice any difference in the bellows. There are no obvious differences, but I do notice that there is more overlap of the cuff over the tongue in the old boots so maybe there were changes.

I have had issues with the cuff pressing into my shin also. I think it is at the buckle and was caused by having it too tight. I saw a video from Scarpa that said the boot was designed to ski with the top buckle loose. I have figured out now and don't have any more issue with it.

[Stephen]

Would a footbed like this take up enough room to help?
https://www.tognar.com/ski-boot-insole- ... tsQAvD_BwE

[fgd135]

Boot liners pack out over time with almost any extended use.
There are all manner of ski boot fitting videos on youtube. With some patience and a little experimentation, you should be able to easily reduce your foot movement in the Excursions.
I'd certainly try those flat Tognar insoles before I'd commit $$ to another boot model, esp. if the T4 bites you in the shins.
Think about shimming the tongues of the Excursion shells, and the sides and heels of your existing liners, to reduce the volume. These types of shims are very effective if fitted properly:
https://www.tognar.com/boot-fitting-foa ... g-pads-pr/
https://www.tognar.com/boot-fitting-foa ... p-pads-pr/
Make your own shims:
https://www.tognar.com/ski-and-snowboar ... m-10-x-10/

Finally, even wearing a heavier pair of socks, or adding sock liners, may help, if you've not already tried that approach.

[Lo-Fi]

As some of you will recall, I've been skiing a pair of Excursions for a few seasons now. Warm comfy boots to be sure, and a suitable flex; however they're just too high volume for me to get a snug fit. Doesn't matter a lot of the time, but it becomes an issue when the snow is more difficult, and my foot's sliding around in the boot. My last resort would be to spring for some high volume Intuition liners, which might (!) improve things.

Tried some T4's on the other day, and they did seem to fit better, and flex better, than I recall they did a few years back when I tried them side by side with the Excursions. Only issue I see with the T4's is that the top of the cuffs seem to "bite" into my shin a bit when flexing forward, and they feel as though the cuff is lower than the Excursion, and have no "power strap", so it feels(in the shop) as though it's hard to get forward pressure thru the cuff.

Open to hearing thoughts and opinions.

I don't know if this helps, maybe at least as a reference point.

I have T3, T4 and Excursion boots. I like them all, but the Excursion is the lightest, smoothest flexing and most comfortable.

That said...

I replaced the original Excursion liner with an Intuition style liner from an old pair of snowboard boot($20 used!) that give me an extra comfy fit and are significantly lighter too.

Also, I did add a medium thick foot bed between the liner and the shell and I always wear 2(!) pairs of thick socks to kind of fill in the contours between my skinny-ish feet and the liner. Finally, I ski with the buckles at minimum tension (3 notches below and 2 notches on the cuff).

Of course everyone's feet are different, but I can't imagine ever having had a good fit in a tele boot with just a thin sock, stock liner and the boot cranked tight.

[phoenix]

FWIW, I've tried a bunch of fitting options, including using the Intuition liners out of my T1's. That liner helped a little, but was still pretty roomy, and absurdly tall. That's where I think an extra thick Intuition liner may be the only solution.
I've had problems getting decent boot fit for decades, including unsuccessful attempts by some highly renowned boot fitters; just considering my options at this point.

[wabene]

The excursions are history so there is the T-4. My feet are wide at the ball of foot to the point that I can't get into the Alaska. There is no place around here to get my hands on a T-4 so I'm flying blind here.
Is there some width to the Scarpa toe box?
If it's too narrow can the width be "punched out"? I've heard something about this and a boot fitter. I have no idea of there is a boot fitter in my area. Does nobody want my money?

[DG99]

T4s are certainly hard to get. Limited availability. You could try on some T2s sometime and extrapolate from there, to order T4s off the internet.

Some of the old T3s had a lot of the problem of the boot cutting into the ankle from being low and stiff. Not so much the current T4. Some of the older T4s had cheap but heavy liners in them so they were about as heavy as T2s. The new ones are about a pound lighter than T2s. Something to keep in mind looking at used boots.

I do think the Scarpas have a wide toe but narrow heel. Garmont never fit me well, sloppy heel and weird pressure underfoot I think, painful. Black Diamond boots were very restrictive in the toe box for me.

[stilltryin]

FWIW, I just saw a T4 on display at Skinny Skis in Jackson, WY. I have no idea what sizes they have as I was not shopping for them.