The GF fancies skiing but has size 3 feet and big calves. Tried some today but no way will they fit!

any advice?

Go somewhere with lots of boots? Decathalon for budget?

Lady boots are generally designed to be more roomy in tha calf iirc. Rear entry for ability to create more calf space.
I wouldn’t buy when most good rental shops will carry a range of lasts and fitments and gives you the optionbtonswap out in resort if you picked the wrong size in store.

Try head boots, they are higher volume and have more room for the calf.

If you haven’t skied before then hire boots and then buy when you can shell out a bit for them and get a good, well fitting pair with a customer footbed in there. Budget around 300 quid.

And go to a decent ski boot fitter, they will get a boot to fit and can modify boots to make more room if needed.

Best way to put her off is get poor fitting boots!! Hell hath no fury like a women with painful ski boots. Best advice is to hire initially – if they are uncomfortable you can take them back to the shop and swap for a different model. Also, fit not so critical as a beginner so you can afford to fit them a bit bigger than you would once you progress. If she sticks at it, then definitely visit a proper boot fitter – visit snowheads forum for recommendations when you’re at that stage, but Rivington Alpine in the NW and Solutions for Feet in Bicester are always the standout recommendations.

dirksdiggler – Member
Rear entry for ability to create more calf space

Rear entry?? Where do you buy your ski boots, the 1980s?? 😆

jblewi – Member

And go to a decent ski boot fitter, they will get a boot to fit and can modify boots to make more room if needed.

heat boot > shove rugby/NFL ball in to appropriate depth > boot now fits a bigger calf 🙂 Possibly don’t try at home….

Best advice is to hire initially

yep

Four issues here
1) Problem calves and feet
2) Poverty spec budgets – and it isn’t the cheap time of year for gear
3) Risk of rocking up to a hire shop in resort and finding what’s left
4) ? being new to skiing and so lower tolerance of ski boots and a technique which will cause more pain in boots.

I am not sure you can square all these.
I’d try going to a dry slope, or indoor snow slope for an introductory lesson package if she is new to skiing, or for an hour if she isn’t, and seeing if they can fix the problem with the rental boots they have, and they work on the slope as well as in the shop.
If they can – ? identical boots cheap off ebay? – or prebook identical ones in resort? – or ?? make the slope a lowball offer?

If budget isn’t an option, yes – a good fitter, here or in resort. Soutions 4 feet always considered the best, but I think Colin may be more about racing/performance fit.

nah Colin will fit whatever’s needed, but he is (understandably) popular with people wanting to push themselves and their kit.

cbike, where (roughly) in the country are you?

Where do you buy your ski boots, the 1980s??

Haha, fair point. Being that my current 2016 model year boots are based on Raichles flexon 3 piece cabrio tech from 1980 you may well be right 😉
Alpina do still offer a rear entry boot with a soft beginner flex.

Hmm, big calves, the old problem trying to buy ski boots for the “normal” woman’s leg, when I’m sure they must be designed to only fit skinny-legged men!
FWIW, I used to have Salomon (although a racing boot) and there were generally enough different (looser) positions on the leg clips to get a reasonable fit.
I am going back about ten years to when I worked on a dry ski slope though.