Custom boots huge failure

So the custom boots were punched out in the back of the heel cup. They do not hurt, but... I have no heel cup anymore. They lift out of my foot at every single push like they would be flip flops... Also, while not hurting, the left boot bump is still there and it still leave a mark in my bone as I take the boots out.

I skated a second time, same... there is no hope for these boots. I called my bootfiter crying...

When I first visited him around a year and a half ago... yes it is this long ago, he said that either I order custom that will fit, or I accept a stock boot modified to fit to some extent...

I wanted custom, well, now I said let's get a stock boot and continue working on custom. But what stock boot?

Custom boots reworke - new trip to the bootfiter

I called the my botfitter shop to see if there is any news for when he'll come back to work after having covid. His partner said they take appointments for the folowwing week. I expected for him to send the custom boots back for hopefully repairs. That would take, in my experience a couple of months. But what if they cannot be repaired? Will they make new ones

 BUT! The bootfitter was able to punch the back of the custom boots! I tried them on ice for just few minutes as they were heated for the punching and it is not safe to skate in them. They seem fine!

Breaking in the boots: week 3

 I don't usually go skating in weekends, I find it crowded and expensive. But...I decided to wear the boots in the house during this 4th of July long weekend, as that helps the break in quite a lot. And... after like 15 minutes... intense heel pain :(  I took the boots off and I looked at my heel and it had some deep dimples where I was feeling the boot hurting. I checked the boot and it has some kind of ridges/ wrinkles at the heel, not the lining, but inside. It seems that as they modified the boot they modified the back seem too as before I was complaining it was pushing me forward. Very nice of them, but it messed up the back seam, or the heel cup, or something... I'm sure you can imagine my level of frustration, disappointment... I was looking around the house for a tool to push in those spots, I think the pestle from my stainless steel mortar and pestle would work, but I couldn't find it. I ended up pushing with my fingers, obviously without much result. I will add for the sake of being precise, that the inside of the left heel cup is stained, I thought maybe the glue sipped through, but luckily it is not stiff, I don't know what it is.

I decided to go to the bootfiter. I wrote an e-mail on Sunday asking for a 1 minute appointment just for him to see this.... This bootfitter works only 3 half days per week Tuesday and Thursday afternoon and Saturday morning, and only by appointment. Whenever I needed his help for these boot fitting it took 2 weeks to get to see him. He is an hour away from me, I don't usually go to him for sharpening or easy things, but I trust his experience the best in boot fitting. I called Tuesday as he hasn't answered my e-mail. His apprentice answered that the main bootfiter has covid, and he is there disinfecting and they won't take appointments for this week, at least. Also the bootfitter was feeling quite bad so obviously they didn't know when he is gonna be back at work... I sent him my best and well... my boots will have to wait.

It's just that there is always something that's delaying my skating... boots sent without tracking number (twice) so  I couldn't make an appointment ahead of their arrival.,  two snowstorms because of which my appointments got canceled, I was measured wrong... twice... defects...

I decided to call the factory. I need to get this done. I think the boots have to be sent to the factory for them to open that heel and clean it, I hope there would be a local way to do it but I don't see it. That means the blades that are now close to final position will have to be taken out. I'll have to make signs where the blade was. Will they have to fill the screw holes? Will this affect the future screwing of a new blade? It did on my old boots... So many questions, and I'm looking back... everybody says trust the bootfiter, but they all say oh give it a chance, that is not a problem, I can fix that... and than they don't, and literary say the opposite thing.

Well, guess what. The factory is closed this week!

I feel the need to start a new side label "deep frustration" or "desperation".

Breaking it the custom boots: 2nd week

 Monday: 

- the heel pain was actually a little better, still unbearable, but I think I can hope it will go away as the heel cup will relax.

- the toe blister starts to heal.

- the boots start to close in and hug my foot so I felt more control and it got more clear how I want the blade. I'll explain my process of blade aligning for my pronation, in detail, in a separate post.

- the ankle still needs softening, because if you remember I ended up not heat molding for fear of not collapsing the boot.

- the heel still lifts up.

Wednesday:

- kind of same pain in the heel. It's maybe a little better? May also be wishful thinking.

- the ankle starts softening and I'm getting more control. I said I will explain how I adjust the blade and I'll just say that it is a long process involving wedges under the blade and I fell I can do it only after the boot starts to break in. I feel I'm almost there.

- my worry is the heel lifting after each push, when I point the toes. I don't know how that will affect my skating when I will be able to go at my full speed and quickens. For now it is a feeling extremely annoying, like I would wear flip flops and they would be too big and they would slide. This heel lifting supposedly happens because my surefeet inserts have high heel and they lift my heel out of the heel pocket. Another mistake in the design of the boots... especially because the "custom" insoles they did for me are even higher.

- to add to this worry is the fact that I measured the outside heel. It is as my last boots, but the rest of the sole is thicker, as I added cork... so the proportion is off, now the heel is lower than on my previous boots. If you don't remember from my past posts, I will remind you, when I first got the boots the heel was higher. 

I planned to go skating once more this week, but all this physical pain and the emotional pain of figuring out the boots process it is so draining, I just couldn't drag myself....