My Freakin' Salomon X-Wave 8.0s

Jan 11, 2007  ·  12:42 PM  ·  permalink

I bought these boots two seasons ago. At the time, I had a pro deal with Salomon and they were billed as being good performance combined with comfort. After some issues with sizing, I got them sorted out and started skiing in them.

Agony. After a bump run I’d be desparately fumbling for the buckles in a panic to get them off my feet. It reminded me of Steve’s Martin’s absurdist short story Cruel Shoes. I compromised that season and wore them rather loose—I also didn’t ski all that much.

But last season, I determined to fix the problem and paid numerous visits to Larry the Bootfitter—at $10-$20 a visit, I could afford it, and after several fittings consisting molding, adjusting, shimming, padding, and forming the liners, the problems seemed to be solved—as long as I used precisely the right amount of buckle tension and no more.

But the success of the past was ephemeral and I seem to be back to square one. The boots are either sloppy or torturous and, inexplicably, my right boot has started placing entirely too much pressure on the outside of my foot. Torquemada would be proud.

I guess it’s time for another trip to Larry, but maybe it’s also time to give up on these boots. I love every other piece of Salomon equipment I own, so part of me insists that I’m to blame but, like any troubled relationship, there comes a point when you start to feel that you’re throwing good money after bad….