Custom Ski Boots From...Jersey

New York City is a remarkable place. It's so big and so diverse that it's hard to imagine that anything you might want wouldn't be here somewhere. Strange ingredients for cooking the kind of obscure Asian dishes I couldn't make in my hometown? Easy. Twenty-five different kinds of fake blood to ensure you get the color and consistency you want? No problem. Thousands of buttons all in one store? Yup. Himalayan cuisine? Duh. Ski equipment? Fat chance.

New York, it turns out, isn't a great place for outdoor sporting goods, period. I guess this makes sense, and it's not often that I'm on the market for a kayak or a crash pad, but when I went on the hunt for ski boots a few weeks ago I was dismayed by my results. Huge sporting goods stores like REI, Paragon, and EMS all seem to keep a few pairs in stock, of course, but it's important to get the perfect boots for hitting the slopes. They have to fit tightly enough to control your skis but not so tightly that they're uncomfortable after you've been wearing them for seven hours. I've had lots of trouble with boots in the past that cinched so tight they made my feet numb. One pair I rented last winter caused me to lose a toenail after a day's worth of constant rubbing in the wrong place! Ew. I'm happy to rent skis and poles, but I really wanted my own boots to ensure this sort of thing didn't happen again. Plus, Ed got me battery-powered boot warmers for Christmas, and I wanted to install them and say goodbye to cold feet on the mountain forever.

After fruitless searching online, I ended up on a discussion board about ski boot-shopping in NYC and came across a shop in New Jersey that got rave reviews. Everyone said the drive was a pain, but well worth it. So be it. I called, made a two-hour appointment (that's how long they said it would take) and reserved a car. On Saturday, Ed and I drove about 45 minutes northwest and ended up parked in front of a tiny store. Heino's was filled to bursting with ski apparel, helmets, skis, snowboards, poles, and handwarmers. But they're really famous for their boot-fitting services, and a whole room in the shop was dedicated to helping customers find the perfect boot.

It really did take two hours. First, my feet were measured and I had to tell Derek, my boot guru, about what kind of skier I am, what kind of foot issues I've had in the past, which boots I've liked and disliked, etc. Then I had to mimic bending into moguls and making turns in bare feet. All the while, Derek made sounds of concentration and wrote furiously on a clipboard. Finally, out came the boots. I tried on four pairs initially and had to report exactly what I felt and where. Then had to keep on pair on for about 15 minutes to see what would happen. They were a bit too tight (Derek said this is what I was looking for, as they'd loosen up after the custom fitting and then some more with use), but my arches were killing me. Of course they were, Derek said, because I pronate (I do?) and needed special inserts. Feeling decidedly uncool, I agreed to all this, and he set to work making my boots really mine.

The first step was to heat up the inserts for about 15 minutes, then pop them into the boots and strap them onto my feet as tight as they would go. I was instructed to walk around the shop for ten minutes while they molded to my feet, ankles, and legs, which I did, meditating on what Chinese girls must have endured during foot binding. Then each of my feet was pressed into a very hot, cushy pad for a few minutes to take an imprint. Derek disappeared for a while and returned with custom footbeds, which he put into my boots. I was told to put them on again and leave them on for a bit. They felt incredible. The footbeds were not cheap, but I was instantly relieved I'd decided to spring for them. It was amazing how much the boots had loosened up already, and my foot felt supported and solid within the boot. I felt I'd be able to control my skis' tiniest movement and would have loved to take them out immediately. But alas, it was getting dark. Plus Heino's was getting ready to close, so there wouldn't be time to have my new boot warmers installed. But Ed is confident that he and I can figure it out. Not for nothing am I dating a mechanical engineer.

My first ski trip of the year is in less than a week, and I simply can't wait to shred the slopes in my new boots!