Fischer Vacuum

[Matt]

What do you think of the new Fischer boots? Many seem to believe its a game changer.

http://www.fischersports.com/en/Alpine/Technologies/Highlights/VACUUM-FIT?s_cc=1314859629

[docmartin]

I am tempted especially since I can get them at a great price. i love the concept. i am just not sure about the whole soma/abducted stance thing. i tried on some soma boots last year in a store and they felt really weird to me. Would soma work for me? i am not knock kneed (which is a counter indication for soma). But i am also not bow legged and don't have duck feet. So I am just not sure and it would be an expensive experiment to find out, especially since i don't have any issues with my atomic rt. but then again you wonder if that perfectly molded fit would be even better. the guys who got theirs fitted by the fischer rep a few days ago are raving about the fit. of course, those boots have only seen the store carpet and no snow. i have never had any issues watching tv in my ski boots...
some other issues to consider: hot gear bag could be an issue although the two lower settings are probably okay. also, fitting zipfits after the initial molding becomes an issue because you have to heat the shell. obviously, there are plenty of people who can live without zipfits and hot gear bags so these concerns are minor.

[jbotti]

I am pretty sure that the Soma boots work best for bow legged skiers and that a knock kneed skier would need tons of work in them. I think the Vacuum boots are great for someone with a really wide foot that can't fit into a race boot without a lot of work. For someone like this the choices are poor. Either ski in a wide boot that is way too soft or ski in a race boot that is the right flex, but struggle with fit. My good friend is an ex racer and coach and he is a EE width. He has done a massive amount of work to some Dobies and finally he is reasonably comfortable. He is a great candidate for the Vacuum boot. Not sure anyone else needs it especially when you factor in the soma stance.

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[chris719]

There is conflicting information out there on who benefits from an abducted stance.

I'm not 100% sure but I think it may work for knock-kneed skiers. You can test this standing up and squatting / flexing. If your knee tracks inward normally during a squat, you should find that it's lessened by a toe-out stance. The variable here is that the boot is rotated along a point that is located mid-foot, unlike the Doberman Aggressors which are from the heel.

Also I have heard no information about it's ramp angle and if it uses a conventional bootboard or not. You should also make sure that the forward lean range (14-17 degrees) is good for you unless you are willing to have work done on that aspect of the boot.

[Matt]

I think that the adbucted stance boot can help with the most important essential, tipping. If you are naturally abducted you cannot tip the inside boot very far before the foot joint makes it impossible to tip any further. An abducted boot makes this a lot easier.