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New Fischer Boot (podium?)

hbear

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Amy know any details or have a sense on this? I'm pretty sure they changed that awful plastic so it doesn't keep cracking.

Just curious as we start looking into gear for next season.
 

Erik Timmerman

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They're beauties aren't they? I've been waiting for my foot to heal (long story, my Dobermann's bit me!) before getting these set up. I am hoping for early next week. All I can tell you is they look good. Narrow as hell. Liners are beautiful. Overlap feels a little easier in and out than my Dobies. I was concerned about instep height, but it looks good there too. Sole is not DIN. Did I mention the liners?
IMG_1248.JPG
 
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hbear

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From what I gathered on paper they look great and looks like Fischer has stepped up this year.

Interested in hearing your perspective on how they ski.
 

Tom K.

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I've been a Fischer boot guy for a long time, but the new Podiums are beyond my needs.

Stoked to hear more about the new Curvs (?). Very likely my next boot -- when it comes to feet, why mess with success?!
 

Erik Timmerman

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Finally got my boots dialed in today (or at least enough that I can try them tomorrow). Hey, better late than never, right?!? Or am I just way ahead for next season?
 

Erik Timmerman

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So, I finally got to ski them today. My only frame of reference is about 10 years of skiing Dobermann Softs, 150s and Aggressors. First things first, they are a little bigger than the Dobermans in terms of BSL and internal length for the same size boot. Just a few mm. A welcome few mm I think. In terms of fit, wow, so narrow, but then so are the Nordis they list a 92mm last and my foot is a good bit wider than 100mm. PJ Dewey did a beautiful job of stretching them for width, they really don't look like they've been messed with. The instep area is higher. I can actually use both buckles on the clog. I haven't buckled the instep buckle in years. I think the boot seems narrower and closer above the ankle. Zappa angle seems flatter on the Podium, I measure 2 degrees vs. 4 on the Dobie. I'm not sure how to measure this, but I think that the Podium has significantly less forward lean at the cuff than the Dobermann. My rough measurement is about 5 degrees less. Not sure if that is good or bad or how it can be changed. The cuff can be removed and rotated internally or externally. I'll add a picture that shows the hardware for that, and I think I may try it on my boots (but probably not until next season). There is tons of room for cuff alignment adjustment too. In the picture above you can see how the ankle star thingy on the right boot is silver vs. black on the other boot. Those are replaceable on both sides so you can move one side up and the other down, and in varying increments depending on which star thing you use.

I initially tried them on using my old broken in Dobermann liners and they seemed to fit pretty well. Usually I will ski a new boot with old liners so I can get the shell fit right before breaking in new liners. It was feeling pretty tight and PJ asked me to try it with the Fischer liners. These liners are so supple I'm not sure how to describe it. When I put on my Dobermann liners I feel like I am wearing a ski boot, I have to pull pretty hard to get my feet in and past the heel pocket. The Podium liners just glide on and they feel like a leather sock. The tongue feels really stiff and so does the upper cuff which looks like it could be carbon fiber. The new Podium liner takes up significantly less volume than the Dobie liner.

Skiing it for three runs, I'm not sure how much I can say. It was really slushy and they felt "fine" My quads may have been burning because of the different ramp and cuff angle, or maybe they were burning because I was skiing slush bumps on steep trails. I don't really know. I look forward to skiing them on some hard snow then I might have more to say about it. I do need to get a few hot spots addressed, and I may try turning the cuffs as well as doing a Dobie vs. Podium comparo on the slab.
 

Erik Timmerman

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I also should add that they went on and off easily - without using a hairdryer! It seems like the stiffness comes more from the cuff than the clog.
 

Erik Timmerman

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I've got three (short) days on my Podiums now. Took 'em back to PJ for a little more grinding, and tonight did a bit of alignment work on them. I gotta say that so far I am pretty happy with them. I was sort of feeling like the big change in angles might be a mistake and if things didn't go well, I was ready to go back to Nordica, but I don't think that will be needed. When I was skiing with @Josh Matta the other day he said, "I know it's only your first day, but right now your skiing looks better than it ever did last year". I don't know about all that, but I do feel something that I like. My theory is that maybe the Dobies had me kind of maxed out on how much I can flex. I feel looser in these boots. I've always had trouble with things that involve leaving the snow and I think that will all be easier now. One footed rills might be easier now too. Not sure yet. The stock setup I think is too upright for me. I put 2mm lifters under the heels of my bindings and I feel more in balance now. Once I am sure, I will switch the 4mm heel lifts on the boots for 6mm. Trying 1/2 degree inside canting tomorrow.
 

Philpug

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I've got three (short) days on my Podiums now. Took 'em back to PJ for a little more grinding, and tonight did a bit of alignment work on them. I gotta say that so far I am pretty happy with them. I was sort of feeling like the big change in angles might be a mistake and if things didn't go well, I was ready to go back to Nordica, but I don't think that will be needed. When I was skiing with @Josh Matta the other day he said, "I know it's only your first day, but right now your skiing looks better than it ever did last year". I don't know about all that, but I do feel something that I like. My theory is that maybe the Dobies had me kind of maxed out on how much I can flex. I feel looser in these boots. I've always had trouble with things that involve leaving the snow and I think that will all be easier now. One footed rills might be easier now too. Not sure yet. The stock setup I think is too upright for me. I put 2mm lifters under the heels of my bindings and I feel more in balance now. Once I am sure, I will switch the 4mm heel lifts on the boots for 6mm. Trying 1/2 degree inside canting tomorrow.
So, what is the ramp/cuff difference between these and your Dobies and what delta are you running now?
 

Erik Timmerman

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So, what is the ramp/cuff difference between these and your Dobies and what delta are you running now?

The Fischer is 4 or 5 degrees more upright in the spine and the same amount flatter on the zeppa, so my ankle is flexed the same in both boots. I am running my Curvs right now as my test bed since the race plate makes changes easy. I am running Z17s w a 2mm heel lift right now. I think that puts me 5mm toes down. I feel like I could maybe add another 2mm, but this is pretty good. If I did like the 4mm, it would mean I'd need some pretty thick lifters to bring that into the boot. 8mm held and 4mm toes. I hope not to do that.
 

Erik Timmerman

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Messing with the offset cuff hardware. The boots come with hardware that you can swap out to change the orientation of the cuff relative to the shoe.
IMG_1491.JPG

One set of regular hardware with one set of offset hardware.
IMG_1492.JPG

One boot done and one to go.
IMG_1493.JPG
 
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Erik Timmerman

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Two weeks with the offset cuffs now., For me that boot feels more natural this way. I felt kind of tight in them before. The first day that I wore them, I felt like I was too much on my inside edges, I had canted one degree prior to this, and that night I took the cants out and it felt perfect.

Yesterday it was -10 at the end of the day and I was able to get the boots off without using the hairdryer!
 

Corgski

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Two weeks with the offset cuffs now., For me that boot feels more natural this way. I felt kind of tight in them before. The first day that I wore them, I felt like I was too much on my inside edges, I had canted one degree prior to this, and that night I took the cants out and it felt perfect.

Yesterday it was -10 at the end of the day and I was able to get the boots off without using the hairdryer!
Just recently bought a pair of RC4 Curv 130 boots. A step down from the podium but seems to share some aspects of the design described above. Upgrading from XPro 100s, and going down a size, I was not looking forward to famed problems with removing stiffer boots in cold weather. No problem in 0 degree weather, we have had more putting on and taking off problems with the kids in their 80 - 90 flex boots. The instep plastic is soft and flexible, also makes removing and inserting liners easier.

Immediately noticed too much pressure on inside edge. Doing the rotation as shown above fixed this, the boot also just fit better overall. Fischer makes rotating the cuff an easy at home operation with all the extras required provided by default, however they do not provide the parts needed to perform a simple cuff alignment with the boots (unless I have totally misunderstood how to align these cuffs). It does seem they have gone for some default stance that they knew was not going to work for a lot of people.

Bought these as a bit of a stop gap measure, wanted something that could be easily expanded to accommodate some foot issues which will hopefully be resolved soon enough. Based on this experience would certainly look at the new range coming in next season.
 
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Erik Timmerman

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Immediately noticed too much pressure on inside edge. Doing the rotation as shown above fixed this, the boot also just fit better overall. Fischer makes rotating the cuff an easy at home operation with all the extras required provided by default, however they do not provide the parts needed to perform a simple cuff alignment with the boots (unless I have totally misunderstood how to align these cuffs). It does seem they have gone for some default stance that they knew was not going to work for a lot of people.

Do you have the colored plugs (red and silver)? If not ask at the shop.
 

Corgski

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Do you have the colored plugs (red and silver)? If not ask at the shop.
I do not, and will definitely ask. I think the rotation addressed my cuff issues but do not like the idea of further alignment not being possible down the road without being somewhere that has the correct parts on hand.
 

James

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I do not, and will definitely ask. I think the rotation addressed my cuff issues but do not like the idea of further alignment not being possible down the road without being somewhere that has the correct parts on hand.
It is a little odd. The plus side is the cuff won't change position if the screw is loose.
 

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