Re: [Paddlewise] Waders and two part foam

At 02:36 AM 4/11/01 -0700, Matt Broze wrote:

>It may be possible to find two part foam that isn't so rock hard as Kevin
>has been using. They used to use foam with some give in custom foam fit ski
>boots years ago and one former boot fitter turned kayak seat maker fit me
>into a Nigel Foster Shadow one day five years ago to show me how it worked
>for kayak seat fitting. If I recall correctly the foam had a little give and
>he expanded it inside a bladder that already had the neoprene wet suit
>material on the side that was going to be next to me.

There was a variety of molded fit techniques in use for ski boots in
the mid 70's.  Some had an injections system that blew foam into the
boat at the shop just after you bought them.  Others had a soft foam
that would mold to your feet with pressure.  I bought a used pair
Hanson Exhibition boots (also one of the first rear entry boots) from
a guy in Colorado for $40.  They had a plastic bag filled with a soft
wax.  The bag was between the outer shell and a 1/2" wide soft black
rubber "bootie".  When I first bought them I had to use a hair dryer
to soften the wax a bit and get a reasonably comfortable fit.  After
using them one day, just the heat from my foot molded the wax so that
they fit like a second skin.  I used those boot for 8 years and just
loved them up.  Eventually the rubber bootie started to deteriorate
and one day, on a cold morning at Squaw Valley I tried pulling them
on and one of the booties just ripped in half.


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