Home Fitting

Start by making sure you have the correct ZipFit for your foot, ski boot shell, and skier type. Also, have set a quality footbeds which properly fit into your ZipFits before you start.

While the goal is to get the fit right on the first try, what makes ZipFit unique is that they can be constantly tweaked. Unlike foam injection or other thermomoldable liners, fitting Zipfits is not a one shot deal with a single chance to dial them perfectly. So really the only precaution that must be taken is the following: Do not burn or overheat your ZipFit liners*.

OK, so you’re ready to fit your ZipFits. Let’s start by massaging the inside where they will be hugging your ankles. Can you feel the OMfit cork material? This material is thermo-active, meaning that at low temperatures it is stiff and rigid, such as when skiing, but when it is warmed it becomes malleable and easy to work with.

While it is possible to just swap out your stock liners with a pair of fresh ZipFits, go skiing and let all the dynamic forces shape the OMfit, we recommend you break in new ZipFit liners in above normal temperatures. This means removing the footbeds from the liners, warming the liners and shells in a controlled way to a target temperature between 45º-60º C (115º – 140º F), putting your footbeds into the liners, stepping into the ZipFits, and then into your ski boot shells. Ideally you would go skiing in warmed boots, but you can simulate this by rolling side to side as if pressuring your edges and walking around in the warm boots.

• Use a hair dryer to warm the ZipFits, keeping enough distance and movement to avoid overheating any one area.
• Consider the hot rice in a sock method. This video does a great job outlining how to mold liners with this method. The appeal of the hot dry rice in the sock is that it will nicely heat the inside of the liner and activate the cork composite so it forms around the foot. It's also a method that ensures you won't accidentally overheat the outside of the liners and melt any of the plastic components.
• Use a Hot Gear Bag at its max setting overnight and step into the warm liners and shells in the morning.
• In an electric oven set the temperature at 50º-60º C (~130º F), making sure the broiler (the top heating element) is off and to use the fan option if available. Heat the liners, checking every few minutes, until warm to the touch and the cork is clearly malleable. Place a wooden cutting board or something between the liner and the metal wire rack. Leaving the oven door open can help to keep the heat lower.
• Boiling water. In a large stock pot, add around 1 inch of water and set it to boil. When it is boiling, add your ski boot shells upside down in the pot for a few minutes covered with a kitchen cloth so that the steam heats the shells. With the shells hot, insert the ZipFit liner with your footbed and foot into the shells. The heat from the shells will transfer to the liners and allow the OMfit cork to flow as needed.
• Take a sauna in your ski boots with your Zipfit’s in them. Alternatively let your shells and Zipfit’s sauna together then fit when warm as mentioned above.
• Place your ZipFits and shells next to a forced air heating system in your house until the OMfit cork feels malleable to the touch and your shells are softer and easier to step into.
• Successive 10-15 second bursts in a microwave in a low setting moving the liner each time so that it heats evenly and it becomes warm to the touch and the cork is clearly malleable. Place an oven mitt or rag beneath the boot so it is not in contact with the glass plate.

*Heating your ZipFits above 65º C or 150º F can cause damage to the liners and will void your warranty.