That has always been a problem for me in ski boots. My feet are wide in the toes, and I have a slightly high arch. In fact, if anything, the custom form fitting of these boots discourages you from cranking the buckles down, because it puts too much pressure on your foot - there''s simply not that much play inside the boot. I found that the buckles did not need to be torqued down at all - the natural fit of the boot made it snug all around without me having to use the buckles to pull them tight. Once I found the right settings (on the fourth day), they were as close to actually being comfortable as a ski boot can get. That’s a really critical process with these boots. On my first trip with these boots, I spent the first three days working out the proper buckle adjustments. I am a 41 year old skier and expect these boots to see me through the end of my skiing career. The stiffness and transmission of movement to the ski is perfect for my ability level, which is probably upper intermediate. I suspect they will be more comfortable than my bedroom slippers once that I do. I still haven't had them heat moulded, although I probably will. From the first time I put them on they were more comfortable than the Technicas that I had been wearing for 4 years. That being said, they are everything I had thought that they would be when I was shopping. I tried them on anyway and - BOOM! - they were a perfect fit! She gave them to me! I asked what size they were and she said 12. She said that her ex had left them there when they broke up and that I could have them if they fit. I picked them up to look at them and was astounded to see that they were the exact model that I had so desired. One night I was over at a girl's house that I was dating and I spotted a pair of ski boots in the back corner of her garage. I broke my leg skiing that year, and so I didn't think about new boots for a while.

I had been shopping for a new pair of boots, and had decided that if/when I bought one I would get the Salomon Xwave 9s. I had been skiing in a pair of Technicas that I had bought for $75 when I got my first pair of skis.

Salomon xwave x