Boot Solutions Hakuba — Local services in Hakuba

From HELP to HELL. Never expect to be utterly disrespected during boot fitting.

The story began with a loose boot. I purchased a StepOn in Burton Tokyo and couldn't wait to try them out in Hakuba, however, the comfortable fit boot turned out pretty loose when I started riding on the snow. Therefore I reached out to Boot Solutions as recommended by the snowboarding instructor.

The experience of the first visit was great. I was served by a Japanese staff and multiple pads with different thickness were added to the ankle according to my need and feedback, and the modification was done in multiple rounds. I felt listened and understood even the Japanese staff wasn't fluent in English communication. The price was 4800 yen for around 30 minutes of service and thus I also purchased a boot heater from the store since I felt like they had done me a great flavor. I was told to try the modified boot out first and then come back again for adjustment. And the adjustment cost would probably be around 2000yen, said by the Japanese staff.

After 3 more days of riding, I figured out which part of the boot I would like to further enhance in order to make it more tight. So I booked the service again on my last day in Hakuba. However, that's the beginning of my nightmare.

I was served by the "Master" James, who seems to be the most experienced guy in the store, although I was expecting to be served by the same Japanese staff. I told James how I felt about the boot and what I needed in order to make it fit my feet more. After he further checked my feet and the boot, he started to put on multiple thick pads quickly. The process was so fast and he made decisions without communicating, and I couldn't get much advice from James. During the modification process, James just gave me a huge attitude: I don't want to help and I'll make you pay.

Highlights of what he said: "I feel embarrassed about putting so many pads on your boot" "I can do whatever you want, but I will just charge you accordingly"

He even wrote with a marker "the boot is too big" on the additional insole before slapping it onto my boot

This is the most horrible experience I have ever had. If the boot isn't worth further modification, I prefer getting this advice ahead and not spending money on it. I didn't need this humiliation in order to understand that this boot I newly purchased is not my perfect size, and even pay a ridiculous price to be treated like this.

When James just kept adding a lot of thick pads in multiple locations at the same time, I had a hard time actually feeling the boot getting better or not. He never gave me the chance because he made all the decisions himself without actually communicating with me. I didn't feel like any proper communication was done during the whole process, and I didn't feel like James wanted to serve. It felt more like watching him throw a tantrum.

In the end, I was mostly stunned, and decided to end this service even tho the boot wasn't really modified in the way I was looking for. What hit me at the end, was the ridiculous price. I was charged 28500 yen, very very far from the 2000 yen enhancement I was expecting, not to mention I didn't actually get the boot modified to a certain extent that I needed.

This was an experience in hell. I peeled off the unfitting thick pads (they cost 6000 yen according to the receipt) immediately after two rides in the afternoon, which simply goes to show how much James' 'service' was completely unprofessional and simply useless. James might be the most experienced boot fitting guy in Hakuba, but he is definitely the rudest western guy I have ever...

Update - see below for my preliminary review.

If I could give 10 stars I would. James is an absolute miracle worker! I was hoping for a good fit and comfort (see below). I was NOT expecting James to fix my skiing but WOW!! What a difference. A pervasive fault I’ve battled with for 10 years and it’s fixed in a day. What an expert knowledge of biomechanics James has. I’m so thrilled. I didn’t bring my own skis this trip but they are going to think it’s someone else in the bindings next time I take them out.

Now if you don’t take his advice & want silly things done to boots that don’t fit in the first place, well that’s probably outside the range of possible miracles, but if you listen you’ll get what you need at the best price. And at a fair price too - he had the opportunity to sell me new shells, but no, he assured me the ones I had were fine.

Some minor adjustments by Sataru and the boots are PERFECT! Also giving a shout out to the rest of the staff who are all just so lovely & welcoming. THIS SHOP IS WORTH TRAVELLING TO.

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A preliminary review after the best boot fitting experience ever! I can’t wait to try my new boots tomorrow & I will report back once I do.

But I can’t wait to review. For context, my feet are a boot fitters nightmare. 2 sizes smaller than the smallest boot most manufacturers make, but I’m advanced skier (and qualified instructor), so options are very limited. I’ve previously travelled to specialist boot fitters in 3 different countries, so I’ve dealt with many boot fitters (most of whom have given up in despair). I own a pair of every ski boot made in my size & the only ones that worked well gave up last season after 10 years. Needless to say I was nervous about getting new ones.

James is quite simply a class apart. Instantly spotting what I needed, what might work, what wouldn’t, discussing whether an option potentially available next year might be worth waiting for, he quickly gained my confidence. I knew he wouldn’t sell me something unsuitable just because it’s what was in stock, which has happened several times before.

And amazingly, James was able to tell me what my main problem skiing is - which Level 4 ski instructor trainers have struggled to diagnose - just by looking at my feet.

We ultimately settled on new liners, new footbeds with a brave new ramp angle, and new heating elements. At one point in the shop I was near tears - just sheer hope - after so many years of ski boot trouble. Finally I felt someone actually got it. So I can’t wait to try them out tomorrow!

But just for knowledge, experience and customer service alone - I unreservedly recommend Boot Solutions and particularly James for boot fitting. I’d have flown from Europe years ago...

I visited to buy new boots. I am an advanced/expert skier looking for tight-fitting boots with a stiff flex. Pros: This store is dedicated to selling and fitting ski boots, and the staff know what they are talking about and take the time to find the proper boots for you. When you are seen, you are not rushed, the staff listens to what you want, and I didn't felt pressured into buying a boot. After you buy your boots and go skiing, if you have a problem (I did - blood flow was being cut off, and several pressure points in the toe needed adjusting), they will work hard to ensure the boots fit the way you want. I was looking for very tight-fitting boots, so my initial issues were not unexpected. I needed to return 3 times for adjustments, but the boot was perfect in the end. Everyone I interacted with was courteous and friendly.

Cons: The store can get very busy - you may have to wait a couple of hours depending on the time of day. You can make an appointment online (recommended), but if you have an issue and need to drop in, I'd recommend arriving at 8 am to get on the waitlist early. A plus is that they have a coffee shop where you can hang out if you have to wait. Another reviewer mentioned that all of the staff are non-Japanese. From what I saw, this is true - most of the staff I interacted with were Australian, American, or European. As an English speaker, this was not an issue for me, but I can understand the frustration of the Japanese reviewer. They have lots of different staff working as boot fitters. This is to handle the number of customers. Still, it can be a little frustrating to talk to three different boot fitters about the problem - not a biggie for me, as everyone seemed professional and knew what they were talking about, but did find I was repeating myself a bit. Because they are busy, you might find that the brand or boot you want in your size is unavailable - they have the stock they have.

Overall: If you visit Niseko from overseas, this is a great, friendly place to buy boots and have them professionally fitted. If you are Japanese and don't speak English, you might want to ask if they have...