Toe bang, really want to make boots work.

[Lo-Fi]

…It could be that I'm a 27.0 excursion shell also but thats unexpected because I thought the Syner G 27.5 shells could definitely have been a size smaller.

… My brief period with excursions was revolutionary. I ditched climbing skins and cables and just looked for little places to ski down. This was a big deal because I thought that number of turns was dependent on planning long ascents and descents, and the descents were so often mediocre. I still of course want to ski mountains, but I actually got more turns this way, and think it may be how to exploit this environment.

Here’s something to try:

Look for a pair of used snowboard boots with a simple wrap liner. They look and feel extremely similar to Intuition liners I’ve had in other boots. Look for Lamar or Morrow brand(but I’ve seen them in other brands too) and/or the telltale stitched top edge of the liners. I’ve bought a few pairs, always for <$30.

I’ve used these with great success for a few pairs of tele boots: Excursions, T3s and T4s. The liners are comfy and super-light. You’ll drop a couple hundred grams per boot over the stock liners.

Sizing wise, I’ve found that I could size up for the liners and size down for the shells! So, I normally wear stock 11(11-11.5 Excursion shell and liner), but for these snowboard Intuition style liners I fit best in a size 12 liner in a 10-10.5 Excursion shell.

One other tip, if you have any extra volume(not length) in the boot, try adding an extra sock rather than cranking down on the buckles. I always wear 2 pairs of socks and ski my boots on the loosest settings and in walk mode.

I totally agree about finding turns wherever. With a pair of Koms and Excursions on, I feel perfectly adapted to and virtually invincible on almost any terrain and conditions available.

The other thing with those snowboard boot liners is the toe box is more rounded than the Excursion stock liners and so gives more volume and toe wiggle room. I think they fill the rounded interior of the shell better and are less pointy than the stock.

Also, the foam is thinner and is one continuous thickness all around the toes which which also gives more volume around the toes and is softer and more compliant if your toe is pushing on it. They are less built up than the stock liner which uses different thickness foams for the top and bottom of the toebox, and has the fairly stiff outsole with some reinforcement materials over and in front of the toes - stock is likely more supportive and long-term more durable, but less roomy.

[John Dee]

I've got Excursions with the stock (non moldable) liners. What does your foot actually measure (like on a Bannock device) for a street shoe? Meanwhile sounds like the preesure might be form the place where the tongue is sewn to the body of the liner, and there's that extra piece of elastin sewn over that too.

Everyone is different, and most of my experience is with T2 Eco (and Garmont Syner-G) and above, in height and stiffness (mostly NTN), plus alpine boots. I usually go for 2 fingers in shell fit. I'm inclined to believe your shell is just too small.

8.5 E. Moving to mondo sizes has been so weird. I almost always wear a US10 and 43. Now I'm technically an 8.5 (26, 26.2mm) and wearing the equivalent of 9 or 9.5's. I probably wore 9's when I was 14 years old. Its an eye opener about how slight sizing is, and i've noticed the extra length in some of my 43 nnnbc ski boots, which I don't like. I also thought my 42 Guards were a whole size mismarked, but see now they're not.

I will definitely be trying what @Lo-Fi described in his excellent post. It seems to adress everything I thought was happening.

The other thing really funny about this injury is that it happened so equally to both feet. I think part of the problem was that I wasn't careful about tightening the cuff down between walk and turns, perhaps more so on that last "casual" trip. When googling, though, toe bang seemed to mostly be toenail injuries and not joints.