Associates Course Curriculum
[ Tuition: $200 U.S. — $215 CDN ]
Get a Year’s Worth of Knowledge in Just One Day!
Associates Course is given 1st day only at each location
Get new hires, seasonal and rental employees running at full speed immediately. Tuition includes instruction, copy of Bootfitting Basics, lunch, free pair of custom insoles.
UNDERSTANDING BASIC FOOT ANATOMY
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Basic foot structure and bones and how they affect fit and performance.
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How to get skiers out of the backseat and prevent toe bang.
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The Tripod Connection: The three key points of foot balance.
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Weight bearing bones.
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How to match boots to the body instead of making the body compensate for boot design.
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Preventing cramps, sore spots, and plantar faciitis.
CUSTOMER EVALUATION
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Checking windlass for arch flexibility, dorsiflexion, ankle flexibility.
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Selecting boots.
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Use of heel lifts.
CUSTOM FOOTBEDS
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Importance/benefit of footbeds for midfoot sports including skiing, snowboarding, skating and cycling.
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Casting demos using ALL popular systems on the market including Instaprint, Conform’able HD Vac, pillows and vacuum systems.
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Hands-on casting practice and footbed grinding on the system of your choice with personalized coaching.
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Mold and grind your own pair of custom insoles!
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Understanding benefits and drawbacks of all footbed systems.
BOOT LASTS, FIT CHARACTERISTICS, BRANDS & SALESMANSHIP
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Great props you can build in your shop to easily explain complex fit situations to customers. Learn how to make cutaway soles, liners and more!
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Boot Components: What they do, how to adjust them.
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Sizing and Fitting Techniques: Understanding instep to heel ratio, use of dowels and flashlight to shell size, compensating for short lasted liners.
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Salesmanship: Matching last to customer, key questions that will give you insight into customer needs, building relationships and customer confidence, choosing brands and models, cosmetics and colors.
FIT TRICKS
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Importance of easing entry/exit—and great techniques to do it.
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Sock fitting tricks.
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Techniques for buckling and adjusting fit features.
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Techniques for instantly improving initial fit.
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Quick boot bench fixes.
FIT PROBLEMS & BOOT MODIFICATIONS
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Must-have items for your repair shop tool chest
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MasterFit’s exclusive bag of tricks for using tools and fit aids to repair/improve fit and performance of boots.
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When and how to use fit aids.
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Adhesives, tapes and cutting devices that make boot modifications a snap.
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Light sources, shell heat sources, use of flex-shaft grinders, stretching equipment. .and techniques, marking implements.
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Tools you can easily make to ease boot work.
ASSESSING MODIFICATIONS
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Understanding and identifying calluses, hot spots, toe problems, bony prominences, soft tissue problems.
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How skier type affects what modifications you need to make.
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How socks affect modifications.
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Accurately marking problem areas for boot work. Techniques include lipstick transfer, use of hammers, flashlights and permanent marker.
MODIFYING BOOTS
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Liner modifications.
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Dealing with compression that causes circulation problems, cold feet and nerve impingement.
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Over-sized/short lasted liners, types of padding, misaligned pads, liner deformities, toe dams, finishing materials.
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Techniques include performing a toeectomy for short liners, how to compensate for oversized liners.
SHELL MODIFICATIONS
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When to grind, when to stretch and how to get it right the first time.
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Plastic heating methods and techniques.
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Plastic types and durometer.
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Safety precautions.
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Using temp sticks and infrared heat detectors, shielding and sole warping.
ADVANCED MODIFICATIONS
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Boot heater installation techniques.
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State-of-the-art sole grinding.
WOMENS ISSUES
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Basic anatomical differences including low calf, Q-Angle, balance and center of mass.
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Specific equipment needs.
STANCE PROBLEMS AND SITUATIONS
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Knee to foot positioning.
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Ideal stance.
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Boot canting issues and techniques.
