Allow heel lift?

So over the years ive fought through the trade off of no heel lift and my boots (ice/winter/alpine) being too tight or loose boots but some amount of heel lift.

Ive basically settled on some amount of heel lift and just tape up my heels as to not get blisters. This has worked fairly well as ive had the room to wiggle my toes and didnt get a single blister even on 3+ week winter trips with lots of walking like denali.

my question for you guys is, have you found boots that allow for no heel lift and have plenty of room in the toe box for warm toes? do i need to be more exhaustive and less accepting in my search for mountaineering boots? difficult to try a lot of boots of this style in MN as REI doesnt really stock any and the one store that does has only 2-4 models. I end up ordering 3 sizes of a boot from REI then returning them if im not satisfied.

Any advice is appreciated.

I have the same problem, "Duck Feet" - broad forefoot and normal / narrow heel.

It took me years to find a hiking boot I like (Raichle), and I had to have a ski boot fitter help me with my Koflachs - punched out the toe box and added shims to the outside of the liner boot on the sides of the heel cup. It works pretty good, but I'd like a better fit. The LaSportiva Baruntses are really close to an OK fit - If I go for it, and mold the liners, and maybe have a cobbler work the front a little (apparently they're not as formable as the plastics), I feel like I'll get a good fit. I've heard the the Lowas are wider in the forefoot, but they're hard to find from a retailer with free shipping.

But, yeah, I do the same thing as you: order several sizes of several different boots, spend time slogging up a carpeted set of stairs, and see what fits best. In fact, I have 4 pairs of Baruntse's coming into my local REI this weekend. Fingers-crossed. To add to the logistics of it all, if I do find a size i think will work, I'm going to wait until I can make a trip out to a good boot fitter, since I have not found one within a hundred miles or so.

Before I started exhaustively searching, I also taped my heels. Base of waterproof medical tape, and a cap of something tough and slick, like duct tape. It worked, but it was a PitA, and I had to carry arts-and-crafts supplies in my pack, because if the tape job failed, my boots would turn into meat grinders.

None of three pairs (Scarpa Rebels, Phantom Guide and 6000s) have heel lift.

Get fitted at a good shop. It has amazed me how well my boots fit after buying my Guides at the Mountaineer in Keene Valley. I explained this on another thread.

I have the same foot shape, wide fore foot, low volume heel, and I have Lowa's and they are great.

I've got a wider, high volume foot that's roughly size 42. I size boots as small as possible without cutting off circulation. I usually find I'm left with a bit of heel lift, since it's just not possible to go any smaller.

Lowa has a lace lock at the ankle to foot angle that lets you keep the front and top of the boot tensioned differently. They will be at the Bozeman Ice Fest, prob along with other boot cos if u want to try a pair for the day. I just ordered my Weisshorns. People who have them said they prefer the fit over other boots they have owned. Thread is in Ice Climbing forum Weisshorn vs Latok.

Yeah those are actually the boots I have now and am trying to decide about. Thanks for the advice everyone

+1 for the Scarpa Phantom 6000s & for The Mountaineer in Keene Valley. La Sportiva will be releasing their new double boot, the G2 SM, this season which fits between the Olympus Mons & the Spantiks warmth wise. I have "duck feet" also, so I'm not sure Sportiva fits the bill with their narrow last.

I have a very narrow heel and a wide forefoot. I climb in Scarpa Phantom Guides and have absolutely no heel lift whatsoever and plenty of space to wiggle my toes.

If only I could find some AT boots that fit me the same.