The Boot Lab

Andy's help and expertise in fitting boots in Melbourne are unmatched! The process he takes of helping you understand what you need and want out of a boot is super helpful, and makes you appreciate the final product when you walk out of there with a well-fitted, tailored pair of boots. Couldn't recommend enough to anyone looking to get fitted in Victoria.

If you want boots that are selected and custom fitted to your individual feet by an expert, and will make you ski better, then you need to see Andy. After a very small free adjustment, my boots are perfect and give me the control to even make my old slalom skis bite how they never did before, compared with my old non-custom boots that let my feet move around. Andy has been fitting boots for years and was a ski instructor, so he knows his stuff and I learnt a lot from him by following his advice.

Andy is passionate about boot fitting and is honest to a fault. Unfortunately some of the Google reviewers would prefer glibness to honesty. I went in with 10 year old Nordica Dobermans that skied well but were almost impossible to put on unless heated making it very difficult to put boots on if you have driven to a cold ski lift carpark. Instead of selling me new boots as I had expected,he told me about new wrap boot liner. These were professionally fitted and would appear to have solved the problem at much less cost.

I bought my first pair of ski boots from The Boot Lab in August 2023, after skiing for >50 years in rental boots. The boots, with custom footbeds, fit perfectly - I have now skied in them for three ski trips and I couldn't be happier with them. I got a great discount, too, as they were stock from a previous year. Thanks for all your time and care, Andy, to get the perfect fit.

First time getting my own boots after many issues with rentals not fitting anywhere near right. Andy took the time to find the right boot for my calf/foot combo - even if it meant coming back for the right one to be ordered in (and that was the right decision!) - and make custom footbeds to really get the fit I needed. Looking forward to hitting the lifts in a couple of months! Absolutely recommend. Thanks Andy!

Fantastic service; my custom moulded boots feel like I could have walked home in them. The attention to detail and specific suitability to my feet was incredible. I came from Sydney and storms had delayed my flight, but with other customer challenges in the same day Andy moved my appointment and made it work. Simply amazing.

Andy is one of the best in the business; I was lucky enough to do a ski tour over in Niseko back in 2013 and then recently got my new Nordica boots with foot beds fitted. The service is best in class and if you need a new pair of boots and are open to listening to Andy's advice this is the boot fitter for you

Andy takes his work seriously, and if you’ve ever had bad ski boots it can ruin your holiday. He will not fit you with a boot that doesn’t fit like a glove. I took my partner to get a fitting and he was efficient and knowledgeable and very good at what he does. Will be returning for a pair myself because he knows what he is doing and it is a pleasure to deal with a professional.

Andy is honest, blunt, thorough and an expert in what he does. Don't come here if you want a quick turn around. Andy will take his time, and explain every detail. I bought some damn good boots today that fit perfectly! Thanks Andy!

Andy is an outstanding operator. His knowledge of all things feet / ski boot-related is second to none. Appointments for his services are booked out for weeks in advance which is a testament to his skills. Unlike other, less scrupulous fitters, Andy won’t put you in any old boot just to get you out the door / clear old stock. I really appreciate the time and care that Andy took in helping me out! I’m super excited to try out my new boots, complete with custom footbeds and shell modifications! (Fingers crossed I don’t end up featuring on Jerry of The Day… it’s been a while since I’ve hit the slopes!)

Tough to fit?
Andy will get you into the boots you need and get a fully sorted fit.
The best there is

Andy lives and breathes boot fitting. Amazing service and his knowledge is outstanding. Don't expect to just walk in off the street and browse through all the boots on the shelf. This is not your typical retail shop, it is a specialised boot fitting service with a graat product range. Andy is very busy and for good reason. He dedicates his time to the customers who have bookings or have purchased a boot and need work done. Not to those who walk in and just want to kick tyres, distracting him from someone who has a booking. Those that leave bad reviews clearly don't understand what this shop is about and the service Andy provides. Book an appointment, trust the process and send it downhill with happy feet.

Amazing service. Andy knows his stuff, he’s super nice and really easy to talk to! He made me feel more confident my boots and skis and just things to know about Hotham. He really cares about all of his customers. 100% recommend

Rachel and I recently completed our boot fittings with Andy. We are interstate and Andy worked with us when we were in town to accommodate us. He was a wealth of knowledge and tailored different options for us.
Took the boots skiing straight after and they were comfortable from the start. Thoroughly recommend Andy and his Boot Lab.

Andy definitely knows what he is talking about.

After having some issues with at pair of boots, Andy talked me through the process and we made them work. I really enjoyed understanding the process and tools used in the shaping of my boots.

I highly recommend going with Andy, as he will continue to help until your boots are right!

(the benefit of having a good pair of boots compared to a ruined ski trip overseas is a no brainer)

I am two days into my new boots, and couldn't be happier. Best boot fit I have ever had in terms of performance and comfort. I have been skiing my whole life, and can categorically say that the outcome with Andy is better than anything I have ever had before. This is consistent with very many conversations I have had with other experienced skiiers across Melbourne.

Andy's knowledge, attention to detail and obsession with everything being perfect is the reason why you should go here.

Be aware, this is an appointment only service. A lot of the haters in these reviews unfairly low star this business because they expected to just waltz in and be seen to like a random retail shop - and then overreacting when they are told they can't be helped. This is a highly specialised professional service - its not a retail store.

Also, I recommend you plan for your fit to be at least a couple of hours - Andy has his approach, it works great, but it takes time. If you expect to get a perfect pair of boots in 15 minutes, you don't understand how important correct boot selection and customisation is. You will be hundreds of hours in these boots, so take the couple of hours to get it right.

Excellent service. I have had a number of boots done by different providers and they were uncomfortable. I was referred to Andy (The Boot Lab) by ski patrol at Mt Buller. Andy's knowledge and expertise is by far the best. He has provided multiple adjustments to make my boots fit perfectly.

Had foot issues due to broken ankle/foot. No stress for Andy. Annoyingly for Andy I crashed my way into an appointment and Andy had to do a little overtime away from the family, but day 4 on the snow and zero complaints. No adjustments throughout the day. Strap in in the morning, sending it hard all day!

My wife and I made an excellent overseas ski vacation decision before our recent late season trip to Colorado by having new boots fitted by Andy at The Boot Lab before our trip. Andy was accurate with his recommendations, we both felt great on skis the entire time so we could enjoy the great conditions and we wasted no time while on holidays. We also know if we have any adjustments to be made in the future or issues to fix he is local and available. Andy, great service, I will be back, although probably just to talk skiing while I have these boots as they are spot on.

I was considering which store i needed to go to get my first ski boots a year ago. And i came across the boot lab, and i compared and read reviews about this store and all other stores. Andy replied my email very quickly and answered all my questions in detailed. At this moment i knew i had to go to Boot Lab and so i did.
Came at the store and met Andy for the first time. Very warm person, he asked a lot of questions about how i ski and explained why i should be choosing the right boots. Very experienced and knowledgeable about what he is doing and willing to explain it to me until i understand. This made me confident that he can choose the best boots for me and fit them perfectly to my problematic flat feet.
He is very patient as well in doing the adjustment because bootfitting is not quick and easy process it takes time to make adjustment then testing it out on the slope then adjusting again and so on.
If i can sum up Andy's service in one sentence, it would be "he only wants the best boots for you, and he will do everything he can to make sure the boots fit perfectly".
I highly recommend him if you want to ski with good experience.
Well done Andy, keep it up!