What do you do with the Achilles Tab inside a Reflex boot.

[Hallpass]

My daughter started using a reflex boot this year. Inside the boot, there is a plastic tab that extends from the heel along the Achilles. That tab constantly folds, flops over, and binds when inserting the liner, with or without a foot on the liner.

 

What have others done with the tab? It would be easy to cut it out, but does that cause any problems? It appears the tab is supposed to prevent a bind between the cuff and the base of the boot, if the cuff were severely flexed forward. It's hard for me to see how she could actually flex the boot that far forward, but I'm not the one out there skiing.

 

Thanks for your help. It's the basic black cuff boot, if that makes any difference.

[lpskier]

That happens, and not just in the Reflex. You can use your fingers as a shoe horn. I’ve seen people use real shoe horns. Once your liner is in, you can pull it half way back out (to put the plastic back in shape) and then slip back in. The second slide won’t take the plastic with it because you aren’t starting from the top.

 

This problem happens. You’ll get a method that works and then you’ll be just fine.

[Hallpass]

@Ipskier. Ok. I guess it's a live with it situation. Thx

 

[aupatking]

Take a heat gun and get it back as vertical as possible. It may or may not stay out of the way. Mine USUALLY did. It’s that or cut it out. If you cut it out, you’ll probably want to add a flexion brake, like the white cuff boot has(I assume we’re talking about a black cuff Reflex boot as I think Reflex cut them out of the white cuff boots). To add the flexion brake, Dremel the center rivet out of the heel block, run a webbing strap under it, and replace that rivet with another rivet or a stainless screw and T-nut. Drill a hole in the upper cuff and do another Screw and T-nut in the upper part of the webbing strap.

[TravisNW]

Cutting it will effect the stiffness of the boot. Long ago boots had more plastic in that area and the boot was stiffer. People would cut it in different ways to create a flex of their liking. Trimming it will effect stiffness of boot. First just be aware, the less often it bends the less it will be a problem. The heat gun idea might be worth trying but be careful, it would be easy to over heat and mess up.

[liquid d]

duck tape it to the back.

[sheskis7]

Dollar stores sells really long & short plastic shoe horns works great.

[Nando]

I have two shells, one with the tab cut out and one with it still in. For putting the one with the tab on, I agree that simply sticking a finger in works fine. As for flex, I can't tell any difference and think that adjusting the top buckle has much more effect on flex than the tab- the fact that it folds over so easily indicates how little it affects flex.

[mmosley899]

@Hallpass cut it out, it is useless. I have cut them out of all my hardshell boot for years. Also, put the liner in the shell first, then your foot. It saves wear and tear on the liner,