Oh, I was so excited about my new ski boots.

They're pretty! They have orange wings printed on the sides! They don't require me to wear 6 pairs of socks to keep them on my feet!

Turns out they also hurt like hell.

It wasn't until after I bought my first pair in 2007 that I heard that boots are among the biggest problems for new skiers: people get them too big. Mine were clunky-ass men's boots, the cheapest I could find at Sports Authority. I bought them without any research, waving off the salesman's objections.

"Whatever," I said. "I'll suck anyway. I'll get nicer ones when I'm good."

This was not wise.

As soon as I learned to turn, I needed to pull each buckle to the tightest notch. Then I started adding socks. When I went shopping for new boots after a ski day last year, multiple salesmen gathered to watched me peel layers off my foot like a nesting Russian doll.

"Oh, my God," I heard behind me. "Look, there's more!"

So I got these new Rossignol B Pro 100. They're the tightest boots I could afford. Especially on the inside of each ankle. Right on those bony spots that, when clopped together, make even adults well up with tears.

I'm told the phenomenon is called a "pressure point." I called it The Reason I Will Need To Find A New Hobby This Winter.

I took the boots out four times. After two days, it hurt to put on socks. After three days, I reverted to snowplowing ("pizza pie" ski form). I winced just watching other people ski properly.

By the fourth day, I had no control, left the mountain and got trashed in the resort bistro. Please let me take this moment to apologize to anyone who heard me sing.

It was so disappointing. Not just the pain, but the undoing of all the technique I'd gained. Most people who ski with me are surprised I only went twice before 2007, but catching up took a lot of effort: at least twice a week my first two years. Suddenly I was back to day one --- this after spending hundreds of dollars on equipment that was supposed to help me ski better.

Fortunately, there are options.

I took the boots to the Sports Den, where they first tried grinding the plastic of the outer shell and giving me insoles to support my arches and push my ankles out a skosh.

That seemed to help with the left boot, but the right still hurt after a few minutes. Then they softened the plastic with heat and "punched" the ankle contour out where it was hitting me. The process cost about $20, plus about $30 for the cheaper insoles.

I tried them Monday. The right boot was great. Once we punch out that left boot, I'll be finally able to retire from drunken singing.

Erin Alberty has more Utah adventures and musings on her blog, poorpenmanship.com.