How to estimate the center line of a skating boot?

[Isk8NYC]

All the blade manufacturers insist that the blade has to be mounted straight down the middle of the skating boot.
While some people do need the blade adjusted off-center a notch, I have to say it puzzles me.  I'm cockeyed, so it's always going to be a struggle for me, but I'm interested in learning about the process.

Some boot manufacturers insist that you should never use the toe seam, especially with custom boots, because they may be built-out more one way than the other.  The heel strap is another option, but it doesn't seem right - you should be mounting to the sole, not the upper.

I've tried using a chalk line and ruler and it never matches what the blade mount looks like.

How can a person find that center line that runs from the front to the heel of the boot?  (I'm betting Bill S knows.)

[Query]

I have a weird idea that boot makers may disagree with: Can you set it up to match your body, rather than your boot?

In other words, if your leg naturally wants to swing along an axis, maybe that is right? Or maybe you want to feel like you are moving forwards when you are?

Or before mounting the blade, try to to balance your booted foot on a dowel rod. (Wear boots on both feet, and stand in one foot glide position.) Figure out where the rod needs to go, and mark it. I haven't tried it, but I love the idea. Please don't hurt yourself if you fall.

Many fitters watch the person do one foot glides, forward and back, inside and outside edge. If the person seems to be compensating for something the boot is doing, e.g., has to maintain an asymmetric pose, or feels like they are compensating, something may not be right.

A lot of people say that if the empty bladed boot balances on its own, everything is good. I honestly don't get that, as it seems to ignore the skater's body.

Another idea is to call the boot maker, and try to let you talk to their master boot maker or fitter. Perhaps you go to major competitions, or PSA conferences - boot companies often send expert reps. At the comp I visited in Aston, none of the reps (except Edea, which has few or no other retailers) were very busy, and had time to gab. All the major companies have very expert people, about their specific boot brand. I was surprised to learn that different boot makers intend their boots to be used and fitted quite differently.

Boot fitting and mounting seems to be as much art as science, and looking for The Universal Answer that works for everyone may not work.

Klingbeil is very picky about how blades are mounted. They have been known to void warranties if something isn't "right". If you use Klingbeils, it might be wisest to just ask them. If what they say won't work for you, maybe you need to return the boots...

Even for other brands, the fitter I'm learning from considers it his sacred duty to return boots and everything else that doesn't exactly match his idea of how things should be. If he didn't have some famous customers, I suspect the boot and blade manufacturers would stop doing business with him. They probably consider him a pain in the neck.

[Skate@Delaware]

Ugh, I had a pair of skates where the blade was mounted according to the toe seam...which was off-center by about 1/4"!!!!  I re-mounted the blade myself. I measured across (width) of the ball and placed a mark in the center, same for the heel (widest part). I used a metal ruler and connected the marks-and ended up with a line on the heel and ball. I then used that for mounting.