Start by thinking about where you fit into this Skier Type chart. This will give you an idea of what type of fit, flex and features to look for in a ski boot. We’ve broken skier types into three groups based roughly on ability:
Ability | Beginner – Intermediate | Intermediate - Advanced | Advanced - Expert | |||||||
Style | Cautious | Average | Confident | Aggressive | ||||||
Speed | Slow | Medium – Fast | Very Fast | |||||||
Terrain | Bunny Slope / Groomers | Fast Groomers / All Mountain / Park and Pipe / Off-Piste | All Mountain / Park and Pipe / Off-Piste / Steeps / Cliffs / Race | |||||||
Fit | Indicated Size or 1/2 size larger | Indicated size or 1/2 size smaller | 1/2 to 1 size smaller than indicated | |||||||
Flex Index | Men's 60-80, Women's 50-70 | Men's 85-100, Women's 65-90 | Men's 105-130, Women's 85-110 |
You prefer green and blue runs and typically like cruising on groomed terrain. You’re still working on mastering the mechanics of the sport, but are making regular progress. The best option for beginner/intermediates is a softer to medium flexing boot and a fit that will allow them to be comfortable all day long. (Note: An athletic skier who spends many days on snow can easily progress beyond this category in a season or less.)
You enjoy a variety of speeds and conditions, including moguls and steeper terrain, and require more precise steering and control from your boots. You ski blue and some black diamond runs, cruise groomers with confidence and experiment with off-trail terrain. Intermediate/advanced skiers often have several years invested in the sport and should look for a medium flexing boot with a fit that’s precise enough to allow full control in a variety of conditions.
You ski the entire mountain in all conditions with confidence. You easily make the transition from designated trails to off-piste in a variety of snow conditions including deep powder, crud, ice and moguls. You should be looking for a boot with a stiff to very stiff flex and a very precise fit. Expert level skiers sometimes intentionally downsize both in length and volume, then work with a bootfitter to make the boots comfortable. Note: Expert park and pipe skiers often prefer a roomier fit and softer flex in their boots compared to "traditional" experts.
Narrow lasted boots normally have a forefoot width of 97 mm to 98 mm, and are quite narrow through the midfoot as well. These boots are best for people with narrow and low volume feet.
Average lasted boots have a forefoot width of around 100 mm (give or take a millimeter). These boots fit average feet well out of the box, and have a more relaxed fit through the midfoot and heel than narrow lasted boots.
Wide lasted boots are best suited to skiers with wider and higher volume feet, and typically have a forefoot width of between 102 mm and 106 mm.
If you know what width you normally take in a street shoe, you may be able to pick which of these forefoot models most closely matches your foot. An “A” or “B” width foot, for example, usually works best in a narrow lasted boot, while a “C” or “D” width normally fits an average last of around 100 mm. Skiers with an “E” or wider foot should look for a wider, 102 mm or wider last. As with boot lengths, the forefoot width is not an absolute standard among different boot manufacturers, and each has their own formula for determining other dimensions inside the shell, but this is a good general guideline.
Irregularities in the shape of your foot, such as bunions, bone spurs, abnormally long toes or bony protrusions that are not “average” in size or location can also cause fit problems. These problems are often best handled by having an experienced bootfitter modify the boot to accommodate the problem area rather than buying the next larger size.
Flex in ski boots refers to how difficult it is to flex the boot forward. Boot flex ranges from very soft to race stiffness, indicated by a numeric “flex index” that’s usually a number from 50 (soft) to 130 (very stiff). Often this number is written on the outside of the boot cuff. The method of determining flex index is not standardized between boot manufacturers, and one company’s 100 flex boot may not equal another company’s 100 flex boot, so use the numbers as a starting point but don’t get too hung up on them. Some companies use a 1-10 scale to for their flex rating, which is why we characterize flex as soft, medium, stiff, or very stiff in addition to giving a number rating.
Ability | Beginner – Intermediate | Intermediate - Advanced | Advanced - Expert | Expert - Race | |||||||
Flex Rating - Men's | 60-80 | 85-100 | 110-120 | 130+ | |||||||
Feel | Soft | Medium | Stiff | Very Stiff |
Beginner-Intermediate men’s ski boots range from about 65 to 80 flex index, with Intermediate-Advanced boots going from about 90 to 100. Advanced-Expert boots normally are in the 110 to 130 range. The stiffest race boots are rated at 140 to 150, which is far beyond what most skiers need or want and usually reserved for high-level competition skiers. Again, since there is no industry standard for measuring flex, it’s best to use flex index only as a general guide to choosing which model you’re interested in or as a way to compare models within a single brand.
Terrain, speed and type of snow play a role in choosing your flex as well. Pro level Freeride and Big Mountain skiers often choose a slightly softer boot than top World Cup racers, and pro park skiers go softer yet. Variable snow and very steep terrain often demand a bit more cuff movement, while a hard and uniformly smooth surface (like a race course) and techniques that demand tip pressure require a stiffer flexing boot. Personal preference and physical makeup are equally important. An athletic beginner may do just fine in a medium to stiff boot, and some expert skiers prefer a moderate flexing boot to a very stiff one.
Your height and weight are also contributing factors in choosing the best flex. Someone who is short and light doesn’t put as much leverage on a ski boot and a very stiff boot will limit natural body movement, while someone who is larger may require a stiffer boot, even if they are new to skiing. Keep this in mind if you are smaller or larger than average.
Ability | Beginner – Intermediate | Intermediate - Advanced | Advanced - Expert | Expert - Race | |||||||
Flex Rating - Women's | 50-60 | 65-80 | 85-100 | 110+ | |||||||
Feel | Soft | Medium | Stiff | Very Stiff |
Since women tend to have less body mass for their height and foot size than men, flex ratings are somewhat lower. For women's ski boots, Beginner-Intermediate boots hover around a 50 to 60 index, with Intermediate-Advanced boots ranging from about 65 to 80. Advanced-Expert boots range from 85 to 110. As with men’s boots, women racers and experts who prefer boots stiffer than a 110 flex will often have to special order them, and they will come with a very narrow and low volume fit.
Matching the cuff to the size and shape of your calf is an important part of your ski boot fit. The shape and height of both the shell and liner cuff can be a big consideration for women (whose calves are generally lower and proportionately larger than men) or those with very large calves. If the upper buckles on a boot are extremely tight out of the box, most boots have upper buckle ladders that can be moved to several different positions, sometimes with a screwdriver or allen wrench, to give you more adjustment range.
Most manufacturers are now offering women-specific boots that are designed to fit larger and lower calves, and many women’s models offer an adjustable cuff that will flare out to give you more fit options.
Alpine ski boots normally have a fixed forward lean of between 11 degrees and 18 degrees from vertical. Most modern boot designs reflect the shift in ski technique toward a more upright style and have less forward lean than boots of a few years ago, but the forward lean that works best for each skier is highly personal, and most boots have some adjustment capability. Often this involves installing or removing a spoiler or shim in back of the calf. Alpine touring boots commonly come with two forward lean options.
Ramp angle, or the angle of the boot board (bottom interior of the boot) relative to the ski, is normally fixed as well, but can sometimes be adjusted by a bootfitter or by installing shims under the bindings or wedges between the bootboard and liner. Some skiers are more sensitive to ramp angle than others.
Ski boots offer a number of features to enhance performance, comfort and ease of use. Many of these are aimed at customizing the fit and function of the boot, but they vary from model to model.
The liner is the removable, soft inner boot that protects and insulates the foot from the rigid outer shell. All liners will compress (“pack out”) and form to the skier’s foot with use, and a boot that feels tight the first time you try it on will often be just right after a few full days of skiing. Some boots offer a fully customizable thermo liner that can be heated in a convection oven or with heat stacks and formed to the owner’s foot, retaining the exact shape of the foot when they cool. This fitting process is usually best performed by a qualified ski shop; if you aren’t sure which type of liner you have, ask your shop or bootfitter.
A note on Intuition Liners: Standard in brands such as Full Tilt and many Dalbello and Scarpa models, Intuition is a brand of customizable thermo liners made from EVA foam, and can be added to other brands as an aftermarket option. The heat molding process is normally best performed by a qualified bootfitter or shop.
Salomon (Custom Shell) and Atomic (Memory Fit) offer outer shells that can be heated in a convection oven and custom molded to your foot. This process works very well to change the shape of a boot shell that is just a bit too tight. The heat molding process should be performed by a qualified shop.
This is the velcro strap at the top of the cuff of your ski boot (some boots use a mechanical cinching buckle). When tightened, the power strap increases energy transmission and control. It acts as an additional buckle with a large range of adjustability and aids in reducing the gap between leg and boot. Power strap tightness is a matter of personal preference, so feel free to experiment.
For years, four buckle boots were considered the only serious choice for adult skiers, and most performance overlap boots still have four buckles. Does that mean a four buckle design is better than a three buckle design, which in turn is better than a two buckle one? Not necessarily. If you have a great fit in any boot, and can stabilize your foot in the boot with fewer buckles, you’ll have a smoother profile, less weight, and easier access for bootfitters. A four buckle design MAY give you more options for local tightening and loosening, but the buckle closest to the toe is often mostly decorative. Three piece “Cabrio” designs typically use three buckles, while light touring boots often use two. Base your decision on fit rather than number of buckles.
These features are essential to achieving a precise fit. The micro-adjustment actually shortens or lengthens the buckle and will allow you to fine tune the tension between two settings. Turning the buckle clockwise shortens the buckle and tightens the fit; turning it counter clockwise lengthens the buckle and makes the fit looser.
Most adult ski boots have moveable buckle ladders (the piece with the notches that the buckle wire attaches to). These normally can be moved using an allen wrench to allow the user a tighter or looser range of settings. You may need to drill a hole in the plastic buckle strap to move the ladder.
Many boots offer the skier the ability to adjust the upper cuff angle to match the angle of the leg; this adjustability may be important if your natural alignment causes you to weight either your inside or outside ski edges disproportionately. Cuff alignment is normally done by adjusting the rivets attaching the boot cuff to the shell with an allen wrench.
This is a removable wedge that sits between the liner and the shell directly behind the calf. It serves two functions: It increases forward lean by a few degrees and fills space in the upper cuff to reduce the gap between your leg and the shell, which can be important for those who prefer more forward lean or skiers with very thin legs. Spoilers may be attached to the cuff with screws or may simply attach to the back of the liner with velcro.
Though some fit adjustments are easy to do at home, customization of the following features may require the expertise of a trained boot fitter. Learn about the guaranteed comforts of our evoFit program, or visit our Custom Ski Boot Fitting: How to Make Your Boots Fit Better guide for more on how to customize your boots.
The footbed lives inside the liner, it’s the platform on which the skier’s foot rests. Most stock footbeds provide little support for the contours of the foot. We suggest an aftermarket footbed. Some footbeds are pre-molded and simply trimmed to the correct length while others are fully custom molded specifically to your feet. Footbeds can greatly reduce many fit problems.
Canting refers to adjusting alignment of the boot to correct a knocked-kneed or bowlegged stance through sole planing, cantable soles or wedges under the binding. Proper canting requires an accurate stance assessment and specialized tools, and not all shops or bootfitters are equipped to do it.
Some ski boot features are aimed at certain types of skiing, like alpine touring or park skiing.
Many ski boots come with the ability to switch from a fixed ski mode to a walk mode with greater range of motion. This feature is increasingly popular on “crossover” boots that are intended for use both in the ski area and for alpine touring.
Grippy rubber soles aid in the ability to walk and hike on rocks, ice, and pavement. Many alpine touring boots have a rockered (curved) sole in front of the forefoot for a more natural walking movement. Freeride boots with a grippy sole offer traction for added security while booting and scrambling on rock. Not all traction soles will work with all bindings, so ask your shop if you are unsure about compatibility.
Some boots offer the user the option of swapping soles, usually from an alpine sole to an alpine touring sole or the reverse. Changing soles may limit your choice of binding, so ask your shop about compatibility if you have any doubts.
Some boots allow you to adjust the forward flex of your boots with cuff hardware. Some also allow you to swap tongues of varying stiffness to fine tune the flex to your liking or to suit conditions.
Bootboards (also called "Zeppas") are the removable platforms that the liner sits on top of in the shell. Rigid bootboards provide the most efficient transfer of energy to your skis. Some bootboards are made out of rubber or have padding to soften harsh landings. These are typically seen in park and pipe boots and big mountain boots.
There are other padded features often seen on park-specific boots. Look for padded spoilers, tongues, heels, and toes. All of these help in reducing shock commonly referred to as toe, shin, and calf-bang.
Now that you know what you need from your boots and have the tools to begin your search, we strongly recommend you resist the urge to buy strictly on price or color. It’s wise to save elsewhere in your budget if it means getting the right boot.
No one knows how your feet feel better than you. If you think you’ve got a boot that comes close to the fit and flex you want, try wearing them at home for several hours before you head to the mountain with them. Put the boots on, buckle them as you would to ski, and stand up to watch a movie or a game. You’re going to have to be able to wear these things for at least that long if you’re going to ski in them, right? If they still feel pretty good after two hours or so, you may be ready to go. If you have localized pain at a toe or bony area, a bootfitter may be able to fix the problem. If you have serious fit issues with the boot, you’ll probably know it well before the two hours are up.
Your overall skiing experience depends on getting the fit and features that best suit your foot and skiing style, so take your time and feel free to call us for help at 1.866.386.1590.
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