Search

Three Top Tips for Buying Ski Boots This Season

Henry
Oct 1
3 min read

It is really important to get the right boots - they are expensive, and can be uncomfortable otherwise. Skiing Unlocked breaks down three top tips for getting the right boots this season.

Buying ski boots is one of the best things you can do as your skiing grows; rental boots can be uncomfortable and poorly fitting, so getting a pair that’s right for you key to giving you the comfort and performance you need.

But ski boots can be really expensive, and getting the wrong one can actually reduce the comfort and performance you experience when skiing. Therefore, it’s essential you get the right ski boot for you – here’s how.

These are Skiing Unlocked’s three top tips for buying ski boots this season.

1. Find a Good Boot Fitter

This one may seem a little facetious – after all, there are loads of boot fitters out there, how do you or I know which ones are worth spending the time and money with? Getting the right boot fitter is critical as a boot fitter is for life, not just for Christmas; they will understand your skiing and be on hand to make adjustments to your boots long after the initial purchase.

A good boot fitter will sit down with you and understand the skiing you, and what you are looking to do with your skiing. Critically, a good boot fitter will take the time to measure your feet, rather than simply translating your shoe size to ski boot size.

This last point is one of the most important in the whole process. I cannot stress this enough; if your boot fitter gives you boots to try on without measuring your feet, turn around and walk out. That is not a good boot fitter.

You can read more on why this is important in my article here.

2. Let the Boots do the Work

I regularly say that ski boots are like wands in the world of Harry Potter – they choose their owners, not the other way around.

It is therefore really important to try on multiple pairs to find the right one for you. Different brands have different boot shapes, such as offering a tighter hold on the achilles or more space over the top of the foot (the instep). Some will be shorter, others longer.

Even more so is flex – there is not standardised measure of flex between brands, meaning a 120 flex will be stiffer in one brand than in another.

A boot fitting appointment should last at least 2hrs. Get your favourite matcha latte and pastry just before you go in, and maybe a good book. But this gives you the time to test out loads of boots and find the one that works for you.

3. Spend the Money

Now, let’s not take this one the wrong way – I’m not advocating spending £710 ($960US, or 820EUR) on the brand new Salomon Shift Alpha Pro 130s, that is an obscene amount of money to spend on ski boots.

The point is, to not look for a deal or wait for a sale to nab a pair of boots on the cheap. Spend the time and find a good boot fitter (don’t tell me you’ve forgotten points 1 & 2 already?) and spend whatever the cost of the “right” boot is.

You should also be ready and willing to add around £75 for a custom moulded insole. These are always sold in addition to the boots but are, in 99 cases out of 100, critical to ensure the perfect fit and performance.

If you are following points 1 and 2, then you shouldn’t be pulled in by the allure of colour, brand or cost. It needs to be a case of spending the right amount on the right boot to ensure you have the right tools to ski to your best this season.

Final Thoughts

These three tips are the basic outlines of how to get the right ski boots for you. Whether you are buying for the first time or replacing a worn out pair of boots that have been well loved over the years, if you follow this advice, you will find a pair of boots that are supremely comfortable, and offer the right performance for wherever you want to go with your skiing.

I dove into more detail in the whole process, and you can read more on it here and here.

Do you have questions about the boot fitting process? Have you just bought a new pair of boots? Sign up to Skiing Unlocked and share your thoughts in the comments below!