Shopping Cart: 0 items The Importance of Ski Boots
While many new skiers are apt to become infatuated with the sport, few are likely to be enamored with the equipment rental process. Although your rental skis may be adequate, if not optimal, the phrase “comfortable rental boot” is an oxymoron. Since all of the essential movements of skiing begin in your feet, it behooves you to choose the best possible ski boot for your skill level and foot type.
Unfortunately, since skis are the “sexier” purchase, many new skiers purchase them before they buy their ski boots. This is a very bad mistake! If you have your skis but you are still using rental boots, each time you go skiing, you will have to have your bindings re-adjusted. This is not good for your bindings. Furthermore, it’s your boots that communicate the actions of your feet to your skis. Having an inappropriate ski boot is like having a cell phone with bad reception.
Although ski boots should definitely be tried on in a ski shop, purchasing them there will cost you an arm and a leg. Since you need your arms and legs fro skiing, go ahead and try them on at the store, but make sure that you purchase then at an online retailer such as skis.com. You can use the substantial savings to treat yourself to another ski vacation. Now that we’ve discussed the “why” and “where” of purchasing ski boots, let’s talk about the “how.”
At the risk of overstating the obvious, when purchasing ski boots, please be honest about your ability. An overly-stiff boot will be difficult to flex. Likewise, an overly cushy boot will not offer you enough support on challenging terrain. Having an accurate assessment of your skiing ability will help you make the right choice. If you are a beginner, entry level ski boots are the most affordable and the most comfortable. Once you’ve established your basic skills, you will want to look for a recreational ski boot, which will enhance your carving skills while preparing you to ski more challenging terrain. These boots are stiffer than the flexible entry level boots, so they might take some time to get used to them. Even stiffer are the performance boots, which offer maximum support when skiing moguls, powder and steeps.
Lange Ski Boots
The history of the Lange Ski Boot Company is quite fascinating. It is also colored with a touch of irony. Today, Lange is often associated with high end skiers or ski racers. However, the creator of Lange Boots, Bob Lange, developed his revolutionary plastic ski boot because of his difficulty learning to ski. In fact, because of his weak ankles, it took him an entire season to learn to stem turn. The culprits were the leather ski boots that prevailed in the post World War II period.
Fortunately, as a Harvard graduate Lange came up with an intelligent solution. The answer, to quote a line from The Graduate, was plastics. Lange just happened to be the proud owner of a plastic fabrications firm in Dubuque. Although he was well aware of the fact that forward flex was crucial for a ski boot, he held a firm belief that ski boots required lateral rigidity. He was also of the opinion that a ski boot needed to be high enough to enable the lower leg, as opposed to the ankle, initiate the edging movements of the ski. Thus, after months of trial and error, Lange created his first ski boot, which was composed of vacuum-molded ABS Royalite plastic. However, while the design itself was a significant improvement over the ski boots of the past, its stiffness required two men to lace it. Additionally, the ABS plastic proved to be too brittle to withstand cold temperatures.
Not to be discouraged, Lange went back to the drawing board and added a hinge to the boot. This increased forward flex. Hi also switched to a material called Adiprene polyester, which is significantly lighter and more flexible than plastic. Satisfied with the results, his next step was to add buckles to replace the laces. This resulted in a supportive, sturdy and durable boot. In the years that followed, the Lange boot became the prototype for what we now consider modern ski boot design. Because of their inherent stiffness they are popular with ski racers, as well as expert skiers that like to ski in the fast lane.
However, do not be intimidated by Lange's success as a racing boot manufacturer. Today, Lange makes different boot models for every skier; from beginner to World Cup racer.
Popular Manufactuers of Ski Racing Boots
While many ski and boot manufacturers make some sort of racing boot, some are more popular than others. In general, since racing ski boots are built for speed, they are stiffer than alpine boots. This makes them more responsive. However, while nobody would ever describe a racing boot as “comfortable,” some might be more suitable for your foot type than others. Some have even made improvements to make them more comfortable.
For example, more World Cup races have been won in Lange Boots than any other ski racing boot. At present, they are even a tiny bit more comfortable than they used to be. The Lange World Cup line of racing boots has three flexes: 150,130, and 120. The 150 is an authentic race boot that has a 95mm low volume last and a sock like liner that promotes distinct power transmission from leg to boot. The ankle pockets in the World Cup line are shallow. This prohibits any sloppy or imprecise movements. However, if it's race boot comfort you're looking for, you might want to consider the Atomic RT CS100X-Soft Race Boot.
Now let's talk about Technica. According to the Technica Diablo Race Boot product manager, this boot uses the best of other racing boots as a starting point. Experts use terms like quick, stable, powerful and light when describing this boot.
Lange, Technica and Atomic represent three of the popular ski racing boots that can be purchased on skis.com. Be sure to look at their entire ski racing boot page.
Men's Skis
In order to maintain dynamic balance while performing upper level ski movements, it is important that when the skier flexes his or her knees, the ankles comply by doing the same thing. A stiff and restrictive ski boot will not allow this to happen. Choosing a proper balance between appropriate stiffness and flexibility can often be a challenge. On the one hand, you need lateral stiffness to provide ankle support. On the other, you need fore/aft flexibility to allow ankle flexion. What’s a skier to do?
Fortunately, modern ski boots come with a variety of bells and whistles such as internal canting of the foot or leg shaft, forward lean and heel height adjustments. You can play around with these adjustments to find what is best for your skiing. To really fine tune your ski boot fitting, consider getting foot beds or orthotics for your ski boots. These inserts put your feet in the best anatomical alignment for performing optimal ski movements.
Cross Country Ski Boots
Compared to downhill boots, cross-country ski boots are a relatively easy purchase. These boots tend to be more flexible, and therefore more comfortable than their downhill cousins. Additionally, with downhill or alpine ski boots, both your toe and heel are attached to the binding of your skis. In contrast, when snapping into a pair of cross country or Nordic skis, only your toes will be attached to the bindings. Unlike alpine ski boots, which often feel like plastic foot armor, a cross country ski boot will feel more like a running shoe.
The categories of cross country ski boots are also far simpler than those of downhill skiing. Simply put, classic cross country ski boots are for classic skiers, and skating cross country ski boots are for skate skiers. It is extremely important to select the right boot for your preferred technique. Although skating boots provide a good deal of stability, they are far too stiff to perform the necessary maneuvers of the classic technique.
In general, cross country skate boots are a bit stiffer than those designed for the classic technique. Some of the newer classic cross country ski boot models now comes with added ankle support. Those who enjoy both the classic and skate cross country ski technique might want to consider what is known as a Combi Boot. In regards to camber, flex, cuff height and stiffness, they are halfway between a classic and a skating boot. Experts suggest that you purchase your cross country ski boots and bindings together. These items come in three different systems, which are not always interchangeable. The three systems are NNN, Salomon, and 3-pin.
Telemark Ski Boots
Telemark skiers, often referred to as “free-heelers,” often enjoy the idea of boldly going where no other skier has gone before. In many cases, they are not averse to earning their turns by doing a bit of hiking. As such, their gear often reflects their attitude toward life and sport: Free your heels and free your mind.
Since telemark skiing is reliant on sufficient edge control, the best telemark ski boots provide excellent lateral support. While the free-heel concept might resemble a cross country ski boot, a telemark ski bears a closer resemblance to Alpine as opposed to a Nordic skis. As such, telemark boots tend to be stiffer, heavier and taller than cross country boots. This helps protect your ankles when performing the characteristic twisting telemark turns. However, if you were to watch the deep knee bends associated with the best telemark skiers, you will realize that telemark boots need to have enough flex to offer full forward motion.
While a few Luddites still swear by leather telemark boots, most devotees understand that plastic telemark boots provide more support, and keep your legs warmer. Remember that your telemark ski boots need to provide adequate toe room. However, most experts agree that these boots should allow minimal, if any heel lift. Keep in mind that telemark boots come in Mondo Point sizing.
