Buying ski boots can be a聽pain. There are聽lots of聽brands and styles to choose from, but聽if you end up with the wrong pair, your feet will hate you. To make the process easier, I spoke with Eric Hatch, who tests boots for聽翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚聽Buyer鈥檚 Guide and is a former聽manager of聽Surefoot鈥檚 Vail store. Here are his top聽tips for landing聽the perfect pair of alpine boots.聽
Research Where, Not What, to Buy
Don鈥檛 go it alone when buying boots. Instead, Hatch recommends finding a ski shop with a specialty boot fitter who will help you find a boot that fits well and is designed for your type of skiing. Boot fitters can also heat-mold your liners and punch out spots in the boot where your feet rub, ensuring your dogs are always happy. If you don鈥檛 know which shop to visit, ask around at your local ski area. Word of mouth is often the best way to find talented fitters.
Decide on聽Flex
The flex number on a boot (that number that usually comes after the boot name) represents how stiff the boot feels, and the higher the number, the stiffer the boot. Stiffer boots provide more control, which is why聽racers usually聽prefer a flex around 130 or聽160.聽Beginners should stick to something softer like a 90-100 flex because they're not skiing at Mach 2. Hatch says there's no perfect flex formula because your weight and height are also important, so talk to your fitter about starting low and maybe growing into a stiffer boot as you progress.
Pay Close Attention to Last and Boot Size
Ski boots come in narrow, average, and wide lasts, so this is another point to bring up with your fitter. If you have wide or narrow feet, let them know. General sizing is also different on ski boots. Manufacturers use the mondo point scale, which is based on centimeters and can be hard to convert from your regular shoe size.聽聽Hatch warns that if your fitter tries to give you a boot based solely on your sneaker size, you might want to switch shops.聽
Don't Worry About the Number of Buckles
People may tell you聽more buckles equals a stiffer and聽better聽boot, but that's not true.聽There are plenty of two- and three-buckle boots that are ultra-stiff. Hatch says buckle choice is more about the geometry of your foot. Some people prefer a three-buckle boots because it causes fewer pain points. Some people are fine with a four-buckle boot.聽
Consider a Boot With a Good Walk Mode
Boots are more upright these days, so they're easier to walk in. But if you hate getting from the car to the lift while carrying gear, think about a boot with a walk mode, which聽lets the boot flex forward so your have a more natural stride when you're not skiing. Just flip the boot back to ski mode when you're ready to shred.
Forget Aesthetics聽
鈥淒on鈥檛 [buy boots] based on color,鈥 Hatch says. Boots are a tool, not a fashion accessory, so buy the ones that feel good and are right for the job, not the ones that match your jacket. Save the fashion focus for apr猫s.聽
Buy From a Ski Shop with a聽Guarantee
You might be able to get boots cheaper online. But if you buy from a reputable ski store, you not only get a boot fitter, you鈥檒l likely get a guarantee that they鈥檒l keep fixing your boots down the road. It often takes a couple tweaks before your boot fits just right, so it鈥檚 great to be able to come back to your shop to get everything dialed.
Consider Insoles
An insole will often make a tricky ski boot much more comfortable. Insoles not only help with comfort, they also make the boot conform to your foot, improving performance. There are a lot of great off-the-shelf footbeds like those from ,聽or you can get specialty footbeds made just for you.聽
If You聽Run Cold, Buy聽Boot Heaters
鈥50聽percent of my new buyers get heaters for their boots and the other 40聽percent either already have some from their old boots or come back for them,鈥 Hatch says. Boot heaters are paper thin and slip in under your foot so they won鈥檛 affect the fit. 聽Hatch uses warmers聽because he likes how they fit in his boots, but聽 heaters have the strongest battery.