HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR SKI BOOTS?
The boot is the most important part of your ski equipment. It determines your comfort, the support of your feet and ankles, influences the movements of your body and the reaction of your skis (support, turns). Depending on your type of practice, your level and the morphology of your foot, how can you choose the shoes that suit you? Between comfort, safety and precision, we help you see things more clearly.
The choice of adult ski boots is made based on 3 criteria: the terrain, the level and the shape of the foot.
If there's one piece of your gear that you need to choose carefully, it's your pair of shoes. They determine your comfort, your ease, your performance, in short they are the key to the success of your ski day! We hope that these tips will guide you in your choice and that your shoes will be forgotten so that your outings are unforgettable!
CHOOSE A SKI BOOT ADAPTED TO YOUR LOCATION
PISTE SKIING
Downhill skiing, as its name suggests, is practiced on marked and groomed slopes. The technique is based on a sequence of beautiful curves, leaning on one leg then the other, leaning as much as possible inside the turn (carving) and a search for speed and sensations.
HAS KNOW
Downhill skiing therefore requires a shoe with good support since the skier often moves on hard snow, which causes vibrations. The skier's weight is often supported by a single ski when changing direction, which also requires good support for the feet and lower leg. The downhill ski boot must also be precise and responsive because edge changes (shifting support from one “slice” of the ski to another) are frequent.
FREERIDE SKIING
Freeride skiing is practiced off the slopes, in the forest or on slopes off the beaten track, in search of fields of virgin snow. Skiers sometimes have to take off their skis to climb a slope before descending it (approach) and the terrain is most often uneven and covered in powder.
TO KNOW
Freeride skiing requires a boot with progressive flex, that is to say a regular and hard flexion on the final support to gently absorb the irregularities of the terrain. Boots suitable for Freeride skiing are often equipped with a SkiWalk, that is to say an unlocking of the boot which occurs automatically when you take off your shoes to allow you to walk more freely.
FREERANDO SKIING
Freerando skiing is a ski discipline that combines elements of ski touring and freeride skiing. It's basically skiing in off-piste terrain and enjoying ungroomed snow, but with the ability to climb slopes thanks to special ski bindings designed for touring.
TO KNOW
Freerando skiing requires specific ski boots, often called "ski touring boots" or "freerando ski boots". These shoes are designed to provide a balance between downhill performance and comfort when ski touring uphill.
They have "inserts" which allow you to mount ski touring skis.
CHOOSE SKI BOOTS ADAPTED TO YOUR LEVEL: BEGINNER, ADVANCED OR EXPERT?
It is important to choose a ski boot adapted to your level. It's the FLEX , or shoe stiffness index , which will guide you in choosing the right shoe: beginners will opt for a rather flexible shoe, which will offer more mobility, while experts can choose a harder shoe, which is more efficient but requires control and precision.
What is FLEX?
In order to give an indication of the rigidity of the shoe, brands define a flex index for each shoe. This number determines the rigidity of the assembly: the higher its value, the more rigid the shell .
PISTE SKIING: WHAT TYPE OF SHOE FOR WHAT LEVEL?
BEGINNER
Research tolerance and comfort
Man : Flex index less than 70
Women : Flex index less than 60
CONFIRMED
Research dynamism and maintenance
Man : Flex index between 70 and 100
Women : Flex index between 60 and 80
EXPERT
Research performance and precision
Man : Flex index greater than 100
Women : Flex index greater than 80
FREERIDE SKI: WHAT TYPE OF SHOE FOR WHAT LEVEL?
BEGINNER
Discover Freeride skiing on unprepared terrain Man : Flex index between 90 and 100
Women : flex index between 70 and 80
CONFIRMED
Explore the area and progresses off-piste on all types of snow and terrain
Man : Flex index between 90 and 100
Women : Flex index between 80 and 90
EXPERT
Escapes from the ski area to look for powder
Tolerant shoe, good support and precise
Man : Flex index between 110 and 120 Women : Flex index between 100 and 110
GOOD TO KNOW
Your weight influences your choice of shoes. A heavy and powerful skier will have to choose a greater flex than that recommended for its level.
FREERIDE: A VERSATILE SHOE
Some models of ski boots are equipped with inserts , holes on either side of the front of the foot and at the back, which allow adaptation to hook bindings, specially designed for ski touring . In some cases we can add a special sole to add the inserts or remove them. These shoes, which adapt to two types of bindings, therefore offer flexibility of use (freeride or ski touring).
CHOOSE YOUR SKI BOOTS BASED ON YOUR FOOT SHAPE
SHOE WIDTH
As we all have different feet, there are several widths of ski boots adapted to each body shape. Narrow, medium or wide, these sizes are measured in millimeters from one metatarsal to the other.
SLIPER HEIGHT
Depending on the ski boot model, the height at the instep may vary. So choose a shoe model that will be adapted to the shape of your foot. The top of your foot should not be compressed, in order to allow good blood regulation.
TO KNOW
- The liner and the top of a women's shoe are more flared for better calf comfort. -
- Some slippers can be custom molded for your foot: if you have tried several models of shoes but your feet still hurt, thermoforming can be THE miracle solution . Some ski boots are equipped with a liner that can be heated to make it more malleable and shape it to your foot, ankle, calf. And in some cases you can even carry out the thermoforming yourself!
4/ TRYING A SKI BOOT: ESSENTIAL STEP!
It is unthinkable to buy ski boots without trying them on. Indeed, the felt , the comfort , the maintenance of your foot cannot be measured without a proper fitting .
First of all, how do you know your shoe size?
Once the Flex has been determined, there remains the essential step: determining your size.
Ski boot size is measured in two steps:- Width: narrow (100mm), medium (102mm) and wide (104mm) - Length in Mondopoint : this unit simply corresponds to the length of the foot in centimeters.
Warning: Take a size larger to avoid being tight, as the foot would not be properly supported.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE SIZE OF YOUR SKI BOOTS?
It is possible to find your Mondopoint size in the blink of an eye using conversion tables:
WOMEN’S SKI BOOTS:
MEN’S SKI BOOTS:
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR CHILDREN’S SKI BOOTS?
Under 5 years old:
The children are just learning to ski.
They tame the snow and the first slides. They can then make do with flexible and, above all, very comfortable shoes.
From 6 years old :
The children start ski lessons, they learn the technique and their practice is more precise. They will need a boot that transmits pressure and movements more precisely to the skis. Choose a flexible ski boot with 3 hooks for good foot support.
