How To Choose Ski Boots

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Hi, my name Is Luke, and I'm a member of the technical team here at Snow Rock Hemel Hempstead. I'm here today to talk to you about one of the most important parts of skiing, which is selecting snow boots. A little bit about my history.

I started skiing when I was 5 at the old Hemel Drive Slope where I progressed onto the race team. From there, I moved on to do Oregon's National Races on artificial slopes in snow domes and dry slopes where I was ranked number one in the country last year. Then, I moved onto snow where I scored 79 face points, 101 for GS and 79 for snow.

I then moved on to freestyle, so I've skied over all kinds of terrains and snows. Okay, onto selecting ski boots. The most important thing to do when selecting ski boots is making sure you select the right shape.

Each different company and different boot is completely different to the next. When selecting the ski boot, it is very important to determine whether you have a broad forefoot, high instep, large calves, or narrow heels. This leads you to choose a set, usually a brand.

For instance, if you've got quite a narrow foot, and you've been racing, then a good boot to go for is something like the Fischer. This boot has a very narrow heel, so the heel hold of it is very good. It's also got a medium to narrow forefoot and a medium instep.

It has reverse clips in the front, so when you hit gates, they won't break them. It's also got reinforced clips, so they are going to be very strong when you are going through gates. If you started out, it's quite important to have a soft boot, and not to go for something too stiff straight away.

A softer boot means it's going to be easier to get to the front of the ski and initiate the turns. A stiffer boot will give you more response, but if you are not ready for it, it'll put you into the back seat of your skis and make you uncomfortable. A lot of the problem when people come to selecting boots is that they don't really give us enough information on what they need.

It's very important you do this. If you are into more free form skiing, we have the Simon and Gutscht. This is a reasonably stiff boot but not overbearingly stiff, so you can ski off pace.

It's got grip on the bottom of the boot so if you are doing a lot of hiking you'll get traction in the snow. Another big type of skiing that's come in is freestyle skiing. Freestyle boots that we sell are Solomon.

They are made very differently from all other boots. They have padding in the back so if you are siting too far back when you are landing the jump you don't get massive calf pain. They've got a soft toe box so your toes don't jump to the front of the boot and you don't hurt your feet.

They are also very soft, so when you are landing you don't get to much shin banging inside the boot. When it comes to selecting which boot you get as well, it's very important you get them custom fitted. An insole is required to make the most comfortable boot.

An insole is a molding of the underneath of your foot. When your foot is sitting normally and you put pressure on it, the majority of people's feet will prelate, so they will roll inwards. If this happens in a properly fitted ski boot, you can get cramps.

Custom fit beds are designed to put your feet into a neutral position so that they are not rolling inwards or outwards, give you more control in your ski boots, stop you from getting cramps, keep your feet warmer, help blood flow, and help with calf problems. This is very important. Also, if you want the best fit, a zip fit liner is going to give you the ultimate fit you can have.

That's how you select a ski boot. .