Ski Boots

[Shakythemohel]

I am a 52 year old intermediate/advanced skier. Started skiing at 35, never really put my $$ or focus on boots. I am finally going to upgrade my boots, but I am on the taller side at 6'3". I've seen some boots that are higher up on the shin than others and can't find any info on boot height anywhere on the internet. Will a taller boot give me more control of my skis than an average height boot? Yesterday, I was on one of the larger ski gear retail websites and I started an online chat to ask for some info about boot height. The girl said she was not aware of any boot cuffs that are specifically higher on the shin than others, and told me there are boots for wider feet or thicker calves, but couldn't help me about cuff height. Am I barking up the wrong tree or does it now matter? If it can make ANY difference, does anyone have any recommendations on specific boot brands or models that may have a higher cuff.

 

[Philpug]

Welcome from a former PA guy. Boot sizes are scaled, so a 28.5 will be taller on the cuff than a 25.5 so when getting properly sized, you should get a boot that fits your body type. Where in Pa are you and where do you ski mostly? Maybe we can direct you to a fitter that will take care of you.

 

[Shakythemohel]

Welcome from a former PA guy. Boot sizes are scaled, so a 28.5 will be taller on the cuff than a 25.5 so when getting properly sized, you should get a boot that fits your body type. Where in Pa are you and where do you ski mostly? Maybe we can direct you to a fitter that will take care of you.

 

[Shakythemohel]

So I'm taller as I stated, but my feet are not necessarily that big. I'm a size 10.5-11 depending on the shoe, so probably a 27.5 boot, maybe 28.5. I weigh about 200, so i'm leaner and slim calves. I am in the Scranton/Poconos area. Ski Montage mostly, but also Elk and Camelback on occasion. Try to do a big mountain VT trip every couple years, so we are doing Stove at the end of February this year for the first time.

 

[Philpug]

So I'm taller as I stated, but my feet are not necessarily that big. I'm a size 10.5-11 depending on the shoe, so probably a 27.5 boot, maybe 28.5. I weigh about 200, so i'm leaner and slim calves. I am in the Scranton/Poconos area. Ski Montage mostly, but also Elk and Camelback on occasion. Try to do a big mountain VT trip every couple years, so we are doing Stove at the end of February this year for the first time.

@BC. do you have a suggestion for a fitter? I believe there is a good shop up by Elk but forget the name. @Wendy, Alpina by Jack Frost might be another?

 

[BC.]

@BC. do you have a suggestion for a fitter? I believe there is a good shop up by Elk but forget the name. @Wendy, Alpina by Jack Frost might be another?

I always recommend Scott Hopkins at Guenther’s up at Elk….great guy/great shop!

 

[BC.]

So I'm taller as I stated, but my feet are not necessarily that big. I'm a size 10.5-11 depending on the shoe, so probably a 27.5 boot, maybe 28.5. I weigh about 200, so i'm leaner and slim calves. I am in the Scranton/Poconos area. Ski Montage mostly, but also Elk and Camelback on occasion. Try to do a big mountain VT trip every couple years, so we are doing Stove at the end of February this year for the first time.

Go see Scott Hopkins at Guenther’s up on road to Elk….he’s excellent.

 

[dbostedo]

Maybe we can direct you to a fitter that will take care of you.

Go see Scott Hopkins at Guenther’s up on road to Elk….he’s excellent.

I'll pile on here based on your initial questions, @Shakythemohel ... Getting good fitting boots is a GREAT thing to do, but there are some tips to keep in mind:

• See a good fitter (as recommended above)
• Don't worry about particular brands or sizes... let the fitter worry about that
• Let them know what you're looking for (more control, better hold, stiffer, etc.), how/where you ski, etc. (they'll probably ask); Also mention price if you've got limits.
• Wear thin socks like you'd ski in, and pants that can be rolled up above your knees
• Expect to take a couple of hours at least to do a fitting, try different boots, check for hot-spots, etc.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

At risk of muddying the waters for the OP, does anyone know if cuff heights and shapes are generally similar between “rec race” and all mountain boots? One of the things I noticed when I switched over to a Head Raptor is the boot is much harder to physically put on, even without a liner, because I get vastly more rub on the front of many ankle in the process than I do in other boots.

It’s very possible what I was noticing is more driven by how much space there is in the shell than anything else but I have wondered about it.

 

[Tom K.]

No bootfitter here, but FWIW I'm a taller guy. My Atomic Hawx Ultra 130s have a taller than average cuff height, and I love that feature.

I sacked them out in about 150 days of skiing, and moved on to a Nordica Speedmachine, which I love, but I'd gladly take the Atomic's extra half-inch of cuff height back!

 

[markojp]

The reason you're in a hawx or Nordica is instep height, not cuff height. Odd that you went from and Ultra to a Speed Machine and not a pro machine.

 

[Tony Storaro]

No bootfitter here, but FWIW I'm a taller guy. My Atomic Hawx Ultra 130s have a taller than average cuff height, and I love that feature.

I sacked them out in about 150 days of skiing, and moved on to a Nordica Speedmachine, which I love, but I'd gladly take the Atomic's extra half-inch of cuff height back!

Was about to mention Hawx Ultra as soon as I saw OPs requirements but decided to leave this to his bootfitter.

 

[Zirbl]

because I get vastly more rub on the front of many ankle in the process than I do in other boots.

How are you putting the boot on?

 

[AngryAnalyst]

How are you putting the boot on?

Typically by pulling the liner tongue out of the way and pushing my foot into the boot. Is there some other method I should be considering?

The issue I’m referencing is basically the turn your foot has to make navigating the shell upper/cuff and shell lower/clog interface. Either that point is much stiffer on Head Raptors than other boots I’ve used or the fit of this boot is such that I have less diagonal volume to move my foot through or some other thing I’m not smart enough to think of. Putting them on really does feel different than other boots I’ve used and it makes me wonder if there’s a big construction difference.

I referenced the performance without the liner because I had tried putting them on to check shell fit once without socks. I noticed I left a good chunk of skin on the plastic.

The reverse issue is pulling my feet out of the boot in cold and that sometimes motivates me to profanity.

 

[Zirbl]

Is there some other method I should be considering?

Have you tried liner first and stepping into the shell? Or pulling the shell open and holding it. Hard to describe the latter, Harb has a video of it on Youtube.

 

[Henry]

I'm a size 10.5-11 depending on the shoe, so probably a 27.5 boot, maybe 28.5.

Well...I wear size 13 shoes, and size 28.5 boots fit me just right. Trust that excellent fitter. Boot sizes are not always consistent. What matters is how the particular boot fits the particular skier. Too-big boots are a guarantee for mediocrity.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Have you tried liner first and stepping into the shell? Or pulling the shell open and holding it. Hard to describe the latter, Harb has a video of it on Youtube.