How to choose ski boots?

So, you have firmly decided to go to a ski resort, especially since you have everything for this: desire, opportunities and time. But before packing your bags, you need to thoroughly prepare for the trip.

Newbie skiers always think about which skis to buy, but they almost never think about boots, considering these things to be absolutely unimportant. This is a huge misconception! The health of your feet, your mood on the piste and how your skis go depends on the boots. Yes, don't be surprised. And we are ready to prove it to you. This is what our article is about.

Ski boots are made by many brands. The most famous and well-proven ones are Salomon, Lange, Tecnica, Rossignol, Nordica, Atomic, Fischer.

And here is what, for example, Salomon women's shoes for beginners look like.

And these are children's boots for girls, which are just getting on the skis, of the same company.

Both models are very easy to use. Easy to put on, lightweight, warm and comfortable. In addition, they are very soft as they are designed for beginners.

Women's shoes differ from men's ones: they are wide at the bootleg and have a hidden heel. It is more convenient for women to manage skis.

Children's shoes are much softer than women's and men's and are made from cheaper materials.

Look at the photo of a ski boot. It shows that this type of shoe consists of an outer and an inner shoe. The outer has fasteners (clips), a sole, a strap at the bootleg and an angle of inclination.

Fasteners (clips) are an indispensable element of this type of footwear. They are needed to fix the boot on the leg. But not all ski boots have an angle of inclination. In particular, it is not found in the models for beginners and in children's shoes. As a rule, sloped shoes are taken by people who have a problem with their feet (for example, they are X-shaped or beech O).In these cases, such a shoe corrects the shape of the legs.

Also, high-quality professional boots have an angle of inclination. Athletes ride at high speeds, so the tilt angle is very important to them.

Shoes must be selected according to several criteria: stiffness, weight, size, shoe width and elasticity. The choice depends on where and on what surface you are going to ride.

Sports boots are designed for professional athletes who ride on prepared slopes. These boots are tough, lightweight, lightweight, they have a thinner plastic sole.

Universal boots are designed for use on prepared and unprepared slopes. In them, you can easily ride on fresh snow, thick crust, as well as on special areas. These boots are tough, warm, and have a durable, reliable sole.

Tech Boots - suitable for a ski tour. They have an excellent rubber sole and are very lightweight. Professional.

Special boots for freestyle. Since they have to jump a lot, they have a great cushioning outsole.

Attention! Size is a very important parameter in gonoski boots! To correctly determine it, you must know the size of your foot, not only in length, but also in width.

In specialized sportswear and footwear stores, there are templates for this, with which you can take measurements on site. However, it will be easier and more reliable to measure the foot at home. It is very simple to do this: place your foot without a sock on a blank sheet of paper and trace it with a pencil, and then measure in length and width along the most prominent points.

Below we provide a size chart to help you navigate in a situation where the Russian and European sizes do not match.

Please note that the table does not indicate the width of the foot - it is indicated on each boot box.

The stiffness of gonoski boots varies from 15 to 160: the harder the boots, the more professional they are.

The stiffness of shoes for children should be from 15 to 60. For beginner adults, a stiffness of at least 50 is suitable. Soft shoes are very warm, but do not fix well on the foot. In no case should you ride in them on a professional track, so as not to get injured or broken, since the boots are not adapted for maneuvers. Average hardness is called from 60 to 80-90.

Rigid boots with the right angle of inclination are made for professionals. They are quite narrow, which is why they reliably fix the leg, and are also very light, although less warm. These boots are not suitable for walking in the snow. unlike their soft and medium-hard counterparts.

Its width varies from 92 to 108 mm. The stiffer the boot, the narrower the last. To understand whether a particular width is right for you or not, you need to try on boots.

When buying ski shoes, be sure to pay attention to the fact that your boots have a thermoforming liner. This is a kind of foot stove, which is indispensable for frequent skating. When the leg heats up, the liner takes on its shape. This element is not found only in the cheapest models.

The socks that you are going to put on the boots should be thin, elastic and long, going up the height of the shoe itself. Professionals advise gon-skiers to buy synthetic socks - now high-quality synthetics are not inferior, and sometimes even superior, to natural materials. The foot in such socks does not sweat, and the boot feels much better in them than in thick ones.

High-quality socks start at $ 40, but they last a long time.

Don't forget to try on ski boots with socks!

So, you've come to the store to choose your ski boots. How to start this difficult process?

First of all, take several pairs of shoes in your size, but from different brands. You will find that all of them, having the same length and width, will sit on your leg in completely different ways.

Put on your boot, zip up all its buckles, walk around. Are you comfortable? The boot should fit snugly on the foot.

When trying on, it often seems as if the shoe is a little small. This is fine. The only exception is pain. When bending or walking, the heel should be locked. If your boots are a little too big for you, you shouldn't buy them, because when you wear them, they can become even more loose.

Remember that not only the mood of the owner, but also the health of his joints depends on the correctly selected ski boots. It is easy to fracture in unsuitable shoes. Be carefull.

So, you did everything seem to be right: you picked up the size, width, tried on shoes and walked around the store in them. But still, none of the available pairs were right for you. What's the matter? Perhaps you have flat feet that you never knew existed. To check this, see your doctor.

If the diagnosis is confirmed, you will need special orthopedic insoles and a custom fit of ski boots to your foot.

In this case, it is better to do snowboarding - boots for him practically do not differ from ordinary shoes. This way you will be able to dash along the snowy slopes to your heart's content and at the same time forget about your problem with your feet.

When you choose boots for your child, also put them on and ask him to walk, sit down, bend over. If the baby does not complain about anything and can easily do all these actions, then the shoes fit him. As a rule, soft boots are bought for babies - they are warm, like felt boots, and very comfortable. Children's shoes can be taken with a small margin for growth.

So, we told you what you should pay attention to when choosing boots for alpine skiing, how to try them on correctly for yourself and your child. We hope our tips will help you. Enjoy the shopping!