How to choose ski boots?

Active rest is hard, stubborn, but very exciting and emotional work. Experienced tourists know exactly what is necessary for it to take place and succeed: the desire to "conquer" new heights (sports), basic knowledge and a good teacher, the right equipment. After all, the equipment can let the extreme down at the most inopportune moment, which, in turn, can lead to unpredictable consequences.

Speaking of skiing, I would like to pay special attention to boots. Correctly selected, they will allow you to achieve the best results and maximum pleasure in amateur jogging.

For any tourist, comfortable shoes are already a guarantee of a comfortable and healthy outdoor activity. And when the choice of this accessory is approached from a professional point of view, any troubles or problems will seem just a trifle.

Ski boots are an art. Their model variety is not limited only to men, women and children.

There is a distinction between ski boots depending on their purpose:

1. For walks and easy hikes. Ideal for beginner athletes, for those who like to ski in a park or forest. Usually, these are one of the simplest and most inexpensive models, their price can increase due to internal insulation and external material.

2. For a classic move. Low, provide easy freedom of the ankle joint, without restricting its movement, equipped with a soft sole.

3. For skating. High boots with cuffs, firmly fix the shin, have a rigid sole and are designed for professional ski training.

4. Combo models have a removable upper cuff, so they are suitable for the second and third type of skiing. The sole is medium firm. Confidently used by beginners and hobbyists

Women's, children's and men's models differ not only in colors and additional decorations, but also in their structure, depending on the physiological characteristics of the foot of a particular group. Ski boots should not only be beautiful and fit well, but also meet certain parameters.

Even if the world's best skis are gathering dust in your closet, they will not be useful to you without special miracle boots designed specifically for this sports equipment. With proper selection, skillful operation and high-quality care, your ski boots (not even the most expensive ones) will last at least 10 years, experts say.

In order to make the right choice, professionals advise you to adhere to the principles and recommendations, even if you are just an amateur and are not going to ski for the rest of your days.

Ski boots should fit the physiological characteristics of the foot and fit you. If even for a second you doubt the convenience, immediately abandon the purchase.

If the boots are large, the risk of injury to the leg increases, as it will not be securely and firmly fixed. Too small will bring a lot of discomfort and, as a result, “poor quality” riding.

Especially professionals insist on giving up grandmother's knitted woolen socks. The maximum that you can afford is thin knitwear or cotton. Accordingly, when trying on, you should be in exactly those socks (or similar) in which you will surf the vastness of the snowy hills.

Just like choosing your casual shoes, it's best to test your ski boots right in the store. Shoe them and walk around for just 1-2 minutes. This time is quite enough to feel discomfort or assess the exact hit on the target.

For skating, the boots should be as rigid as possible in the shin area. This is necessary for a snug fit to the leg and a secure fit. Their upper is usually made of tough frost-resistant material with a polyurethane coating.

Determining the required stiffness in the store is not difficult. To do this, you need to bend the top of the boot as far forward as possible. If she did not succumb to your provocations, then the rigidity is just for the skating course.

The most common boot-to-ski mounts are four types:

1. NN 75 - it has been used less and less recently. A metal horseshoe body with three rods, on which a boot with a forward-protruding sole is installed. Then this part is fixed with a metal bracket and snapped into place. This type of attachment is practically not used in skating anymore, since the shoes are very unreliably fixed on the ski.

2. NNN is a ski mount. It is a rectangular metal plate with two transverse guides. The boot is fixed tightly, its front part rests against a rubber stop.

3. NIS - this type of attachment practically does not differ from the previous one. Since this view is attached to the skis using a special NIS platform, no screws or rods are used.

4. SNS is a special mount made for cross-country skis. The boots are attached with a longitudinal guide, the toe fits snugly against the rubber stop.

Depending on what kind of cross-country skiing you plan to do, the type of boots, fastening and even their size depends.

Skating is considered a semi-professional and professional type of cross-country skiing. If you have just started skiing, then most likely your first steps will be of a classic nature. Hence, the types of ski boots differ in their main characteristics:

• Higher ones for skating, with ankle fixation, and lower shoes for classic style (there is no need to fix the joint);

• The professional ski boot has a tighter fit and a thickened sole. The classic is not so demanding and is content with a softer sole and a lighter weight;

• For both types of skiing, the most popular and used bindings - SNS and NNN - are equally suitable. But here it is already necessary to build on the type of attachment on the skis themselves.

The principles for choosing this category of ski boots are not much different from all of the above. Some manufacturers are making slight adjustments to ski shoes for women and children. For example, boots for lovely ladies are made a little lower than men's and a little less stiff. Due to the anatomical features of female legs, the incidence of injury does not increase.

When choosing children's ski boots, you should be as careful and attentive as possible. Due to active growth, the size of the legs in children can increase by leaps and bounds. Therefore, the main thing is to make sure that you pick up sports ski shoes for your little one in time. Just like women's models, children's boots have a reduced rigidity and are not as tall as adults. It is necessary to choose shoes with your child so that he can take a few steps in them and make sure that they really fit him.

There are some valuable tips from skiing professionals to warn parents of prospective athletes against unfavorable purchases. After all, the wrong shoes can not only discourage starting or continuing classes, but also lead to injuries:

1. To buy ski boots even for the smallest skiers, you only need size by size. There should not be any options "for growth". These are not felt boots or quilts that can be worn for several seasons in a row. The health of your baby's feet directly depends on the size of the ski boots.

2. Be sure to consider the purpose of the shoe: for classic or skating.

3. If the parents have a desire to kill two birds with one stone (what if he will ride the classics, and then want to go to the skate?), It is recommended to purchase special combined models with a removable cuff.

4. The purchase of ski boots with suitable bindings is highly recommended.

Of course, prices for ski boot models from popular brands may seem out of reach for economy buyers. However, their quality, convenience and reliability are worth the money. For example, sports brands such as Alpina, Solomon and Madshus offer at least 4,500 rubles for a pair of boots. Spine and Nordway have set the lower bar at the level of 2500-3000 rubles.

The difference between expensive ski shoes and cheap ones is the use of higher quality, natural materials, an individual approach to each individual model, more pronounced frost and moisture resistance.