Buckle Up

The most important part of your ski equipment is your boots. For people starting out who can’t afford to buy everything at once I advise buying boots and renting skis. Your boots are what transfer all your muscular efforts into your skis. Changing boots will affect your skiing more than changing skis.

Yet I am constantly surprised at the number of skiers who suffer through ill-fitting boots, who have to crank down the buckles to get anything out of them, or whose feet are always cold. Boots can be blown out. Buckles can be moved. Shells can be shaved down. Very few people are lucky enough to have factory-made boots fit them perfectly at the store. This is why ski shops include boot fitting as part of the cost of the boot. This includes not only the initial fitting but any adjustments required once you start skiing them and they pack out.

Don’t forget the bottom of your feet. I’d highly recommend foot beds if you are a regular skier. Foot beds support the arches of your feet allowing for better power transfer and feet that aren’t sore at the end of the day. The ones that come with boots are one size fit all. Super feet are a cheaper alternative though I swear by my custom foot beds. They last for years and can be moved from ski boot to ski boot.

I am often asked how a boot should fit. My answer: snug but comfortable. You want your foot firmly housed in the boot with no room to move but you don’t want it to pinch or hurt. You should be able to ski comfortably with your boots unbuckled. In fact, I often keep the bottom couple of buckles undone for my first one or two runs of the day until my feet get used to them again.

The most important buckle on your boots isn’t actually a buckle at all but the power strap – the Velcro strap at the top of your boots. This should be done up as tightly as you can so that the tongue of your boot is firmly against your shin with no space between. Otherwise people ski too far forward in their boots trying to seek the tongue and find that control.

The single best thing I’ve learned this year is to do up my power strap over the tongue but UNDER the shell of the boot. If your boot will accommodate you doing this, do it. It will get the tongue of the boot firmly against your shin. Plus it will upright the boot slightly allowing you to stand more comfortably in your boots and ski in a more stacked position using your skeleton rather than your muscles making you less tired at the end of the day.

Once you get your boots fitted perfectly, there is a lot you can do once you take them home to take care of them. Always keep them buckled. Thoroughly dry them out each time you use them by either removing the liners or using a boot drier. Do NOT leave the carefully adjusted shells by the fire or there is nothing a boot fitter can do to help you!