 Poster: A snowHead
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When is the 'right' time to buy your own Ski Boots? When you Ski more than once a year? If you want to progress further with your overall Skiing?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As soon as you know that skiing wasn’t a one-off trip and that you’ll be doing it regularly in the future (even if only once a year).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Other reasons I can think of:
You have the money anyway.
If you have strange shaped feet.
You drive or don’t mind carrying boots in your luggage.
You like buying skiing stuff.
Want to ski tour so need tech inserts.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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When you don’t want to rent - that was my justification. 
Ill fitting rentals that weren’t moulded to my foot shape, not the right flex and just generally poor quality.. took me maybe 3 ski trips to realise I was in love with the sport, as weird as it sounds and I wanted to go as much as possible.
Having your own kit means, if you can ever do a DIY trip you can effectively squeeze a couple more days into the trip, and likewise having your own kit means last minute bargains are easy just just book and go without worrying about renting.
Obviously it means you need to get your kit out there though...
I put my boots in my suitcase personally, pack my clothes all around them to pad them out and protect them.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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As soon as possible! I’d say, once you’ve got the bug, are off the nursery slopes and want something that will help you progress. Beginner level boots are a bit pointless as they will be too soft and you will “grow out” of them too early. Decent boots can make such a difference to your skiing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Having your own ski boots is probably the best investment you'll ever make in skiing.
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If you are thinking of it.
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As soon as you can! Boots should be your first investment.
You never know what you can end up with from a rental shop & it can literally break your holiday.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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It wasn’t until I bought my boots that I realised all the hired boots had been too big. It made a big difference to my skiing once I had correctly fitted boots
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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All the answers above are obviously right, but if you only go skiing once a year and choose top stuff from a good shop, you can adjust to the boots you are hiring.
In my case, buying my own boots allowed me to feel at home every time I skied, dry slope or pistes, and to be more in control right away.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I skied once (as in one day) and knew that I’d been bitten by the bug. Bought my boots before I went on a proper trip.
Should be first kit after jacket/trousers/socks.
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| drporat wrote: |
| All the answers above are obviously right, but if you only go skiing once a year and choose top stuff from a good shop, you can adjust to the boots you are hiring.. |
No you can't - they either fit properly or they don't. It doesn't matter if they're 'top stuff' or bottom end. If they don't fit, your feet, skiing and enjoyment will suffer.
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You know it makes sense.
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It’s a no brainier. Get your own boots. I bought mine after only two trips to a Snowdome. Straight out of the box, mine were ten times more comfortable than rental boots. And that’s before the liners were moulded and custom insoles. Probably the most important bit of kit you can buy.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I had a 30 year gap from skiing & on deciding to try it again the first thing I did before even the first run was to go & be fitted for & buy a pair of boots. It's the most important thing to own other than perhaps a waterproof jacket & some gloves. Now when we go skiing I'm ready in a flash & am then available to escort my wife & children back to the hire shop as their boots become increasingly painful. 3 trips per day usually does it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@martinm,
Totally off topic here, just seen your username, and seen we both live in the same town!
Anyway on boots, I agree with pretty much everyone else, as soon as you know skiing isn't a one off trip it's worth it. Much like a recent "when is it worth buying skis thread" chances are you won't make your money back as such, but certainly with my boots, I probably had them 3 or 4 years too long, but, they became "cost neutral" in the end when you consider rental costs.
The important thing is, I always knew that when i got on holiday/dry slope/snowdome, the boots would fit me and react how I expect them too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As everyone else has said as soon as you know it is not a one off thing buy boots.
AND make sure you buy from someone who is qualified to fit them.
AND make sure you can get back to the boot fitter after you have worn then for a couple of days.
Good well fitted boots is the best investment you can make toward enjoyable skiing.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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If you think you will ski more than 5 weeks in the next 7 years.
Buy boots + custom footbeds.
One is useless without the other.
Boots must fit like a glove.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@NewSki, as soon as you’ve decided you want to ski more than your first two trips.
Well fitted boots are a great investment. Nearly as good as membership of SnowHeads for value.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thank you all, I'm buying a pair of boots after my next trip!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| NewSki wrote: |
| Thank you all, I'm buying a pair of boots after my next trip! |
Why wait?
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| NickyJ wrote: |
| NewSki wrote: |
| Thank you all, I'm buying a pair of boots after my next trip! |
Why wait? |
I've prehired Skis and Boots with Inghams, doubt they will let me cancel this
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When hubby bought his, we had booked Skis, and boots through in Inghams and in the shop they ended up being unable to rent him any boots big enough for him. They were, however able to sell big enough boots...hmmm. Anyway it was end of season and the new boots were all discount and they deducted the boot rental cost from the boots he bought. So may be worth asking in the shop.
Hope you have a great time.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| NickyJ wrote: |
When hubby bought his, we had booked Skis, and boots through in Inghams and in the shop they ended up being unable to rent him any boots big enough for him. They were, however able to sell big enough boots...hmmm. Anyway it was end of season and the new boots were all discount and they deducted the boot rental cost from the boots he bought. So may be worth asking in the shop.
Hope you have a great time. |
hoping to have my boots fitted and buy them in the UK, what size was your husband? I'm praying they let me cancel, what do you think?
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Size 12. I know others have hired that big before.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| NewSki wrote: |
| NickyJ wrote: |
| NewSki wrote: |
| Thank you all, I'm buying a pair of boots after my next trip! |
Why wait? |
I've prehired Skis and Boots with Inghams, doubt they will let me cancel this |
You still need the skis anyway and boot hire is probably only ~30Euro of the total rental package. If you're going to buy boots anyway why suffer another week in ill-fitting boots for the sake of 30Euro?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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New boots can be expensive one off purchase, and if that puts you off buying then skiing is not the sport for people who have little money (especially when you are learning).
Once you have your own skis, boots, and kit, can ski, can service your own skis, you are on the way to reducing the ongoing costs.
In my circumstances, one week learning to ski in hired ski boots was enough to convince me to buy a new pair, get them moulded to my feet, and also had them stretched once I tried them out. (I had slightly fat feet at that time and skiing would cause cramps and pain on the base of my feet)
That pair lasted 10 years before they were stolen. They were well used by the time they were stolen with more than 15 weeks skiing.
New pair I purchased required no plastic stretching as my feet were no longer fat, but the moulded foot bed is still there. Current pair is over 12 years old, and no issues as yet. I do not walk on the bases around ski resorts, I tend to take the boots off and wear walking boots then put them in my rucksack. Clean them so they do not rust, and keep them dry. £13 per week skiing for my first pair of ski boots, less for my second pair and reducing.
Not much servicing required for ski boots! No ongoing costs....
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How much are we talking for middle of the range custom fit boots?
Also, can anyone recommend somewhere in Chamonix to get boots?
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You know it makes sense.
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@conor90, difficult to say because you buy a boot based on fit (the custom bit is fine tuning), so there could be a host of cheap options that don't fit you. My first boots were about £300, my new ones were upwards of £500 including fitting and insoles. And of course a lot of that depends how much fitting you actually need.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Purchased my boots before my first ever trip.
Was learning at the snow dome at Hemel and the rentals were destroying my feet. Knew I'd love skiing so took the plunge. One of the best decisions I made. They were in fact my first purchase of "ski kit".
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Poster: A snowHead
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I bought my first boots before my first trip (because the rentals at Skiplex were crippling me and I already knew I was hooked). I ended up replacing them after 4 weeks of holidays and a couple of hundred hours indoors because my skiing had outgrown them. Still think that buying them in the first place was the second best thing I did for my skiing (the best being replacing them at the right time). Whilst I'm sure I made the right decision I don't necessarily think it's the right decision for everyone. If you have the money and the desire, or rental boots aren't snug - or are very uncomfortable - then it probably makes sense, but accept that if you're doing more than a week or so a year / taking lessons / being coached regularly your technique may well outgrow the boots before they are very old.
If you're lucky and hire boots fit you well (snuggly without being particularly uncomfortable - rather than being comfortable because they are too big), or you are concerned about the cost and/or want to get years of wear from your boots then it might be more cost effective to wait until you've got a few weeks under your belt.
It short it depends on your feet, your finances and your goals...
Either way, if you do buy go to a reputable fitter and let them sell you the boots/footbeds your feet need. It's not a great idea to buy some off the internet just because they are a bargain (someone will be along to say they just did that and it was fine, and of course for some people it works, but it is a lottery with an expensive ticket)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@NewSki, as others have said, ski boots are probably the most important piece of kit to get right. From memory you are off to Lech soon,? If so have a look at Strolz boots - by far and away the best ski boots I've owned. They are expensive but lasted me just over 11 years with 2 weeks on average use
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Handy Turnip wrote: |
| As soon as you know that skiing wasn’t a one-off trip and that you’ll be doing it regularly in the future (even if only once a year). |
This.
And have them properly fitted.
If the £300+ is going to be a problem for you, save money on clothing etc by careful shopping and not being hung up on the fashionable brands.
Avoid the more expensive resorts.
However, don't skimp on lessons, they're very important too.
Edited to add - if you can afford Lech, you can afford boots.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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my only thoughts are that you really never know how comfy or good your boots are until you actually go skiing, no matter what super duper ski boot fitter you go to. all the advice about if you get them fitted properly you wont have a problem is only partly true, it will definately reduce your chances of ski boot pain, but prancing around in your bedroom or one or two runs on a dry slope wont tell you anything, so when you do take your shiny new boots on holiday you could be ditching them by wednesday
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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On a ski holiday your feet are your best friends. Look after them nicely.
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I bought mine after my first trip. Was recommended a good local boot fitter on here and buying my own boots was definitely a good decision.
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| Quote: |
but prancing around in your bedroom or one or two runs on a dry slope wont tell you anything,
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However, worth a couple of hours at an indoor slope (Hemel, MK, CF). Whilst it won't guarantee comfort, it might show some issues which you can get fixed before your trip. When I had new boots, I spotted a couple of pressure points within about 20 minutes. Got the boots adjusted and they were fine after that.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| compostcorner wrote: |
| my only thoughts are that you really never know how comfy or good your boots are until you actually go skiing, no matter what super duper ski boot fitter you go to. all the advice about if you get them fitted properly you wont have a problem is only partly true, it will definately reduce your chances of ski boot pain, but prancing around in your bedroom or one or two runs on a dry slope wont tell you anything, so when you do take your shiny new boots on holiday you could be ditching them by wednesday |
If you go to a proper boot fitter they should be happy for you to come back to have the fit tweaked until they don't hurt, and's the reason I'd recommend any holiday skier gets their boots in the UK (as unlike appartment owners you're less likely to return to the same resort for your next ski trip and so it's unlikely to be easy to pop to the shop for a fit tweak).
Buy before you trip and if they pintch/press/are lose anywhere make notes and go back to your boot fitter before your next trip.
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@NewSki, you should be shopping for a decent boot fitter NOW.
If you find a good one near home, get the boots now.
If you get a good recommendation for the resort you're going to, you can just get it while there and have it adjusted during your week.
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