 Poster: A snowHead
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I should be going skiing for the first time in 10 years in February. I'm extremely excited about that, but wondering what to do about my boots.
I have a pair of Nordica Beast 12s from about 2004. I did a full season with them that winter and I've done a couple of holidays since (and the odd snow day over here) but they haven't been seriously used for a decade. I had a fitting done when they were new, but I don't think the fit was perfect even back then and that was quite a long time ago. Likewise, I've always had the feeling they might have been a bit stiff for my fairly limited skiing ability and I wasn't sure if the material would degrade at all over time.
Should I:
* Use the old ones as they are
* Try and get another fitting done
* Hire some
I realise your own boots would generally be a lot better than hire boots, but I'm not convinced they were perfect when they were new and that was 15 years ago. Presumably technology has moved on.
If I could say with some degree of certainty that I'd be able to go skiing regularly again then I'd probably take the plunge and buy a new set, but it remains to be seen whether that will happen and I'm on a reasonably tight budget.
Excuse all the waffle. 
What would you suggest?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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catch 22
You could spend money on trying to get your boots to fit better - but then, are you likely to fo skiing again & not wait another 10 years?
or you could spend money on hiring new boots.
Obviously 15 years is a long time for boot development.
Maybe check on the cost to hire - trade that off against the cost to take your boots (can you afford to lose the space/weight allowance for a flight for example)
& how much you can sell them for on Ebay?
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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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I bought fitted boots last year to replace the pair of fitted 'Dale Boots' I bought in Kitz about 10 years ago.
Massive improvement.
The old ones had been a big improvement on hire boots and the latest pair were a big improvement again to the point that my instructor actually commented on how better I was skiing without knowing that I was wearing new boots.
New plastics technology results in a much lighter boot that can be heated and stretched up to 4mm (I think) which means that after the initial pain of the fitting process the end result is boot that really do for like a glove.
If you can afford it buy new from a recommended boot fitter. It can also help if you purchase in resort as you can test it on snow and then go straight back to the shop from the slope if any fine tuning is needed. Comfortable boots most important investment if you want to enjoy a weeks skiing and improve your standard.
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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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My advice is to get some new fitted boots.
Your old boots are getting to that age where you can get failure due to the degradation of the plastic.
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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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15 year old boots are getting into the territory where there might be an issue with the plastic failing catastrophically. You'll probably be fine, but no one can guarantee that. I'd not risk it, personally.
| ChrisP71 wrote: |
If I could say with some degree of certainty that I'd be able to go skiing regularly again then I'd probably take the plunge and buy a new set, but it remains to be seen whether that will happen and I'm on a reasonably tight budget.
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This is the critical bit for me. Boots are undoubtedly the single most important piece of kit to get right but if you are unsure whether you will ski regularly, you could be wasting quite a lot of money if you buy now then don't ski again. Unless you have past history of hell with hire boots, I'd hire for this holiday, then buy if you will be going again. If you do this, don't be afraid to go back to the hire shop to swap boots if needed.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I echo Old Fartbag. I had a pair of boots, albeit older than yours, which I hadn't used in about 10 years, that basically snapped when I was trying them on (luckily pre-trip and not on snow). A couple of knee bends and flexes saw the boot fail.
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Thanks all. Yeah, I'm leaning towards hiring.
If the boots were a perfect fit and ideally suited to my skiing ability I think it'd be worth taking a gamble on an old pair, but there are already a few question marks before we even consider their age. I've got a set of even older skis, but I have no intention of taking those for much the same reason. Plus, I'm travelling with the family, so the more luggage space I can liberate (by leaving boots at home) the more likely it is that I can keep my four-year old entertained!
On a related note: I'm in South Somerset. Is there anywhere even vaguely near me if I did decide to buy new or get the old boots re-moulded? Presume Bristol or Exeter would probably be closest?
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@ChrisP71, nobody is going to remould your old boots. Retire them gracefully, hire for now to see what the difference is with newer technology, and then if you are committing to skiing again regularly buy a pair at that point. If you are hiring skis anyway, adding boots for a week will be £20-40 compared to £300+ to buy.
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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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@ChrisP71, You could always take your old boots with you. If they don't work - hire and leave the old ones behind in the locker room (which is what I did some years ago.…!)
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@ChrisP71,
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On a related note: I'm in South Somerset. Is there anywhere even vaguely near me if I did decide to buy new or get the old boots re-moulded? Presume Bristol or Exeter would probably be closest?
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I'm also in South Somerset but choose to make the journey to Bicester and @CEM.
Usual big stores, Ellis Brigham and Snow and Rock in Exeter and Bristol, but as always with them you can be lucky and get a really good conscientious fitter or just someone who is intent on rushing you through as quickly as possible and as a result you will get a pair of boots which are initially comfortable but in all probability will be at least one size too big which only shows up after a week or two's use when the liners have packed a little and your feet are floating around inside the boot giving you no control over your skis.
Lots of threads on here about boots and bootfitters, spend some time reading them as it will repay you with increased knowledge to enable you to make your best decision.
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