 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
As a Brazilian, we don't have many nearby options for skiing, it's either Argentina or Chile. Here, snowboarding is much more popular than skiing when compared to the US or Europe. Consequently, finding decent ski boots to rent is never easy. With this in mind, and considering that I plan to go skiing every year from now on, I've concluded that it's time to purchase my first pair of ski boots.
Originally, I intended to go skiing during the South American season in July 2024. However, I've started to wonder if finding a good boot fitter in South America might be even more challenging compared to renting boots. I didn't want to travel to the US or Europe solely to buy ski boots. Therefore, I'm reaching out to inquire if any of you know of a good boot fitter in South America. Additionally, I'm curious about the price comparison with Europe.
I hope that gathering this information will help me answer the primary question for my ski trip next year: whether it's more cost-effective to pursue this endeavor in Europe, North America, or South America. I'm considering the following options:
1. Flight to Chile or Argentina (approximately $350) + Boot purchase + Boot fitting + 1 week of skiing (cheapest).
2. Flight to Europe (approximately $900) + Boot purchase + Boot fitting + 1 week of skiing.
3. Flight to North America (approximately $800) + Boot purchase + Boot fitting + 1 week of skiing.
Your insights and suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I make this decision. Thank you in advance!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Boot fitting in Argentina - forget about it. Don't know about Chile, but I would expect that it's about the same.
My advice would be to head upto the US. Quite a few places to get your boots fitted properly and go 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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Welcome to SH.
You could buy online a pair of modern rear-entry skiboots that are now trickling onto the market, such as the Nordica HF range.
Rear-entry boots are much more forgiving than buckles, easier and comfier to self-fit.
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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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@brasilski,
Hi and welcome to snowHeads  .
I have zero knowledge of what is available in South America but to give you an idea of what to expect in Europe boots can range from equivalent of USD 180 - 900 including fitting depending on what level of skiing you are at and how much you want to spend, whether you want custom footbeds etc. Also if your skiing progresses quickly you may need to upgrade your boots in the near future.
Essential to get good fitter so if you opt to come to Europe then post here and someone will give a recommend for where you end up at.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@brasilski, not so much the cities, you'll need to go somewhere ski-ey for that. more or less.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @brasilski, not so much the cities, you'll need to go somewhere ski-ey for that. more or less. |
Understood! Is there something like the "best cities to buy ski boots/ find good boot fitters"? I confess that I'm a little bit scared of going to a ski resort city that has only 1 or 2 good options to buy the boots. Especially because it's the end of the season, so I might not find anything that "fits" me
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@brasilski, hmmm I can’t see any easy way to proof yourself against lack of stock. If it’s a well known fitter - eg high volume - you might well end up out of luck.
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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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| brasilski wrote: |
| under a new name wrote: |
| @brasilski, not so much the cities, you'll need to go somewhere ski-ey for that. more or less. |
Understood! Is there something like the "best cities to buy ski boots/ find good boot fitters"? I confess that I'm a little bit scared of going to a ski resort city that has only 1 or 2 good options to buy the boots. Especially because it's the end of the season, so I might not find anything that "fits" me |
In terms of cities close to skiing, and with a range of ski shops, you're probably best aiming to get to Innsbruck (easy enough from Munich) but your best bet is probably to find a resort with a recommended fitter.
Difficult to know what stock will be left, but I'd think it unlikely you wouldn't be able to find a boot available. Happy to be corrected though. Even if you bought a boot from a different shop but used the recommended fitter to adjust it, that could also work if their shop doesn't have whats needed.
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I'd be surprised if a big place such as, say, St Anton would run out of a lot of boot models / sizes before the end of the season. And they'd have good fitters, too - with the advantage (as in any ski resort) that you can go back as many times as you want during the week to tweak the boots. (People vary, I have a friend who never needs any adjustment, I usually go back 3-4 times).
Whether St Anton or another major destination is the best for you, I don't know. Good topic for another thread? There'll be lots of advice.
But at least I can say that I bought my last two pairs there, and while I had to adjust them - as noted above - by the time I was done the boots served me very well for several seasons of 25-30 days skiing.
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