 Poster: A snowHead
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HI,
I have always had unisex (or presumably) mens boots and skis and found these to work well for me, I am just thinkiung about replacing my boots after 10 yrs good service and seem confronted with the option of ladies boots and skis? Are these a marketing gimmick or would it be worth considering? Are they same skis just in pretty pink/pastel colours?
Realise I might sound a little cynical but interested in views
P.S. I am not a 5ft 2 petite girly but neither a 6'4 rugby player build, just kind of average really!
Denise
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There is no such thing as Ladies or mens ski boots, only cilour changes and liner changes. Eitherway the boot must fit your foot. Skis are Male/Female/Unisex.
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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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Forget ladies skis, but ladies boots are well worth it because women have different shaped feet & calves.
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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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Alexandra, Women have different shaped feet........................than other women, don't discount any ski boot type of ski boot because of gender.  Women's skis are, however set up, the most part, for a womens center of gravity and should be paid close attention to.
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER, Correct me if I'm wrong, but a shell fit is a shell fit. No matter the boot, no matter the foot, a fit is a fit?
I was seriously thinking of getting the Il'moro for myself in the 24 shell because I believe the Krypton 24 is a Krypton 24.
I'm happy to be shown where I'm wrong if you would be so kind 
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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 found ladies boots fitted me much better but have so far prefered mens skis. Each time I have tried the equivalent male and female ski or boot in the range and gone with what suited me best regardless of the marketing eg. prefered k2 Recons to Lotta Luvs but much better fit in womens Head Edge 10.8 to mens Head Edge 10.8, by the same token I usually get on really well with skis marketed at advanced to expert but really, really, really am nowhere near that level.
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SZK I'd heard that women's boots were wider at the top, as women's calves tend to be lower and broader than men's?
Also, you say women's skis are set up for women's CoG - how does that differ from mens? Surely women are all different, and probably vary in shape more than men do: tall/short top heavy/pear shaped, lightweight/heavier? If CoG is important to where bindings are set, shouldn't there be some kind of individual assessment so they're placed in the optimum position for that person?
Or is it really something that only matters at the extremes and for people who are expert skiers? Is it something that should concern novices like me?
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SnowHot, There are no male or female shells. The only thing that changes is the hight/cut of the liner, which can make a difference, in the case of Dalbello, each case needs to be assessed by your bootfitter, but IL Moro over Storm is a waist of money. Dalbello do not account for 'Zeppa' angles through sizes and therefore need to be assessed by 'Bootfiiters'.
NewSkier, Let's get down to brass tacks, men are hunters, women are baby carriers, this effects the COM. Women have the COM around the hips, men around the shoulders, us men are fine tuned killers, so this effects the way we ski. Power coming from the shouler opposed to the hips. Womens COM is lower, around the pelvic area, mens, around the shouders. This effects the timing of 'Tip' presure and needs assesment. There are 'NO' hard and fast rules, but this is a major consideration.
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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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| SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote: |
| NewSkier, Let's get down to brass tacks, men are hunters, women are baby carriers, this effects the COM. Women have the COM around the hips, men around the shoulders, us men are fine tuned killers, so this effects the way we ski. Power coming from the shouler opposed to the hips. Womens COM is lower, around the pelvic area, mens, around the shouders. This effects the timing of 'Tip' presure and needs assesment. There are 'NO' hard and fast rules, but this is a major consideration. |
Not trying to be argumentative but I thought using your shoulders to turn was very bad. I agree that the avergae man has much more upper body strength than the average woman but I didn't think you were supposed to use this to ski???
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, Thanks, you kinda of reassured me of what I was thinking. Which is why I did not get the Il'moro, just for the sake of getting it.
I'll get another season out of my storms before I'll need to get new boots. Then I'll look and see whats on the horizon for me.
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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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lynseyf, You can't change the fact that most of my weight is in my shoulders and a womens in her hips, that's nature. Yes, technique dictates it's wrong, but that's why, on average, women are technically better skiers than guys.
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You know it makes sense.
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| SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote: |
| lynseyf, You can't change the fact that most of my weight is in my shoulders and a womens in her hips, that's nature. Yes, technique dictates it's wrong, but that's why, on average, women are technically better skiers than guys. |
Boy was I surprised to read this! I was just about to jump in and tell lynsey that she was absolutely RIGHT!
Ladies, celebrate your *ahem* "lower COM" because it means you'll ski the way you're supposed to! Just the slightest flick of the hips denotes a turn - not all these lanky limbs & big shoulders! 
Unless you've got very slim calves I think you should have a preference to ladies boots, the liners in men's boots can be very long.
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER,
I appreciate that men and women's COM is different - but why are women's skis only found in intermediate type of skis? Why are there no slalom / GS skis designed for women (or if there are, i've not seen them). Is it that there simply wouldn't be a big enough market for them?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks for the help.
I am going to go try some womens stuff and see how it feels, as I have shapely calves, although I do have size 71/2 or size 8 feet. Will let you know how I get on
Denise
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER,fizz, At the recent British Ski and Snowboard show in Manchester there was a Masterclass sponsored by Fall-Line Media, with Fall-Line Skiing's boot Doctor, certified pedorthist (not sure they got the spelling of that right in the literature) Colin Martin of Solutions4feet. They told us that there are in fact only 38 different lasts for ski boots, and all boots are made from these. And that women’s boots are just scaled down versions of the men’s, with added extras like furry linings and more feminine colours to sell them as women specific boots. This is why so many women have problems with ill-fitting heel areas, or backs that are too high. What was even more interesting was that there is now one company that has created a women specific “last”, and that is HEAD. Now they could have all their facts wrong, but I doubt it, so maybe HEAD boots are the way to go.
Another interesting piece of information was that if your boot fitter doesn’t ask you put your bare foot inside the empty shell, to check for the correct size, leave the shop!
The talk certainly gave me something to think about, and armed me with information that I never knew, now I know what my heel feels loose in my boots, and it took me so long to find a pair that didn’t come too high at the back and as my 11 year old boots are ready for replacement, I will try the HEAD range for women, and see if this makes the difference.
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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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| beanie1 wrote: |
SMALLZOOKEEPER,
I appreciate that men and women's COM is different - but why are women's skis only found in intermediate type of skis? Why are there no slalom / GS skis designed for women (or if there are, i've not seen them). Is it that there simply wouldn't be a big enough market for them? |
but they do....
A ladies slalom ski is 155cm not 165cm...
a ladies GS ski has a 23 not 27m radius when looking at FIS compliant skis
look here http://www.elanskis.com/macc.asp?xpath=&xpathid=&xpathid2=&xpathid3=&lang=eng
at the GSX World Cup skis and you can clearly see the two smaller lengths are made for woman by the radius
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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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sharon1953, Head indeed do make a boot that is only available in ladies sizes and colours, however the point to remember is that your feet are unique to you and therefore lend themselves to a particular shaped ski boot. This ski boot could be any colour and not always 'Marketed' as a mens or womens model.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| sharon1953 wrote: |
| SMALLZOOKEEPER,fizz, At the recent British Ski and Snowboard show in Manchester there was a Masterclass sponsored by Fall-Line Media, with Fall-Line Skiing's boot Doctor, certified pedorthist (not sure they got the spelling of that right in the literature) Colin Martin of Solutions4feet. |
Hey that name sounds vaguely familiar, can't place it, quite. ;-)
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I'm in a Head 8.8 I tried other shells (and other manufacturers) but these did not seem as satisfactory (I've a fairly wide foot with a high instep) - I'm a beginner and comfort is still king for me. I was offered the Head as being a 'quote' 'ladies boot' rather than the equivalent 'mens' boot, also as a boot which ought to take me beyond novice and into the next stage. My fitter did not ask for a naked foot in the shell during the fitting, but we spent a lot of time finding a shell that felt 'right' Interestingly I am surprised that a naked foot is a consideration - I would think very few skiers ski with naked feet, so why doesn't it make sense to fit a boot to take into consideration the sock that the skier would normally wear?
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Megamum, The Naked foot is the most accurate referance. As long as your fitter follows the same protocol everytime, they will build a mental referance, most of us, as i say, use the Naked foot as it will be in the skiboot and it doesn't mask the foots fine details, Shell, liner, sock, then naked foot. One could too ask why we use a socked foot in the shell as we will be using the liner.
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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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CEM did have a quick look at my shell with a socked foot for speed at MK and to give me an overall impression as to whether my boot was more or less OK. He pronounced it possibly a half size too big - at my level is this excessively huge enough a difference to worry about? This is one reason why I wanted to come to the clinic, but I as you know I couldn't make it.
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Megamum, well it seems that after 15 hours of skiing, the inner sock will have squashed to such an extent the boots could be a size too large, so they need to feel if anything, a little too snug when first used. With the naked foot, it can be seen where if anywhere, the boot needs expanding, shell can be tailored to fit any unusual bone growths etc, but if they are too big, you can't shrink them! From what I can gather, thick socks are a no no too, they don't make up for ill fitting boots, and I must say that my feet felt better in thin socks with strategic thicker areas, than the thick ones that most shops sell. But I agree SMALLZOOKEEPER, at the end of the day, it’s the foot and the fit that matter, not what the manufacturers call them.
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FAQ
"top heavy" 