After how much experience should you think about buying your own ski boots?

A snowHead

Snowheads,

Friends who i go skiing with are looking into going to buy boots before our trip away next Saturday. They have much more experience than myself. I have been on 3 weeks of holidays and had 1 day in scotland. Last year I had quite alot of pain in my feet during the week of skiing. I have hired boots and ski's in resort on all occasions when i have been.

Should I consider getting my own boots if i can afford them?

All help is welcome

A snowHead

If you think you are going to stick with skiing and make it a regular winter trip, then having your own boots is definitely worthwhile. It might take a while the recoup the initial outlay in terms of how many years hire that represents, but the result will be pain-free feet and boots only you have worn, not boots that have seen a plethora of sweaty feet.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

safc2008ftm, I bought mine after my second week, managed to get them in the sale at Decathlon, best thing I ever did, they have paid for themselves both in terms of cost and comfort, asqueen bodecia, has said no one elses sweaty feet Smile

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I would 100% echo what queen bodecia said. If you enjoy skiing and are planning to continue, buy boots, and get them properly fitted. I bought boots on my 4th trip (4th week) and it made a massive difference to my skiing. Which resort are you going to? It may be better to buy in resort, then if you have any niggles the boots can be adjusted by the fitters.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Given that it's currently costing about 80 euros to hire them for a week (Chamonix, so might be more expensive than usual), that's only about 3 trips that you'd need to make to get your money back, plus you'd have cosy feet, so I'd go for it if you are planning 3 more trips.

Make sure you get them fitted properly, though, and get the footbeds fitted properly (although I skied for years without footbeds with my first boots)

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safc2008ftm, exactly as queen bodecia, it might take some time to recoup the cost, but you will not have problem with them! Providing you get to a good fitter of course!

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I brought my own boots 3 years ago and can say its the best thing i have ever done. I did have to have custom soles put in but then everyones different. If you do buy then give yourself plenty of time and don't rush in a week before your trip. I tried several boots over a few weeks before i settled for the best fit. Each boot make fits slightly differently even if they are the same size as another make. I have a high instep and struggled with Salomon boots. Having good fitting boots and no major pain makes skiing so much better.

After all it is free

We are going to Tignes from 23rd to 30th. We live in the North East of England so we are looking at possibly going to Snow and Rock in Gateshead. We are limited for choices in this area I believe.

It depends on the person - and your feet. As a one week skier hooked knowing I'll get use out of boots I went for a fitting (with a professional fitter), and found out I had really narrow feet. I was told that apparently there are very few (if any) entry level/beginner suitable boots that would actually fit me properly. If I bought a pair I may not find them comfortable, then it would have been £200-300 wasted. I was advised to stick it out in rental boots for a further 3-4 weeks skiing, even if they are uncomfortable at least then I won't have paid the money out on my own boots to be uncomfortable.

If I'd looked at boots aimed at a more experienced skier, which I could get to fit me properly, they would be unsuitable for my experience level - I may not be able to handle them. A comparison was drawn between passing your driving test and wanting to drive a supercar the next day!! So I was told to go back when I had 4-5 weeks more experience - if I am a quick learner.

Bear in mind this advice came from someone who was fitting me, to sell me boots - yet I waled out with nothing.

So I'd say get yourself to someone who can give you a proper fitting and follow their advice. It might be that your feet are normal and you end up with some boots.

As it happens when I went away over the New Year the boots I hired were pretty comfortable.

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in my case i was a fast learner so i was able to ski any slope on piste after less than 3 weeks. from that point i bought my own boots. tried them last week and they were amazing! same experience for my wife!

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I'm hoping I fall in that group too snowforever. I managed everything I tackled the other week (Skiwelt - although with varying levels of finesse!), which were mainly reds, and even one black - although I reckon they had the wrong signs up it didn't seem as bad as some of the reds I did. I'll probably rent for the next two holidays - one more this season - one next Christmas, then buy after that.

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The minute you decide you are going to carry on skiing. After 1-2 weeks probably.

Buy them now, but just accept also now that the boots which fit you "well" right now in your ski career are not the ones which will fit you "well" a few years down the line assuming your ability increases... which pretty much echos what hammerite has said!

You know it makes sense.

I bought the hire boots I had hired for my first week's skiing - at the end of that week. They were brand new when I hired them and they were perfectly comfortable. It saved me the rental fee which was about 40% of the boot cost.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

safc2008ftm, as youre going to Tignes I would highly recommend that you go to see the folks in Nevada Sports. They have a very good reputation, I got my boots there.

Nevada Sports
(0033) 479065154
Le Lac Le Bec Rouge

Bear in mind he is very popular - you may need to book an appointment, You can do that by phone in advance (they do speak english, but you may need to make allowances) or by popping into the shop sa soonas you can.

A snowHead

Thanks for the advice everyone. Does anyone have experience of getting boots fitted at Snow and Rock or possibly Nevisport? Or can anyone recomend anywhere in the North East?

Many Thanks

A snowHead

safc2008ftm, if cost's an issue it may be an idea to wait for the late-season sales. They usually start in late February, and might get a substantial discount. Give the purchasing lots of time, though - it's not something to be rushed. Here's a bit of advice:

Try and get around to at least two ski shops, and make sure your feet are being properly measured and assessed by a good boot fitter. Ask the manager for the boot expert. Try the clips with gloves on, and compare boots for ease of entry/exit.

Don't economise on ski socks - the quality is very important. High wool content and a firm tight knit are good points.

Walk around in the boots for a while and feel for pressure points/areas. The boots should be free of any unevent tightness, if possible.

Maybe look at boots now, and come back to this thread with a shortlist of ones you like. Then you might get some feedback from users of specific models.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

safc2008ftm, Read the "buying ski boots" sticky thread.

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OH had his boots fitted at Nevisport in M'bro. Young guy fitted em, very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend. Although they do not have a massive selection of boots, mainly Head/Salomon.

I got my boots adjusted there too. I had an insole thing fitted and they heated that up for me (bought my boots from the shop in ski Dubai stupidly when on holiday) to mould it to my feet. I was having big issues with the boots because I didn't get them fitted properly but they are all sorted now.

In answer to your original question, we bought our boots after 9 days of skiing. But then we are the type of people who like to have the kit.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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As others have said if you intend doing more skiing then boots are a very good investment, particularly if you have had pain in the past.

Generally buying in the UK is pot luck and I certainly wouldn't recommend Snow and Rock because I have awkward feet and had a very poor experience with them a few years back. However that doesn't preclude their being a good fitter in your local store but it's very much a gamble IMHO. If you want more of a guarantee of getting satisfaction in the UK you'll have to travel to somewhere like Solutions for Feet in Bicester who come highly recommended by many people here, including myself. I've also seen a number of recommendations for Nevada in Tignes, never used them myself though, so buying over there might be worth considering and getting some fitting done during your trip (keep going back until the boots are right).

Best of luck snowHead

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I bought skis and boots after three holiday weeks of skiing. Kind of just liked having the kit. The boots were a good investment as at the time I then used them on the dry slope as well. Skis, as others on here has said, are possibly less value for money and since your ability/technology changes having your own skis tends to be something people do when they ski a lot of times per season or (like me) they like having the kit.

Invest in the boots if you have time. But don't rush into it in terms of fitting them. My wife bought her boots almost "off the shelf" without proper fitting (based on a colour decision). I'm not sure they really "fit" her but she doesn't seem bothered.

After all it is free

And when you find the perfect fit, ski in them until they fall apart!

safc2008ftm, nevermind the boots. We worship in the Church of Football. FTM brother ! Laughing

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safc2008ftm, if you really want to buy before you go, LD mountain centre in Newcastle would be my choice, but as Smokin Joe says, may be better to do it in Tignes.

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He'll take notice of a fellow Sunderland fan snowHead

Sawyers or is it Sayers? One or the other Puzzled

In Yarm has a few boots and a decent reputation also. Although I assume you are a little further North than that.

Good luck!

You know it makes sense.

In conclusion:

This morning a friend and myself went to LD Mountain Centre in Newcastle. We both ended up with Atomic B tech 80 ski boots. We were advised on this boot due to our experience and because we both had wide feet.

Firstly our feet were measured, followed by the empty shell check, and then once we had decided which size felt the best with new footbeds in, the boots were heated to help them mould to our feet.

On a whole we were very pleased with the service we received from our boot fitter - Jeremy, and my friend will be returning with his wife tomorrow in order for her to get boots also. We were encourraged to return at any time with any problems that we have with our boots.

Thank you snowheads for your wealth of advice and for making me part with my hard earned cash. wink

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

How much would I expect to have to pay for a decent pair of boots properly fitted? I'm trying to budget for the eventual purchase of ski boots and wondered how much it'd be "all-in".

A snowHead

Astraeus, for me, boot fitting did not cost any extra on top of the sale price of the boots (in my case £160). However, this is because I have 'normal' feet and didn't need any extra work doing other than the usual heat-moulding process. My bootfitting experience was pretty much as safc2008ftm describes above. My feet were measured, then two different boots were recommended on the basis of the size and shape of my feet. I chose the ones that seemed to shell-check best and had them heat moulded to my feet. I already had footbeds from my previous boots which cost £25, so I took them out of the previous boots and put them into the new ones myself.

The more custom bootfitting procedures such as shell stretching and reshaping will obviously cost more, but not everyone needs this.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Helen Beaumont, he would have been depressed after the 7-2 scoreline ! Laughing

Help!!

After how much experience should you think about buying your own ski boots?

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