 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I'm hoping for some good advice here on upgrading my boots....
All the un/necessary info :
Current boots are women's Salomon X-pro 90 which I have skied in since 2015 and my current skis are Rossignol Temptation 88's at 164 length with no desire to change them.
I am 5'6'' and weigh 10.5 stone.
I've now been advised that my current boots are too soft for me and that I should be looking at upgrading them - I ski at an advanced level, mainly piste with some off-piste, steeps and bumps so looking at a boot that works in all that. I love speed but don't want/need a race boot.
Also have one shoddy foot - it got quite broken and has now got a cracking bone-spur right on the top of it and nerve damage too, as a result I need a boot that is extremely mouldable both liner and shell. The lovely boot-fitter that sorted me out last time must have spent at least 6 hours in total getting it right and I will be re-visiting the same guy without a doubt.
So please - opinions/advice/knowledge all gratefully received !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ProfessorMesser, ask your boot fitter.. he will be able to advise the best boot for you. Best not to have any preconceived ideas about what you want, especially from internet randoms who haven't seen your feet
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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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That is good advice - it is what I did the last time I bought boots, just left it up to the boot-fitter ! I was just wondering what was out there and might be suitable.....I get confused reading all the different reviews etc. Don't care what make/model/colour they are just want some that fit and and that work for what I need !
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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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Why change. I too take some time to get my boots right so I tend to hang on to them as long as possible. If you really need stiffer boots which if you’ve been skiing them for 4 years you should know then maybe try a new power strap. If the liners have packed out then they could be replaced.
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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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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @ProfessorMesser, ask your boot fitter.. he will be able to advise the best boot for you. Best not to have any preconceived ideas about what you want, especially from internet randoms who haven't seen your feet |
This. The bootfitter will be able and best placed to advise what is available, boot wise, which will suit you and your ski style, and what can be modified best re your foot. You don't really need to do the research, read reviews or make the choices - that's the fitter's job. If it worked well for you last time then you already know it.
Only problem is, it's the end of the season now (unless you're in NZ!), so availability of the best models, widest selection to try on and so on may/will be extremely limited. Can you hang on until the start of next season? Or maybe speak to the fitter in the meantime regarding the stiffness, if there's anything they can do to stiffen up the boot etc?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@jbob, if the OP is genuinely skiing at advanced level then a 90 is probably too soft, more so than a booster strap would rectify?
@ProfessorMesser, I think that most current boots are highly mouldable so, provided the fitter starts with the right base, should be able to work with you. You can easily move to a stiffer boot without nearing the race stiffness. As you're possibly aware, a stiffer boot allows you to put more power through the ski, which increases control. I'm slightly different size/shape to you (6ft, 17st) but have just moved from a 90 to a 130 (although my understanding is that there's no standard for flex, so one manufacturer's 80 could be another's 100) and the difference was immediately noticeable.
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My other half (Kooky) recently upgraded her old boots at 70 flex which were so baggy after approx 800 days that she could pull them off without undoing the buckles. She is a pretty competent skier and moving to a 110 flex well fitted boot has transformed her performance. She is only 50kg too so pretty tiny.
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Yes: I'm about 60kg, 5' 5" just, female, mature, advanced idiot skier and I easily ski a 115 flex in a woman's boot. (Currently in Atomic Hawx, but other makes too at 110-120.) Proper fit, good secure hold and calf/shin height affect the ability to get on the tongue & boot fronts easily and to move and pressure the ski properly (not that I claim to be an expert at this yet); get this right, combined with the right stiffness for your physiology, ankle flex and skiing style, and the effect is miraculous - in my case, at least.
The only other factor to consider, maybe, is if you want a less stiff boot for bumps/moguls and the like.
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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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@SnoodlesMcFlude, my only comment to that was that a Uni friend was an ex Olympian downhiller and more or less skied in the softest boot he could find...
Horses, courses, etc.
Actually another friend, former Olympian from the '67 French Squad skied in his leather boots with Look (Nevada) Grad Prix on soft Rossi monocoque skis for many years... and could beat most fit youngsters at most things... RIP FB
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@ProfessorMesser, if the X Pro has worked well for you then maybe your boot fitter has an X Pro 100 or 120 in stock , they are about the change that model fro next season so there may be some good deals (its only a good deal if it fits)
the one downside i could see to that boot is the amount of material in the overlap if you have this spur on top of your foot, it will depend a lot on where that falls as to the best solution. when i see a foot with a spur on that area i tend to look for the simplest shell that fits the overall foot shape to modify, i try to avoid complex water seals and soft materials that help you get into the boot as they often have a seam right where you need to stretch the shell.... depending on the extent of the spur i might also consider a warp around thermo form liner to absorb some of the problem and reduce the need for a big shell punch.
regardless of whats out there, work with your fitter, after all they are the one who is going to make this work for you
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you for all the advice so far - it helps cement in my head that probably the best course of action is to wait until next season and work with the boot fitter to get something totally right for me.
As for replacing the powerstrap - not gonna work, if I try to compensate by tightening my boots then it just causes no end of pain and issues due to the nerve damage/injury. Bone spur is in the intermediate cuneiform/2nd 3rd metatarsal region. I did also fracture my tibial plateau on the same leg in the same incident which gives me some concern as to whether a stiffer boot may cause knee issues.
I take the point that one boot manufacturers flex in a 90 may not necessarily be the same in another manufacturer - if only things were of a standard eh ?!
Another consideration I have had is that of going down the route of custom liners and whether that would be a good thing for all the reasons you state CEM !
My previous boots to these were a 70 flex and like a pair of slippers (not long after injury and needed comfort rather than performance!) and moving up to the 90 flex was somewhat a revelation and I was off like a rocket - although they overwhelmed my K2 Superfree skis that I was using at the time !
As for skiing ability - yes, advanced although I consider myself always learning and will always take some lessons every season. However I am not a gear junkie and don't keep up with the latest news in the world of 'stuff' hence asking for the advice as I'm fairly clueless when it comes to all of this ! 
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