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Ski Boots: Worth it...and what to budget?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm off to Meribel for New Years for what will be my fifth week skiing - once with school aged 12 then not again until my late twenties, then intervals of every couple of years thereafter. I've always hired boots and skis but am now wondering whether I ought to bite the bullet and buy some. A quick squint on Lockwood's website (they are 2 miles from my house) nearly had me falling off my chair. Anyone know whether the price includes liner or whether that is seperate. And what about the fitting costs? All in all what should I budget if I decide I need them. And I know Lockwood's are rated very highly but are there cheaper options out there? Can I get away with hired skis and new boots?

I would class myself as an intermediate. Very happy on blues, increasingly confident on reds, haven't really faced a proper black yet. Last holiday was spent practising learning to use my edges effectively and carved turns. And a little bit of bumps, just for the laugh.

Would my own boots really help me to progress faster? It just seems a lot of money to find on top of what is a pretty expensive holiday. And I might have also bought a new jacket Embarassed . And. And. And.

Please persuade me one way or the other. And tell me what to budget.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Should add have already factored in cost of lessons so is not an either/or decision.
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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?
A quick look at Lockwoods shows more than half of their boots are under £200 - No expert on ski boots but that seems cheap. Follow the fitting advice on other threads and go and try some on...
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I bought my own boots about 12 yrs ago. I have no problem just hiring skis. I bought mine in resort last week of the season where they had some good discounts and with the exchange rate to the Franc (yes I do mean that) meant I got mine for £90. They heated up and clamped onto my feet to shape in linings. I have been very very happ with them. I have looked recently and I have seen a few models for under £100 but that is a rarity and you need to find out if they fit you. To me if you have been happy in hired boots all this time I guess you don't have "spcecial" feet like some of the posters I have read on here? Also based on the stories I have read here it looks like I may have been lucky in my experience.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I've recently bitten the bullet bought my first pair of boots. It sounds like you have reached a level where you will really feel the benefit of a custom fitted boot. The boot is the interface between your physiological input and the ski, so it's perhaps the most performance enhancing piece of kit you can buy. Or at least that is what I told myself to justify shelling out £370 Smile
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I'd say if you're only skiing for a week every couple of years I wouldn't worry too much. Your own boots are nice, more comfortable than rentals, and would probably help you progress faster, but as you've seen they aren't cheap and you have the (minor) faff of transporting them. If you haven't had any specific problems with hired boots then I would err towards keeping the cash and putting it towards an extra week away.

That said, I do have my own boots, and I wouldn't go back to rentals. But I ski for a few hours every week so the cost of the boots was easily justified.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Probably £250 - £350 for the boots. They all come with liners. Some people pay more for custom liners but probably not necessary. More useful is a custom moulded footbed (about £100). I've seen some suggestions that if you don't want to buy your own boots you could just get custom footbeds and or liners and use them in rental boots for a better fit. Anyone have any experience with doing that?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
LyraSilvertongue, Depends - do you really love skiing or just find it a moderately interesting holiday when you can afford it? If the former then it's worth buying your own, if the latter (and your pattern of one holiday every couple of years suggests it) then rent. Mind you you might want to do the sums on costs of rental v ownership. I'd be surprised if Lockwoods can't get a low intermediate in a boot under £200 unless you've freakish feet if you let them know budget constraints & maybe an Off the shelf footbed on top.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Quote:

Mind you you might want to do the sums on costs of rental v ownership

yes, but if you're hiring skis (which makes sense for you) boots often seem to cost little extra. I'd agree with the "rent if you're fine in the rented boots" camp, given that you are not a particularly keen skier.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
That price includes the liner, lockwoods don't charge for fitting. You may be recommended a footed (not necessarily custom), which could add a bit.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Decathlon have some very keenly priced boots, not sure what their fitting service is like though.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Standee They don't have one!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Someone who has been "fine in rented boots" would be as well just carrying on renting (for one week every two years) as get a pair off the shelf in Decathlon.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Jesus guys; don't you get it.

Forget the finances, otherwise you'd never go at all. Buy boots and make sure they're red!

He who dies with most kit wins. snowHead
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Mosha Marc is right - Skiing is a kit fetishists wet dream - how many other sports boast 'Technical Socks'?
If LyraSilvertongue didn't want boots, she wouldn't have asked - she's just asking permission to buy them. GO BUY THE SHINY!
And buy more technical socks while you're there...

Frankly, i'm amazed nobodys broken cover and suggested a custom boot fit yet...
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

Skiing is a kit fetishists wet dream - how many other sports boast 'Technical Socks'?


I'm guessing you're not a big fan of running, specifically trail/ mountain marathons? I'll admit some of the kit is cheaper, but that just means you can buy more...and the socks, my god the choice of technical socks...

<leaves>

I'd love to know, if you added the cost of everything you take out on the mountain when you ski what would it be, I think I'm at about £1200 and rising..

clothes (all layer & socks!), beacon, probe, shovel, boots, skis poles, bag, water bladder, multi tool, googles, sun glasses, gloves, hat, wax, sun cream, etc...
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
BenAS, Beacon or bacon?

You can always rent a beacon, but finding bacon can be tricky.
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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?
Ha ha. I am also a runner, so understand the attractions of a technical sock <ignores>. I do love skiing but the reason I have only made it every couple of years is I will keep on having babies and being pregnant does constrain your snow fun AND your unpasteurised cheese eating. And they are expensive little bugs in their own right who tend to make you poor. I hope we will get to go more often when they are older and we can ski en famille.

I might have a little wander along to Lockwood's tomorrow. Just to window shop you understand <whistles>. They'd pay for themselves within 10 years, right?

I've got orthotics/foot bed in my hiking boots already (fitted by Lockwoods) - could those be used in the ski boots?
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Just from *memory, Lockwood's did say I had bizarre feet when they did my hiking boots (maybe they say that to everyone). Long in some bits but short in others. And wide and narrow. At the same time! I'm special <proud>.

*Disclaimer: Memory is notoriously unreliable these days.

I'm trying to remember how ski boots even feel. I think I did get a lot of cramp in my feet. Normal? Or a sign of ishoos?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I can feel the boot fitters cash registers ringing. Mug up on what you need and buy secondhand say £40-£50, buy new foot bed max £60 fitted if you have funny feet, there you are a pair of boots at 60s price.
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