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letsgobobby
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Post by letsgobobby »

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curmudgeon
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by curmudgeon »

In my book, the most important thing about ski boots is that the president of the manufacturer has feet shaped like yours. Everything else is just marketing noise. Try a variety of boots to see which ones seem to fit your feet best, and use that as criteria. There are lots of really high markups and hype in the ski equipment business; I didn't see that much difference between the fancy gear and more generic on the slopes (there are real differences, but they are rarely price dependent). We never paid anything close to full price, or even half price when we had a young skiing family. With the kids, we sometimes picked up used rental gear on sale cheap in the pre-season sales.

Used gear can be a bit tricky, because you want to make sure that it's safe and properly adjusted. I studied up and did most of my maintenance myself (things like mounting and adjusting bindings), but that's definitely not for everyone.

Having your own gear is definitely a timesaver, especially if you are going on busy days.
3504PIR
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by 3504PIR »

Yes it is worth it if you spend the time to do it right.

I didn't pick my boots, my feet were measured 12 different ways and the fitter brought 2 pair that were appropriate. Ultimately one fit better than the other and then they were molded to my feet.
nordlead
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by nordlead »

boots are the most important thing in skiing, and the stuff you get at the rental shop is garbage (the padding is all crushed down and they only provide boots for casual skiers).

Buy a good set of boots from a guy/shop who actually knows how to fit a boot. He should measure your foot, check the width and suggest a boot. Typically they pull the liner out and check the shell size to your foot (the very scientific two fingers behind the heel measuring method), and then you can try on a whole bunch and find what fits. Try on many until you find the best boot (comfort wise) in the shop. Once you buy them, wear them at home for a while to make sure they are comfortable, that way you can still return them before you use them. And whenever you put a ski boot on, ALWAYS bang your heal into the back, otherwise your toes will be crammed against the front of a proper sized boot and the arch will be in the wrong spot and put pressure on your foot.

The boot fitter should also check for proper stiffness and try to match the boot to your ski level. You don't want a boot that is super stiff if you don't lean into your boot, and you don't want a boot that is really flexible if you ski aggressively down the hill. I just bought ski boots this year as I'm getting back into skiing, and I tried some of the cheaper boots, but they just didn't have the stiffness I needed. I got my boots on sale for $275 at the local shop (same price as the cheapest online places) with a retail price of ~$450.

And for skis, I'd still buy a pair. You'll save both time and money and will give you a consistent feel. They make plenty of skis for "All Mountain". You could get something like the Fischer Motive 76 or 74's for ~$300-375 online and that'll pay for itself within 3 years. If it is deeper powder, go with a wider ski and you can still use it on groomers.

Poles will run ~$40 I think (haven't looked in ages really but I know it varies widely), and a helmet will cost at least 80.

If I go 8 times/year and save $40/trip, that would be $960 over 3 years. I used my last set of ski's/boots for ~11 years, and still have the poles. Yet my new equipment cost me $672 (including taxes). If I threw in poles and a helmet, I'd still be at only ~$800. Using your range (3-6 times, $40-55), you are looking at $120-330 in rentals/year, and a payback period of 2.5-6.5 years, which isn't bad especially if you think you'll ski more.

So, not only do you save money, but you get a more enjoyable trip as you save time and have a more consistent feel.
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Kosmo
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by Kosmo »

letsgobobby wrote: Renting at $40-55 per trip (includes skis, boots, poles, and a helmet) adds up but the time/hassle factor of renting and returning every time I go is the real deal breaker.
You don't avoid this if you still have to rent the skis.
scooterdog
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by scooterdog »

Just went skiing yesterday with all the kids (day-trip). Third season where the kids were the age and had the inclination to go skiing, and after a 12-year hiatus (sold the old Rossi's but kept the boots) it sure does feel good to get out there again.

My boots are now some 16 years old, and the comment about boot shape for particular feet is right on.

I found out (too many) years ago that my feet were best suited for the San Marco brand. I am now in the market again for new boots and will likely shop at the end of this season. In the meantime when we have some resort 'downtime' (yesterday I had ~20 minutes of free time as I waited for DD's ski bindings to get adjusted) I'll go ahead and try on different brands of boots and start shopping around.

Regarding renting skis vs. buying them you can't go wrong with finding the pre-season 'ski swaps' that many ski resorts will hold (go get on your local resort(s) email list, they'll let you know when they are happening usually in October). Bought great gear for the three kids (entire setup), very little money for both the daily rental, and more importantly the time spent getting fitted out.

The resort we went to yesterday was very well setup, but as we had a guest I found out (again) why we don't rent equipment. From the time we got there it was a good 45 minutes, filling out forms and waiting in line. On a busy holiday morning that's worth a lot, especially after driving 1.5 hours.

As for buying used, if you know what brand boot best fits your feet (and a given model) you could consider that. For skis, much less 'personal' a purchase. I ended up spending $310 (shipped) in early 2014 for a 2013-model Rossignol Experience 88 skis. These were professional 'demo' skis that were used for only two or three days, and in very good shape. The 'list price' for just the skis (no bindings) is on the order of $750, typical 'street' price somewhat lower; the bindings list for $200. On sale these could be much lower, say $500 for the skis + $150 for the bindings but still $650. Paying less than half for skis in excellent shape means many fun days even on the green slopes as I did yesterday.
michaelsieg
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by michaelsieg »

I also have feet that don't fit in most ski boots. So I have my own, and with them the foot pain at the end of the day is manageable and they last a long time. I would definitely recommend you buy a good pair. When we go skiing to Utah, we use Breeze ski rentals https://www.skirentals.com/#/ - you enter all your info online and then just pick-up the skis - even with the kids it is quick. Once you rent with them, they email you special offers that make it almost not worthwhile to buy your own skis. For a 5 day ski rental, I paid around $120 last year - that price is just hard to beat.
I looked at the break even point in the past of rental versus buying skis, and the break even point was around > than 2 weeks of skiing per year, which unfortunately I can't do...
On the other hand, renting in our local ski mountains is so expensive, that buying (used) equipment for the kids would probably pay off much sooner.
MattE
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by MattE »

If you're going to own a single piece of equipment and rent the rest, boots are definitely what you want to have. Properly fitting boots with the right amount of flex completely dominate your control of your skis and can make okay skis seem pretty good, and vice versa bad boots can make great skis seem unusable; this applies equally to snowboards, too.

If you're going to buy, you really want to buy out-of-season to maximize your savings. If you go to your local ski shop or even look around online in July\August, odds are they're going to have stuff marked way, way down in order to clear stock and make room for the upcoming season's new models. At this point in the year, I'd suggest researching brands\models and using the rest of your trips this season to demo ones you have the most interest in, then buying them this coming summer. My wife did that last year (we were in Jackson, WY for a week and they had a great program where you could demo skis for $5\hr and swap out as many times as you wanted) and got a set of what were $450 Rossignols for like $250 on clearance. A decent set of bindings and installation on top of that will run you maybe another $150.

If you're worried about ensuring fit, the best way to go is with vacuum-molded boots - my wife just spent about $400 on a set of Fisher Fuse boots this past summer. That was way more than I was originally expecting to pay, but the upside of them is that A) that price includes having the boots re-molded to your feet up to 6 times over the life of the boot and B) they include a pretty good wear-and-tear warranty that effectively makes them a once-in-20-or-so-years purchase.
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Epsilon Delta
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by Epsilon Delta »

letsgobobby wrote:Is it worth investing in decent boots that I take with me wherever we ski? We mostly ski Mt Hood, so a mix of fluffy snow as well as Cascade Concrete and sometimes downright rain, but at the same time my sister is in Utah so typically very light snow, point being I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to a single type of ski as we ski two very different climates (that said, 90% of it is in the Pacific Northwest). The boots, it seems, would be portable and could fit any skis I rent no matter where I go.
Is this actually true? I don't alpine ski, but I thought you had to match the boots to the bindings. I'd assume that many rental places mostly standardize on a particular type, so that their entire stock is interchangeable. I've certainly found this in X-country (where everybody seams to rent NNN and my SNS boots won't do) and other sports.
TRC
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by TRC »

I'd look into seasonal rentals from your local ski shop. Likely better quality and less abused than what you'll find at a resort. 3-6 times a season isn't enough to buy new while the kids are rapidly growing IMO.
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by Doom&Gloom »

It has been many years since I skied, so things may have changed a bit.

I have very, very high insteps and skiing was absolute agony to me until I got my own boots. I bought them at a ski shop that was willing and able to grind the inside of the boots to accommodate my insteps. It made all the difference in the world and was by far the best clothing/equipment-related skiing investment that I ever made.

I'd advise buying your own boots. Be certain the fit is what you want, and you'll likely never look back.
smackboy1
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by smackboy1 »

Epsilon Delta wrote:I don't alpine ski, but I thought you had to match the boots to the bindings.
Alpine ski bindings and boots are standardized across all manufacturers. Any boot should fit any binding. So it is possible to own your own boots and rent/demo any skis.
Disclaimer: nothing written here should be taken as legal advice, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
nordlead
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by nordlead »

smackboy1 wrote:
Epsilon Delta wrote:I don't alpine ski, but I thought you had to match the boots to the bindings.
Alpine ski bindings and boots are standardized across all manufacturers. Any boot should fit any binding. So it is possible to own your own boots and rent/demo any skis.
To top it off, binding manufacturers now rate bindings "for use with rentals" as those bindings are very fast to adjust to whatever size boot you have. The new bindings I have are "power rail" bindings by Fischer, and instead of having to use a screwdriver, I can adjust the position of the front and rear bindings by hand.

When I first started skiing, the front binding was always screwed in place, and the rear binding could move a tiny bit, which only handles 5-10mm difference in boot sizes. Rental shops would have to have ski's of the same length with various positioning of the front binding to accommodate all the boot sizes. Now rental shops can keep less ski's on hand to accommodate whoever comes through the door.
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powermega
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by powermega »

To answer your question, yes, it would be worth it for you to buy some new boots for yourself. All of the major brands are very good, especially on the higher end models. Different brands do seem to be a better fit for some types of feet, so it really is a matter of trying on several boots and seeing what fits you best. You should look around at the end of the season and in the early fall when many stores sell off last year's gear at a discount. I also think it is worth the extra time to deal with a good boot fitter who can make tweaks to the fit. For example, they can heat up and "punch out" part of the shell just a tiny bit over a bunion or some other part of your foot that can cause pain. It's a decent effort, but it's one thing you do one time and then you're good to go for many years. You will be amazed how much better your own boots are over rental boots. There is no comparison.

I also think you should get your own helmet too, and not rent that. Like the boots, you can get a custom fit, and the only sweaty head in the helmet is your own. When shopping for a helmet, either buy a new pair of goggles at the same time, or bring your goggles to the store to make sure they fit with your helmet.

Season rentals are not a bad idea for kids, especially if you're going to go skiing 8+ days every season. Don't bother buying any gear for them until they are done growing.
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
hyla
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by hyla »

Agree with other posters that boots are worth it.

And depending on the shop and how late the snow sticks around where you are, you may start seeing boots go on clearance around Mid March or April, especially in shops that also sell bikes or kayaks or something in the summer and need to start clearing out the ski stuff. Great way to save money on brand new stuff and get fitted in a good shop if you can't quite deal with the prices now.
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6miths
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by 6miths »

What they said! Totally worth it in my mind and can make the difference between a great day on the slopes and great discomfort!
'It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so!' Mark Twain
smackboy1
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by smackboy1 »

letsgobobby wrote:Kids are picking up skiing so I'm doing it a bit more often - 3-6 times per year for now, possibly more as they get older. I have terrible feet in general and the rental boots at the mountain I go to are particularly uncomfortable and don't fit well - one size the toes barely fit but the ankles are too loose, the next size down the ankles tighten up nicely but the toes are in agony.

Is it worth investing in decent boots that I take with me wherever we ski? We mostly ski Mt Hood, so a mix of fluffy snow as well as Cascade Concrete and sometimes downright rain, but at the same time my sister is in Utah so typically very light snow, point being I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to a single type of ski as we ski two very different climates (that said, 90% of it is in the Pacific Northwest).The boots, it seems, would be portable and could fit any skis I rent no matter where I go.

Or is it worth looking into an all around set of everything? Renting at $40-55 per trip (includes skis, boots, poles, and a helmet) adds up but the time/hassle factor of renting and returning every time I go is the real deal breaker. But I know this kind of gear isn't cheap. I see highly rated boots for around $750, ouch.

thanks you skiers.
Everybody's feet, ankles and legs are different. It would be extremely unlikely for an off the shelf ski boot to fit perfectly, let alone a beaten up old rental boot. Do yourself a favor and find a master ski boot fitter. They will set you up in the right boots for you and customize them for your unique anatomy. Most skiers make the mistake of shopping like they would for a pair of street shoes and end up in ski boots that are too big and cause pain and discomfort. Ski boots are one area I do not skimp on because so much is riding on them. Then demo/rent skis and poles until you figure out what you want to buy.

These articles are a good starting point:

http://www.epicski.com/atype/2/Gear/tag/bootfitting

If you ski Mt. Hood are you in Oregon? Here is a bootfitter I can recommend:

http://skiersynergy.com/index.php/contact

How old are your kids and how well do they ski? Children's feet grow so fast it's difficult to justify the cost of buying boots unless they are in competition. My kids use adjustable boots - 4 sizes in each boot. I've been able to get 2-3 years out of a $100 boot.

http://www.roces-snow.com/

Can your kids hand me down to their siblings? Compare the cost of buying inexpensive equipment, handing them down, and eventually selling them on ebay vs. seasonal ski rentals.

Buy adjustable ski poles.

Here's a good store for inexpensive equipment.

http://www.levelninesports.com/
Disclaimer: nothing written here should be taken as legal advice, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
surfstar
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Re: downhill ski boots question

Post by surfstar »

Just take up snowboarding - way comfier boots ;)


I'm cheap and "make" my feet work with something on sale. Sierra Trading Post usually works...!
Good luck and happy skiing - just please send some snow our way!
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