A Ski Boot Consultation | Visit to Sport Conrad

Sport Conrad advertises with competence and specialised advice. We from the PowderGuide team wanted to find out for sure and visited Sport Conrad in Penzberg. Our goal: a ski boot consultation. Anyone who has ever been faced with the question "Which ski boot is the right one for me?" knows that this is not an easy topic.

So we thought about a few questions, brought along our old and new ski boots and asked for advice. We can already tell you in advance: It was worth it!

Magnus, our contact person at Sport Conrad for ski boots, gave us advice and explained the boots, soles and their features. He has been working in the ski boot department for 8 years. He loves ski boot consultation because you can really give the right advice here and the subject matter is constantly evolving.

First of all, we need to determine what kind of boot we are looking for: Freeride, piste or touring boots?
Most freeride boots are basically piste boots but with the option of a pin binding and walk mode. Touring boots are great for the ascent, but not so stable for the descent. We are looking for an all-rounder. A downhill-orientated boot that also serves as a loyal companion on our tours, i.e. a freeride boot.

So if it pinches: no problem. At Sport Conrad, they can even lengthen the outer shoe a little if necessary. Again, you can't make them smaller. So it's better to buy something too tight at the beginning than too big at the end. Take your time and walk around the shop in the shoe for 10-15 minutes. If the inner shoe is worn through after a few seasons but the shell still fits well, it can also be replaced.

By the way: if you "ball up" the shoe to the limit when you buy it, then the shoe will definitely be too big for you later! ("Or you come from a racing background and have a different sensation of pain in your hocks anyway").

The second question is "What flex do I need?". The flex rating indicates how much pressure the boot applies to push you back to your starting position. The boot is too soft for you if you have the feeling that your ski is not reacting fast enough and you can no longer get back to your starting position when skiing, i.e. you are pushing the boot through. A rule of thumb is: "If you push forwards with closed ski boots without much effort and your knees are roughly level with your toes, then the flex is right for you". If you bend your knees, i.e. push your shin into the boot, and nothing happens, i.e. you can't push it forwards, then the boot is too hard for you. If the shoe already feels very hard in the shop, remember that it will be even harder in the cold outside. So do yourself a favour and be honest with yourself 😊

Another important factor is which binding is used. What is often forgotten when buying ski boots is that the boot must also fit on the ski and in the binding. Pure touring soles are often not compatible with older models of downhill bindings according to the "standard". They do not release accordingly. However, freeride or pin bindings that enable a multi-standard are almost always compatible. In addition, pure touring soles lack the sole plate under the foot, which makes it easier to release the binding in the event of an accident. Most freeride boots have exactly this plate, as do all alpine boots. Depending on the binding, the demands on the boot and your mountain plans, you should always pay attention to this.  So important: if you still have an old alpine binding and want to continue using it, you should bear this in mind when choosing your ski boots! Freeride bindings with a Multinorm and almost all current alpine binding systems from 2018 onward are compatible. FIS standard racing bindings are not compatible with the current freeride boots.

A freeride boot is NOT a touring boot! This means that not all freeride boots are compatible with pin and frame bindings.
Atomic and Salomon freeride boots, for example, do not have interchangeable soles and therefore cannot be used with bindings older than 2018. The soles of the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD, for example, cannot be exchanged at all.

All freeride boots for which there are interchangeable soles fit into all alpine boots and all freeride boots that do NOT have interchangeable plates are only compatible with new models or touring bindings.

Now it's time to get down to business. Let's take a closer look at the inner boot. The inner boot is supposedly the most expensive part of a ski boot. Nordika and Technika are the market leaders when it comes to liners. The two ski boot manufacturers have put the most innovation into the inner boot. This is also visually recognisable. The heel cup is spacious, but above it, at the Achilles tendon, it is much narrower for more support and the ankles are reinforced again. The whole thing is transferred to the shell. Technika in particular also offers a shell that is completely customisable. So if the shoe pinches, it can be adjusted. Again: only widen, don't tighten! Atomic also has an inner boot that reflects the shape of the foot, but the implementation is not quite as sophisticated as that of Nordika and Technica, who also use Primaloft in their inner boots for extra insulation, for example.

By the way: for all those who love their ski boots: Take the inner boots out to dry! The boot will last longer if you look after it a little and the risk of it getting mouldy and starting to stink is much lower! Heating seems logical as a quick source of drying, but it's not good for the shoe either. Keep it simple and just dry them at room temperature. In summer, you can leave the inner shoe in. In general, you should close the shoe loosely in summer and store it in a dry place. If you use warm insoles, make sure that they also have a fan to allow air to flow out of the shoe. Only warmth creates a wonderful oasis for bacteria and germs in the shoe!

What we have also learnt: You can check the age of a ski boot yourself. Especially with second-hand products, it's worth checking. If the boot still looks great but is already 10 years old, you should keep your hands off it. The plastic hardens and is no longer as resilient. You will find a round seal engraved on the outside of the shoe, which shows you the year and month of production of your shoe. They should not be older than 10 years.

So after determining my foot size (39, 24.5 in the ski boot), width (narrow) and flex (110-120), checking which bindings I use (currently the Shift 13 and the Marker Alpinist 10) and defining my area of use (downhill-orientated touring), I chose the women's model of the Atomic HAWX XTD 115. My last ski was a Technica in 25.5, but after two seasons it was far too big for me and I floated away. So I also made the classic mistake of "buying too big". The next few seasons will show whether I've made the right choice this time.

Now we come to a PG question: What is actually the difference between men's and women's ski boots?

1. Men's ski boots are often higher than women's ski boots because many women's calves are lower than men's and the ski boot should naturally sit in the centre of the calf. However, where the calf starts always depends on the individual. Short men have lower calves, tall women tend to have higher calves. You should therefore not be put off by the definition of a ladies' or men's ski boot. The boot itself is the same. You should choose the boot that suits you best!
   Magnus also offers customers both models, depending on their body size. Fun fact: there are more and more women with big feet and more and more men with small feet!

2. In addition, men's boots tend to have a harder flex. So if you push through your ski boot like a rubber boot, as most racers do, you should look at the harder men's boots. Because what really varies are the hardnesses: a medium-sport ski boot for women has between 90-95 flex, for men around 110-120.  There is also a 90 men's boot, but it is not equipped with the same high-quality features as a women's 90 boot. A 90 men's boot is, so to speak, the "lowest technical level", but women's 90 flex boots are already in the middle range of skiing ability.

3. In the men's sector, ski boots go down to size 24, while women's ski boots go up to size 22. Women's models only go up to size 27.5, while men's boots usually go up to 31.5, but sometimes also up to 34.5, although there is a tendency not to make narrow models in the larger sizes. The ski boot gets 2mm wider with every size step up. This means that the larger/longer the boot, the wider it becomes (1cm length equals 2mm width). However, the sales market for very narrow long feet is probably still too small for it to be worthwhile for manufacturers to produce them.

Magnus reassures me with my concern that the winter sports industry is not messing things up with women's products. The quality is the same and I can also wear my women's ski boots with confidence.