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| 61 Clyde street | Ohakune | New Zealand |
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BOOT BUYERS GUIDE
Ski boots could quite possibly be the most uncomfortable/unnatural piece of equipment you are ever likely to buy for your feet - albeit the most important. Buying the wrong size boots can result in displeasure on the slopes and can drastically reduce your performance.
Here we have devised a small section containing a few guidelines on how to go about getting the right boot for you:
1) Give yourself plenty of time!
When going to buy new ski boots it is likely that you will have to spend a good amount of time trying on different boots to ensure you are getting the one that feels most comfortable. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time so you don't make hurried decisions.
2) Measure your foot!
The most common problem is buying boots, which are too big – trying to get a more comfortable fit, but this in itself creates more problems than it will solve. Ski boots have a universal sizing known as the mondo point and is simply the length of your foot in cm. This is the first thing that a good sales person should do.
3) The in's and out's.
Once you have established your size it's time to start trying on ski boots, giving your heal a good bang down as once you have it on and do it up - now forward flex as if you are ski-ing – your toes should give way slightly at the front if not it is time to try the next size up. You should also take into consideration the width of your foot, your heal should be locked firmly into place.
4) Have a cup of tea!
Now you have got the boots on, it's time to have a walk around in them - make yourself a cup of tea and see how they feel!! If your toes start to go cold it could be an indication that the boot is too tight and is cutting of circulation - ideally your foot should feel snug not squashed. Wearing the boots for a while should bring to your attention any pressure or pain that may occur. If they feel fine after a while it sounds like you got yourself a pair of boots!!!!
5) Tweaking.
If you are still not satisfied with how your boots are feeling it could be that you have something very odd about your feet (just kidding really!!) But most problems can be solved – common things used are heal lifts, customised footbeds – formothotics, other more technical problems such as blowing they shell out can be solved but usually require the boot being sent to a specialist. The main thing to remember is to speak up the problem cannot be solved if the salesperson does not know about it.
So there you have it, our guide to getting the best out of shopping for a new pair of boots but it is worth remembering that when you are standing/walking -such as when you are trying them on- your foot is supported by your normal body weight but when you are ski-ing then the centripetal force from your turns means that the feet are bearing up to 3x the normal bodyweight. This causes the foot to flatten out and push against the shell. Your feet react to this by tightening up mid foot and arching to stop movement. If you find this becomes unbearable then you may want to think about investing in some footbeds as talked about before. These will go somewhat into easing pressure and providing support giving the optimum interface between your foot and boot.
Remember that this is only a guide and we are not promising to solve all your ski boot problems just trying to help along the way. What we do promise is that if we CAN help we WILL. |
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| Hire & Rental |
| From boots to clothing & boards to ski & everything in between. |
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| Retail Section |
| M3, Drake, Ride, DC, Mambo, Protec, are just some of our huge range of winter & summer gear. |
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| Workshop |
| Full tuning & maintenance from the dedicated workshop staff with 1hr to overnight service. |
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| Buyers Guide |
| Tips and hints on buying new equipment |
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| Staff Room |
| Take a closer look at our staff & contact them from here too. |
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