Thread: Nordica Ignition vs Blower boots?

Howdy y'all, I've been lurking for a while but finally went and signed up. I was hoping some of you cats could throw some insight my way on boots.

I need new boots in a bad way, even though I can't really afford them... story of my life, right? Anyway, my main sticks are Scott Punishers 182cm with Look PX12 bindings. I'm an EC native and spend most of my days at Hunter with 1-2 trips up to VT and one good trip out west every winter. I'm 6'1" and 185lbs and ski pretty aggressively in the trees and steeps/deeps (when terrain permits) and do drops up to about 15'. Not much of a park junkie at all... maybe the odd box or mid-size jump here and there, but that's it. I'd spend every day of the year OB if I could.

My current boots are piece of crap Dalbellos... about 3 seasons old and I probably surpassed their ability within 6 weeks of buying them. I can barely walk after a long day on the hill... they're terrible. The Ignitions I tried on in the shop feel down-right amazing.... perfect fit on my weird and f'ed up feet.

The one thing I'm concerned about though - are the Ignitions too soft for me? I'm pretty sure I need something a little stiffer than 90. My shop doesn't stock Blowers so I can't try them on, but I'm pretty sure the last for all the Supercharger line is basically the same. The Ignition is billed as a park/pipe boot... but I'm never in the park, eh? The Blower seems to be a pretty similar boot, except slightly stiffer and Nordica "claims" it's more of all mountain boot. Is there really that much of a difference?

Any wisdom would be awesome.

PS - Anyone selling either boot in 27.5 or 28? If they don't have too much use on them, I'd be open to buying them. Don't want footbeds that already molded to your feet, ya know?

The enforcer might be right up your line as well. It's in between the two on stiffness, and while it sounds like you would definitely want something stiffer than the ignition, the 130 flex blower might be a bit unnecessary.

Bfree, thanks. I think I actually meant the Enforcer. Ha ha.... so much for proofreading. Anyone else got some knowledge to drop on me?

I think the blower and the enforcer are the same width (98mm). At last that's what the descriptions on bc.com say. But there's no way I'd buy a ski boot without trying it on. While they are stiff, the flex of the blowers is very smooth. I don't think they would be too much for you. For what it's worth, I love my blowers. I've never had a boot fit my foot as well right out of the box.

98 mm = the "pro" shape that nordica also makes in some of the black "race " boots. same boot too

you can make a stiff boot softer, but not a soft boot stiffer.

27.5 and 28.0 ARE NOT THE SAME BOOT, they are different shells and will fit VERY different. do you have a size 11-12 street shoe? check the shell fit and make sure they are not too big.`

I was able to try on the Ignition in a 28 at my local shop. The liners felt perfect, but there was a little more space in the shell than I was comfortable with... maybe a hair over a 1/2". From what I've read (I'm no boot-fitting expert) that gap should be under 1/2", and the Nordica liners are pretty cushy, so I suspect they're a little more liable to packing out, so that's why I'm wondering if I should go down to a 27.5 mondo. Unfortunately, my shop didn't have any 27.5's in stock.

Slightly off topic - my current boots have a 336mm sole. Anyone know how much adjustability the Look PX12 Ti Jib binding has? I'm really not looking forward to having to shell out another $45 for a re-mount.

I've been skiing on supercharger blowers for the past year and I couldn't recommend them enough. The main thing I would check is whether or not Nordica boots seem so comfortable for you simply because they're so wide. I actually shouldn't be in the blowers, they're too wide for my feet, so I've had to jump through crazy loops trying to take up some volume in the shell. So, a word of caution, make sure they're not too wide!!!!

That said, even with my too-narrow feet, they're awesome boots. Super stiff laterally and very smooth flex fore and aft. I weigh 145 and they're only a hair too stiff for me, so I think you'd be perfectly fine in them.

It might be worth asking around to see if anyone has a pair, they were on SAC for under $300 not too long ago.

Originally Posted by BrokeSomeRibs

I was able to try on the Ignition in a 28 at my local shop. The liners felt perfect, but there was a little more space in the shell than I was comfortable with... maybe a hair over a 1/2". From what I've read (I'm no boot-fitting expert) that gap should be under 1/2", and the Nordica liners are pretty cushy, so I suspect they're a little more liable to packing out, so that's why I'm wondering if I should go down to a 27.5 mondo. Unfortunately, my shop didn't have any 27.5's in stock.

Slightly off topic - my current boots have a 336mm sole. Anyone know how much adjustability the Look PX12 Ti Jib binding has? I'm really not looking forward to having to shell out another $45 for a re-mount.

My belief is that the nodica boots change on the half size, so the 27.5 and 28 have the same size SHELL (liners are different to allow more space in the 28). so you would want to try a 27.

Wrong, 27/27.5 and 28/28.5 are the same. Scarpa is the only major brand I know of that does it differently now. 27/27.5 usually = 315ish mm (almost guaranteed not to adjust from 336) and 28/28.5 is 325ish (probably will adjust).

However, take that out of your mind and shell size the boot correctly. The $40 remount is completely worth it and I guarantee that for any high performance skiing, you will regret getting a boot that is too big.

I have the ignitions, and for my weight, height and skill, they are the perfect fit for my needs.

I'm 145, 5'8 and a 17 yr old who skis aggressively all over. They flex nicely and are a pretty forgiving boot for dropping pretty much anything. If you ski anything long and stiff, you probably want something with a harder flex

The nordicas fit like a glove. The toe box is wide so if you have a wide foot or pronate they will treat you incredibly. I HIGHLY recommend getting custom insoles if you get any of the supercharger boots, and getting the liners toasted when you buy them. These boots are the first boots I have had that feel like putting shoes on, and taking them off is an entirely different experience. Its hardly even gratifying to take them off, they are that comfortable.

For someone of your stature, I'd definitely get a stiffer flex, the ignitions would definitely be too soft for you.