Thread: 130 Flex Too Much For All-Day?

Are my feet going to cry after 12h in 130 flex Salomon Ghosts? My current boots are 90 flex, and they're like floating inside of a down pillow, no control at all.

1. depends on if you are a pussy
2. depends on if you get boots that fit
3. depends on if you saddle up for additional fitting
4. depends on if you need a boot that stiff
5. depends on if you wear depends.

1. No.
2. Most definitely will.
3. " " "
4. I don't know. I want something with more control.
5. Yes. Yes I do.

agreed...in agent 130s and love them. just get them fit correctly or you will be miserable.

Flex numbers don't say much alone about how your boot will transmit force to your edges. If you're 200, and/or really aggressive, pressure your fronts a lot, then yep, a 90 flex might feel like a pillow and a 130 might be fine anywhere. If you're 170 and have a more centered attack, a 130 could transmit a lot of shock from the ski back to your shin, make skiing in rough/heavy broken snow a pain. Both meanings.

Far as I know, the number refers to forward flex, we assume the rest of the boot follows along. Not always. Sollies, in my experience, tend to be softer flexing forward than you'd expect from the number, but they're really stiff on the sides. If you have a centered attack they're lightening quick and precise. If you like to pressure the tips, they can feel mushy. Haven't tried the Ghosts but Sollie 130 plugs are softer than 120 rec Langes flexing straight forward.

So I'd talk to a serious bootfitter before assuming flex is the answer. You might just need a different last or smaller boot.

Yeah, I ski mostly with the fronts of my legs, I think I'll dissect my skiing a bit more before I go to the store. I never really though about nor paid attention to that fact.

after a few years of skiing in both 150 plugs as well as kryptons, i have decided a still forward flex is not as important as people make it out to be. the flex that needs to be stiff as shit is lateral and rearward. I have come to like the soft forward flex for better snow feel, and deeper forward lean at the apex of turns. Though i suppose its because i ski fairly neutral stance (though I still put a lot of leverage into the boot due to especially long shin bones)


edit: the lack of shin bang in kryptons is amazing too

It's tough to answer your question because everyone's needs are different. Size, strength, technique and style all come into play when choosing a boot. They key is to figure out what works for you.

I put my foot in a Ghost today and they are much softer than my Dobermann 150s. They don't seem all that stiff. If my Dobermanns are a 150, the Ghosts are a 110 max. If you find them a bit much, there's also the Shogun this year, which is a similar boot but softer (Salomon rates them at 100).

Also, flex numbers don't much other than to tell you the stiffness hierarchy within a line of boots. There's no consistency even within a brand, let alone between brands. Don't get caught up in flex index numbers. Try them on and see how they feel.

While the flex number is a determinant of the boots comfort level, it certainly isn't everything. Fit is vastly more critical to comfort.

Whether or not you ski a 130 depends more on the type of skier you are and your physical specs. If you are unsure, that may be a sign you should dial it back.

I have ghosts and they don't ski like a 130 flex, they feel more like a 110 lange. I am 5'10" and 160 lbs ex-racer. They are a pretty sweet boot, the rubber underfoot is getting worked from sled skiing though.

Originally Posted by el hefe

I have ghosts and they don't ski like a 130 flex, they feel more like a 110 lange. I am 5'10" and 160 lbs ex-racer. They are a pretty sweet boot, the rubber underfoot is getting worked from sled skiing though.

x2.

Not as stiff as my previous Alpine boots, 04 Sally Pro Models which were a 110 iirc. Awesome boots though, I prefer the progressive flex in them to the old Pro Models - maybe spending time in ghey flexing AT boots has reduced my need for super stiff boots.

1. find a good, reliable, and knowledgeable boot fitter.
2. once you've done that, if they are really good, they will ask you the right questions about your skiing, what you hope to get from a boot, etc.
3. once they've sussed you out (this should take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, if they are good, respectable, and ask the right questions and you provide detailed, accurate feedback), then they can recommend boots and flexes for you.
4. after numerous fittings, i found that the really good bootfitters, the ones who really seem to know their shit, will tell you not to obsess over the flex. there is no universal flex index, so a 150 for one brand of boot might be like the 100 in another brand and so forth.
5. go see a respectable bootfitter (cannot stress this enough).
6. if you need recommendations for bootfitters of note, ask here, ask instructors on your local hill, ask patrollers, etc.

Originally Posted by Huck_Schmuck

x2.

Not as stiff as my previous Alpine boots, 04 Sally Pro Models which were a 110 iirc. Awesome boots though, I prefer the progressive flex in them to the old Pro Models - maybe spending time in ghey flexing AT boots has reduced my need for super stiff boots.

all pro models were 95. but the old "course" last pro models skied much stiffer than the new "falcon" ones.

Originally Posted by dookey67

1. find a good, reliable, and knowledgeable boot fitter.

And therein lies my problem, and why I'm posting on TGR in the first place. Where I live, there is one ski shop that sells more than markers and 200$ skis, and it's only part time. The bootfitters there are only university kids, and the nearest real ski shop would be in either Maine or Montréal.

and you also have no real skiing.

wait for a ski trip, and spend the first night in a shop, getting all this taken care of. THen you have a good boot fitter, and a good hill to test the work at, and problem solved

Yeah, that's a good idea, although I'd rather pay 500$ here than 900$ at a ski resort shop. Those places jack their prices through the roof. 300$ here for my mother's Salomon Instinct CS boots (in March), 950$ American at Sugarloaf.

well save the money and roll the dice if it fits.

most resorts charge normal, regular retail. In face, banff (resort) vs calgary (city) the prices are usually 10% cheaper in banff as so many stores, so close.

either way, your call. Good luck

Thanks. I think I'll try some boots on at the ski shop here, probably won't wait to go on vacation as I need boots ASAP. Their selection seems a lot better this year.

Originally Posted by D(C)

the Ghosts are a 110 max.

You may be correct, last year's Ghosts were 110, they upped the flex this year.

There are legit shops in places like Banff (mtnlion works at one), Whistler etc. which will have pretty normal retail pricing on gear and good staff. Definitely a good idea to go that route, do a week trip and get setup at the start, go back every night you have to for work done, it's perfect and worth the extra $$ over internet ordering. It ain't worth $200-300 whatever you might save to be miserable in your most important hardgear for 3-5 years or however long you use shells.

Nope. I ski Lange Freeride 130s and love the titties off 'em. They just needed alot of work, as my feet are heinously knobby and bony. Just go to a bootfitter for chrissakes. A boot that stiff improperly fitted will make your life miserable. And don't try to put them on cold. Ow.

Originally Posted by NSOutWest

Yeah, that's a good idea, although I'd rather pay 500$ here than 900$ at a ski resort shop. Those places jack their prices through the roof.

This is not always the case. Shop wisely and you'll be surprised the deals you can find.

This has been stated a thousand times here before- get what fits @ the right price. The guy in your home town may not know shit about fitting boots.

I worked through some detailed fits with the Agent 130s last season. Find a guy who knows what he is doing. Incorrectly fit or broken in, a Tecnica 130 is a piece of footwear that a convicted felon should be made to wear.

Like all 120+ flex boots, it can fit like a dream or a nightmare.