90% of people buy boots that are too stiff

[old goat]

Agreed for someone that is in too big of a boot, but the need to unbuckle itself is not a true gauge of a good fit. Have you ever watched a WC race and seen a racer that didn't unbuckle immediately? If anyone has a good fit it's them, yet they all still unbuckle.

Since moving from foam to zipfits I unbuckle more out of habit than need, but it also just looks so cool to ski around with your buckles flipped up ...

My standard is my kid--bought a pair of boots that never required a bit of work, buckled them in the patrol shack and never unbuckled them until his day was over 12 hours later. Skied all day on a steep icy wrod without noticing he'd forgotten to buckle his boots. If a pair of boots can fit that well and be comfortable it should be possible for anyone.

A lot of that is luck and having a foot shaped like a boot last and if someone would rather ski than spend hours in the boot shop chasing a perfect fit it doesn't bother me in the slightest, but no one should feel like a good fitting boot should always require unbuckling between runs.

If my ski day consisted of a run or two and the rest just hanging around waiting for my turn I would probably unbuckle--I unbuckle mine at lunch, but they're certainly comfortable enough to wear on a lift ride.

[mr_pretzel]

This thread is a dumpster fire that just keeps on burning

[EWG]

This thread is a dumpster fire that just keeps on burning

No no you have it wrong. This is gold.

I am entertained. Can’t wait for the next installment to drop. Remember that series where Shaq competed against athletes in other sports, doing their sport? Like when he swam against Michael Phelps?

This is like watching that.

Actually, I take that back. It’s more like watching drunk people do a jigsaw puzzle.

[Bushwacka]

^^Agreed.
On all accounts
Also, tele'ing without a doubt, made me a better alpiner.

I think what you feel is the increase need to be moving all the time taken over to alpine. In reality I know very few people who can do proper separation on Alpine gear and are a good tele skier....

[tuco]

Nope. It's about balance and learning to use your feet, straight up

[XXX-er]

tele'ing is great for confirming i don't wana tele anymore

I'm pretty sure some people like a stiff boot for/aft and some people like soft boots

albeit with great side support

[Bunion 2020]

Nope. It's about balance and learning to use your feet, straight up

This x 1000

[Bushwacka]

Nope. It's about balance and learning to use your feet, straight up

I literally said its about balance.....

the rotational separation, balance from foot to foot, and for and aft balance are so vastly different though.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I literally said its about balance.....

the rotational separation, balance from foot to foot, and for and aft balance are so vastly different though.

It’s all connected, lateral and fore/aft. You don’t know what you’re talking about


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[XXX-er]

It might be cuz of too many drugs or I actulay did read somewhere back in the day that WC level racers would use a different fore-aft stiffness of boot for different disciplines and i think it was super stiff for slalom and less stiff for DH ?

[YoEddy]

Yeah, the slower the speed the stiffer the boot (generally but obviously exceptions). I always got a kick out of the fact that the old Raichle Flexon was popular amongst the speed event skiers, and mogul skiers - two opposite extremes for sure. Many skiers have a different setup for SL/GS and SG/DH.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

These days I think a lot of World Cup mogul skiers are in Full Tilts. And quite a few others are in Lange race boots.

Maybe there is more than one way to do it right. Or maybe they need Shwacka to set them straight.

[tuco]

I literally said its about balance.....

the rotational separation, balance from foot to foot, and for and aft balance are so vastly different though.

You did?
I'm with MU.
Some of the best skiers I know rip both disciplines

[YoEddy]

These days I think a lot of World Cup mogul skiers are in Full Tilts. And quite a few others are in Lange race boots. ...

Flexon's were the OG Full Tilt so history repeats. Bode skis them now so they have to be good, right? I suspect those on Langes are in the 130/ZA's, and not the ZB/C, but who knows. I agree that there are as many different ways to do it right as there are feet, bodies and people.

[XXX-er]

I think YMMV

skiing an alpine boot that was only only 110 i suffered from the small penis syndrome

but this thread is re-afirming

[pureantigravity]

Well, if it is small, at least it's now a firm.

[Bushwacka]

Flexon's were the OG Full Tilt so history repeats. Bode skis them now so they have to be good, right? I suspect those on Langes are in the 130/ZA's, and not the ZB/C, but who knows. I agree that there are as many different ways to do it right as there are feet, bodies and people.

The issue with Full tilt is you they can not have their soles ground. They can be set up to have plenty of lateral and for and aft stiffness though but really only work from an aligment stand point for people who are naturally a little bow legged, if your knock knee or neutral and like a edge strong set up they simply will not work.

[XXX-er]

I'm knock kneed/ flat footed and a 40$pair of SOLES align me perfectly in Vulcans, a boots with no cuff cant

[YoEddy]

Good to hear you were able to align with footbeds. My OG Vulcans had a noticeable outward cant built into the cuffs, which I like, but I just couldn't get them to fit. I had to beat on them in so many creative ways just to make them bearable (the first time I ever flirted with the melting point of Pebax). Great boot, but it just didn't fit. Maybe it was too stiff haha.

I had the first gen Salomon S/Lab MTN boot, which I could not get to work because it definitely had a more neutral / knock-knee stance. My buddy asked me once while in the skin track why it looked like I was on my outside edges. I didn't like the boot enough to spend that much time trying to make them work.

I don't think I'm overly bow-legged, but I definitely like that stance on skis (old habits). My race boots are sole canted to 1.5° with neutral cuff alignment. I know it's not exactly the same thing, but I slam the cuff adjustment all the way down/out on my RX130's. I have Grip Walk soles on those so no sole canting, but I don't think it's necessary anyway with that kind of boot, the skis it drives, and the terrain/snow. Then my XT3's don't have any adjustment, like most AT boots, but they also have some favorable cuff alignment built in, and again it's not an issue as the snow/terrain/skis further don't require it.

I definitely find that the steeper the terrain, and softer the snow the less aggressive setup I want/need.

[XXX-er]

yeah i was lucky to get a good fit on the Mercury & later the Vulcan after buying both of them on-line, no punching just a pwrap & a sole foot bed

but every special flower out there has a differeent foot, no where does the saying " YMMV " apply more than in ski boots

[galibier_numero_un]

...Also, tele'ing without a doubt, made me a better alpiner.

^^^ this ^^^
Technique matters (so does fit).

... It's about balance and learning to use your feet, straight up

^^^ and this ^^^

But mostly this --->

tele'ing is great for confirming i don't wana tele anymore

[EWG]

^^^ this ^^^
Technique matters (so does fit).

^^^ and this ^^^

But mostly this --->

Did we not already confirm tele was dead in a different thread?

Damn, I'm having a hard time keeping up.

Maybe snowblading is the new tele-ing. I always make sure I'm using plug boots when snowblading.

[fleaches]

Did we not already confirm tele was dead in a different thread?

Damn, I'm having a hard time keeping up.

Maybe snowblading is the new tele-ing. I always make sure I'm using plug boots when snowblading.

Pretty sure tele snow blading is the new tele-ing

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[EWG]

Pretty sure tele snow blading is the new tele-ing

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Oh hell yes. I'm in. But you need a really stiff boot. Obviously.

[Mofro261]

Damn, I'm having a hard time keeping up.

Me too, but we were going 75 and it was raining pretty good at the time.



Snowblading was best done with Sorels or hightop snowskate shoes iirc.