do boot shells ever really die?

[old goat]

My wife's Flexons are still in good skiable shape. My wife not so much.

I got rid of my Rossi Radcal Pros only after every buckle had been replaced and I was having to drill holes in the shell to replace them.

If you love your boots consider some kind of sole protector if you have long walks in your boots from the parking lot. My son had to replace boots he loved because he couldn't find replacement heel and toe lugs. If you anticipate keeping the boots a long time consider buying replacement lugs when you buy the boots because chances are you won't be able to when you need them.

[XXX-er]

there is probably a Henny Youngman " take my wife, please " joke in there that I will not be attempting

I tried Cat tracks at Whistler cuz there was so much pavement but I kept leaving them on the boot while stepping in

Its either snow or ice and sometimes mud so no worries up narth

[jackattack]

IME boot shells fatigue over time. After a couple hundred days of skiing I've had a pair of Dabello's break and split from the overlap to the toe lug.

It happened while skiing and not from a crash. Just flexed the boot one too many times and POP! Then I had to buy a pair of boots from a shady character in the parking lot so I could keep skiing at BBI16.

I remember

BBI16 was a helluva party.

[TAFKALVS]

I remember

BBI16 was a helluva party.

I never knew a camper furnace could mold liners.

[Kopi_Red]

I remember

BBI16 was a helluva party.

Definitely. That Cascade Mother Fucker was dangerous...

I never knew a camper furnace could mold liners.

I had my doubts that it would work but necessity is the mother of invention.

[Norseman]

How did I miss the broken boot stuff at bbi16?

[TAFKALVS]

How did I miss the broken boot stuff at bbi16?

Space Chocolate?

[Wes Mantooth]

I’ve had a couple pairs of heavily used shells crack right around the top of the ankle including my old Lange RS130s. That’s why I ultimately replaced them even after new liners, soles, etc over 10 years

[Micol]

ive worn down the toes on dynfit from bootpacking rocks and using them on my sled, and they will no longer lock into the bindings...no matter what...i was able to fix with jb weld and worked like new ....but only for about 4-5 outings and then they went back to completely in-op for touring pin bindings. i still wear them for inbounds 'hike to' and general onpiste with few issues..mayb they are very soft now and ive gotten very lazy technique...but well... whatever....

[EWG]

You guys replace boots a lot. I'm 120 days into a pair of s/max 130s and I feel like they are just now getting comfortable. I'm still thinking of messing with the shells some. I can't imagine going through the boot fitting process again until 300-400 days.

How many days does everyone get out of stock liners? Again, mine are just starting to get comfy, but people are saying they replace theirs after 100 days.

[Not DJSapp]

Shells do die, but it's a long death. Once you have kids and you're in the annual ski swap boot cycle, you find some old shells that are near death. Maybe because they're softer flexes, maybe because they're 15+ years old. But they do crack and die.

[Bushwacka]

Yes, I have cracked 2 pairs of Kr2 pro, one pair at about 1000 days and another literally just yesterday at about 800 days. I like the boot so I keep new old stock of it and basically built a new built yesterday from stock of them. Only Cabrio with race style plastic and cantable boot sole ever made.



The thing is they do not really get softer before cracking so see no need to replace boot that often. Plug boots and some rec boot were built with thicker plug like plastic like the Kr2 the shells will last a long time.

[TeleBeaver]

I get about 200 days out of my tele boots before I replace them, usually due to catastrophic failure. I have broken the cuffs, walk modes, worn holes in the bellows, snapped the tongues, and blown out the side rivets. I have replaced tongues and repaired rivets but usually it just borrows time to limp the boots to the end of the season. The bellows will get softer over time and loose their rebound anyway, so by the time shit starts breaking I just get a new pair. I ski Crispi because of the fit, and their quality control is much worse than scarpa but the plastic is harder. Never worn through a Crispi bellows, but have broken nearly every other part of the boots. Scarpa isn't without fault either. My first NTN boot was a first gen scarpa tx that I skied for literally one run and the entire toe area cracked open. They were 10yrs old at that point and probably well skied. Boot shells definitely die quicker in the tele world.

[ExoticSkis]

Yep... shells can get fragile (old Tecnica plastic notorious for going brittle after a few seasons)

[liv2ski]

this thread makes me wonder.
i was flexing my rs130 the other day and thought, wow, my legs are in better shape, even i ski less then the previous years...
maybe they are getting soft. i am on my second stock liner and 2nd set off rubber replacement soles.

damit... knowing this.... i need neeeeww boots : )

Kind of there with you. My old reliables have many years on them and I am on a 2nd liner (Intuition) maybe a little over a hundred days and I think they ski fine. I have a hardly used pair of Cochises as a backup if the Dragons finally blow up on me. If I buy new boots I want the Orange ones!

[stuckathuntermtn]

Can the pivot ovalize over the years?
Sure, the plastic can break down a bit, or lose elasticity or whatever, but I wonder if ski boot breakdown can often come from that.

[SumJongGuy]

I love seeing the occasional ghost ski rambling down the trail with a sole still on the binding and someone farther up with just a liner sitting there with plastic fragments all around LOLOL!


As for the actual question.. DO BOOT SHELLS EVER REALLY DIE?

Pretty sure that plastic, albeit in dilapidated condition, lasts for thousands and thousands of years in landfills, potted plants, and my closet.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Microplastics are now in the entire foodchain.
Humankind, ftmfw!