I'm buying new ski boots

yeah i cant imagine these liners lasting all that long-they are so thin
they are actually more comfortable when done up which is odd

Pablo Escobar wrote:I undo the bottom 2-3 buckles on lifts otherwise they wouldn't be wearable.

That works for me too. Some days are worse than others when you get sole cramp, but I think thats usually down to dehydration having overdone the apres ski the night before!! :lol:

rossyhead wrote:im not sure it will say on the side-probably around 80 is normal for a womens boot?

Sorry Rossyhead,
I meant, what's the flex of your new painful current boots?

My new boots are mens with a flex of 90. I have big feet for a woman, size 8, which match my height, 5 foot 10. I usually find I can't wear women's shoes because even the ones that are supposed to be size 8 are a woman's 8 which is smaller than a man's 8. So I wasn't really surprised when I ended up with men's boots because they didn't have any women's boots in my size.

As far as I understand it, the flex one requires is some strange function of; ski-ing ability, how much energy you put into ski-ing, personal preference, and presumably body weight. I don't know what else comes into the equation, unless it's perhaps the sort of ski-ing (like slalom, or off-piste, or competition).

Ally

Ally,

The higher the flex, the stiffer the boot will be. In general terms, lower end skiers do not need so much micro control so do not require stiff boots.

Conversely advanced skiers and racers require stiff boots so that the slightest movement is channelled into controlling the ski.

The same applies, again in general terms, to the skis themselves.

Thanks Brucie :D
I think my boot fitting technician said that downhill slalom racers need maximum boot stiffness, which I think is 140. I'm sure he said that 100 is the mean, so presumably the least stiff boot is a 60, which I suppose would be a beginner's boot. He also said instructors usually have a boot with a flex of about 120.

It is all very surprising to me. Until I started thinking about buying my own boots it never crossed my mind that there was a difference in boot stiffness between a beginners boot and an instructors. I suppose it means that it's not worth buying ski boots as a beginner, because with a bit of luck one would soon need to buy stiffer, more expensive boots.

Do you think women usually have a boot with a lower flex than men, simply because they're generally not as strong or heavy (or doesn't weight come into it at all?).

Ally

Flex isn't uniform across all brands (I am sure), a 120 in a Salomon isn't necessarily the same as a 120 Nordica flex.

Think one of the experts would need to come in here with how flex is chosen. I think it is more important to get a boot that fits then deal with flex. Boots can be softened to suit the user.

Its really all very complicated and I dont think you should be getting so hung up on it Ally. As with everything in life a compromise is required. If you are a really serious skier, you will be prepared to put up with a little discomfort in the strive for perfection. Whereas, recreational skiers will be happy to sacrifice performance for an adequate, comfortable boot.

I wear race boots with adjustable flex, but have them set to a medium, probably about 110 flex. I cant see any conditions in which I would require them any stiffer. If I'm doing any serious off piste stuff I may tighten the clips up a notch. This I feel gives me the illusion of greater control over the ski tips.

I would suggest that at your level of ski-ing, comfort is more important than technical specifications, so concentrate on that to avoid that 'oh no, I dont have to get into these things again do I' feeling!!!

Thanks Brucie and Pablo,
It's just that I have a very enquiring mind and I like to 'know things' - hence all the wibble I tend to come out with.

Boots with an adjustable flex sound like a very good idea - to save you having to carry several pairs of boots around with you, depending on what you're doing.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the same flex number was actually a different flex in different boots - I wonder which way they measure it?

Ally