need new boots. help!

[deadheadskier]

how long will boots last?


Most people on this forum would put the life range of a set of boots between 150 and 250 days on the hill. I think the higher number in general is due to the boot being a better construction than the lower number, but there are a number of factors. How you ski and how you take care of them are huge.

That said, would you rather pay $500 and have the boots last you two seasons and be a better performing boot or pay $300 and have to replace them after a year?

There are plenty of other areas where you can save money in skiing and in life in general. Boots are the LAST thing in terms of equipment that I would be overly concerned with money and trust me, I'm by no means a wealthy man. I shop for deals on skis from the previous season and haven't spend over $350 on skis and bindings together in fifteen years. However, I've never spent less than $400 on a pair of boots and typically spend $500+.

If I were you, living where you do, I'd go to Strands in Worcester. Great, honest boot fitters there who more than likely will have better answers than you could find from any of us.

http://www.strandsskishop.com/

[ckofer]

Originally Posted by tmcc71

i get 100 or more days a season because i buy a season pass at Wachusett and ski evenings after work nightly as well as weekends. I go up north about 5 days a year. I live nearby so the fuel costs are negligible.
The cost of skiing after my season pass is 0. I live close enough so that I eat at home and i shop for ski bargains in the spring/summer. I am a 37 year old single teacher with no children. I am not the average near guy my age that has many responsibilities. If i were married and/or had children I would no doubt ski less. Money is not really all that much of a concern but i hate to spend huge dollars on boots when I know i am going to wear them out again in a season. I spend between 400 to 500 hours in a pair of boots over a season. I have not heard of one that will last that long without serious compression.

Good for you! I mean it.

You can tell by my signature that I'm not adverse to getting the best value possible. If I had your dilema, I'd consider buying boots for which I could get new liners (hopefully for somewhat less than the cost of the whole boot) and buy the liners now. This way you won't face an availability crisis later.

[riverc0il]

Originally Posted by tmcc71

Hi, I currently have a pair of Nordica Gts 6 boots that I bought last season. I ski almost everday so they have about 120 days on them. They were not stiff enough and I have compressed the liners beyond being skiiable. I want to purchase new boots soon and am in the process of researching. I want a comfortable, reasonably performing boot that doesn't cost a fortune. I am willing to give up some performance to gain all day comfort but both would be nice. I am a fairly good skier, but I do 90% of my skiing at my local hill (wachusett). I do not need a race or super high performance boot. I would like a warm, stiff, reasonably priced boot. I know i will have to wait until the end of the season for any deals. I will go to a good bootfitter when the time comes but a starting off point based on your feedback would be nice. With so many brands out there it is hard to decide these days. Liner durability is a concern due to the volume of skiing I do. Thanks for your input. Tim from Worcester.

There is no narrowing it down. Just go to a bootfitter and tell them everything you just wrote. A good bootfitter can probably select a few boots based on a look/measurement of your foot and the info you provided above. Try a few shoes on and work with the bootfitter to ensure you get the right boot for your fit.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by riverc0il

There is no narrowing it down. Just go to a bootfitter and tell them everything you just wrote. A good bootfitter can probably select a few boots based on a look/measurement of your foot and the info you provided above. Try a few shoes on and work with the bootfitter to ensure you get the right boot for your fit.

What he said.

Talk to Jeff, he's just up in Concord. Not too far for you.

2007-08 "Resident" Boot Fitter Thread