Why do you like your ski boots?

[dlague]

In another thread/forum there has been lots of discussion regarding ski boots. As many of you might have read, we have been Dalbello fans (KR Chakra, Boss) and buy their boots even following a specific line (freeride). While, I recently switched to Lange (SX 120), the Dalbello product has been very consistent allowing us to shop online with relative ease since they fit right out of the box. My family likes the three buckle concept since they feel that they middle buckle really helps to seat the heel. With respect to stance, the boots forward lean seems to keep you in a good position and balanced well on the ski. With Dalbello we have not experienced any shin bang - not when they are new or during early season. Stylistically speaking, while not functional, they do have nice designs.

Now with Lange, the boot fits well out of the box. The boot I have is a four buckle boot and I find seating the heel to be a bit problematic nothing major and a gel heel pad solves the issue. I think in large part my heel lifts a little due to the narrow cuff - in my case I am on the last notch with it fully screwed out. As far as driving the ski, the boot does really well. I ham on my second season and the jury is still out on the Lange product.

As far as fit we are also not the cram the toe in type. Like to wiggle the toes and IMO helps to keep the toes warm even on the coldest days.



So are any of you brand loyalists?

How long do you use ski boots before replacing them?

What are features you like about your boots?

Do you use the boot out of the box or do you require fitting?

Which boots do you have?

[JimG.]

Love my 4 year old Dalbello Panterras. Although the Panterra has 4 buckles the 4th toe box buckle is really to accommodate a wider foot which is ideal for me since my feet are very wide. Other than that they have the same locked in heel fit of other Dalbellos which I love. I never have to crank my buckles down to get a tight fit.

Buying a new pair for the start of the upcoming season.

[Hawkshot99]

Love my 4 year old Dalbello Panterras. Although the Panterra has 4 buckles the 4th toe box buckle is really to accommodate a wider foot which is ideal for me since my feet are very wide. Other than that they have the same locked in heel fit of other Dalbellos which I love. I never have to crank my buckles down to get a tight fit.

Buying a new pair for the start of the upcoming season.

I love my Panterras as well.
The liners mold great to the foot. I love the stance they put me, and how secure the center buckle holds my heel.
I do do ALOT of modifications to my boots, but I go for the super tight fit. I measure a 28 and wear a 26. I hate having any foot slippage.

Jim you will love the new Panterras. I am getting next seasons 130. They have cut the weight nearly in half!

Sent from my SM-G930F using AlpineZone mobile app

[Siliconebobsquarepants]

Old Dalbello Custom NX 8.3 's Best boots I've ever owned , been searching ebay and the net for some used ones but no luck in my size.
4 buckles . I have back issues and my a trip to tucks could'nt deal with the weight of the boots in my pack so I put them on 100yds out of the parking lot and walked almost to the summit . Did tucks agian the next day to the bowl ...not one blister! They are heavy but the liners do a great job of wicking away moisture. I know there beat but hate to part with them.

[bigbog]

Fit, fit, fit.....then maybe tweak a little.

Downhill: Atomic Hawx Magna, Technica Ten.2
AT: trying Dalbello's Lupo AX this winter

[Glenn]

I use a bootfitter. I'll basically buy what fits my foot best. Then he'll make the tweaks from there. I think I've had by boots for about 5 seasons now? I'll usually get a little shin pain at the start of the season, but they've been comfortable after that. I suppose it may be time for an upgrade. I'll have to see how they do this season.

[SkiFanE]

I've been Technica fan for 2 boots. Needed boots and went to Boston Ski show and the Technicas impressed me. Tried them on at ski shop after that and fit nicely. Got 300 days /5 years out of them (ski shop replaced soles for me after about 200 days). So when time for new - same ski shop had Technicas 110 of newest model and just bought them online from their shop in Nov without even trying on. Ended up being a run on those boots and they were out of my size everywhere by winter. Love them.

Never been to boot fitter and dont don't have custom soles. Not sure if it's my feet or tolerance lol. I think us gals have water retention issues that cause fit to vary day to day - so I can't ever expect to buckle same day to day - always have to tweak after a run or two. And then even mid day. No big deal. If my soles ache - means I need to tighten because I'm too loose and sub consciously gripping with balls of feet.

[gorge83]

I also love wearing my Panterra boots. They are very comfy.

[kingslug]

In the old days Nordica Speedmachines . Switched to Garmont Endorphin AT boots for 8 years. Light and very good down and uphill performance. just got Soloman Quest 130 AT and these are the bomb. Much lighter than the Endorphins, easier walk mode, 3 buckle. And the required only a heat mold and they are good to go. The Endorphins required 4 painfull hours in the shop. Love AT boots. See my post in gear section.

[drjeff]

I was a Lange race boot guys for 30 yrs (7 or 8 pairs of them over that time) and I loved the performance and had a foot that was shaped very well to fit inside the form that Lange has basically used for decades. Literally when I got a new pair, all that needed to be done was remove the stock footbed and insert my custom footbed and I was good to go for another few hundred days on them.

Last fall, the owner of the shop where I buy most of my families gear, who is a good friend, a good boot fitter (he does some design consulting work with Atomic on their boots), and someone who over the years knows my skiing style and keeps steering me into great gear, basically told me that before he would sell me another pair of Langes, that I had to try the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130's. I will admit that I was skeptical at first with my Lange history, but I trusted him and have been thrilled since day 1 in them about a year ago now. The plastic they use for the shell is significantly lighter in total weight than my previous Lange RS130's, and over the course of the season, having less weight on my feet all day long I felt was a good thing! Secondly, the shell itself is fully heat molded around your foot while your in the liner. Game changer, even for an "easy" foot like mine, Basically the shell is adjusted to fit around your foot, ankle and calf so that you have even thickness of liner throughout, rather than working to fit your calf, ankle, foot into a shell, often with variable thickness of the liner in places. This led to greater warmth for sure, to the point where I probably used my hot-tronics half the amount I had used in previous seasons and when I did, on a lower setting on all but the coldest of days. Performance wise, they were just a precise as my Langes with a very similar flex pattern that suits me very well. Very happy with these boots, and will be thinking likely first of them (or whatever the updated version of them model wise) in a couple of years from now when I get my next pair of boots