Boot Flex

[Bumpsis]

If you go to a good ski shop not in the flatlands you will not be serviced by some clueless kid, and to call it sketchy and that you will still get the wrong boot and they just want to make a buck is just ignorance.

You really, truly never had a bad experience buying ski equipment from a ski shop (even in the ski country) and ended up with wrong stuff? Ok, may be never did but I doubt that. A lot of people have and still do. You can find a lot of almost new stuff on Craig's because the stuff doesn't fit/work (for) the original buyer even though they bought it from a shop. I know this from personal experience, so it's not like this doesn't happen.

So calling my experience of such incidents "just ignorance" is rather baseless. Granted, I bought wrong stuff in the past in ski shops because I was ignorant, not really knowing what will work for me, and yes, stuff was just sold to me because there was sale to be made. So, to just broadly state that if you buy ski boots in ski- country store you'll definitely be served much better is debatable, especially if a guy wants to save some $$.

There is a wide range of experiences that people have and I'm just offering a point of view that's based on my ski life and that of people I know. So, this experience runs contrary to most of advice given in this thread: "pay top dollar for your boots from a store and be sure to hire a boot fitter".
I'm saying, no, you can get good stuff for much less and unless you have problem feet, forget the boot fitter. I've never used one and among a fairly large group of people that I've skied with throughout the years, I can only think of a couple of folks that really needed that service. My experience is just as valid as yours.

On a tangent: I do support local ski shops with some of my purchases when it makes sense. I happen to like trying out ski related clothing when I can and if it fits, I buy it even though I probably could get that on line and pay less. Also, many brick & mortar ski shops have good on-line presence and sell their stuff that way. At the end of this season I bough a pair of skis, on line, from a shop near Killington. I knew what I wanted, they had it and the price was good.

 

[Bumpsis]

Interestingly enough, the Dalbello Panterra is one of the boots I had my eye on. I believe there flex was rated at 120 though. I'm almost certain they are on sale for about $250...

According to many of the reviews and there own product description these boots tend to fit better for wider feet. I don't think I have a particularly wide foot, as most things fit me right out the box. Just wondering what your experience has been. If I have a normal foot, will this boot be too wide for me?

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I'm fairly sure that the Pantteras you're looking at have the same "adjustable last" feature as mine. The last buckle, the one over the toes, can be locked in three different positions, giving you narrow, middle or wide last. The boots are made to fit D size widths the best, but this toe buckle arrangement can help with something wider or narrower. My feet are also mostly "normal" - I fit well into just about any shoe size 9 D and have no issues.

The middle setting of the "last" buckle gives me great fit and the entire boot is exactly what it should be, an extension of my feet for solid control of my skis. Once I put my boots on and lock them in I never have to adjust them on the mountain unless the temperatures change drastically during the day, like they can in spring.

 

[EPB]

There is a wide range of experiences that people have and I'm just offering a point of view that's based on my ski life and that of people I know. So, this experience runs contrary to most of advice given in this thread: "pay top dollar for your boots from a store and be sure to hire a boot fitter".
I'm saying, no, you can get good stuff for much less and unless you have problem feet, forget the boot fitter. I've never used one and among a fairly large group of people that I've skied with throughout the years, I can only think of a couple of folks that really needed that service. My experience is just as valid as yours.

On a tangent: I do support local ski shops with some of my purchases when it makes sense. I happen to like trying out ski related clothing when I can and if it fits, I buy it even though I probably could get that on line and pay less. Also, many brick & mortar ski shops have good on-line presence and sell their stuff that way. At the end of this season I bough a pair of skis, on line, from a shop near Killington. I knew what I wanted, they had it and the price was good.

I grew up going to Stan & Dan's in North Conway. They're great. I would recommend them to anyone who needs professional fitting. Got many race boots fitted there growing up.

That said, the last go around, I bought two pairs of boots online and fit them myself. I even switched brands, as I grew up on Lange and tested out Nordica and Technica. The Nordicas were an obvious bad fit in the toe box, and I really liked the Technica Demon 130 (predecessor to the Mach 1). They're a little wider than I need, but I'm really not picky. Next time I'll go with the low volume model which didn't exist when I purchased my Demons. Sent the Nordicas back and got refunded.

I felt kinda bad about not using Stan and Dan's, but now that I'm no longer an MWV regular, I feel unburdened from any guilt. It's way cheaper to scout deals online and I don't value the fitting because I never required alterations anyway.

 

[Bumpsis]

Interestingly enough, the Dalbello Panterra is one of the boots I had my eye on. I believe there flex was rated at 120 though. I'm almost certain they are on sale for about $250...
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As to he Flex 120 on those boots, that's a tough one to call and all I can tell you that the 100 flex of my Pantteras is plenty for me.

I like to ski fast, carve my turns (mostly) and I do ski bumps so I prefer a bit more flex in my boots (and skis). The Flex 100 Panttera is plenty stiff for me.

When I ski on one of my older racing type skis (stiff ski) that require firm control on icy conditions, my shins do get beat up because of all the forward pressure. I'm sure that having a stiffer boot would NOT be better for me.

But then, I'm about 170-175lb, so maybe being 200lb and having more leverage will work better with a stiffer boot. I would err on the side of having a stiffer boot. You can always ski with a looser setting of your top buckle.

 

[twinplanx]

Oh shit! There were actually 2 Dalbello models on sale for less then $250 earlier this week. Now I can't find them! Did one of you bastards snag them on me?!? Lol The other model was a Krypton I believe... They were some funky colors, so I wonder if that had something to do with the deep discounts? Idk maybe I should at least try a couple of boots on before I pull the trigger... Another issue is, there are 1 or 2 decent ski shops on Long Island and they are(or will be, when we reopen) pushing patio furniture this time of year. It would probably give me a better understanding of my needs to at least go into a shop and talk to someone.

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[dblskifanatic]

I have been skiing in Lange since 1984. I am on my 5th pair. I have always gone with the racing boot - they didn't have a flex number early on. My last pair of boots, i went to a shop that did not carry the racing models. They sold me a Lange XT. They felt great in the shop and felt ok when I skied them. The longer i skied in them, the more i thought I bought the wrong boots. They felt squishy and were not stiff - especially in warmer weather. Over time, I developed a neuroma and at the end of the day, I would take off my boots and it felt like my toe (between 3 and 4) was on fire. I sucked it up for 4 seasons. Finally, this season, I went to another shop that sold the Lange race boots i have always skied in. I bought the RS 130. OMG,... what a difference. These things made a huge difference in my skiing. I felt like i was skiing on rails with 10X more control and power.

As far as the online thing - if you know what you want and they have not changed the boot in many years, i would have not issue buying online. I recently bought my daughter Lange RS boots on Evo for $127.00 (they are normally $800)

Nice to be chatting about something other than the of BS on the endless threads of you know what!

We have found that when you find a brand that works for you stick with it! You will forever be able to buy them cheaper online if you do not mind last years model!

We had a similar problem - got fitted and the more we skied the more our shins and feet hurt. Not to mention, the fit they recommended was toe curling right! That was the beginning of our online experience never looking back!


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[dblskifanatic]

https://www.evo.com/shop/ski/boots/mens/ski-boot-flex_stiff/ski-boot-flex_very-stiff/s_price-asc


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[John9]

There are 5 pages of excellent advice here. All I can add that I did not see mentioned is how to put on a ski boot, buckle order sequence and wearing the thinnest possible sock. There are some great YouTube videos that explains this.I am an OCD perfectionist, 99% right is 100% wrong. Putting on my boots is an exact ritual.

As to flex and weight, I am 5,9 and 175 lbs. I wear Lange RX 130 flex. I am a low level expert, most of my skiing is ripping black groomers.

As to price, at the end of the 2018/19 season, I found the exact boots I wanted at a shop in PA, brand new 2017 Lange RX low volume, sticker price $850, @ 60 % off, about 350 out the door. Amazing bargain.

Do not cheat yourself, skiing is time and money intensive, without the correct boot, everything else is wasted.

 

[twinplanx]

As to he Flex 120 on those boots, that's a tough one to call and all I can tell you that the 100 flex of my Pantteras is plenty for me.

I like to ski fast, carve my turns (mostly) and I do ski bumps so I prefer a bit more flex in my boots (and skis). The Flex 100 Panttera is plenty stiff for me."

You were right. Those boots just popped up again. I had the #s backward. The Krypton is 120, but I'm skeptical of the 3 buckle design. The Panttera seems like a better design even if it slightly more flexible...


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[Edd]

All I can add that I did not see mentioned is how to put on a ski boot, buckle order sequence and wearing the thinnest possible sock. There are some great YouTube videos that explains this.I am an OCD perfectionist, 99% right is 100% wrong. Putting on my boots is an exact ritual.

I’ve come to think this way as well. I went many years buckling from the toe and going up. I didn’t stomp the heel into place at all.

And thick ski socks are now a non-starter for me. I still have a few pairs that I haven’t put on in years. They never kept my feet warmer in the first place. Nowadays, if I tried to wear them in a boot my foot would get crushed.

 

[deadheadskier]

Same. Always went toe up. Switched to calf down per recommendation of Richelson's when I first visited there 7 or so years ago.

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[xlr8r]

I went through the mistake of buying boots in the flat lands thinking that if I needed changes, it would be good to be able to go back to a store that was near where I lived. Big mistake, after a year and a half of having toes going numb, I gave up on that shop and went VT to buy new boots at Boot Pro in Ludlow. Buying in the mountains is what I recommend, take a day off from work to avoid the weekend crowds in the store, and then ski the next day or two at the mountain nearby. For me the first day in the new boots I had to get off the mountain and go back to the Boot Pro twice for adjustments.

Flex for me is obvious as I am a big guy so I am an automatic 130 flex.

Same. Always went toe up. Switched to calf down per recommendation of Richelson's when I first visited there 7 or so years ago.

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This is also key, what I learned is to buckle only the top buckle lightly, then flex leg all the way forward to drive the heel into the pocket, not banging the heel on the floor. Then tighten the buckles top down.

 

[Not Sure]

Not mentioned yet but for me I’ve had 4 buckle boots and 3’s . Four is the way to go for fit , thoughts ?

As far as buckling boots I always do the lower calf first and after clicking in re do all of them.

I have average feet so ebay works for Dallbello model I like I’ve been able to luck out.

 

[BenedictGomez]

As far as buckling boots I always do the lower calf first and after clicking in re do all of them.

From bottom to the top in order of tightening, I go:

1, 2, 4, 3, Powerstrap.


I've never paid attention of watched other people do it, that just works for me.

 

[drjeff]

From bottom to the top in order of tightening, I go:

1, 2, 4, 3, Powerstrap.


I've never paid attention of watched other people do it, that just works for me.

100% the same sequence for me

 

[Smellytele]

1,2,1,3,2, power strap, 4 then power strap again


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[cdskier]

This is pretty much what I do (main exception being I flex to seat the heel instead of banging the heel on the ground):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeo_8CoGqUM

 

[Domeskier]

Not mentioned yet but for me I’ve had 4 buckle boots and 3’s . Four is the way to go for fit , thoughts ?

Cabrio (3 buckle) shells are popular among bump skiers for their progressive flex. They're also a lot easier to get on and off. Overlapping (4 buckle) shells are probably better for carving, where torsional rigidity is an important factor.

 

[BenedictGomez]

1,2,1,3,2, power strap, 4 then power strap again

That's a lot of manipulations.

UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B, A, START

 

[ScottySkis]

That's a lot of manipulations.

UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B, A, START

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