Time for New Boots ??

[freddy1111]

How many ski days does everyone get from their boots. I've had my current boots for four years, Probably have 150 days on them. The fit is fine but i wonder if they "wear out."

 

[riverc0il]

I would imagine this depends upon your usage, how hard you are your gear, full days or half days, etc. My last boot lasted 300ish days as I recall. My primary reason for replacing it is that the toe piece that engages the binding had worn off from hiking a lot in the boot.

 

[RootDKJ]

My last boots lasted from the start 05/06 season until mid-way through 09/10. I could still ski in them if I wanted to but they just didn't feel good any more and I was always adjusting the buckles to relieve pain or get a tighter feel. My new boots feel like my feet are surrounded in a think gel.

 

[RISkier]

Do you feel like they've packed out? Do you have to buckle them down really tightly? Are your feet slopping around at all? If yes to any of the above it's probably time to consider new boots. Boots do pack out and you want boots that are holding your feet and ankles securely. If your boots still fit well without slop and if you think they are otherwise structurally sound I'd probably hang on to them. Boot shopping is a real chore, IMO. If you do go for new boots my one bit of advice it to go to a good boot fitter who can assess your feet and recommend boots suitable for your feet, size, and skill level. I bought new boots last fall from Stan and Dan's in North Conway. Spent much of an afternoon trying boots. Ended up in a pair of boots that I'd never buy simply based on initial fit. I was between 2 sizes. The larger size felt good but I thought would be too sloppy as soon as they packed out a bit. The smaller size hurt the heck out of my toes (I have really nasty toes) initially. But otherwise they fit well. We decided they were actually long enough. Dan was able to open up enough space in the toe box. Really happy with the boots. There have been other threads recommending various boot fitters in NE. Find a good fitter if you go for new boots.

 

[Geoff]

I have custom injected liners. I've been using the now-discontinued Head/San Marco silicon injection system for two cycles of liners. Those are good for about 300 days. I swap in replacement shells at 150 days.

In my experience, stock liners are toast in 100 to 150 days.

Shells don't change much. A 3 or 4 year old leftover is pretty much identical to a 2011 model other than cosmetics. My strategy is to buy shells at pennies on the dollar when shops are dumping inventory and spend my real money on custom liners. With good custom footbeds, I don't have fit issues. Over the life of the boot, I'm not spending any more money. Every time I see my boot fitter at the bar, he bitches at me to stop sending him people for custom liners since he only sees them every 4 or 5 years. You make much more money selling people stock boots midseason at near-retail every couple of years.

 

[deadheadskier]

Boots IMO are your most important piece of equipment. If you're still happy with the fit and they are peforming as you want them to, there's no need to replace them.

One question to consider is your skill level. Are you a more advanced skier now than you were when you bought them? If you were a beginning / intermediate skier when you purchased your boots and have progressed a lot, your skiing may improve by buying a more advanced boot.

 

[bigbog]

2x Geoff's......you can just replace the liner. Liners pack out....either re-order the liner, use another that fits right, or go 3rd party...or AT liner. Whatever fits......

 

[Philpug]

Boots wear out like brakes on your car...if you drive the car every day, you don't feel the brakes getting worse and worse, you just adjust. Same with liners. With the boots having that many days on them, check the soles. Put the boot on a table, it it can wobble back and forth like a weeble, time for either shells or new soles of they are replaceable.

 

[Edd]

With the boots having that many days on them, check the soles. Put the boot on a table, it it can wobble back and forth like a weeble, time for either shells or new soles of they are replaceable.

Do you mean wobble toe to heel or side to side?

 

[snoseek]

My boots that I threw in the trash somewhere in Iowa had 350-400 days on them. Snowmonster witnessed the sole rip off at Loveland one fine powder day after jumping pretty much everything we could find. I patched them up and finished the season with them. Mathmatically they cost about .75 cents a day to ski with!

 

[Philpug]

Do you mean wobble toe to heel or side to side?

Side to side.