I’ve had a couple of day lessons at an indoor ski slope, I’m about to book another couple and have a weeks holiday booked too. Just wondering whether it would be a good idea to invest in some boots at this early stage? I know it’s all about the fit buy how much should be expecting to pay for some if I do get some?

How much do you plan to ski in the future? If it’s for a week a year I’d not bother. Ski boots, like bike saddles, are hard to asses in a shop. The perk of renters is that if they don’t fit well you can go back and try something different til you get something that works.

What ever is comfortable. I’ve owned a rental shop in the alps for years and by far the most important thing for any beginner / intermediate is comfort. Any new boot will be technically advanced enough for now. Don’t go in with any expectation of a brand or colour.

The boot picks you, you don’t pick the boot. Make sure and try 3+ models on. Keep them on for ten minutes each. Make sure and set aside a few hours for the process. Look to spend £150 or so. If you can, last years sale ones.

The most important thing for any holiday skier is boots, if you ski less than three weeks a year spend the money hiring good skis from demo centres, get new models each year.

If you think there is a chance you won’t keep it up, skip this holiday and just rent. Again though, make sure and get ones that fit, if they don’t you’ll be put off trying again. Boots will last you a long time if you don’t do many weeks a year.

First and foremost comfort. If you can’t bear to wear them you won’t enjoy your skiing. Get a soft flex which will help you get your weight towards the front of the skis rather than ending up on your heels when things get a bit tough.

Rentals are generally awful but as said you can keep going back until there’s one you can cope with for a week. If it gets serious after a couple of years and more so if you buy your own skis, it’s well worth investing in good boots but far more important to get proper custom insoles and if you can afford it custom liners. Though the stock heat moulded soles and liners can be ok.

If you need custom insoles and “liners” then either you have strange feet or you bought the wrong boots. If you have narrow feet don’t buy La Sportiva but Nordica will probably be wide enough – good shop staff will guide you.

I prefer felt/foam inners as heat-moundling ones rarely breathe or absorb sweat so your feet get soaked with sweat and are more likely to rub sore. That means I prefer cheap boots having owned and sold on some very expensive but sweaty ones.

My wife and I started skiing last winter and, after a couple of rentals, let Decathlon take some of our hard-earned in exchange for boots and skis. The shop assistant was very knowledgeable and helpful and we spent around 90 minutes with him, trying on various boots until we were both comfortable. Living on the edge of the Cairngorms we’ve already had our money’s worth.

Thanks for the info, most of the ones I have seen online (I’ll only buy in store after a proper fitting) are £250-300+ hence why I was a king about price, at the level I’m at now I’m hoping to spend around £200. I’ll probably only be going on one holiday a year but live quite close to an indoor slope so would hope to go once every couple of weeks as I really enjoy it.

Find the one you want, then wait till the end of the 2015-2016 season and buy half price in the sale…..

most of the ones I have seen online (I’ll only buy in store after a proper fitting) are £250-300+

we paid half that.

Edukator – Troll
If you need custom insoles and “liners” then either you have strange feet or you bought the wrong boots.

Or more likely someone who spends a lot of time in the boots, advanced level, skis regularly and doesn’t just go on a trip to spend most of the time shopping and “apres” skiing 😉

I know few people who ski seriously that don’t have issues with off the shelf boots. It’s an area you shouldn’t skimp on. But if you’re rare and the boots are super comfortable on long trips skiing all day then, well you’re just very lucky.

The cost per hour of skiing for your average Alps ski trip is quite high, to spend this trying on the 4th set of rental boots as the others are so painful you can’t ski is a massive waste of those expensive hours. Buy some boots, don’t need to be expensive, in the long run you will get much more out of each weeks ski holiday rather than faffing trying to find comfy boots.

I know a lot of other lucky people too, Deadkenny.

You seem to be taking the Mickey and have assumed I’m a occasional skier who doesn’t have a clue. You’ve chosen the wrong target if you want to start a credentials war.

You do realise that the insoles found in boots are the skiing equivalent of plastic pedals that ship with high end bikes?

Would those slagging off these beginners’ boots in the £150 + price range care to name a brand that doesn’t use perfectly adequate insoles and inners that would compare with Shimano Deore pedals.

I buy inners when the old ones wear out. It’s hard to find ones as good as the original ones and even harder to find ones that are compatible with the boots you have. £150 is the start point for inners sold separately that are comparable quality to OEM.

Soles/foot beds from a foot specialist will cost upwards of 150e with a doctor’s prescription in France. The ones in packets in ski shops may suit but may not. They’re even more of a lottery than buying boots as once you’ve cut them to fit you can’t give them back for a refund.

Far better spending some time and effort finding boots that fit in the first place. It’s highly unlikely they’ll be the expensive ones.

Now you’re just bein daft. Pop the insole out of pretty much any boot and you’ll see it’s got a similar amount of support as a flat piece of paper.

Aftermarket liners are readily available, however if you’ve worn them out then it’s time for new boots anyway

Name a brand with a “paper thin” insole, Legend.

however if you’ve worn them out then it’s time for new boots anyway

Why would I change boots when only the inners need changing? Do you change your bike when the tyres wear out?

I buy inners when the old ones wear out. It’s hard to find ones as good as the original ones and even harder to find ones that are compatible with the boots you have. £150 is the start point for inners sold separately that are comparable quality to OEM.

On last years ski and board thread you claimed all touring boots where uncomfortable and scoffed at the idea they could fit some like “slippers”

I’m beginning to see why you find touring boots so uncomfortable.

paper thin” insole, Legend.

Lange

All touring boots are uncomfortable, here we are talking about beginners downhill boots. The OP isn’t going to be running through woods or skiing flat out uphill and down dale for a several hours a day. Hang around in Compostelle and you’ll have trouble finding a pilgrim who hasn’t had a blister in the previous month. Hang around in Zermatt and you’ll have trouble finding a ski-tourer that will claim his feet have been dry and comfortable for the previous week.

Thanks, Piemonster. I’ll pull one out the next time I’m in a shop.

All of them.

Inner boots and tyres are in now way related, they are not designed to be sacrificial

How about foam handlebar grips then. Outers last years and once I’ve found ones I like I want to keep them.

Put on your most comfortable pair of shoes/boots/trainers, walk for eight hours (say 25 miles). You’ll be very happy to take them off and put your slippers on when you get home. Do the same in plastic mountaineering boots, you’ll be very glad to get them off and your slippers on. Now do the same in best fitted and most suitable ski-touring boots you can find. Your feet will uncomfortable and you’ll be delighted to take the things off.

Ski-touring = walk in to the snow; ski in walk mode for hours, sometimes traversing steep slopes with lots of side load on ankles; kick you way up steeper slopes sometimes front pointing with crampons; front point back down again to where your skiing ability means you can put the skis back on; ski down, walk when the snow runs out. It’s hard on the feet and hard on the boot inners, they wear out.

Downhill skiing = sit on chair lift; ski down; hang around outside bar.

paper thin” insole, Legend.

Lange[/quote]
I don’t recall my Langes having paper thin insoles but I admit that replacing them with heat moulded ones helped my bunions enormously.