Boot Design and Fitting
Overview: Properly fitting ski boots, including customized foot beds and the use of a Booster Strap, is crucial for comfort and enhanced skiing performance. These adjustments ensure that your boots provide the necessary support and flexibility, allowing you to enjoy a more comfortable and effective skiing experience.
Boot Design
The ski boot is designed with forward flexion and lateral stiffness. When the ankle is flexed forward pressure should be felt under the ball of the foot. When the leg is rolled sideways the upper part of the boot should remain rigid.
Boots should be adjusted to ensure they fit properly. If your foot is pronating its best to have foot beds custom made to support the unique contours of your feet. The importance of having your boots fitted by a professional is demonstrated by Warren Smith in his video.
Modern ski boots should be comfortable. If you are undoing the buckles at the end of each run, take your boots to your ski shop and have them adjusted and keep going back until they are comfortable.
Paul Lorenz reviews important factors to consider when fitting your boots.
The Booster Strap
The Booster Strap will improve your skiing. When you snugly secure the inner boot around your shins, more direct pressure is applied to the front of the boot when your ankle is flexed forward.
Unlike the straps that come with off-the-shelf boots, the Booster Strap is elastic protecting the shins from banging against the front of your boots. The strap also has a buckle to snug the inner boot around your shins. The Velcro straps commonly included with ski boots fall short in providing sufficient tension.
It is important to wrap the Booster Strap around the top of the inner boot above or behind the plastic shell as shown here.
Your ski shop will usually install them while you wait or you can easily install them yourself as demonstrated in the following video.
Key Takeaways
- Properly fitting ski boots is essential for comfort and improved skiing performance. Ski boot design includes forward flexion and lateral stiffness. Boots should be adjusted to fit correctly, and custom-made footbeds can support unique foot contours. Professional boot fitting is crucial for the best results.
- Modern ski boots should be comfortable, and if you find yourself frequently undoing the buckles, have your boots adjusted by a professional until they provide a comfortable fit.
- Using a Booster Strap can enhance your skiing experience by applying direct pressure to the front of the boot when your ankle is flexed forward. The Booster Strap is elastic and helps protect the shins from banging against the front of the boots. It should be secured around the top of the inner boot above or behind the plastic shell for optimal performance.
Suggested Learning Modules
Learn about how race skis are designed and how to tune them; Click here.
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