Boots are the most important part of your ski equipment. They transmit every movement you make to the skis. An average ski in a good boot skis better than an excellent ski in an unsuitable boot. Here is how to find your way around.
Ski boots are sized in Mondopoint: the length of your foot in centimetres. A 27 cm foot corresponds to a size 27. To measure yourself, put your heel against a wall and measure to the tip of your longest toe, on both feet: they are rarely identical, so take the larger one.
The classic mistake is to go half a size or a full size up "to be comfortable". In a ski boot, too much room comes at a price: the foot moves, you compensate by tightening, and the pain follows. Standing up with the boot buckled, your toes should lightly touch the front when you stand straight, then pull back slightly when you flex forward into your skiing position.
Two 27 cm feet can be very different. The width of the boot at the forefoot varies between models: narrow for slim feet and precise skiers, standard for most feet, wide for broad feet and comfort. A boot that is too wide for your foot cannot be corrected, whereas a snug boot can always be fine-tuned in the workshop.
Flex measures the boot's resistance when you lean forward. The higher the number, the stiffer and more demanding the boot. A soft flex is forgiving and suits learning. A medium flex suits a regular skier. A stiff flex transmits every movement, provided you have the technique and the build to flex it. The right flex depends on three things: your level, your weight and the way you ski. A light skier will never compress a very stiff flex, whatever their level.
Numbers point you in the right direction, but nothing replaces trying boots on with a professional eye. In our shops in Val Thorens, we measure your foot, compare several shells and check the actual hold once the boot is buckled. And if your foot has particular features, the boot fitting workshop takes over: our article on pain in ski boots explains what can be corrected. Find our shops, open every day from 8.30am to 7.30pm.
