When it comes to ski boots… the right size matters!
Need new ski boots? Don’t make the same mistake as over 70% of all skiers—acquiring the bad habit of choosing boots that are a size too big.
Skiers in general, especially women, tend to opt for too-big boots, that is, a size or too larger than the one indicated by the foot measurer that the sales clerk will ask you to stand on in the store. “But that makes it so much easier to walk!” many of you will argue, concerned about providing your feet with the right amount of comfort.
However, you are not buying ski boots to enjoy a stroll in between runs. “First and foremost, you are purchasing this piece of equipment in order to ski,” reminds Fernand Campbell, Promotions Co-ordinator at Ski Rossignol Canada.
By buying a boot that is too big, you’ll jeopardize your fun and performance on the slopes. Remember that skiing calls on your feet every time you shift your weight. When the boot is too big, it inevitably puts pressure on the wrong parts of your foot. What’s more, there will be improper wear on the pads. All this will lower the performance of your boot and lead you to compensate for the lack of protection by tightening your buckles between runs.
And—you guessed it—this instinct to tighten will end up hampering your circulation, which will only make your feet feel colder… So long, fun and comfort!
To sum up, it’s essential to choose the right size. The next step is to find the style that best suits the way you ski. Furthermore, be honest about your real needs, advises Steve Gardner from Nordica. As he concludes: “Besides your skis, it’s your boots that are most important in enabling you to have better control on the slopes.”
