choose ski boots with decathlon's advice

How to choose your ski boots?

The boot is the most important part of your ski equipment. It determines your comfort, foot and ankle support, influences the movements of your body and the reaction of your skis (support, turns). Depending on which type of skiing you do, your level and the morphology of your foot, how do you choose boots that suit you?Between comfort, safety and precision, we help you see more clearly.

Discover the brand

The choice of adult ski boots is based on 3 criteria: they type of skiing, the level and the shape of your feet.

If there is one item of equipment that you need to choose carefully, it is your pair of boots.They determine your comfort, your ease, your performance, in short they are the key to success of your ski day! We hope that these tips will guide you in your choice and that you will be able forget your boots so that your outings are unforgettable!

1/ Choose boots that are adapted to your type of skiing

  • downhill ski boots

    Downhill skiing

    Downhill skiing, as its name suggests, is done on marked and groomed slopes.The technique is based on a series of beautiful curves, resting on one leg then on the other, leaning to the maximum inside the turn (carving) and searching for speed and sensations. 

    IMPORTANT TO KNOW

    Downhill skiing therefore requires a boot with good support as the skier often skies on hard snow, which causes vibrations.The weight of the skier is often supported by a single ski when changing direction, which also requires good foot and lower leg support. Downhill ski boots must also be precise and reactive because changing from edge to edge (passage of support from one "section" of the ski to the other) are frequent .

  • freeride ski boots

    Freeride skiing

    Freeride skiing is off the slopes, in the forest or on slopes off the beaten track, in search of virgin snow fields. Skiers sometimes have to take off their skis to climb up a slope before hitting it (approach) and the terrain is most often uneven and covered with powder.

    IMPORTANT TO KNOW

    Freeride skiing requires a boot with a progressive flex, that is to say a regular and hard flexion to smoothly absorb the irregularities of the terrain.Freeride ski boots are often equipped with a SkiWalk mode, that is to say an unlocking of the boot which is done automatically when you take off to allow you to walk more freely.

2/ Ski boots adapted to your level

It is important to choose a ski boot suited to your level. It is theFLEX, or index of rigidity of the boot, that will guide you to choose the right boot.beginners will opt for a rather flexible boot, which will offer more mobility, while experts will be able to choose a harder boot, which is more efficient but requires control and.

What is the FLEX ?

In order to give an indication to the rigidness of the boot, brand define for each boot a flex index. This figure determines the rigidity: the higher its value, the more rigid the shell.

Downhill skiingwhat type of boot for which level?

  • beginner ski boots

    Beginners

    Search for tolerance and comfort Soft boots Men: flex index inferior to 70, large volumeWomen: flex index inferior to 60, large volume

  • intermediate downhill ski boots

    Intermediates

    Search for dynamism and supportBoots with average rigidity Men flex index between 70 and 100, closer fit volumeWomen: flex index between 60 and 80, volume fit close to the foot

  • advanced downhill ski boots

    Advanced skiers

    Search for performance and precision Boots that are rigide to very rigid Men: flex index superior to 100, narrower volume and anatomicWomen: flex index superior to 80, even narrower volume and anatomic

Freeride skiing: what type of boot for which level?

  • beginner freeride ski boots

    Beginners

    Discover Freeride skiing on non-prepared terrain Boots that aretolerant Men : flex index between 90 and 100Women: flex index between 70 and 80

  • intermediate freeride ski boots

    Intermediate skiers

    Explore the skiing domain and progress off-slope onall types of snow and terrainBoots that are tolerant with good support Men: flex index between 90 and 100Women: flex index between 80 and 90

  • advanced freeride ski boots

    Advanced skiers

    Get away from the skiing domain in search of powder Boots that are tolerant, good support andpreciseMen: flex index between 110 and 120Women: flex index between 100 and 110

Good to know:

Your weight influences the choice of your boots. A heavy and strong skier must choose ahigher flex than the one recommended for his level.

ski boots with inserts

Freeride: versatile boots

Certain models of ski boots are fitted withinserts, holes on either side of the forefoot and at the back, that allow you to adapt them to hook bindings, specially designed forski touring. In some cases you can add a special base to add or remove the inserts. These boots adapt to two types of bindings therefore offer flexibility of use (freeride or ski touring).

3/ Each foot shape has a ski boot

  • Width of the boot

    As we all have different feet, there are several boot widths adapted to each morphology. Narrow, medium o wide, these sizes are measured in millimeters from a metatarsus to another. 

    - Wide: 104mm- Medium: 102mm- Narrow: 100mm

  • Liner height

    Depending on the model of ski boot, the height of the instep may vary. So choose a boot model that will suit the shape of your foot. The top of your foot should not be compressed, to allow good blood regulation.

Good to know:

-The liner and the top of a woman's boot are wider for better calf comfort. - 

- Some liners can be custom molded to your foot: if you have tried several models of boots but still have sore feet,thermoforming could be THE miraculous solution. Some ski boots are equipped with a liner that can be heated to make it more malleable and shape it to your foot, ankle, calf And in some cases you can even thermoform yourself!

4/ Trying on ski bootsan essential step

It is unthinkable to buy ski boots without trying them on.In fact thefeeling, the comfort, the support of your foot cannot be measured without trying them on.

First of all, how could you know which size to buy?

Once you know the Flex, the most essential step is: determine your size.

The size of ski boots is measured in two stages: - The width: narrow (100mm), medium (102mm) and width (104mm) - The length in Mondopoints : this unit corresponds simply to the the length of the foot in centimeters.

Be careful: Take a size above to avoid being too tight, because the foot would not be properly maintained.

It is possible to find your Mondopoint boot size at a glance using conversion tables:

How do you try them on?

  • REMEMBER TO TRY YOUR BOOTS WITH SKI SOCKS (THICKNESS, HEIGHT).

  • CLOSE THE BOOT FOLLOWING THE ORDER INDICATEDSTART BY CLOSING THE BOOT WITHOUT OVERTIGHTENING IT, THEN BEND STRONGLY " TIMES AND ADJUST THE TIGHTENING.

  • WHEN STANDING, THE TOES SLIGHTLY TOUCH THE LINER

  • IN BENT POSITION (FEELING THE TONGUE AGAINST THE SHIN), THE END OF THE FOOT MUST NO LONGER TOUCH THE LINER.

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Chloé

Wedze communication team, made up of skiing enthusiasts