Another boot thread: SPK or Supercharger// Already been fitted though!!!!

F

fatline

Member
I'm have a delema. Not really worried about price though there is a 120 dollar difference . Its between the spk kaos and the nordica supercharger ignition. Both of these boots are the new 08 models

I liked how the spk fit me a little bit better. Both are comforatable. I've read the sticky about boots and how to go about buying them and i've researched both boots on the search bar for about a week now.

I feel that the SPK was a little stiffer than the supercharger ignitions. Don't know if this is true. Salomon spk kaos 95 rating and the supercharger ignition 80 to 90 flex. I'm trying not to let the hype of the spk kaos play a factor in my decision. I ski in Indiana and I would classify myself as advance/almost expert skier. I have about 500 ft of vertical there lol. I'm in the terrain park 50% and all moutain 50%.

These are the boots that the shop recommended for me. After looking at me feet, i have pretty wide feet, but average widith heel, my height 6ft, weight 215, and what type of skiing i do i tried on about 6 different boots and these two felt the best. After a few adjustments and heel lifts these two boots felt the best... I HAVE BIG CALFS which sucks. Is the person that fitted me crazy. I wear a 9.5 to a 10 in a shoe and they fitted me for a 26.5= to a 8.5 in a shoe.

So my question is i want a boot that is all mountain with freestlye capabilities. I want to be able to ski in these not just park all the time. I don't know if i'll overpower these two boots. Also there has been some talk of the two buckles system on the spk inhibiting its all mountain preformance compared to the 4 bucks of the supercharger. Anythoughts on this. Are the SPK kaos an all mt boot or just a park boot. Any thoughts if anyone of these two boots are better than the other.

Any input and thoughts or personal experinences with either two boots. I know the supercharger ignitions are a new model this year. SPK's will cost 379.99 and the supercharger ignintions 499.99
 
i have last years nordica ingnitions and i felt that i rarely got shin bang. that was huge for me. i ski mostly park but do take a couple runs outside of it. i think if your on the fence always get the cheaper boot. im not really a picky person so i can work with whatever i have and still like it. i think you really only notice the difference between boots when your tryin them on right after eachother, but in the long run it dosesnt really make a huge difference. But you really should just go with whichever fit you best.
 
I know for a fact that the initial thought going around about the SPK being to soft for all-mountin is not true. However the theory of the 2 buckle system I can almost with a 100% confidents say is true.

the SPK was designed to be a comfert boot not really a performance boot...

ur from a small hill so i dont think the 2 buckle system would make a big diff if ur hill doesnt have steeps and doesnt get alot of pow
 
You get what you pay for, performance wise. Boots should be the most important part of your setup, don't buy cheap boots just to get by. Invest in boots that fit, and will perform.
 
Yeah we don't get really any pow. We got one day last year where we got about a foot to a foot and a half "dump." The hills aren't really steep but i love the little mogual lines we have and laying down fast hard carves.

I've had the tecnica entryx 5 boot for the last 6 years. My dad bought it for me when i was 15. I just took the boot out of the shell and it says that is A 28.5 THATS compares to a 10.5 in shoes. I felt this year that i needed smaller boots because i had such bad heel lift and my foot almost came out when i would land switch occasionally. This boot was a beginner boot after reading up on it. So a fitted SPK or supercharger would have to be better than this????? Sucks if the SPK isn't really a preformance boot becuase of the two buckle system
 
most legit thread ive seen on here in a while. sry but i have no experince with nordicas. but i have spks and the thing i like most about them is theyre so light. but if you ski a lot of all mountain i wouldnt recomend them. its difficult to hold an edge with them from my experience.
 
All I'm saying, is don't let the price influence your decision. Buy the boots that best fit your feet, and what you think your ability is. Also buying from a reputable shop is key, you pay for their service, but they are there to make sure you are getting the best fitting boots possible.
 
dude, keep in mindthat there is no corelation between shoe size and boot size. and the reason that the spk will fell even stifer than it may be is cause it ahs very little foward lean. whrtras the nordica will but u into a forward position and allow easier pressure application forwards
 
So what i'm gathering the spk IS NOT an all mountian boot.... Even with the 95 flex rating because of the 2 buckle system. The supercharger ignition is a better "ALL MT" skiing boot becuase of the 4 buckles and

With going from my entrxy 5 that was 2 sizes bigger to a fitted boot should be much better for me no matter what? The forward flexes of these can make a big difference two???

Has anyone heard of vertical drop in Cincinnati ohio. They fitted me. It was so chick but she seemed to know what she was talking about. Me being a bigger guy at 215lbs i'm just a little worried about these two boots.

So does the forward flex of the nordica help you transfer more energy to the edge of the ski. Where as the not as much forward flex of the spk help in the park more???

The only real skiing quote unquote that i'm doing this year is keystone, vail, breckenridge, and copper in march.

Thanks for the responses keep em comming.
 
i have tried on the SPK kao's boots many times at my shop where i work, cuz i got nothing better to do. And we also have the Nordica supercharger spark boot, and im not sure if it is the same as the ignition or what, but it was WAYYYY wider than the SPK. I had wayy to much room when i put it on. The spk has a wide toe box of i think 104, and then it narrows out in the heel, its wider in the toebox, for more stability on rails. If ur foot is really wide liek u say it is, then i would suggest u the ignitions, that is if they are the same as the supercharger spark boot.
 
a 26.5 mondo isnt out of the ordinary for ur foot size. I wear a 11-11.5 shoe size and my boot mondo is anywhere from 27-28. Plus the SPK fits a lil larger from what ive seen
 
Yeah i tried on the supercharger spark and i was like take this off its way way to flexy. It has a 70-80 flex. I like the spk becuase i felt like the toes had more room by the balls of my feet. The supercharger felt tighter in the toe box but not as tight in the heel which i didn't like as much.

I liked the fit of the spk a little better on my feet.

"1" I'm trying to figure out the better boot for the type of skiing i do and my weight. Which is all MT. And if the Kaos with the 2 buck system isn't as good boot for skiing compared to the supercharger.

"2" If there will be a noticiable difference between these two boots and my old boots which i think there almost has to be.

"3" Quality of the boots becuase i plan on keeping them a long time.

"4" Suggestions or other valid points because i know a lot of you guys have the spk and the supercharger ignition

Hey if any of these questions are redudant or if any other points let me know.

 
I have the Nordica Supercharger ignitions and i find them an awesome boot..

It's the SAME boot as the Nordica Beast, plus the shock absorbing heel.

A great part about the boot is that the power strap uses booster tech, so it has the booster elastic in it, which may be why i never got any issues with shinbang etc - either way, a great addition

The Nordicas are 101mm wide, But i'm not sure on the Salomons

Nordica liner is excellent as well - all round, a fantastic boot that i'm very happy with

Translucent shell, so great to be able to pinpoint areas on the shell which need adjustment/blowing out etc.

Overall, go with the boot that you think fits you better, but if you are after a boot which isn't solely for park, i would definitely be leaning towards the Nordicas..4 buckles aren't comparable to only having two - MUCH better control out of the park.

 
I believe that the entryx 5 may be equivalent to the current vento 5 or 6?? COuld be wrong on that one, but if its the case - the vento is a mid range line for Technica, medium flex, overall medium quality - similar to the performa line for Salomon.

A very rouch, but good way to tell what level boot you are in may be to see if there is a canting adjustment on the side - those without are generally more recreational boots than for performance

The Supercharger is certianly considered a performance boot
 
Out of those two I'd go for the Nordica, purely based on the forward lean, but if you ski really upright then the SPK would be alright. Are you sure they're stiff enough for you though? You're 215lbs and "advance/almost expert skier"? It's preference but something stiffer might be bettr if you ski hard. I'm only 185lbs and use a Lange 120 for evrtyhing and I like the firmer flex but whatever you like. If you're hitting big tables using those boot you might overflex them.
 
Personally, I'd consider looking for something stiffer. You're a bigger skier and the flex on the SPK's is going to be pretty soft for all mountain skiing. I've got them and while they're ok all-mountain they're not ideal. If I'm going to be spending much of the day skiing outside the park I go with my other boots, X-Wave 10's. They're a lot stiffer and give me a lot better control over my skis.

I'd try some more boots and look outside of "park" boots. Especially at your size.
 
blue spk has an 85 flex rating, no calve pad, smaller strap, different liner. Kaos has a better liner, calve pad, and a bigger strap, and a flex rating of 95 so its a bit stiffer
 
Did you try the Supercharger Enforcer or one of the Speed Machines? They will be stiffer than the Ignition or SPK. Also did you try other brands non-park boots. Also did you go to another shop for different brands. I would take a look at Dalbello and Head (I assume you tried Tecnica).

The size you were fitted at sounds about right. The conversion charts don't mean a thing. It is all about measuring and trying on.

Except for the SPK, park boots are just softer normal boots with "cool" graphics.

--rick
 
I could be wrong but i believe that the other nordica boots are a bit narrower, so if he's go a wide foot he's going to want the ignition. That was my delemia last year the same compairison. I ski pretty much all park and love the SPK's, but for more all mt. skiing the ignition would be a bit better, because i should hold your foot better. But i did ski my boots on all sorts of skis on demo day and i didnt have a problem with edge hold on all mt. skis. It's a tough call man, but if you're only skiing 500 vertical it probably doesn't matter what one you go with. I'd say save the bucks and get the cheaper ones, get your self a back up pair of invaders or somthing with the difference.
 
well i dun think u woudl want to try on the nordica speedmachines, they are racing boots, and much narrower than the boots u tried on, as for dalebllo, u said u have a wide foot, most if not all of their boots fit narrow.
 
Speedmachines are Nordica's higher-end all mountain boots. They fit like Salomon's X-Waves so narrower than the Superchargers.
 
Sorry have been on an interview all day. I did try on some technica's. They were a park boot they were the tecnica agents 80 and the 100's. I hated how both of these boots fitted. I didn't try on any other type of boots except freestyle/ski boots. I'm leaning more towards the supercharger ignitions right now. Just from the comments i've gathered

Better with the 4 buckle system, i'm a bigger guy and some of you said that i would crush the spk (and possibly the supercharger). I also don't want to spend anymore than the 500 hundred on the superchargers. Anything more than that is way out of my price range. If i don't go with the superchargers i will try on other boots.

I guess the girl fitting me for boots didn't even think about a non freestyle boot. Truthfully i didn't either. I know i'm a bigger guy and thats why i was worried about flex. These reply's are exactlly what i was looking for. See i don't know how something with 120 flex will feel?!?!? really worried about shin bang and being able to get down and flex the boot. and just an overall unconforableness... I always see racers with thier race boots on and they unbuckle them everytime they ride up the chairlift. I know that flex probally won't do this but this is the notion i have in my head. (i guess they have them fitt so tight thats why they unbuckle them)

I was told i have wide feet so i don't think that the dalbello's are the best thing for me.
 
Definitely try on other boots (non-freestyle models). "Freestyle" boots are almost always just the company's mid-flex all mountain boot with some fancy graphics and a superficial "shock absorber". The fact that the girl didn't even suggest anything other than those boots for you isn't a good sign.
 
Since you like the Nordicas, I would try a Speed Machine on. I am pretty sure they are only 1mm narrower than the Beast/Ignition. They also come in more flex options. They might be a little over your price range, but it is better to spend more on good quality and fit boots. Especially if you are planning on having them for a while. You could also find what really works and then try to find it online in last years model. Most boots haven't changed. If you do that, don't take up the sales person's time when it is busy. Go in on a weekday morning.

--rick
 
significantly narrower than the ignition. 2 mm in the toe box, but much more in the instep, heel, and calf (which is kinda important because he mentioned he has big calves)

try like the salomon impact? its a bit narrower, but really anatomical. spk toe box is closer to the 106-107mm range, they dont give a specific for it, but its the widest toe box on the market. the spk makes a decent park boot but i feel like itll get sloppy once it packs out

all said, i think the ignition is a better choice, unless u wanna stretch the hell out of something else
 
Guys thanks so much. I bought the supercharger ignitions actually. I just thought they were the best deal for my situation. I'm acustom to a mid range flexing boot my old tecnicas, thats what one of you said, and i actually got a really good price on the boots. So i'm extremely excited on this.

NS THANKS FOR COMMING THROUGH AND HELPING ME SO MUCH ON THIS one.

-----------------Grant-----------------
 
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