Best online website to buy ski boots from, fo cheap !

M

montanan

Active member
im a washed up 24 year old mogul skier from montana, and i have been wearing super fucking stiff boots with the 4 buckle , cut of blood flow design for years and years. so i haven't ever experienced a boot that i could actually call comfortable without lying out my ass. haha. i would really like to get a pair of last year full tilts on sale somewhere, just cause they look comfy and like seems like errbody riding those now. i can go to a shop in town and try on the boots and get the correct size, but if they are more than 100 bucks over what i could find online , i will have to snatch that deal online even tho id rather support local, ill try but after i try on a pair and get my size dialed in , and if i don't end up getting them from the shop ( prob wont cause i don't have a lot of money ) ha, but if i don't get up from a local shop my question is : what in your opinion is the best site/ sites to find last years models boots etc at a decent price. i know getboards is good and so is backcountry .com but if there are any others that you know of that sell boots etc, please let me know , much appreciated , thanks NS, any reply appreciated. hope this post makes sense , my computer all fucked up .. thanks ...
 
go to a bootfitter.

regardless of the price difference, a reputable shop will have a guarantee on the fit of their boots that will include all the necessary punching/grinding/etc... just because they might feel good in the store doesn't mean they'll feel good after a couple days on snow.

as a competitve skier you should know not to go cheap on your boots...
 
First mistake, buying boots because others are using them. You just said you're experienced so go to a fitter and find what fits best no matter what brand it is.
 
As said above, go get fitted for boots. You can research pricing online and see if your local shop will price match.
 
go to your local store, get fitted and buy online. I do it every season. Things that feel good in the store, might not feel as good on snow for 6 hours, but liners break in and that same in store feeling is usually in the realm of possibility.

I usually go for boots that are almost perfect just a little tight, so after 10 days of skiing, theyre right on the money. Tell that too the bootfitter, and he SHOULD do a good job finding you the right pair. Dont buy full tilt if they dont fit. the liners are what makes them comfortable, not the shell. Find the right shell for you, and buy a intuition liner.
 
Dude, that's honestly a real dick move. There is a reason why things cost what they do- you are paying for someone's expertise and assistance in helping you to find the right boot. You are spending time with someone who has been trained and that training has cost money and ultimately it is worth it to you, especially since most reputable shops will offer a fit guarantee and fix any fit related problems for you down the road. And with current year product, there is no difference between the shop price and on line (in North America at least).

The best scenario is to develop a good relationship with your local boot-fitter because more times than not they will take care of you and hook it up anyway. Always a good thing to have, especially when you really need it.
 
Shops around jackson charge MSRP, while evo and backcountry charge about 15% less for current models. and its not a dick move, its called being frugal. im looking to benefit myself, not others... i dont need their expertise and i just tell them to bring the boots out and leave me alone. i dont make them stand there for an hour and try to get all scientific on me. Half of them are idiots with a piece of paper certifying that they know my foot better than I do. The other half a very good at what they do, but i dont need there services usually.

Plus i buy all my shit from the year before, always have always will. If i could find a shop that was stocked to the brim with last years models, i would always help the shop out, but none do. So why would i spend 400 bucks extra for a pair of current Full Tilts when i can get last years on evo for 400 less? Even if i had to get my boots fitted, thats still 250 less. dick or not, no way in hell am i gunna spend 250$ more for every set of skis, or boots that i buy. no F'n way.
 
My original comment came off a bit strong, but I still think it is basically correct. It really used to bother me when I would spend an hour with a kid providing him with all of the proper information and testing he needed, only to have him leave the store then show up a week later with a boot he bought off the internet. If someone came into your place of business, hit you up for all of the information they needed but then left to take their business elsewhere, I think you would agree that this is not cool.

On the other hand, I do see your point about resort shops charging full MSRP rather than selling at MAP, as Evo, Backcountry and other normal retailers do. However, I would bet that if you told them you didn't want to pay full MSRP but rather the industry standard of MAP that they would sell it to you at MAP. It is better that they make a decent margin rather than lose your business completely to a competitor. If they refuse you after that, then I can understand you taking your business elsewhere.
 
We actually lost our last legitimate bootfitter in central Canada in the spring and they claimed they could no longer compete with ethical retailing i.e. buying online. It blows hard because it has made buying boots and looking for a great fit really tough this year. So if you can, support local shops especially if they're providing you with some form of what is likely a free service. If their prices are outlandish though then going elsewhere is understandable.
 
yes it is a dick move.

just until the day where there are no shops left for you to try boots on, or service gear...what happens then?

you're saving 15% online? ok so that's what, $75 on a $500 pair of boots? now what happens when you have a boot problem and you need to get work done? there's your $75 right there. oops, another issue, there's another $40-$70 again. if you bought the boots in the store it would be included.
 
This always makes me laugh when I hear things like this. I can gaurentee your not getting an optimal fit at all. Do you know how to shell check yourself? do you know what 5 points to check in the shell? Do you make footbeds and know how to correct alignment? If your not sure of any of these things then your not even getting what would be considered a basic boot fit. Fitters fit boots to your foot, we dont just try them on with you.

Next time do yourself a favor and get fitted and see just how much better the boot fits.
 
Mixed feelings on this. I have had similar, frustrating experiences. However, I think it totally depends on the context. If you really cannot afford a boot from the shop that employs your bootfitter, just tell them before hand. That way, they know how much of their time to allocate to you. As said above, they may try to accomodate you by lowering the price as much as they see fit. You would be surprised what people would be willing to do to keep your business.

Personally, as long as the store isn't slammed, I don't mind talking to people about gear, even if I know they aren't going to buy. I love talking to other people who love skiing!
 
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