Can I ride park with these boots?

KilaTsunami

KilaTsunami

Active member
Today I went to a boot fitter, As a dedicated park skier I’ve never had boots I truly LOVED to wear. Always pain. I tried on all the newest Full Tilts and noticed they all hurt the bone above the arch of my foot! Even after heat molding the new drop kick pro, they still hurt a lil. But big improvement after heat molding..

So she gave me a pair of Salomon 100 pros to try on, they fit so comfortably. No pain, like a glove, I really liked the fitment. But can I ski park with them? They’re meant for “on-piste” it says. Will I be making a mistake by buying these over something that’s “meant for park” ? To me they feel great, but are they too stiff for hitting jumps? Angled too far forward to balance on rails? I don’t know exactly what I should do, or even what I need for a good season of park riding this year. Please share advice, what I should do?
 
If you’re riding mainly park, they’re gonna be on the softer flex side of boots but I rock touring boots inbounds and they seem to be chill so
 
The term "park boot" has slowly died over the past few years. It's all just a marketing ploy. After years of buying boots based on the labeling of "park boot" (full tilts, spk's, nordica ace's) I finally went to a boot fitter. Got fitted for some Mindbenders in a 24.5. You buy a boot that fits your foot/skiing ability and type. Pretty sure quan and jesper both run head race boots. tyw was wearing mindbender 120's in most recent slvsh. pretty sure lj wears some speedmachine's
 
14345837:swaggrandpa said:
If you’re riding mainly park, they’re gonna be on the softer flex side of boots but I rock touring boots inbounds and they seem to be chill so
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Really? On foot waking around the store they felt stiff than the FTs
 
Don't worry about what they're trying to market that boot for, it doesn't matter, as long as you have a good fit and full control of your ski you'll be great.
 
14345840:isaacwrong said:
The term "park boot" has slowly died over the past few years. It's all just a marketing ploy. After years of buying boots based on the labeling of "park boot" (full tilts, spk's, nordica ace's) I finally went to a boot fitter. Got fitted for some Mindbenders in a 24.5. You buy a boot that fits your foot/skiing ability and type. Pretty sure quan and jesper both run head race boots. tyw was wearing mindbender 120's in most recent slvsh. pretty sure lj wears some speedmachine's
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Interesting.. so I shouldn’t have an issue throwing my tricks in these?
 
14345842:colorado_frenchy said:
Don't worry about what they're trying to market that boot for, it doesn't matter, as long as you have a good fit and full control of your ski you'll be great.
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Really that’s good news, I want to like the full tilts soo badly but I’m too old and paying to much to not buy something I absolutely love the comfort on
 
14345841:KilaTsunami said:
Really? On foot waking around the store they felt stiff than the FTs
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Depends on what ft...most of there entry level boots are like 90-100 flex. What's op's height, weight, skier type, ability. Boots will stiffen up in the cold too.
 
14345846:isaacwrong said:
Depends on what ft...most of there entry level boots are like 90-100 flex. What's op's height, weight, skier type, ability. Boots will stiffen up in the cold too.
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I’m 5’10. 156, type 3, able to spin and flip at will, I also love rails n boxes. I spend most of the day in the park, but like to take hot laps on groomers too.
 
14345856:KilaTsunami said:
I’m 5’10. 156, type 3, able to spin and flip at will, I also love rails n boxes. I spend most of the day in the park, but like to take hot laps on groomers too.
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I'd trust the fitter, depending on where you went/reputation, over any 16 year old on this ski forum
 
Did you ask her why she was leaning towards the 100 and not the 120 or otherwise? You're not super heavy and I obviously am not assessing your anatomy whatsoever so imo it's not crazy or impossible that it's a good fit for you.
 
14345864:isaacwrong said:
I'd trust the fitter, depending on where you went/reputation, over any 16 year old on this ski forum
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Yeah they’re really great at what they do. Super knowledgeable about fitting boots but they just don’t know park skiing really well. I’m fact they’re offered me a job because of my knowledge. They need a park dude. Sadly I couldn’t Bcs I already have a full time job tho
 
14345867:mystery3 said:
Did you ask her why she was leaning towards the 100 and not the 120 or otherwise? You're not super heavy and I obviously am not assessing your anatomy whatsoever so imo it's not crazy or impossible that it's a good fit for you.
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No I didn’t ask, but she put them on me Bcs she knows the people who she sold them to really loves them. I doubt they rip park
 
Flex is relative to the person. That being said it's hard to comment on if they are too soft or stiff. In general tho if you flex the boot and the two buckles smash each other over the instep its probably too soft.
 
I imagine the 120 fits the same. Try them on back to back or on either foot. The boot itself is fine for park skiing "park boots" are boots marketed to park skiers pretty much.
 
It's weird to me that over 5 years on this site you still think there is such a thing as a "park boot"
 
topic:KilaTsunami said:
Today I went to a boot fitter, As a dedicated park skier I’ve never had boots I truly LOVED to wear. Always pain. I tried on all the newest Full Tilts and noticed they all hurt the bone above the arch of my foot! Even after heat molding the new drop kick pro, they still hurt a lil. But big improvement after heat molding..

So she gave me a pair of Salomon 100 pros to try on, they fit so comfortably. No pain, like a glove, I really liked the fitment. But can I ski park with them? They’re meant for “on-piste” it says. Will I be making a mistake by buying these over something that’s “meant for park” ? To me they feel great, but are they too stiff for hitting jumps? Angled too far forward to balance on rails? I don’t know exactly what I should do, or even what I need for a good season of park riding this year. Please share advice, what I should do?
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Just like full tilt says comfort is performance so if they fit and feel right then there the right boots for you and you’ll shred with them!
 
14345887:Session said:
It's weird to me that over 5 years on this site you still think there is such a thing as a "park boot"
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I mean, what would you call full tilts then? I’m trying to see if anyone has these/can speak on them. They’re expensive and I don’t wanna pick the wrong ones for how I spend my days skiing.
 
14345892:WJSkier09 said:
Just like full tilt says comfort is performance so if they fit and feel right then there the right boots for you and you’ll shred with them!
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Awesome. This what I was thinking too. I’d probably be able to rip harder if my boots weren’t bothering me all day. By the end of the season my feet/shins are toast and I’m forced to ride gently (which I hate doing)
 
14345840:isaacwrong said:
The term "park boot" has slowly died over the past few years. It's all just a marketing ploy. After years of buying boots based on the labeling of "park boot" (full tilts, spk's, nordica ace's) I finally went to a boot fitter. Got fitted for some Mindbenders in a 24.5. You buy a boot that fits your foot/skiing ability and type. Pretty sure quan and jesper both run head race boots. tyw was wearing mindbender 120's in most recent slvsh. pretty sure lj wears some speedmachine's
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Quan skis the DS from Dalbello or at least he used to, which is their traditional 2 piece “all mountain” boot. He has 0 issues doing the insane stuff he does so I doubt you will. “Park boots” is a marketing term. The best boot is the one that fits your foot. I ski a Full Tilt or a Lange RX 130 since they both fit my feet. I ski park in both and there is no discernible difference to me. As to full tilts being called park boots, the only people who call them that unironically are old dudes who think they know everything or 12 year olds. They were very heavily marketed at park skiers and are very popular, hence why people think that. It’s just a 3 piece boot with bright colors. Dalbello Kryptons and the Roxa Element series are also 3 piece boots but since they didn’t market purely at park skiers, they’re not categorized the same way.
 
14345900:animator said:
Quan skis the DS from Dalbello or at least he used to, which is their traditional 2 piece “all mountain” boot. He has 0 issues doing the insane stuff he does so I doubt you will. “Park boots” is a marketing term. The best boot is the one that fits your foot. I ski a Full Tilt or a Lange RX 130 since they both fit my feet. I ski park in both and there is no discernible difference to me. As to full tilts being called park boots, the only people who call them that unironically are old dudes who think they know everything or 12 year olds. They were very heavily marketed at park skiers and are very popular, hence why people think that. It’s just a 3 piece boot with bright colors. Dalbello Kryptons and the Roxa Element series are also 3 piece boots but since they didn’t market purely at park skiers, they’re not categorized the same way.
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Good to know. I’m glad that’s the case, I’ll probably end up going with Salomon now. They didn’t even mold them to my feet yet and they were such a good fit. I just didn’t know if they were angled wrong to balance on rails n what not. Thanks for the insight
 
14345887:Session said:
It's weird to me that over 5 years on this site you still think there is such a thing as a "park boot"
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Haha I was just thinking the same thing lol ? ??‍♂️

14345895:KilaTsunami said:
I mean, what would you call full tilts then? I’m trying to see if anyone has these/can speak on them. They’re expensive and I don’t wanna pick the wrong ones for how I spend my days skiing.
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I would call FTs exactly what they are a ski boot just like any other boot out there. I’ve been a bootfitter for the last 4 years and I can tell you right now there is no such thing as a “park boot” or a “on piste” boot. If the ski boot fits that’s all that matters. I’ve skied tons and tons of season ripping the park and urban on full touring boots so I’ll be the first to tell you no matter what they market the boot as you can ski the boot however you damn well please.
 
Yea screw the term "park boot" whatever boot fits you properly and is your preferred flex is gonna work great for freestyle
 
14345902:Kbob94 said:
Haha I was just thinking the same thing lol ? ??‍♂️

I would call FTs exactly what they are a ski boot just like any other boot out there. I’ve been a bootfitter for the last 4 years and I can tell you right now there is no such thing as a “park boot” or a “on piste” boot. If the ski boot fits that’s all that matters. I’ve skied tons and tons of season ripping the park and urban on full touring boots so I’ll be the first to tell you no matter what they market the boot as you can ski the boot however you damn well please.
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Okay well those terms are from the Salomon website, so I guess I got got. I’m glad to hear the terms are stupid honestly. Park skiing is a state if mind ?
 
14345910:BradFiAusNzCoCa said:
Uhhhh is this a troll?

yes, you can wear those
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Word. As I said 100 times above. I did not know if they were angled too steep, or something beyond my knowledge.
 
14345918:Poindexter.V2 said:
No they'll probably explode the second you ski into the parj
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Haha me n my friends are chillin and were literally just joking about this at the same time you posted it
 
The first 'park' or 'freestyle boot' I can remember was the old Salomon 1080 boot from back in the early 2000s or something.

That boot was literally just a cosmetic mockup of Salomon's most standard fitting general use ski boot. It wasnt a park boot per-se, but it was heavily marketed as one. The liner was not very good, I know that for a fact. Salomon did this time and time again over the years... especially with the silly ass SPK boots which fit like fuckin buckets.

However, that 1080 ski boot from 2004 or whatever still essentially exists today... and the boots you just bought are essentially the modern update of exactly what that original boot was. Hell, the buckles would almost certainly be interchangeable today.

The angle of that boot is neutral as hell. Nothing too much at all. They are marketed as 'on piste' only because they generally cater to the intermediate skier who isnt going off and skiing bumps in the trees all too often.

They will be fine for hitting jumps. They will be fine for hitting rails. They will be fine for the majority of the things youre likely to do. If anything, you might want to consider a stiffer version of them with the 120 flex version. otherwise, theyre probably fine for you.
 
14345926:DingoSean said:
The first 'park' or 'freestyle boot' I can remember was the old Salomon 1080 boot from back in the early 2000s or something.

That boot was literally just a cosmetic mockup of Salomon's most standard fitting general use ski boot. It wasnt a park boot per-se, but it was heavily marketed as one. The liner was not very good, I know that for a fact. Salomon did this time and time again over the years... especially with the silly ass SPK boots which fit like fuckin buckets.

However, that 1080 ski boot from 2004 or whatever still essentially exists today... and the boots you just bought are essentially the modern update of exactly what that original boot was. Hell, the buckles would almost certainly be interchangeable today.

The angle of that boot is neutral as hell. Nothing too much at all. They are marketed as 'on piste' only because they generally cater to the intermediate skier who isnt going off and skiing bumps in the trees all too often.

They will be fine for hitting jumps. They will be fine for hitting rails. They will be fine for the majority of the things youre likely to do. If anything, you might want to consider a stiffer version of them with the 120 flex version. otherwise, theyre probably fine for you.
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Very informative. Thank you my guy. I’ll have to try the stiffer ones on when I go back
 
Ohh tru tru Evan’s the other man was thinking of on head

14345900:animator said:
Quan skis the DS from Dalbello or at least he used to, which is their traditional 2 piece “all mountain” boot. He has 0 issues doing the insane stuff he does so I doubt you will. “Park boots” is a marketing term. The best boot is the one that fits your foot. I ski a Full Tilt or a Lange RX 130 since they both fit my feet. I ski park in both and there is no discernible difference to me. As to full tilts being called park boots, the only people who call them that unironically are old dudes who think they know everything or 12 year olds. They were very heavily marketed at park skiers and are very popular, hence why people think that. It’s just a 3 piece boot with bright colors. Dalbello Kryptons and the Roxa Element series are also 3 piece boots but since they didn’t market purely at park skiers, they’re not categorized the same way.
Click to expand...
 
You can ski park with any boot. However if you're looking to optimize the most amount of performance you can achieve out of your skiing, it's going to be with the boot that is the best match for your specific foot/lower leg anatomy and biomechanics. Just because a boot is categorized as a "park" boot or it gets a great review doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be the right boot for you.

Assuming you went to a reliable bootfitter and they were asking you all the right questions before they even grabbed you boots, went through a proper evaluation, etc. I would trust their judgement on that selection. I find that customers tend to get way too caught up by brand, specs, reviews etc. where at the end of the day it's all about fit. As far as the pain you're experiencing on the bone above your arch, that is a very common problematic area for a lot of people and fortunately there are many steps that can be taken to alleviate that area... fairly workable zone on most boots.

I know you mentioned the Salomons are "comfortable" but with new boots snug is going to be much more important than comfortable to start out especially considering those liners will pack out. Not bone crushing tight but snug like a firm handshake and grabbing every nook and cranny around your foot and lower leg.
 
14345896:KilaTsunami said:
Awesome. This what I was thinking too. I’d probably be able to rip harder if my boots weren’t bothering me all day. By the end of the season my feet/shins are toast and I’m forced to ride gently (which I hate doing)
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Exactly
 
14346009:ec_jibber said:
You can ski park with any boot. However if you're looking to optimize the most amount of performance you can achieve out of your skiing, it's going to be with the boot that is the best match for your specific foot/lower leg anatomy and biomechanics. Just because a boot is categorized as a "park" boot or it gets a great review doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be the right boot for you.

Assuming you went to a reliable bootfitter and they were asking you all the right questions before they even grabbed you boots, went through a proper evaluation, etc. I would trust their judgement on that selection. I find that customers tend to get way too caught up by brand, specs, reviews etc. where at the end of the day it's all about fit. As far as the pain you're experiencing on the bone above your arch, that is a very common problematic area for a lot of people and fortunately there are many steps that can be taken to alleviate that area... fairly workable zone on most boots.

I know you mentioned the Salomons are "comfortable" but with new boots snug is going to be much more important than comfortable to start out especially considering those liners will pack out. Not bone crushing tight but snug like a firm handshake and grabbing every nook and cranny around your foot and lower leg.
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Such great news, I do feel like that in the Salomons. Totally sound in those boots. I think I’m gonna go back today and try em on one last time, probably pull trigger and be done with it.
 
14346057:Jacobthesadskier said:
I've been using them for park all summer and haven't had any problems.
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That’s awesome to hear thanks for tappin in. Is the 100 flex too soft? Ppl saying I should try 120 on too
 
I didn’t mention it because I thought you already bought them but yeah - try on 110 and 120 if possible too. 100 is on softer end.

14346059:KilaTsunami said:
That’s awesome to hear thanks for tappin in. Is the 100 flex too soft? Ppl saying I should try 120 on too
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14346059:KilaTsunami said:
That’s awesome to hear thanks for tappin in. Is the 100 flex too soft? Ppl saying I should try 120 on too
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Being honest I'm not sure, the 100 Is fine for me, but it really depends on you.
 
Keep in mind that flex rating is just an imaginary number and a 100 flex in a Salomon is going to flex differently from the same flex in a Rossi, Lange, etc. I like to classify boots as either soft, medium, or stiff flexing. There are many different factors that determine flex aside from just skier ability as the bootfitter should really be the one guiding you towards this.

On the other hand if they're getting you into a 100 flex boot and you're telling me you're 200 lbs then I'd take your business elsewhere.
 
14346075:ec_jibber said:
Keep in mind that flex rating is just an imaginary number and a 100 flex in a Salomon is going to flex differently from the same flex in a Rossi, Lange, etc. I like to classify boots as either soft, medium, or stiff flexing. There are many different factors that determine flex aside from just skier ability as the bootfitter should really be the one guiding you towards this.

On the other hand if they're getting you into a 100 flex boot and you're telling me you're 200 lbs then I'd take your business elsewhere.
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Good to know. Also I’m 155 for what it’s worth
 
Flex also has a lot to do with what ski youre using.

I generally use a pretty huge ass ski... Rarely do I ski anything shorter than say 188. I usually am pushing a 192 or longer. The bigger the ski, the bigger the boot youll need to really push it around effectively. I would say those salomons would be fine up to lengths of 179ish and widths to about 100 underfoot on most models, but anything bigger than that and they might start to struggle a bit to drive.

If youre using like a 178 noodly park ski? no problem.
 
14346082:DingoSean said:
Flex also has a lot to do with what ski youre using.

I generally use a pretty huge ass ski... Rarely do I ski anything shorter than say 188. I usually am pushing a 192 or longer. The bigger the ski, the bigger the boot youll need to really push it around effectively. I would say those salomons would be fine up to lengths of 179ish and widths to about 100 underfoot on most models, but anything bigger than that and they might start to struggle a bit to drive.

If youre using like a 178 noodly park ski? no problem.
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183 wets
 
14346089:KilaTsunami said:
183 wets
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You're probably fine. Those things are goo from what I understand. You probably can't even drive them hard enough to warrant a stiffer boot anyway.
 
14346103:DingoSean said:
You're probably fine. Those things are goo from what I understand. You probably can't even drive them hard enough to warrant a stiffer boot anyway.
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One time I clicked into my homies line chronics that were like 182 or something bigger than I was used to… I never felt so comfortable on skis. I guess it’s Bcs I outgrew my Armadas (171).
 
14345913:Coleg55 said:

This is all you need to see. These are atomic Redstars, a super knarly race boot.
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I love the performance of my race boots in the park. It only sometimes causes excruciating pain

14346055:hi_vis360 said:
join the 4 buckle boot gang it's the way
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I used to ski dalbello 3 piece boots and I thought they were the shit until I saw the light of a 2 piece overlap boot
 
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