Freeride vs Freestyle Boots

Mattgeraghty3

Mattgeraghty3

Member
Hey need a bit of advice on ski boots. I tend to ski Pow when its there and park when it isn't and am a pretty jibby skier. I work as a boot fitter so know that fit is obviously the most important thing here but I've noticed there's lots of people looking for a boot that will crush it in the park but also be stiff enough to charge on big lines and was wondering if anyone had come across anything they particularly enjoyed?
 
I have Full Tilt High Fives. I skied almost exclusively all mountain and big mountain/pow this year, but in years past used them in the park. Obviously full tilt has the reputation of slaying the park, but stepping up to the stiffer flex (7) made big mountain super fun.

I'm only 155 lbs so I don't need the stiffest boot, but they make even stiffer ones now. Even with the increased stiffness and support, they still eliminate shin bang. I also don't like using super soft boots in the park, so they've been great for me.
 
I might be the minority here but I have had horrendous problems with the durability of the buckles on my Full Tilt Descendant 6s. Had to replace two from being bent within the first couple of days and I'm now rocking those two replacements which are also bent. However that was probably due to some crashing which is semi understandable. This season however it was pretty cold up at Killington one day, I had not hit the park all day just skiing some East Coast pow and I realized as I got off of the lift that my buckle strap in the middle just snapped. So would not recommend the 6s just because of buckle durability for the price you pay.
 
i have nordica tj pros, which are like the ace of spade 3*, but they arent made anymore. my next boot will be the head hammer 130 probably, since i like the heavy duty 3 piece shell and thats almost the same as the old ace of spade. these days i like my boots really stiff and relatively upright, so ive been going with a 3 piece that isnt made by full tilt. id recommend trying the dalbellos (il moro or equivalent) or the heads if you want something that is burly but not super super forward leaned like a race boot
 
Full tilt first chair 10 flex is a solid option. The metal buckles are way better than the classic plastic ones. Mine are holding up great
 
13806056:Cons said:
I might be the minority here but I have had horrendous problems with the durability of the buckles on my Full Tilt Descendant 6s. Had to replace two from being bent within the first couple of days and I'm now rocking those two replacements which are also bent. However that was probably due to some crashing which is semi understandable. This season however it was pretty cold up at Killington one day, I had not hit the park all day just skiing some East Coast pow and I realized as I got off of the lift that my buckle strap in the middle just snapped. So would not recommend the 6s just because of buckle durability for the price you pay.
Click to expand...

Same problems needed new buckles 3 times and got bent.
 
I really recommend Fischer boots, you don't have to have a soft boot for park. I ski pipe and moguls and spend a ton of time skiing big mountain and off piste. I'm 130 pounds and use the RC4 110 and its perfect for just about everything, sometimes I wish it was a little stiffer but that's somewhat rare. The only thing you can't use it for is touring, I mean you could but that might be kind of hard with out walk to ride, but I think they make one with it.
 
I've had the Salomon X-Pro 130s for the majority of this season and last. While they are super responsive, the amount of shinbang I got was ridiculous. If I spent just one day in the park, my shins would be fucked to the point where it was hard to even just cruise around the next couple of days. I got a pair of Full Tilt B&Es for the last couple of days of this season and as much of a meme as they are, they definitely helped with shinbang. I was able to ride a couple of days of just park back to back, which I couldn't do in the Salomons. However, the 6 flex is just way to soft to really ski anything but park imo. I'm not a huge guy, 6' 170lbs, but I felt like I could easily overpower the boot and it definitely lacked responsiveness when it came to making GS turns and charging through bumps and steeps. Also, I'm not sure if its the soft flex, or upright stance of the boot, but my quads were on fire anytime I was making carves at high speed. It felt like I was holding a wall sit, which is something I had never felt in the Salomons, or any other boot for that matter. Overall, next season, I'm going probably going to be riding the Full Tilts with a 10 flex tongue rather than the Salomons, just because shinbang was such a huge issue for me this year. Hopefully the stiffer tongue will make them a little more responsive, but with a 6 flex I can't recommend them if you want to charge hard. However, the 6 flex does make butters super easy if your into that sort of thing.
 
6 or less on FT's are definitely not made for big mountain skiing. My buddy had 4's and they were noodles. Also weight is key, I don't think full tilts can match a 130 flex, but lighter people can get away with 7-10 flexes.

I hear that the boots with plastic buckles (the classic shell/narrow ones) have problems all the time. I have the wider FTs that have metal ones and have never had a problem. Not that breaking your boots should be expected, but at least all the parts on full tilts are replaceable.
 
13806210:_RNS_ said:
I've had the Salomon X-Pro 130s for the majority of this season and last. While they are super responsive, the amount of shinbang I got was ridiculous. If I spent just one day in the park, my shins would be fucked to the point where it was hard to even just cruise around the next couple of days. I got a pair of Full Tilt B&Es for the last couple of days of this season and as much of a meme as they are, they definitely helped with shinbang. I was able to ride a couple of days of just park back to back, which I couldn't do in the Salomons. However, the 6 flex is just way to soft to really ski anything but park imo. I'm not a huge guy, 6' 170lbs, but I felt like I could easily overpower the boot and it definitely lacked responsiveness when it came to making GS turns and charging through bumps and steeps. Also, I'm not sure if its the soft flex, or upright stance of the boot, but my quads were on fire anytime I was making carves at high speed. It felt like I was holding a wall sit, which is something I had never felt in the Salomons, or any other boot for that matter. Overall, next season, I'm going probably going to be riding the Full Tilts with a 10 flex tongue rather than the Salomons, just because shinbang was such a huge issue for me this year. Hopefully the stiffer tongue will make them a little more responsive, but with a 6 flex I can't recommend them if you want to charge hard. However, the 6 flex does make butters super easy if your into that sort of thing.
Click to expand...

I had the same problem with the X-Pro 130s, I've been wanting to look at full tilts just so I can ride more than two days in a row. How different is the stance between the two?
 
With full tilts, you can change the tongue out to be a softer tongue or a stiffer tongue, if you ski pow and jib, a flex of 5-6, I would recommend the first chair 6
 
lmao i can never understand why people recomend full tilts, their cheap end of story. Your boot is probably your most important piece of equipment, it drives your skis. I honestly dont trust skiing in full tilts. Just pick them up and pick up a pair of dalbellos or langes or really any quality boot. You can literly feel how cheap they are. Their newer, wider models are notorious for snapping buckles, and all their boots lack the precise feel and control you should have in a boot. Get a pair of dalbellos, check out the krypton pros. Never going back to FT since.
 
FUCK FULL TILTS. Seriously, if you want a real boot, get Krypton Pros. I ski mine literally 7 days a week(patrolling,FWQ's,park laps,East coast woods). The only thing I don't do in them is tour, but i have Lupo T.I. Carbons(same platform as KR Pros) for that. By far the best boots i've ever owned. So many options for flex adjustment, soft tongues, stiff tongues and stiffeners you can drop in. Super responsive, some of the best heel retention ever and comfortable. Obviously as some other people have said, go to a boot fitter if you're not sure, they are the experts.
 
topic:Mattgeraghty3 said:
I work as a boot fitter so know that fit is obviously the most important thing here but I've noticed there's lots of people looking for a boot that will crush it in the park but also be stiff enough to charge on big lines and was wondering if anyone had come across anything they particularly enjoyed?
Click to expand...

When it comes to finding "the right boot for you", how the shell fits your foot is only one part of the equation. You also need the right cuff height, cuff volume, and overall stiffness to match you as well (not to mention good footbeds as a must).

If your boot matches your biomechanics (foot shape, leg shape, ankle range of motion, weight, strength) then you will have a boot for both freestyle and freeride. Done, end of story.

And ultimately, what works super well for one person can be the worst option for someone else. Honestly, it doesn't matter what other people like. You need to find out what works well for you. One caveat here would be issues of durability, which can for sure be discussed.
 
13806484:onenerdykid said:
When it comes to finding "the right boot for you", how the shell fits your foot is only one part of the equation. You also need the right cuff height, cuff volume, and overall stiffness to match you as well (not to mention good footbeds as a must).

If your boot matches your biomechanics (foot shape, leg shape, ankle range of motion, weight, strength) then you will have a boot for both freestyle and freeride. Done, end of story.

And ultimately, what works super well for one person can be the worst option for someone else. Honestly, it doesn't matter what other people like. You need to find out what works well for you. One caveat here would be issues of durability, which can for sure be discussed.
Click to expand...

yeah what he said
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top