Freestyle Boots??

S

suckyn00b

Member
Im transitioning into freestyle and was wondering about boots.

I currently have Nordica Doberman Pro 130 boots. I have had them custom fitted and canted properly. I made a post before about my equipment overall but not much comments left on the boots...

Im sure the boots "will do", however how much a difference does it make using a "racing" boot versus a "freestyle" boot. I know the differences in terms of comfort and padding, but what if any are the differences in performance? And does the comfort factor play a big role in freestyle? I can ski all day in these (and I have skied for 20 straight days in these with no problems)...

Im not looking for boot suggestions, just trying to determine whether or not to buy another set of boots. I'll determine which boots when Im at the shop getting fitted (if necessary)...

Also, what are the effects (pros/cons) of having stiff boots over soft boots in relation to freeskiing?

Ive tried the Mojo Pros (whatever the top model is called, ugly brown that changes color in the sun). They were way too soft, but maybe thats what you want in a "freestyle" boot? For technical skiing Im a firm believer of using as stiff of a boot possible, hence my racing boots.
 
Stick with what you've got. If it fits, it works. Flex you can decide yourself what you like.
 
i just quit racing this year and u will want a new boots. race boots are to stiff and you will get very bad shin bang if you want a good boot that would seem simaler go with the technica agent 110 flex
 
Thanks for the info.

Is "shin bang" the only disadvantage of a "too stiff" of a boot? Or will too stiff of a boot prevent or make it harder for me to do certain things? The flex of the boot is relative to the person. I can still flex my doberman pro's.

Im going to CoC camp in July, so maybe while Im in Whistler I can get another pair of boots fitted.
 
If you take the rivets out of the back of your boot it will bring the flex down enough for park. Or you could get a nordica supercharger which is the same shape as the doberman.
 
Yes, that is expected to pay that much for a boot fitting. The reason being, a proper fitting will take at minimum 2 hours and could take several hours (over the course of several days). Most bootfitters dont charge by the hour, they charge for modifications to your boot and you expect to pay retail for the boot. That's how they make their money, they spend more time with you and get you fitted properly, in return your expected to pay full retail price.

Yea you can buy them way cheaper from the internet, but thats because they dont have the overhead cost of that bootfitter to spend hours with you to get them to fit properly.

properly fitted boots not only increase comfort (ie enjoyment from skiing) but they also can improve your skiing. If your bow-legged or knock-kneed, canting your boots will make a huge difference in your skiing. This could be the single easiest way to improve your skiing.

Its funny I see kids blowing hundreds of dollars on "steeze" clothing (Im sorry I dont even know what that word means...lol), but cringe at the thought of spending a few hundred dollars for properly fitted boots...if your gonna spend your money somewhere, go with the boots, they'll last you 10 years and you'll never regret it.
 
i was just recently asking the "boot" guy in my local shop about that because i love the nordica beast 10's and he was saying that theres not much difference just more shin padding and more flex in the inside boot.

overall he said go with something that you feel comfortable in and it will do the trick.

ps i love the mentality about paying the extra dollar because you get what you pay for im the same way when it come down to comfort and your actions on the mountain.

i would recomend using the boots you have and if you feel any problems then talk to someone with some serious knowledge where all they do is boots and theyll get you headed in the right direction.
 
i just bought the 08 spk pro boots and it feels like your entire foot is surrounded by gel. so damn comfy. i got em for $280. i highly recommend em
 
Couldn't agree more. My comment was actually just about whistler itself. You can get the same fitting and same boot for probably $100 less in Vancouver even. Whistler has everything, but they jack up the prices more than would be expected.
 
ah ok.

Yea, all resort areas are like that. Taking the advantage of charging more for convenience. Unfortunately for me I won't have time to shop for boots in Vancouver before camp because I arrive the day camp starts. I live in Southern Illinois, no shops there. However, there are a few shops where I fly out of in Detroit. But Im not sure of their selection and/or quality of boots and bootfitting.

So out convenience I might have to pay the extra money to keep the local ski shops open...lol
 
yea i'd just stick w/ what you have and see how it works for you man. if they already fit, flex can be adjusted later if you feel like removing rivets or if needbe, dremmeling notches out of the back of your boots (or having a boot fitter do it for you). fit is the most important thing and you've already got that. as for my preference, i like a tight fitting boot even for park skiing. what the one kid said about SPK's above about how his foot feels like its surrounded by gel makes me cringe. i could never ski well, or feel like i had control over my skis on rails if i felt like my foot was in a bucket of gel. (maybe that's why i hate spk's) anyway, i've got lange freeride 120's and i love the fit, but even though they claim to be 120's theyre a freeride boot and are pretty soft. i think i'm gonna either get some comp 120's or banshee pros next year which claim to be 130. Anyway, i think you'll like your boots just fine and if not, just tweak the flex to your liking.
 
Thanks for the input.

If I need to change the flex tho, I'll be going to a new boot. I dont want to modify my existing boots for a softer flex. The stiffness was the reason I bought it in the first place.

Thanks for the advice
 
only thing i'd worry about is, because they're race boots, they naturally bend ur knees a lot farther over ur foot then other boots would (to throw u forward). i'd imagine that'd make skiing switch kinda awkward, but i think u'd get used to it
yea use the ones u have
 
Actually in today's race boots they are going back to a more upright stance. I think you'll find most race boots today have about the same ramp angle as any other boots? Not a statement of fact, I only know the race boot side. In PMTS (not PSIA) they actually stress an extremely stiff boot and an upright stance if at all possible. I believe this is change in the trend for racing, going more upright.

You have to have a little forward lean otherwise it would be impossible for you to have a slight bend in the knew and not be in the "backseat" which is bad for any skier. I have noticed that in freeskiing there is a lot more backseating, which obviously because of center mounting or more ski in the back is not as detrimental. However I have watched a lot of videos and seen that the most common mistake Ive seen is skiers landing jumps, but falling backwards after the jump. I know there are spin and rotation consdierations also, but it seems to me to be a little indicative of too much backseating?
 
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