Opinion on Strolz ski boot?

S.J.W

Active member
I just went into my local ski shop the other day and saw strolz ski boots. But holy fuck they are expensive. A fucking grand for a pair of boots? Are they really that good, or do only suckers buy them?
 
Well the brand s headquarter and production is really close to my home town. This means I see more people than usual riding Strolz boots.

Those boots can be fully custom fitted to your foot. Literally everything. Shell, buckles. Just a whole shoe made just for your foot. Daleboot has the same concept as far as I know.

Their quality is top notch. I haven t tried them but a friend s father who s ski instructure since day 1 uses his pair since 1998. He only had to change 2 buckles that were worn out as well as some liners. I can t tell you which model he uses exactly. You get a 15 year guarantee as well and a free fitting, everywhere where you have a Strolz shop.

Minus: As far as I know. The liner from the Strolz shoes is fixed with foam in the shell. So switching ski socks everyday is a must or will have pretty fast smelly boots. And the tongue of the Strolz liner is a little bit weird.
http://strolzskiboots.at/
 
What I'm about to say isn't intended to bash Strolz, just to get down to the facts because a lot of people hype them up well beyond what they actually are.

Their shells are 25+ year old designs using outdated buckles, geometry, and materials. It is not made for your foot- the boot fitters grind or stretch it to fit you foot. The liners are foam injection liners that are really nice.

At the end of the day, Strolz offers proprietary shells and foam injection liners for a lot of money. Boot-fitters who offer foam injection liners can turn any boot into a "custom" boot for less money and this is the reason why Strolz's products have not taken over the market. From a shop/boot-fitter's perspective, why carry old Strolz boots when you can turn any modern Atomic, Salomon, Tecnica, Lange, etc. into a custom boot with a foam injection liner?
 
13656434:fab02 said:
. The liner from the Strolz shoes is fixed with foam in the shell. So switching ski socks everyday is a must or will have pretty fast smelly boots.

Wait. Changing your socks everyday isn't something you already do?
 
They kind of invented the custom boot with foam injected liner. I think they are pretty sweet, but not sure why you would go with Stolz instead of Surefoot. You get the same thing from Surefoot, but they use a ton of different shells from Lange, Salomon, Atomic, FullTilt, Nordica, etc. So they choose the best shell for your foot, then give you the custom footbed and foam liner.
 
13657579:freeballer said:
They kind of invented the custom boot with foam injected liner. I think they are pretty sweet, but not sure why you would go with Stolz instead of Surefoot. You get the same thing from Surefoot, but they use a ton of different shells from Lange, Salomon, Atomic, FullTilt, Nordica, etc. So they choose the best shell for your foot, then give you the custom footbed and foam liner.

Sorefoot is the worst, they sell those injected liners to literally anyone and everyone and most people simply don't need them and the orthotics they make are regarded as crap by many a boot fitter. Plus WAY overpriced.
 
13657618:Pachankz said:
Sorefoot is the worst, they sell those injected liners to literally anyone and everyone and most people simply don't need them and the orthotics they make are regarded as crap by many a boot fitter. Plus WAY overpriced.

Well I sure do love mine. On my third pair. The orthotics are the best i've ever had. Wouldn't even consider skiing anything else, but whatever works for you.

May I ask if you've ever actually owned a pair?
 
13657660:freeballer said:
Well I sure do love mine. On my third pair. The orthotics are the best i've ever had. Wouldn't even consider skiing anything else, but whatever works for you.

May I ask if you've ever actually owned a pair?

I have, and they were absurdly overpriced, extremely uncomfortable and I have a really really narrow foot so a foam injection would be accepted in my case but there's more variety of lasts on the market nowadays and I got into a narrow last without the foam injection and am much much happier with the newer boot . At a far lower price.
 
13657734:Pachankz said:
I have, and they were absurdly overpriced, extremely uncomfortable and I have a really really narrow foot so a foam injection would be accepted in my case but there's more variety of lasts on the market nowadays and I got into a narrow last without the foam injection and am much much happier with the newer boot . At a far lower price.

Happy to hear it worked out for you. What last do you have? I have a pretty narrow foot too and use a 96 mm last, from Surefoot. I like the foam because it takes up the deadspace in your boot, so you get instant, or very fast energy transmission to the edges of the ski.

Anyhow, I saw the Strolz store in Lech a few months ago. They use the same foam injection that Surefoot does. It seems the only difference is that with Surefoot, you can choose which shell you want, whereas Strolz seems to just have Strolz shells that they put the foam injected liner in.
 
If you are curious to learn more about Stroltz ski boots or you are looking to get fitted with a pair and you are in the NJ area, you are in luck. The Stroltz team is going to Paramus Ski Barn from 11/17/2016 - 11/19/2016 from 10 am to 8pm. They are calling this event "Foam Fest" and there will be a BBQ, boot fitters from the manufacturing site in Austria, and the new 2016/17 models for the Strotlz boot (Blue Race and the Freeride). No appointments needed, can just show up and get foamed and fitted day of. This would also be a good opportunity if you needed some adjustments or replacements with your old Stroltz ski boots.

Location: 846 NJ-17 Paramus, NJ 07652 (Paramus Ski Barn)

Tempo: Radical
 
I really wanted to like my Strolz boots, but they’re easily the worst boots I’ve owned. I have the Blue Race model customized with a wider power strap and a plastic plate to try and make the cuff higher. Even with the customization the cuff is too low to drive power into stiffer or longer skis. There are unusual contact points in the shell that are cutting into the tongue of the liner at the ankle and lower shin. This makes them difficult to ski hard on for more than one day. I know some people swear by these boots so I was very disappointed.

The liners are nice and the fit is solid, but they were definitely a waste of $1200. I’ll see if they’ll give me a more modern shell next time I’m in Lech.
 
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