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Boot/ski dilemma

Jenny

Angel Diva
I think I need new boots. Have tried on a couple of pairs here, but no one has really done a bootfitting. Heck, they barely asked me any questions, just handed me the boot I pointed at. And I doubt it’s because I sounded so super knowledgeable about what I needed!

Currently in Dalbello Krypton Lotus and really want to stay with the cabrio style, three buckle boot, for ease of entry/exit - it didn’t even hurt to take them off when I messed up my ankle at Mammoth. Are all cabrio boots three buckle? Anyway, I have low volume, narrow feet, narrow heels, and would really like to try a 98 last. Have only been able to find a 99 so far.

There’s one store near here that carries the three brands that I think will work, but they don’t necessarily have the right model, unfortunately.

Anyway, the reason this is a ski dilemma is because the skis I want are on sale, and I would need bindings, too. But I can’t have them mounted until I know my BSL in the new boots. And one of the pairs I’ve already tried on in the same size has a smaller BSL than my current boots. So, I can buy the skis without bindings, and then look for bindings after I find boots, and maybe get them at the same store so they’d mount them for me, buuuuuut all of this is starting to make my head hurt.

Also, I’d love to actually have the full bootfitting experience, but I’d like it at a store that carries Dalbello, Roxa, and Full Tilt.

Dalbello Krypton Chakra - 98 last, three buckle, cabrio, p/u plastic. Haven’t been able to try on anywhere.

Roxa - pretty sure it was the R3W I tried on - 99 last, cabrio, p/u plastic, think you can get it with an intuition liner. Heel felt great, but I don’t know if it’s just because they’re new or not.

However, they also have some models made from a different plastic, grilamid, that's supposed to stiffen up less in the cold. And they were super lightweight, too. I'm intrigued.

Full Tilt - haven’t tried, but they have the design I want, and intuition liners, 99 last, don’t know the type of plastic.

I’m rambling, I know, but trying to sort this out. Anyone have experience with Roxa? Or any thoughts about these brands? The guy at The Alpine Shop that I was at with @lisamamot and @MissySki suggested Salomon x max (98 last, p/u and polyamide, which is what grilamid is, I think) or Nordica Promachine (98 last) but they’re both 4 buckle. I did try on lisamamot's briefly - enough to know that mine are easier to get in and out of. And I didn’t have them on long enough to get a real feel for the 98 last.
 

contesstant

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
A lot of bindings have enough adjustability to move them 5mm or more one way or another. Some can go almost a cm. Downside is that you could end up being + or - a few mm from center.

Why do you think you need new boots? Besides the ease of entry and exit, what else do you like about the 3-buckle style?
 

badger

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Couldn't you buy the skis now and just have bindings mounted later, after you purchase new boots?
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
Yes, I can buy them flat now and deal with it all later. And I did check with the store and there's enough play in the heel piece to move it around enough for the one pair of boots I tried. I doubt 5mm front of center would be any difference I noticed if I ended up with those boots.

I really was just feeling whiny about having to do it in steps instead of all at once nice and just having it all magically be done. While I like demoing skis, I really don’t enjoy the gear aspect of this sport. So thinking about everything to be done puts me in a crabby mood.

As for why I need new boots - well, they’re probably a good 8 years old or so and feeling sloppier. TBH, with the number of days I ski, it's likely I could just keep buckling them tighter for another year or so. But the plastic is changing color (yellowing, need to check some old pics to see how badly) which seems maybe a sign that they're getting past their useful life.

And I love the three buckle because it puts pressure right where I need it to pull the foot back and keep it secure.
 

badger

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Jenny , Ahhh, well having it all done is nice, but if you do it in steps through the Summer the process will remind you of how nice it will all be when the snow starts to fall once again.

You definitely need new boots based on your description! For safety especially.
I loved having the cabrio boot for the reasons you state; they are SO much easier to get in and out of.

If your foot is not terribly tiny, you should be able to pick up a pair over the Summer or early Fall when the new items arrive in retailer inventory.
 

vickie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
When I bought the Yumis, I also needed new boots. I was planning to have Ski Essentials mount the bindings. They said they'd hold the skis until I got the boots and could send them the BSL.

Fast forward a few days ... yes, days. Ski Essentials wanted my BSL so they could ship the skis and bindings. Apparently, they still believe in the Boot Fairy. If I told them I had to find 22.5 boots, they'd likely have groaned like every other shop/bootfitter does and returned my skis and bindings to stock. Instead, I told them to ship the stuff unmounted and I'd deal with it later.

I got my boots at the shop at Mt Bachelor. Also got custom footbeds made. I got a discount for getting the footbeds at the same time. Bindings were mounted for free.

Being a safe distance away -- more than a boot's throw -- I will add ... if i was looking for boots now, I'd want to check out the new rear entry boots. :brick:

Usually, I would wait a couple of years for the industry to work out the kinks, but this design has been around for a long time. On the shuttle at Copper one day last week, I did a quick look-around ... 20-25% of the skiers were in rear entry boots. If they were uncomfortable, did not work, or really impeded performance, I don't believe these people would still be wearing them.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I’m sure you need new boots. And probably a new jacket, too. I just got this one in black...
Uh-huh, LOL - I see what you did there!
But I agree with @badger , sounds like new boots are in order. If it helps, it was 8 years for me too. I went from a 4-buckle to a 3-buckle ("cabrio" is Dalbello's term for the 3-buckle design*). Both 23.5, but the BSL was smaller in the new one. My new skis have a system binding, so that was no big deal. Dalbello Chakra, 98mm last, and I was able to re-use my footbeds. I didn't shop around different boot mfg because Dalbello just works for my feet.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raichle_Flexon - useful reading, there's some background on Roxa here. More geeking out on my part: https://www.newschoolers.com/news/read/2016-Full-Tilt-Descendant-8-Full-Tilts-true
 
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Jenny

Angel Diva
@vickie - I would LOVE a boot fairy. DH has said I should fly out to Denver and go to your boot guy if I really want to . . .

@Tvan - Happy with my current jackets, but I should probably look, you know, just in case . . . However, once I buy boots and skis in the same year, jackets will not be tempting! Probably.

@vickie - I’d totally be tempted by rear entry boots, too. My level of skiing isn’t going to be impacted by whatever the negatives that higher level skiers see.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
What the scoop on the new rear entry boots? I didn't ski when people wore them the first time around so I don't know anything about the pros and cons in general.
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
Mostly what I remember is people talking like they're for the recreational market, or skiers at a lesser level than whatever the poster's level is. Ski response time and what-not is generally mentioned. They might not mean it to come across this way, but it always sounds to me a little condescending. Since I’m not aspiring to be all hardcore I’m sure I’d be just fine.

TBH, I only read a tiny bit of that kind of thread - mainly to see the announcement of whatever it is, get the general drift of its reception (in this case, because I also didn’t ski when rear entry boots were a thing), and then my eyes start to glaze when the discussion continues.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Jenny, @vanhoskier has Roxa boots if you have any questions on them. I know she's been very happy with them so far. Hers have Intuition lines. I think she has the R3W 105 T.I. looking at their website.
 

vickie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
If you decide to go to Mammoth, you could stop here on your way out and check out BootFixation and A Racer's Edge, both in Breck. You may want to call ahead to see if they carry what you're interested in.

The good news is Jeff will tell you what boot he would recommend for you. The bad news is they may not carry it.

If you then fly into Reno, you could swing by Tahoe shops. And then Mammoth shops.

Safari from Hell for someone who hates these gear issues!
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
I do like shopping, though . . . And, as I said, I’d really like to see what a full scale bootfitting is like. Although the guy in Vermont who put me in my current boots did well without all of the other stuff. I'm just curious about the whole involved procedure.

Thanks for the info, @tinymoose. I’ll have to come up with some specific questions now, won't I?! Mainly I’m curious about the lightweight plastic and whether you notice the lighter weight and how it feels in the cold. @vanhoskier - got any good information for me?
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I do like shopping, though . . . And, as I said, I’d really like to see what a full scale bootfitting is like. Although the guy in Vermont who put me in my current boots did well without all of the other stuff. I'm just curious about the whole involved procedure.

Thanks for the info, @tinymoose. I’ll have to come up with some specific questions now, won't I?! Mainly I’m curious about the lightweight plastic and whether you notice the lighter weight and how it feels in the cold. @vanhoskier - got any good information for me?

I've never tried the boots on or skied in them, but I picked them up at the shop and they feel noticeably lighter in your hand.
 

mustski

Angel Diva
What the scoop on the new rear entry boots? I didn't ski when people wore them the first time around so I don't know anything about the pros and cons in general.
They were very comfortable back in the day, but they just didn't have the performance of front entry boots. Of course, since I am always hard to fit, I am no expert. I have always thought that I would like them to come back in a new and improved form. The cabrio boots come pretty darn close, but have much better performance on the snow.
 

2ski2moro

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had Salomon SX91 rear entry boots and the SX 81 before that. I liked the fact that the edges of the front piece were at the side of the boot, rather than on the tongue, and more comfortable on my shins. I liked the cable across the ankle for amazing heel hold. I really liked that there was no pressure across the top of my arch and no pinched nerves. And the flex was adjustable, even on the hill, with a slider across the ankle.

I now have tweaked Lange RS 110 SC and love them.

To be honest, I would try a rear entry boot again if I could get the performance I have now.
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had rear entry boots back then. I bought them from a ski instructor who had the identical size and shape foot that I have. When I started having issues with them a boot fitter told me the fit was like putting your foot in a box. If your foot "fit" the box great but if it didn't there was nothing you could do to make them fit. My foot didn't fit the box. Eventually, I could pull my foot out of the boot while the boot was buckled. They were the smallest boot that Salmon made.
 

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