Booster strap

[Mudgirl630]

Who use Booster Straps?
I have been thinking about using them.

- Are they worth it?
- Your experience with them.
- Which one to use?(the chart is a bit confusing)



Thanks!

 

[AJM]

I have them and couldn't be without them. I always found I couldn't get regular power straps tight enough but with the boosters I can easily crank them up as tight as I want. I also like the gradual flex they give. Mine are the Soft I think but I agree that the chart is pretty confusing. The other bonus is that you can take them with you if and when you switch ski boots, I've had mine for about 4 seasons now and they've been on 3 different boots. Hope that helps

 

[Mudgirl630]

I have them and couldn't be without them. I always found I couldn't get regular power straps tight enough but with the boosters I can easily crank them up as tight as I want. I also like the gradual flex they give. Mine are the Soft I think but I agree that the chart is pretty confusing. The other bonus is that you can take them with you if and when you switch ski boots, I've had mine for about 4 seasons now and they've been on 3 different boots. Hope that helps

Thank you!

 

[badger]

I put these on my boots a couple of years ago . I selected a Youth version if I recall in a medium maybe?
As @AJM pointed out, they can be very easily removed and re-installed onto a newer pair of boots if needed. You do not require a shop to do this as the process is straightforward.
The reason I wanted them in the first place was to allow my shin to flex further forward . I've never been one to tighten the power strap significantly anyway, but because I am a lightweight in a children's race boot, I added Boosters and am quite satisfied with their effectiveness . A regular power strap has no flexibility; The Booster however, will feel secure and tight (or as tight as you wish) at the cuff but stretch to accommodate that forward movement we need to flex ankles in the boot.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I have been using them for over a decade. Primarily because I am not a fan of velcro. I use mine over not under the shell, and I also have intuition wrap liners, so the strap goes over the entire package. Durable and so easy to use and great performance. I think i went to medium from soft with my one and only replacement pair.

 

[MissySki]

I use a Booster strap.. I don't remember which it is, but it has 3 straps of thickness around the front. It's either medium or world cup I believe. I have hyperflexible ankles and this helps hold my leg back in the boot where I should be, as well as allowing a superior molding of the boot around my leg. I can flex my boot better with it, it feels like a smoother progression. I wear them under my shell as directed by my bootfitter.

 

[liquidfeet]

A boot flexes from its spine. That's the upright back wall of the boot. When you effectively flex the boot, you are actually pulling the top of the spine forward relative to the boot sole. Since the boot is solidly attached to the ski, this action levers the tip of the ski down onto the snow. If your heel is firmly seated and bearing weight as you do this, the tail won't elevate or lose significant pressure. Flexing the boot is a way to manage the pressure difference between the front half and back half of the ski.

Note: pushing forward on the tongue does not lever the shovel of the ski downward if it leaves a gap behind the calf. It allows you to hover your weight forward rather than back, but there's no leverage going on. To get the boot to do the lever thing, you need to pull forward on the spine.

Booster straps, because of their elasticity, can solidly bind the lower leg to the spine so that flexing the boot is possible. The elastic keeps you from getting a gap behind the calf when you flex forward at the ankles. But the power straps that come with most boots don't have elastic in them, so you get that gap. The gap negates the possibility of your leg pulling the top of the spine forward, so it deletes your ability to lever the front of the ski.

Hovering your weight over the front of the ski with a gap behind the calf does indeed weight the shovel. But levering by pulling on the boot's spine adds more precision control over how much weight/pressure you deliver to the front of the ski.

I use medium Booster Straps and will never go back to using the non-elastic stock straps.

 

[MissySki]

A boot flexes from its spine. That's the upright back wall of the boot. When you effectively flex the boot, you are actually pulling the top of the spine forward relative to the boot sole. Since the boot is solidly attached to the ski, this action levers the tip of the ski down onto the snow. If your heel is firmly seated and bearing weight as you do this, the tail won't elevate or lose significant pressure. Flexing the boot is a way to manage the pressure difference between the front half and back half of the ski.

Note: pushing forward on the tongue does not lever the shovel of the ski downward if it leaves a gap behind the calf. It allows you to hover your weight forward rather than back, but there's no leverage going on. To get the boot to do the lever thing, you need to pull forward on the spine.

Booster straps, because of their elasticity, can solidly bind the lower leg to the spine so that flexing the boot is possible. The elastic keeps you from getting a gap behind the calf when you flex forward at the ankles. But the power straps that come with most boots don't have elastic in them, so you get that gap. The gap negates the possibility of your leg pulling the top of the spine forward, so it deletes your ability to lever the front of the ski.

Hovering your weight over the front of the ski with a gap behind the calf does indeed weight the shovel. But levering by pulling on the boot's spine adds more precision control over how much weight/pressure you deliver to the front of the ski.

I use medium Booster Straps and will never go back to using the non-elastic stock straps.

Thank you for that explanation, it makes so much sense!

 

[edelweissmaedl]

I think I have the World Cup. The recommendation to me to was the get the stiffer one and you can always cut one of the elastic bands out if you want to go softer vs. if you want to go stiffer then you have to buy another pair.

 

[Mudgirl630]

A boot flexes from its spine. That's the upright back wall of the boot. When you effectively flex the boot, you are actually pulling the top of the spine forward relative to the boot sole. Since the boot is solidly attached to the ski, this action levers the tip of the ski down onto the snow. If your heel is firmly seated and bearing weight as you do this, the tail won't elevate or lose significant pressure. Flexing the boot is a way to manage the pressure difference between the front half and back half of the ski.

Note: pushing forward on the tongue does not lever the shovel of the ski downward if it leaves a gap behind the calf. It allows you to hover your weight forward rather than back, but there's no leverage going on. To get the boot to do the lever thing, you need to pull forward on the spine.

Booster straps, because of their elasticity, can solidly bind the lower leg to the spine so that flexing the boot is possible. The elastic keeps you from getting a gap behind the calf when you flex forward at the ankles. But the power straps that come with most boots don't have elastic in them, so you get that gap. The gap negates the possibility of your leg pulling the top of the spine forward, so it deletes your ability to lever the front of the ski.

Hovering your weight over the front of the ski with a gap behind the calf does indeed weight the shovel. But levering by pulling on the boot's spine adds more precision control over how much weight/pressure you deliver to the front of the ski.

I use medium Booster Straps and will never go back to using the non-elastic stock straps.

Thank you so much for eloquently explaining how the straps work. I knew in general, but great to even visualize how they work.

One question though. The reason I was wondering whether to use the strap or not is this. I have heard so many times, over the years, some people who demos and share their teaching videos mentioned that they ski with loose cuff, the top buckle. Just buckled, but not too tight.
Then, I hear people saying what you said. As much as my boots are skin tight and well fit as you and I spoke about the Zipfit liners and so forth, this cuff thing confuses me.....

Thanks @liquidfeet as usual.

 

[Mudgirl630]

I have been using them for over a decade. Primarily because I am not a fan of velcro. I use mine over not under the shell, and I also have intuition wrap liners, so the strap goes over the entire package. Durable and so easy to use and great performance. I think i went to medium from soft with my one and only replacement pair.

I do hate the velcro being stuck to things also....

 

[Mudgirl630]

I think I have the World Cup. The recommendation to me to was the get the stiffer one and you can always cut one of the elastic bands out if you want to go softer vs. if you want to go stiffer then you have to buy another pair.

Uh ha. A good point.

 

[elemmac]

Worth it...for me...yes.

I've been using the Booster strap for 2...maybe 3...seasons. I changed it out because I couldn't get the manufacturers strap tight enough, and always ended up with a gap.

I believe I'm using the "Expert" version...which I think is "medium" the chart above. When I bought, I just went off of the chart...used my weight, and chose the maximum "aggressiveness" that coincided with that weight. Thinking it I overestimated my aggressiveness, I can always trim one of the elastics.

 

[liquidfeet]

I think I have the World Cup. The recommendation to me to was the get the stiffer one and you can always cut one of the elastic bands out if you want to go softer vs. if you want to go stiffer then you have to buy another pair.

Right. I think the WC Booster Strap has three layers of elastic, the medium has two, and the soft one has only one. Dunno about the kid's one.

 

[liquidfeet]

Thank you so much for eloquently explaining how the straps work. I knew in general, but great to even visualize how they work.

One question though. The reason I was wondering whether to use the strap or not is this. I have heard so many times, over the years, some people who demos and share their teaching videos mentioned that they ski with loose cuff, the top buckle. Just buckled, but not too tight.
Then, I hear people saying what you said. As much as my boots are skin tight and well fit as you and I spoke about the Zipfit liners and so forth, this cuff thing confuses me.....

Thanks @liquidfeet as usual.

Yep. People disagree. I've never found common ground on this one.

Except when the loose cuff talk is about zipperline skiing in race-fit stiff boots. Loosening the cuff in that situation makes sense to me.

 

[Mudgirl630]

Yep. People disagree. I've never found common ground on this one.

Except when the loose cuff talk is about zipperline skiing in race-fit stiff boots. Loosening the cuff in that situation makes sense to me.

Oy.

As you might remember, I do wear plug boots.

Hmmmmm, farther confused now......

 

[elemmac]

Hmmmmm, farther confused now......

My advice...don't over think it...

As long as cost isn't a determining factor for you to get them or not. Just get a pair...slap 'em on. Worst case, you've wasted a few ski runs and $50 if you hate them. And now you have a number of Ski Diva's names that might buy them from you for a good deal if you end up hating them.

 

[AJM]

I use mine over not under the shell,

I'm an over the shell as well, I've tried both but feel better connected to the boot as a whole with it over. Its a bit subjective though and there seems to be thousands of opinions out there on which is the "correct" way !

 

[Mudgirl630]

Yep. People disagree. I've never found common ground on this one.

Except when the loose cuff talk is about zipperline skiing in race-fit stiff boots. Loosening the cuff in that situation makes sense to me.

Thought of something else.

What about us people who wear the Zipfit liners? Would they change anything.......?

 

[Mudgirl630]

I'm an over the shell as well, I've tried both but feel better connected to the boot as a whole with it over. Its a bit subjective though and there seems to be thousands of opinions out there on which is the "correct" way !

I just DMed you.