How do I know if I'm overflexing my boots

[persee]

This is just something I've been thinking about since DH got new boots this week, which were stiffer flex than his old ones. My current boots say they are a "50" flex - Nordica W8W's. I'm 5'3 125ish, but pretty muscular lower body and VERY flexible ankles. I tried one of the exercises listed in the article on womens boot fitting (forget which thread) that talked about standing barefoot and seeing how far you can bend knees before your heel lifts - well I can go extremely far. When I wear my boots I can also feel that I can flex the plastic a good bit when I flex my shins foward. My boots are also a shellsize too big so that's not the only potential problem and I won't be able to get new boots till fall (lack of boots in my size at the trusted boot fitter) but I want to know what range of boots (in terms of flex/skill/desires) I should be looking at when September rolls around so it got me thinking about where I should be in terms of flex. Conversely how do you know if your boots are too stiff for you? Note I'm not concerned about brand or color, just about what flex I should be looking at so I know if there has been a miscommunication wiht the bootfitter about my abilities etc when he brings out a boot with a flex of 100 or 40, etc.

Thanks girls! You'll be helping me over-research boots for next year - my next planned gear purchase.

 

[mollmeister]

I can't be of much technical help, here, but I look forward to reading the responses.

I have really changed boot flex, and it's been an interesting experience. I used to ski an old race-fit Lange L8, which I have been told had a somewhat weird flex pattern and was on the moderately stiff side. Skied it for a long time, and did fine.

This year I bought some Full Tilt boots, which are the old Raichle Flexons, reborn. They are weird as heck looking and the buckle system takes some getting used to. But beyond that, they have a TOTALLY different flex pattern than anything else I have ever skied. They are three-piece construction, so they have a very smooth flex (no *on/off* feeling), and they are quite soft (from my perspective) fore-aft, but are very stiff laterally.

Felt TOTALLY different on snow the first couple of times, but now I think I am digging them. Although for certain applications, I think I might want a stiffer boot also. I may look at sales at the end of the season and then have a custom liner put in a stiffer shell (that I have previously tried, something like the top-end Heads or Langes, which are pretty low volume) bought cheap.

I essentially ended up in the FT boots due to my bootfitter. I have very, very, very low volume, narrow-heeled, hard to fit feet, and he went straight for the FTs. Given that I am not racing and mostly ski off-piste, a softer flex shouldn't be too much of an issue, in theory. Fit is AMAZING on my tiny feet, most snug, *hugged,* fit I have ever gotten, so that's awesome. But from a flex (and looks! ) perspective, it's a big adjustment.

Will be interested to know what others think about flex and how it affects your skiing. For me, ultimately, I think it all comes down to fit. I am so hard to *lock down* in boots that at the end of the day, I think I'd rather end up in a softer boot that fits amazingly well than in a stiffer boot with fit compromises. I think. But as you can tell, I am still on the fence about having both options. . .

 

[Gloria]

You'll end up with big stress fractures on the upper shell like I did! Are you hanging in your boots?

 

[persee]

You'll end up with big stress fractures on the upper shell like I did! Are you hanging in your boots?

Could you explain "hanging in your boots"? If I am overflexing it's a recent thing.

 

[volklgirl]

When I wear my boots I can also feel that I can flex the plastic a good bit when I flex my shins foward.

If you can flex your coldboot enough that your knee covers any part of the front of your binding in your normal ski stance, your boot is too soft. In the store, watch for the plastic of the lower boot to deform between the buckles as you flex forward (or for the instep buckle to pop open when just snuggly buckled) - that's a classic sign of overflexing a boot. With overly flexible ankles, forward flex should be a big concern for you. Keep in mind that most boots can be stiffened if needed (and your overflexing may indeed be a result of fit, not flex!).

Note I'm not concerned about brand or color, just about what flex I should be looking at so I know if there has been a miscommunication wiht the bootfitter about my abilities etc when he brings out a boot with a flex of 100 or 40, etc.

You cannot go by the flex rating number alone. There is no standardized system for testing flex, so the rating number is not consistent between brands. What one manufacturer rates as an 80 could be a 70 or 100 for another manufacturer. In fact, it's not necessarily consistent within brands either (the Lange Exclusive 100 is waaaay softer than the WC 100). Also, different plastics react to the cold differently....some boots stiffen significantly in the cold (the Lange WC/Comp and Nordica Dobermann in particular).

 

[ISki]

I have Nordica boots too. Mine have a 3-way switch that lets me choose either "walk", 50, or 75 flex. I like this feature and use it all the time. It has taught me the differences in flex, which are definitely noticeable. 50 is pretty soft. It is useful in some situations, but for general skiing I use 75. I've tried on stiffer boots, 90 and up, and the stiffness hinders. It feels like you're locked into the boot and can't properly lean forward.

Flex numbers are brand specific.

 

[Gloria]

Here is a great link to proper stance starting on page 8 of the sneak preview of this book.https://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0070218641/ref=sib_dp_pt/105-4968680-7622037#reader-link

 

[marta]

I had those same W8W's. Eventually I simply outgrew them. I knew I had progressed beyond what the boots could offer when I was on a steep slope and could feel them wash out. They felt like they would just give in and collapse when I pushed them hard, leaving me with a sense of non-control. I found it was hard to hold a solid grip when I was pushing them to the max. It was time for a higher level boot with a firmer liner as well as firmer flex.