For skis, maybe - but for some other things it is a bit more nuanced than this. For example, although I am of a height where I could happily ride a men's/unisex bike, both my bikes are women's bikes because they suit me better proportionally. Some of the differences compared to a unisex bike like shorter cranks and a narrower bar width just work a lot better for me. This is very dependent on the brand though - brands that just scale everything down are no good, but the difference can be very striking if you have a brand that has really thought about it ergonomically. Similarly, in climbing, women's harnesses tend to have different waist:thigh ratios to mens/unisex, which work better for me too.
For what it's worth, all my skis are women's models. That's not because I've specifically limited myself to women's models, it's because they are what I have liked best when I've tested them (same with the bikes). My skis are all in the mid 160s in length, so there are loads of mens/unisex options available for me - but I'm quite light for my height and generally find women's models easier to flex how I want. Again, this is brand dependent - just making skis shorter doesn't help, but when brands really think about what they are doing, it can make a difference.
For boots, I'm stuck because my feet are tiny - at 22.0, I generally just take whatever I can get!
Despite what I've said above, I do find gender-specific marketing very frustrating. I like what has happened in the sea kayaking world, where most boats now come in low-volume, mid-volume and high-volume variants with no reference to gender. It's true that most people who paddle low-volume boats are women, and most people who paddle high-volume boats are men, but there is no reference to this in marketing, just pick what fits you best. I wish this approach were rolled out across more sports.
but they were my go-to in the area before I started working there last year. Peter is excellent but so are all of the boot fitting staff. It’s a boot shop, at its heart and they work on boots essentially free after purchase unless you need expensive parts. Just a really honest, nerdy crew who wants people to love their ski experience. If you’ve had specific challenges getting a good fit in the past, happy to ask the boot room who is most experienced in a specific area but I’ve honestly heard/seen good things all around. Appointments can be booked online but call if you have questions prior.
