Hi all,
I am 5'4'' and 120lbs. The measured feet length of mine is 21.5cm. I am looking for ski boots recently both online and in the ski shop. I only found one type of boots online which have 21.5cm size, but the flex index is 105, which is too high for me. (I am quite beginner.)
I know that kids have size 21.5cm, but the boot fitter in the ski shop said I should not go for that since the shape would be different. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or has anyone bought ski boots with 21.5cm?
I also plan to learn snowboarding recently, so I guess I will face similar problem when I was trying to buy snowboarding boots.
Oh man, I've been going through this over on another thread. Also a 21.5 here, though somewhat borderline. I'm in the process of ordering and returning multiple pairs of boots since nobody locally carries a 21.5 in anything but a kids boot (not a junior racer). As far as I know, so long as you're in a junior race boot, it shouldn't be a big deal; you'll just want to be extra sure that your bindings and boots are compatible. From my understanding the biggest issue/different with kids boots is that an adult binding won't work with a kid's boot (but usually does with a junior race boot) and the flex will often be too soft. Fwiw, I'll share my recent experiences on the hunt for the Cinderella boot.
I'm guessing the 21.5s you found with the 105 flex are the Dalbello Lupos. I didn't try those, but I did order the Dalbello Chakra 90s in a 21.5. Unfortunately for me, I find the shape of the cabrio style Dalbellos puts too much pressure on the top of my foot (I also have both a high arch and high instep). I have also found that the toe box of the Dalbellos in a 21.5 cuts off the medial (inner) corner of my big toe; if the boots worked otherwise, I could probably get that punched out, but the toe box isn't the best shape for me out of the box. Dalbello does make a true 21.5 junior race boot up to a 70 flex (which I found incredibly soft). Once you jump up to 90 flex the smallest they go is 22.5. Given the toe crunching in the 21.5s, I'm tempted to order a pair of the DRS in a 90 flex and see how they fit/feel.
Depending on your foot width and height, the Atomic Redster also comes in a true 21.5 (I got my foot in them, though it was a battle, but there was not way they were buckling over my forefoot). Fischer, similar to Dalbello, at least gives the option of ordering their 70 flex in a 21.5 (then jumps up to 22.5 if you want a 90 flex), but I can't say whether it's a true 21.5 shell or not as the store sent me the wrong size.
I say "true 21.5" because some brands will put a 21.5 liner in a 22/22.5 shell and call it a 21.5. That's what they do with the Nordica Dobermanns, which I ordered in both a 70 and 90 flex. I couldn't do the 70 flex at all, it just fit differently in the calf and was wayyyyy too pinchy. The 90 flex has been one of my final options, as it fits surprisingly snugly, though I do have some concern about how much of that is the liner (and what the boot would fit like after it packs out). My boot fitter had me try on a pair of returned rentals for fun - they were older Atomic Hawx in a 22.5 that actually fit somewhat well. They were a bit too tight across the top of the foot for me to buy them on the spot (since I was still waiting for other boots I'd ordered online), but if I end up going with a boot in the same BSL I might grab them (they were only $50) just to have a backup pair.
I've also got a pair of Lange RS 90 SCs that I'm leaning toward at the moment. In a true 21.5. The fit is pretty decent; my foot feels fairly solid, although the liners don't give the same overall "grip" as the Nordicas. They are incredibly light weight and I'm also keen to talk to my bootfitter about whether the shorter cuff will be better for me or not. I think it may be, but it's different than any boot I've worn before (though arguably most of those were probably ill-fitting). But I'm 5'1" so ymmv depending on shin length.
I've heard generally good things about the Rossi Hero World Cup junior race boots, and I know a few other small-footed Divas have said that's what they wear. Unfortunately, I was struggling to find any in stock in our size and the Rossi website would only ship to a store and the closes was about 2.5 hours away. So, I have not tried those, but they might be worth looking into.
Scarpa also makes a 21.5, thought they are geared towards touring and are quite expensive. Good luck and please let us know how your search goes! I at least will be very curious to hear what works for a fellow 21.5 wearer!
