SallyCat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
You can and I did. The way the strap threads through the battery clip allows for stretch.
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Of Boot Stiffness & Ankle Flexion
- Thread starter BlizzardBabe
- Start date
You can and I did. The way the strap threads through the battery clip allows for stretch.
contesstant
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I use Hotronics with my Boosters just fine.
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I attach my Hotronics to my Boosters using an after-market clip. It's more secure than the one that comes with the Hotronic set. I think there's only one aftermarket clip out there, and shops that carry the Hotronics carry it. I've heard stories about the batteries getting yanked off otherwise, mostly from getting caught in the chair.
I put my batteries on the side, just near the end of the velcro. If you put them on the back of the boot, it will hit the chair. If you ever need batteries, just talk to the liftees!!
I had so many problems with my last pair of boots, I hardly did up the top buckle even on my new ones.. And as mentioned you need the spine to react too. The spine wouldn't. Just the ankle and tongue were moving. During a clinic the instructor noticed and asked me to buckle them up. There was a huge difference in the response to the ski after that. It didn't have to be tight, but needed to surround the ankle and move with it.
I had so many problems with my last pair of boots, I hardly did up the top buckle even on my new ones.. And as mentioned you need the spine to react too. The spine wouldn't. Just the ankle and tongue were moving. During a clinic the instructor noticed and asked me to buckle them up. There was a huge difference in the response to the ski after that. It didn't have to be tight, but needed to surround the ankle and move with it.
VickiK
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This post is pretty old. I finally wore the new Chakra 95s and I like them. Skis are responsive with them. Pleased how comfortable the 3 buckle design is.
SallyCat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just stumbled on this; yes, you can use the Hotronics clip with Booster straps. On my boots, I just turned the straps upside-down so that the cam lock is on the inside of my leg. That way, the battery sits on the outside of my leg.
Back to the original thread topic, I just wanted to say that this season I have discovered ankle flexion!!!
Not that I wasn't aware that ankles are key, but my ankles could not flex in my boots. I assumed that they were able to move some, at least enough to ski ok, but not as effectively as I would have liked .
This season I replaced my Dalbello Chakras (95 flex) with a Junior race boot. I'd started in junior race boots when I purchased my first decent boots several years ago. Then I moved to the Chakras . Other boots in a size 21 made for women did not fit quite as well as the Dalbello , and the bootfitter recommended the Chakra. (California Ski Company). I've been using this boot for a few years and liked it well, but always suspected it was too stiff to accommodate the range of motion I needed to tackle moguls, chopped, steeper. The Intuition liner did not help with this issue, and is likely responsible for half the problem being a wrap liner adding to the stiffness. The new Junior boot is the same flex rating..but we all know what that may or may not mean.
Long story short, I can now feel my ankles closing. My turns are much more controlled now. My ankles are most definitely being employed to ski effectively, and I can really feel the difference!
Not that I wasn't aware that ankles are key, but my ankles could not flex in my boots. I assumed that they were able to move some, at least enough to ski ok, but not as effectively as I would have liked .
This season I replaced my Dalbello Chakras (95 flex) with a Junior race boot. I'd started in junior race boots when I purchased my first decent boots several years ago. Then I moved to the Chakras . Other boots in a size 21 made for women did not fit quite as well as the Dalbello , and the bootfitter recommended the Chakra. (California Ski Company). I've been using this boot for a few years and liked it well, but always suspected it was too stiff to accommodate the range of motion I needed to tackle moguls, chopped, steeper. The Intuition liner did not help with this issue, and is likely responsible for half the problem being a wrap liner adding to the stiffness. The new Junior boot is the same flex rating..but we all know what that may or may not mean.
Long story short, I can now feel my ankles closing. My turns are much more controlled now. My ankles are most definitely being employed to ski effectively, and I can really feel the difference!
marzNC
Angel Diva
I was quite aware that putting Intuition PowerWrap liners into my previous 4-buckle boots made them stiffer. But those boots were relatively soft so it was an advantage as my technique had improved and I was skiing more challenging terrain. The same has happened for my current 3-buckle boots now that I've re-molded those Intuition liners (in VA) to replace the packed out heat-moldable liners that came with the boots (worked quite well initially). I'd only used the PowerWrap liners in the previous boots for a couple seasons before getting new boots. My current boots are a bit stiffer but still on the soft side. Took a little tweaking (at Taos) after the re-molding but seemed to be pretty good in Montana.
With the Chakras I have three sets of Intuition liners. Another long story so won't go there, but I have two pair of Chakras, the second pair a newer model (2017?) and they are not the same fit as the original. I found that out the hard way last year skiing Big Sky. They are a tad wider as Dalbello had changed the mold. Using the Intuition helped to make it fit somewhat better, but I sure had back-seat issues!
@Skisailor , I heard her yell from a chairlift as she spotted me trying to slow down behind a family at a merging of runs, "You're in the back seat!" I just had to laugh, because I had been all week.
@Skisailor , I heard her yell from a chairlift as she spotted me trying to slow down behind a family at a merging of runs, "You're in the back seat!" I just had to laugh, because I had been all week.
Hope I can join discussion here. I have been trying to find the right alpin ski boots for me beause I have only skitouring ones and I can not use them for the alpin binding.
Well, it is not easy! :-) But I have tried couple of them already. I have a narrow foot.. Lastly I was trying Salomon X Max 80 and was surprised about how comfortable they are! After I had a look in here (salomon website) I was a bit laughing..they are junior boots! Ha, and now what? I am not an junior at all but width of the boots is 90mm and that is probably the reason they fit me so well. It was size 25.5. The only thing I am not sure about is its stiffness. It is only 80 and I felt it is soft. I was told the boots would be different outside when the temperature is under/around zero. But.. I did find Salomon X LAB 90:-) Junior racing boots:-) A little bit more stiff but can not tell how much because they do not have my size. But they look pretty well.
Firstly I was considering Atomic Hawks Prime 95 but they are wider than Salomon Junior.
What do you think? Is it a good idea to get Junior boots?
How much is the difference between 80 and 90 ? This is completely new for me..
Thank you!
M.
p.s. my ski touring boots are 110 or 120 (stiffeness) but they feel totally different compared to alpin boots I tried..
Well, it is not easy! :-) But I have tried couple of them already. I have a narrow foot.. Lastly I was trying Salomon X Max 80 and was surprised about how comfortable they are! After I had a look in here (salomon website) I was a bit laughing..they are junior boots! Ha, and now what? I am not an junior at all but width of the boots is 90mm and that is probably the reason they fit me so well. It was size 25.5. The only thing I am not sure about is its stiffness. It is only 80 and I felt it is soft. I was told the boots would be different outside when the temperature is under/around zero. But.. I did find Salomon X LAB 90:-) Junior racing boots:-) A little bit more stiff but can not tell how much because they do not have my size. But they look pretty well.
Firstly I was considering Atomic Hawks Prime 95 but they are wider than Salomon Junior.
What do you think? Is it a good idea to get Junior boots?
How much is the difference between 80 and 90 ? This is completely new for me..
Thank you!
M.
p.s. my ski touring boots are 110 or 120 (stiffeness) but they feel totally different compared to alpin boots I tried..
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Boot fit is incredibly important. Flex matters as well as fit, but a too-soft boot can't be made stiffer while a stiff boot can be made softer.
You're in a 25.5. That's not so difficult to find. In October-November all the shops will have your size in just about everything.
About that flex -- 80 flex in an adult boot is for beginners and cautious novices and lower intermediates. Such a soft boot will not support you at speed or in nasty chopped up snow that wants to throw you around. I was thankful for my stiff boots (110) this last week because the snow was soft and dense. If my cuffs had given way, I'd have gone over the handlebars. But I was traveling faster than most on that spring snow, aka that sticky slop. You might not want to ski that stuff.
The advantage of a beginner-soft boot is that the cuff absorbs a beginner's awkward movements instead of transferring those movements to the skis. The cuff flexes as you move into it, but nothing happens to the ski in response because the boot's pressure on the ski doesn't change. This can be beneficial when an advancing skier is making movements that are not so useful.
The stiffer the flex, the more precise the skier needs to be. If you are wanting to build precision movements and higher skills, a soft-flexing boot at 80 probably won't transfer your moves to the ski in a timely fashion. You won't know if those moves are working or not. You'll have to over-do the movements to get the boot to do its thing, and that takes up time within the turn ... thus my use of the word "timely." In other words, if the ski gets the message, that message gets to it slowly and its response is delayed.
Low flex boots for juniors are stiff to them since they are small people still and don't weigh much. They won't be flexing an 80 boot as easily as a full-sized adult. So an 80 junior boot is not necessarily a beginner boot for a kid-sized skier.
Also, the numbers denoting flex are different from manufacturer to manufacturer. You can't compare an 80 by Tecnica to a 90 by Atomic.
My suggestion is to go to a well-stocked store in October, one that carries as number of manufacturers. Call and make an appointment beforehand with their most educated and experienced bootfitter. Spend the extra money and get a good fit (length, width, height/volume) with a boot whose flex matches your ambitions, not your current skill level. You want that boot to last for a few years once you spend all that money on it. If it's a bit too stiff, you can have it temporarily softened by removing screws in the spine.
You're in a 25.5. That's not so difficult to find. In October-November all the shops will have your size in just about everything.
About that flex -- 80 flex in an adult boot is for beginners and cautious novices and lower intermediates. Such a soft boot will not support you at speed or in nasty chopped up snow that wants to throw you around. I was thankful for my stiff boots (110) this last week because the snow was soft and dense. If my cuffs had given way, I'd have gone over the handlebars. But I was traveling faster than most on that spring snow, aka that sticky slop. You might not want to ski that stuff.
The advantage of a beginner-soft boot is that the cuff absorbs a beginner's awkward movements instead of transferring those movements to the skis. The cuff flexes as you move into it, but nothing happens to the ski in response because the boot's pressure on the ski doesn't change. This can be beneficial when an advancing skier is making movements that are not so useful.
The stiffer the flex, the more precise the skier needs to be. If you are wanting to build precision movements and higher skills, a soft-flexing boot at 80 probably won't transfer your moves to the ski in a timely fashion. You won't know if those moves are working or not. You'll have to over-do the movements to get the boot to do its thing, and that takes up time within the turn ... thus my use of the word "timely." In other words, if the ski gets the message, that message gets to it slowly and its response is delayed.
Low flex boots for juniors are stiff to them since they are small people still and don't weigh much. They won't be flexing an 80 boot as easily as a full-sized adult. So an 80 junior boot is not necessarily a beginner boot for a kid-sized skier.
Also, the numbers denoting flex are different from manufacturer to manufacturer. You can't compare an 80 by Tecnica to a 90 by Atomic.
My suggestion is to go to a well-stocked store in October, one that carries as number of manufacturers. Call and make an appointment beforehand with their most educated and experienced bootfitter. Spend the extra money and get a good fit (length, width, height/volume) with a boot whose flex matches your ambitions, not your current skill level. You want that boot to last for a few years once you spend all that money on it. If it's a bit too stiff, you can have it temporarily softened by removing screws in the spine.
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sorry, it should be X MAX LC 80
https://www.salomon.com/en-int/shop-emea/product/x-max-lc-80.html#848=11731
also tried x pro cruise 80
tomorrow may try SALOMON X-PRO X90 and some atomics hopefully:-)
I do get it. I will try some on this week and If do not feel OK maybe I would wait till next season.
As far as junior boots I forgot to mentioned I am a light weight skier (47kg) :-)
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ah. You are indeed light. Junior boots may be your thing then.
mustski
Angel Diva
Xmax LC80 is a 98 last which means that the width is similar to many narrow women's boots and there are some that are narrower than that. The big thing here is that it is an LC which is made for shorter legs and calfs. If you are as small in stature as you are light, this may be a big advantage. Also, it is a race boot so the 80 flex may indeed be stiff enough for you. The numbers vary from manufacture to manufacturer. I just switched to a junior race boot - Dalbello - also an LC and a 90 flex and it is plenty stiff. I was used to skiing a stiff boot - Dalbello 100 - and do not notice any difference in the flex between the two boots. I am short but considerably heavier than you and it works fine for me. Did a boot fitter recommend this boot for you?
VickiK
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Paging @contesstant , because of her feet and experiences with boots and liners.
contesstant
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Eek, my experience with these particular boots is none.
I will say that some of the race boots can have a pretty aggressive forward lean and delta, and that can be problematic for those of us with smaller feet.
I will say that some of the race boots can have a pretty aggressive forward lean and delta, and that can be problematic for those of us with smaller feet.
