Bootfitters Blog

All-Mountain Access

Aug 20, 2020 - 10:46am by melling

For many skiers the boot itself still represents one of the biggest barriers to fully enjoying our snow-sliding sport. It used to be a matter of comfort that stood in the way of some folks’ love of skiing, but boot designs have made huge comfort gains through better mold shapes and more sophisticated liners. Same goes for complaints of cold boots—insulative laminates, wicking liner materials, improved sock technology and electric heater options have largely addressed these chilly concerns. And worries about walking across a massive parking lot? Well, with releasable-cuff walk modes and rockered GripWalk soles ski boots have never been easier to walk in.

Boots that are difficult to get on (and off) now remain the sport’s biggest stumbling block for skiers, veteran or rookie alike. While we think boots are as easy to put on as they’ve ever been, there are still skiers who struggle, whether due to physical inflexibility, reduced hand-strength or other injury- or health-related complications. There are boots that make ease of entry a primary design feature. Some of these are re-purposed rear-entry designs from the 80’s that have been reconfigured with modern materials and finishes. Other models might focus on the releasable cuff of the walk-mode style boot to enhance entry—a rearwardly releasable cuff generally aids entry as the “corner” between upper and lower boot is more straightened-out. The combination of an open-topped cabrio design with a spiral-wrapping liner can also help those with entry and exit challenges.

The All-Mountain Access category is open to models that offer some enhanced fit element or design feature that reduces a skier’s barrier to entry and enjoyment of skiing. Our testers understand that sometimes gains in these criteria may result in sacrifices in other, higher-performance test metrics. Our testing process rewards boots that deliver for their intended audience for fit, features and performance, so a Gold Medal boot in the All-Mountain Access category might not ski as strongly at high speeds as, say, those found in the Frontside category.

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Category Descriptions

Best Freeride Ski Boots of 2020-2021

Sep 12, 2020 - 01:12pm by melling

As a type of ski boot, the modern Freeride boot attempts to combine the downhill performance of an All-Mountain boot with the lighter weight and touring range of motion of the Backcountry boot. While this was rarely achieved a few years ago, the current crop of Freeride boots we've tested do everything the on-area, off-area adventure skier wants, without many compromises. Most of the boots in the Freeride group are utilizing GripWalk soles to enhance the boots' walkability and most also incorporate metal-to-metal cuff release mechanisms to maximize energy transmission during descents. Pin-style (aka "Low Tech," or just "Tech") binding compatibility is standard across this category, though the Freeride boot can be used in a traditional Alpine binding, so long as it's GripWalk compatible.

Most Comfortable, Easiest On & Off Women's Ski Boots of 2020-2021

Sep 13, 2020 - 07:04pm by melling

Nobody wants to have to ask for anybody's help to get a ski boot on or off, especially in a cold ski area parking lot--unless that's your secret tactic... And certainly serious skiers don't want to have to go in early (toddies anyone?) because their feet hurt or have gone numb from pressure or cold--unless that's your secret tactic! Well, for skiers who want to make a day of it but are tired of being consistently thwarted by demonic boots, our test team has found a batch of boots that are a breeze to deal with, and while being luxuriantly comfy and warm actually still manage to make damn good turns!

Custom Ski Boot Fitting? How About a Custom Boot?

Aug 21, 2020 - 04:51am by melling

What should your first thought be if you have tricky feet and a history of painful boots? Find a better bootfitter, duh! (do that here).
What should your second thought be? Maybe try a DaleBoot! It's the only truly custom-built boot on the market (we think), and it's been updated in recent years with high tech plastics and modern stance angles. There are lots of ways to customize a ski boot, but only one way to start from scratch, like a custom-shaped surfboard for your feet. The process begins with a DaleBoot dealer taking essential measurements and tracings of the skier's feet.

What's New in Boots? The Wearable Lightness of Skiing

Sep 02, 2018 - 12:21pm by melling

Each year boots continue to get lighter and we think we can point the finger at the success of lightweight skis in the Alpine market as the primary trend driver—that and the fact that while most of us can't manage to shed a few pounds of our own, we can and do appreciate shaving mere ounces off the gear we haul around. Less fatigue, heightened quickness, fewer pounds to schlep—sure we can get on board, so long as these boots still perform! Our tests at Silver Mountain Resort in northern Idaho have shown that the lightweights can more than hold their own with established category stalwarts.

Best Backcountry Boots of 20-21

Aug 21, 2020 - 05:48am by melling

While the true Backcountry boot is an out-of-bounds animal—built for ascending with light weight, maximum touring range of motion, tech binding compatibility and a fully rockered and aggressively lugged outsole for walking and scrambling as needed—we favor Backcountry boots that trend toward a solid, dependable descent, regardless of snow conditions. This season we got a small batch of boots in the skin track in the Pacific Northwest and found a few that toured with the best but skied stronger than the rest.

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