Anyone have advice for buying ski boots? I just got back from skiing and after the first day the discomfort from my boots really began to affect the way I skied. I am an average skier and go about once a year. I am thinking having my own boots would help with the comfort level.

I looked on-line and was pleasantly surprised at the prices. They ranged (on average) from $200 to $500. I'd be willing to spend around $300 if I thought it will help w/ comfort. I'd assume the best time to buy would be over the next few months. I'm in San Antonio... any rec's on where to go? Is ebay a decent option if I get sized somewhere?

Thanks!

I bought my own several years back. Wait until the end of ski season. Sports Authority (formerly Oshman's), and a few other places like sun and ski, will unload unsold ski equipment sometimes at 50-60-70% or more off retail...that's how I got mine.

You gotta try on a BUNCH of them with a thick pair of socks on, and they should feel a little snug when you buy them, because they'll loosen up a bit once you break them in. Your toes should NOT touch the front tip of the boot inside.. leave them a little bit of room. I like my feet to be pretty snug in my boots, but others like them a little looser on the feet and tighter on the ankles...

Also, you can probably benenfit frmo leaving some space "on top" of your feet, so you can add shaped inserts to the boots and have them fit your feet well.

Short side is, I think I tried on 20 pairs of boots before I foudn one I liked. They were originally a $475 set, and I paid $200 I think. They were a pain in the ass to break in, but comfortable all day long once I got used to them...

Great info... Thanks MouthBQ. Would you say there is a considerable difference over rentals? I hope so. I'll keep checking Sun and Ski and Sports Authority.

San A sounds like a bad place to be looking for ski boots. I would find a ski shop that has someone that is good with boots. They will be able to tell you based on the shape of your foot which boots are going to feel better. That is where you start in my opinion. A good fitter will make the adjustments that you will appreciate the latter part of a ski week.

[This message has been edited by sunchaser (edited 3/13/2007 5:12p).]

Sunchaser- that is a concern of mine about San Antonio. I'm not sure how good the people at Sun and Ski are. They may be great but I just don't know. There is another place called Good Sports that seems like it might have knowledgeable staff. A friend was telling me about a place in Mesquite that is supposed to be good and I also thought of REI.

Thanks again!

Check out the one in Dallas...very expensive ski attire but may have what you are looking for...I would think boots would be priced OK.

http://www.bootfitters.com/

Mouth has good advice...you really need to try on a LOT of boots to find the brand & size that fit your feet, and even then you may still need some "custom" fitting by either grinding/shaping inside the boot (by the sales person) and/or getting a custom footbed made for your feet.

Your boots will be a HUGE improvement over rentals and add to your enjoyment for years to come, so they are well worth the money.

San Antonio might not be the best place to buy...I would consider taking a late spring ski trip and hitting a local shop that will be unloading this season's inventory, and get helped by someone knowledgeable with the fitting process.

I bought a pair of Rossi's off ebay last year for 04 closeouts. I paid 99 dollars for them. They were the heat treated kind. So when they got here I took em over to Sun and Ski sports and got them to do the molding for me. They charge like 20 for that but he did it for free because I bought a pair of superfeet.

Also, I even bought a pair off ebay and they didnt fit so I sent them back for the next size up. So buy from an ebay store, that will let you do this. I since bought my dad a pair and I have moved to the northwest and got a lot of use out of them, easily worth the money to own your own boots.

Summary:

• Buy boots that can be molded to your foot.
• Get them heat molded to your foot.
  
• Buy Superfeet insoles to add, they help ALOT.
  
• Check Ebay, I have had two great experiences for me and my dad.

Also, shopping those after season sales can be very beneficial, but you usually have a hard time finding a quality boot in the right size, the inventory is so limited.

Also, talk to someone about hte fit of each brand of boot. Some are more flexible than others. Some are narrower in the foot than others.

For instance, Rossi's fit me in the calf whereas Salomon do not.

whosearmy- thanks for that info. I found some "thermo-fit" Rossi's and "hot-form" Tecnica's on ebay. I assume these are what you mean, but they don't specifically say they can be molded to your foot.

This sounds like a good option for me. I will take my time and go looking around first.

Sunchaser- thanks for the link. That definitely looks like the smartest way to go.

don't wear thick socks, thick ski socks are a big no no. i where nothing thicker than "medium weight" socks, and sometimes they are too thick in the spring and when my feet are swollen. but do wear the socks you will ski in for boot fitting, if it means buying new socks, do so, I prefer Smart-wool, and thor-lo silk/wool blend, nice socks are worth the 20 bucks a pair, trust me I have 10+ pairs.
the newer thermo liners are very nice as are custom foot beds, i have the 50 dollar superfeet, but you can go all the way up to $200 orthotics, i don't have feet problems so it's not a big issue for me.
like everyone else says, try on lots of different pairs, and hopefully one will feel right..
know more about tele boots now, but if i recall Lange's are great for low volume feet, that's about all i can remember about brands, salamon boots didn't fit me right

I would be VERY wary of buying boots from Oshman's and would even have concern buying from a Sun & Ski in San Antonio.

In my opinion, there is no more piece of sporting goods equipment where it being perfect is worth the price. And you can't get perfect from some kid named Steve in Texas at a major sporting good store. I've bought boots that I got a great deal on at a store going out of business (although I did a lot of research on them before hand and knew what I thought I wanted/needed) and I've bought boots from someone who knew what they were doing. Trust me, its worth a couple of extra hundred bucks. I look at ski boots as insurance. Being from Texas I get limited numbers of days on the mountain every year. I want to make damn sure that those days are spent with sore or cold feet and that I'm skiing to best of my ability. When a day of skiing isn't just the cost of a $65 lift ticket but also 1/4 of a $350 plane ticket plus $150/night it sure does suck to call it a day at 2pm because your foot is sore.

Having a boot that fits you properly not only will greatly improve your skiing ability, but remove pain and keep your feet warmer due to better circulation. Find a good ski shop that have licensed boot fitters that know what they are doing so you end up in the right boot and you end up with the right fit in the right boot.

Here are some good tips for buying boots.

http://www.bootfitters.com/custom_boot_fit_tips.htm

I think there is another accreditation group out there for bootfitters, but I can't remember what it is.

i bought my technicas last sept at sun and ski. they were last years model and i paid $130. whenever i have rented, i was sized at a 26.5 and that is what they always gave me. freakin killed my feet. i went up to a 27 after trying 15+ pairs and it made all the difference. skied 6 days in january and loved em.

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I know I should go to Dallas to get them from an official "boot-fitter". I will go to Sun and Ski and Good Sports here in SA first, though, just to see if they seem to be very helpful. It sounds like some people on here have had success w/ Sun and Ski.