Member of the Month

hi_vis360
November, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

How Tight Do You Wear Your Boots?

profile picture
kmart7606
Posts: 181 - Karma: 169
Just curious how NSers wear their boots, my new FTs are surprisingly+pleasantly adjustable

On one hand, having them tight gives plenty of control, but I feel it's unnecessary. Are you supposed to tighten your boots as much as possible (within comfort reason), or is it purely preference?

1. Tighten boots as much as possible for super snug fit
2 somewhere in between, medium tension
3 Just enough to provide resistance in the buckles for a comfortable fit

Mar 6 2013 11:34PM
10 5
profile picture
Hi.Phi.
Posts: 602 - Karma: 84
mine would be a 2. I read somewhere in gear talk a while ago that the buckles are too tight if you cant snap them with only your pointer finger and middle finger. So I always go by that rule.
Mar 6 2013 11:50PM
2 0
profile picture
MothaHucker
Posts: 4678 - Karma: 2,591
Mine are generally pretty tight
Mar 7 2013 12:08AM
0 0
profile picture
Smilemon
Posts: 421 - Karma: 43
Mine are so tight at the moment that I only clamp down the middle buckle when I'm doing really steep sections or drops. My top buckle and booster strap are always super tight, and by lowest buckle is as loose as possible or I lose circulation.


Mar 7 2013 12:15AM
0 0
profile picture
kmart7606
Posts: 181 - Karma: 169
Interesting. I deff agree they should be tight for hard riding or sections. I would think the top buckle is the worst to have too tight, pinching your ankle and messing up your foot pressure. Maybe have toe buckle as the tightest one. Smilemon is right about the middle one being key I bet.
Mar 7 2013 1:13AM
0 1
profile picture
kmart7606
Posts: 181 - Karma: 169
Actually you're right about toe buckle. Keeping all the buckles at even pressure is absolutely key
Mar 7 2013 1:19AM
0 1
profile picture
snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
ive got solly ghosts that only have 2 buckles so its pretty easy change it quickly. I keep it on the first or second notch for park and dickin around. When I head up to the upper mountain I crank it down pretty tight. If I keep it like that too long I get some killer shin bang
Mar 7 2013 1:35AM
0 0
profile picture
zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
I have 26.5 FT's and my top two cables are as tight as they can go right now, my lower one just enough so it doesn't pop up. My boots are super packed though after 3 seasons (80-100 days).
Mar 7 2013 1:38AM
0 0
profile picture
kmart7606
Posts: 181 - Karma: 169
yeah i had the spk's with 2 buckles for a while so I never really thought about tightening that much, kinda why I'm trying to determine it now. completely agree about shin bang. can't keep it tight all day or we're asking for pain

on 3 and 4 buckle boots, the other buckles naturally need to match the resistance of the tightest buckle. I think this translates into personal preference comfort, but ensuring that all buckles match to avoid creating unbalanced pressure zones

for FTs, the toe buckle tight tends to also tighten the upper heel/calf area, so I would rather keep it slightly less. insanely comfortable otherwise though, I do like the 3 piece tongue design, very forgiving.

I'm gonna play around with them tomorrow at Kirkwood.
while maintaining equal buckle tightness:

normal cruisin/freeriding = relaxed/medium pressure
hard riding /jumps= tighter
buttering/rails=very tight

thanks for the input everyone, feel free to add more!
Mar 7 2013 3:17AM
0 0
profile picture
theschneidler
Posts: 2099 - Karma: 355
I have small ass calves so my top two are usually as tight as possible, but I had traditional boots
Mar 7 2013 6:11AM
0 0
profile picture
Lemuel
Posts: 14503 - Karma: 10,746
On FulTilt's the toe buckle is supposed to be loose. You should be able to flick it down with your index finger only. I always keep my other two buckles and strap as tight as possible, having loose boots is the worst thing in any condition. And having your boots "too tight" doesn't give you shin bang....
Mar 7 2013 7:21AM
0 0
profile picture
Sillywithmyskis
Posts: 106 - Karma: 34
I am probaby a one i like my boots really tight
Mar 7 2013 9:41AM
0 0
profile picture
joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Quite the opposite actually.

Mar 7 2013 10:49AM
0 0
profile picture
pooptrack
Posts: 361 - Karma: 214
I've got a pair of FT's. Since I've got some skinny ass legs with big feet, so I usually I crank up the top two buckles and then make the bottom one only tight enough to stay clipped in. I remember hearing somewhere that it's better to keep your boots reasonably tight since it flexes with you beter and leaves less room for shinbang. I could be totally wrong though.
Mar 7 2013 11:10AM
0 0
profile picture
jca
Posts: 4172 - Karma: 6,310
as tight as possible.
Mar 7 2013 11:26AM
0 0
profile picture
joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Tight, well-fitting boots do prevent shin bang. However with 4-buckle overlap boots, you don't want to overtighten the boot to the point where the plastic starts to buckle.
A) This means you are in a shell size too big/the boot doesn't fit right
B) It can create pressure points and deform the boot in a way its not supposed to.

However for 3-piece designs like full tilts, overtightening isn't really a thing b/c of how the boot is designed. You can't really distort the shell.
Mar 7 2013 11:30AM
0 0
profile picture
LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Top two as tight as comfortably possible. Bottom two barely fastened.
Mar 7 2013 12:56PM
0 0
profile picture
RimJobber
Posts: 3313 - Karma: 10,058
I still have a pair of race-styled technica boots and when I'm in the park I keep them pretty loose, but when I used to race on them I would crank it down to where I had to immediately relieve the pressure after my run. I could feel the difference in control between the two
Mar 7 2013 1:47PM
0 0
profile picture
Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,290
as tight as possible
Mar 7 2013 2:17PM
0 0
profile picture
Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
funny, on my booters, i dont even have a toe buckle. i managed to break teh whole plastic piece taht wraps around off and cant replace it without getting new boots
Mar 7 2013 3:15PM
0 0
profile picture
no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,273
i have wide feet and big legs but i clamp down my boots as much as i can, especially on the 2 ankle buckles. i generally keep it a bit looser on the forefoot since i'll end up crushing my foot
Mar 7 2013 3:21PM
0 0
profile picture
Bumblesteeze
Posts: 3092 - Karma: 748
As tight as possible.
Don't mean to threadjack; but have any of you guys shorten the cables on full tilts?
I like my boots really tight, and I'm wondering whether it's possible for me to tighten the buckles even more.
Mar 7 2013 3:54PM
1 0
profile picture
paige.
Posts: 1932 - Karma: 922
I start the day with them loose and tighten them up a notch at a time as I warm up. Too tight early on and my calves cramp and/or I lose circulation in my toes. Leave them loose and my skis don't feel responsive enough. Generally I keep them right before the point of cramping up and loosen them on the lift so my toes don't freeze.
Mar 7 2013 3:56PM
1 0
profile picture
JibbaTheHutt
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,597
on a 4 buckle or even 3 buckle boot the 2 toe/forefoot buckles are essentially there to keep the boot together, they serve no performance purpose. you only need to have them done up as tight as what is comfortable, anything more is counter intuitive.
Mar 7 2013 4:06PM
0 0
profile picture
MaxCarv
Posts: 7 - Karma: 12
I have Lange Comps which are the classic 4-buckle design with power strap. I also got custom footbeds this season which I highly recommend.

As others have said, when I first put the boots on I keep all four buckles at the lowest setting while I'm buying my lift ticket, eating breakfast, etc. When I'm on the gondola or getting off first chair, I take a few minutes to tighten the upper two buckles so that they're very tight, but not as tight as they could be. I always keep the lower two buckles on the first (lowest) setting. Your toes should never feel restricted - and you should actually be spreading your toes through a turn, not clutching them....so make sure they can at least wiggle up there.

After the first run or two I will usually tighten the upper two buckles once more. I go for maximum snugness without feeling discomfort.

After my last ski trip my calves were abnormally sore - I think that was because I forgot to tighten the power straps along with the buckles. For extra support you can tighten the straps around the tongue instead of the boot shell.

All boots are different as they fit to your feet. I really don't see how a universal rule like "being able to snap them with two fingers" can apply - for me I need to use significant strength and leverage to snap my top two buckles in.
Mar 7 2013 4:08PM
0 0
profile picture
zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
I think you can with a wire cutter, but no going back. You can order shorter/longer cables into most shops or off the FT website. I ussually go to Danny Lachance (Tremblant) for stuff like that, great fitters, light years ahead of t&l.
Mar 7 2013 4:09PM
1 0
profile picture
chuckmarty
Posts: 344 - Karma: 448
Took the liner out of my FT's and ripped all the buckles off. Throw my foot in the shell and ski just like that.
Mar 7 2013 6:10PM
0 3
profile picture
scratchskier321
Posts: 2586 - Karma: 1,348
If your boot fits well, your need to strangle your feet. Some of my older larger shells I really had to tighten, better fitting current shells are #2
Mar 7 2013 6:22PM
0 0
profile picture
illest_Nathan
Posts: 133 - Karma: 45
As tight as i can get them without cutting circulation off.
Mar 7 2013 7:10PM
0 0
profile picture
*ninja*
Posts: 2108 - Karma: 1,143
emo skier
Mar 7 2013 7:21PM
0 0
profile picture
illest_Nathan
Posts: 133 - Karma: 45
Sometimes its hard to do up the buckles because my scars show in front of my mom before she drives me to the hill.
Mar 7 2013 7:27PM
0 0
profile picture
charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 373
I size to a 29 on the chart, I ski a 27.5. Today my feet hurt so I just didn't buckle my boots other than the very top and the toe buckle, just to keep snow out.

Mar 7 2013 11:18PM
0 0
profile picture
tygur
Posts: 136 - Karma: 77

Am I the only one that needs to tight is boot so much that even at max it isn't tight enough?

I've already shortened my il Moro's cables, I know I have small feets but now my boots don't even want to clip due to too much pression, and if I loose it up then it's way too loose for my liking. And I couldn't really ride a smaller boot since im in a 25.5 Dalbello... any tips?

Mar 8 2013 11:49AM
0 0
profile picture
Turd.Ferguson
Posts: 1437 - Karma: 2,713
I do rails alot more than jumps and stuff and people i ski with always keep their boots super tight but i go loosey goosey on mine and ive never broken an ankle, i proably will though so dont take my advice
Mar 8 2013 12:57PM
0 0
profile picture
charmander
Posts: 10636 - Karma: 373
go see a bootfitter, what dalbello do you have? low volume could be the thing, also they make 24.5 mens boots.
Mar 8 2013 2:07PM
0 0
profile picture
LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
http://www.masterfitenterprises.com/eliminator.html
Mar 8 2013 2:37PM
0 0
profile picture
tygur
Posts: 136 - Karma: 77

There is not a single shop around here that has a bootfitter, and the closest one with a bootfitter is like a 2 to 3 hours' drive from here (and i'm not even sure if there is one). And there is no way I would fit in a 24.5, i'm already having major toebangs in my 25.5 and I know that they are the right boots for my feet after trying so many different brands. Does The Eliminator Custom Tongue really do the job? Also I wear orthotics in my boots if that means anything. Thanks

Mar 8 2013 3:04PM
0 0
profile picture
Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
I'm on the same, but I literally don't do the toe cable at all, I would take it out but I have a feeling it does something with waterproofing.

Middle buckle pretty loose at the beginning of the day and gradually put it up a notch at a time if it's too loose/starts to rub(sometimes when I forget to buckle it)
Mar 8 2013 3:07PM
0 0
profile picture
LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Yes, that's why I recommended them to you. I have really skinny legs and I used to use them, they work for the problem you described.
Mar 8 2013 3:09PM
0 0
profile picture
tygur
Posts: 136 - Karma: 77
Well thanks alot, i'm ordering a pair right now +k
Mar 8 2013 3:14PM
0 0
profile picture
t.dough
Posts: 413 - Karma: 1,090
Really? Because I hurt my ankle and had to tighten my boot up to avoid further twistage and I had the worst shinbang I have ever experienced.
Mar 8 2013 5:18PM
0 0
profile picture
Skiingsnow
Posts: 1567 - Karma: 797
race boots cranked tight enough that i have to un do them every lift ride, and i dont remeber the last time i had shin bang. get centered kids!
Mar 8 2013 6:22PM
1 0
profile picture
Randy_Quench
Posts: 5447 - Karma: 4,343
tight as i can get em without being too tight that they make me lose feeling in my feet or cause pressure.
Mar 8 2013 8:54PM
0 0
profile picture
Dmarc
Posts: 1035 - Karma: 83
i used to make mine too tight and they would be uncomfortable but now i found the perfect tightness
Mar 8 2013 11:23PM
0 0
profile picture
PON3
Posts: 3817 - Karma: 783
on my FT's I usually keep the top fairly tight, I like the middle buckle super tight to keep my feet in place and my toe lose. but on the park days I ride loosey goosey, but on the bowls and pow days I keep dat shit tight!
Mar 8 2013 11:32PM
0 0
profile picture
snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
It can
Mar 10 2013 5:04PM
0 0
profile picture
Balbertt
Posts: 1585 - Karma: 4,723
Tighter than a skinny nun on sunday.
Mar 10 2013 6:33PM
0 0
profile picture
Stope.Neeze
Posts: 594 - Karma: 148
all the way
Mar 10 2013 6:54PM
0 0
profile picture
Poikenz
Posts: 1486 - Karma: 3,826
I find that I also have really skinny legs so 3-piece boots in general don't fit my legs properly even if they fit my feet like a glove. I just go 2 piece and get them ground down so I can tighten them up to my liking without having to struggle.

In terms of tightness, I keep my bottom 2 buckles pretty loose, just enough pressure so they don't unbuckle on me, and I crank the top 2 until I am on the breaking point of comfortable, tight and snug but not so much that it cuts off my circulation.
Mar 10 2013 9:46PM
0 0
profile picture
ballsofsteeze
Posts: 611 - Karma: 45
I have fulltilts, and I wear mine as tight as possible without loosing circulation. The toe buckle is probably the loosest, I just like it tight enough to know my toes cant slide around too much.
Mar 10 2013 9:52PM
0 0
profile picture
iffe
Posts: 984 - Karma: 120
I have Full Tilts and here's how I tighten them:

1. I put the top strap around the liner, under the boot tongue. I have skinny legs and I've found that this is the best way to make the top of the liner snug around my foot.

2. Ankle buckle, as tight as it goes without starting to hurt.

3. Top buckle, also very tight.

4. Bottom buckle, loosest setting that still stays closed.
Mar 11 2013 4:05AM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)