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abjectwoe
May, 2025

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Stiffer boots or softer boots

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huck-it
Posts: 15 - Karma: 49
Hey NS, I am wondering the benefits of a stiffer and softer boots and also the negatives of each.
6 years ago
4 0
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JmckR
Posts: 1339 - Karma: 6,144
ahh, if there was only some sort of place where you could access this sort of information. a magical place, free of charge, at the click of a few buttons, within, say, 2 minutes of searching... we can dream
6 years ago
13 13
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,157
The pros of stiffer are control. It also depends on your ability, style, body size, and how aggressive you are. You can be an expert skier but not ski aggressively, and you can be an aggressive beginner.

Pros of a soft boot are comfort. I ski a 130 because I want to be locked in place; I want zero movement between my leg and ski. I have way more control and it fits the way that I ski. I’m only 160 pounds and as an ex boot fitter I would put very few people my size in a boot that stiff.

My feet feel great while I’m skiing, but so much pressure is released when I take them off my feet are in torturous pain for 20 minutes. Worth it for me. I’m a size down and a last narrower than my foot measures. I would never fit a boot to a customer like I did to myself.
6 years ago
11 0
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270on420out
Posts: 7524 - Karma: 51,325
This is really a question for a boot fitter. Everyone’s foot is different and for a lot of people it also comes down to personal preference.

Personally I ride full tilts but I ride them cranked super tight. I’ve also skied park in Nordicas and Dalbellos.
6 years ago
7 0
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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
DIRTYBUBBLEThis is really a question for a boot fitter.


.
6 years ago
5 0
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SuckleBrick
Posts: 452 - Karma: 1,095
personally I don't really think the stiffness of a boot matters as much as how conferrable you fell in them
6 years ago
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Granby_killdozer
Posts: 2489 - Karma: -13,996
Stiffer boots give more support at high speed but puts more load on your shins. If you like to go fast as fuck and you're a grown adult then get a 130 flex. Get a 120 - 110 flex if you rock a softer ski and prefer to jib around. And a 100 flex if you are a beginner.

**This post was edited on Nov 10th 2019 at 7:39:34pm
6 years ago
2 6
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Skibumsmith
Posts: 5469 - Karma: 12,386
Pros of stiff boots: railing super G turns down huge faces, sending massive hits and fucking givin er through the gnar.

You’re not a little boy anymore. You’re a man now. Step up to the plate and defend your family honor in a pair of 150 flex race boots you pussy. Chicks in the Tram Club won’t even talk to you if you’re rocking soft boots.
6 years ago
13 0
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Casey
Posts: 8020 - Karma: 26,930
I actually backed off from a 120 to a 110 in my latest boots. It’s been great I am a lucky skier to have zero boot issues right off the bat
6 years ago
3 0
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7294 - Karma: 18,716
Ankle mobility has a big influence on what boot stiffness you will need and often gets over looked.

The range of motion you have can be far more important then your ability.

Put it that in combo with your ankle to knee length, strength and then your ability and a fitter can choose an appropriate flex for you.

Stiffer is not always the best. Look at race boots. They offer different flexes from stif to stupid stiff, even though all the top athletes are skiing to a ridiculous high level.
6 years ago
4 0
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Lemuel
Posts: 14544 - Karma: 11,157
^ as I posted I couldn’t believe I forgot to mention ankle flexibility! As Tom said it is one of the most important factors.


I took one of the spine bolts out of my RX 130’s when I first got them, and reinstalled it as the boot broke in. You can always make a boot softer in a variety of ways, tough to stiffen a boot.


sometimes I miss boot fitting when threads like this pop up hahah.
6 years ago
1 0
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Dunderflip
Posts: 535 - Karma: 2,449
soft boots are sick as fuck. catch me in the park riding 80 flex rental boots no joke
6 years ago
2 2
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Pilsby
Posts: 233 - Karma: 1,091
I rock 150 flex and i mostly ski big mountain. I find I dont get as much shin bang when jumping off big cliffs with a stiffer boot. when i ski park for more than a day straight ill change my tounge to something not so stiff.
6 years ago
0 1
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hi_vis360
Posts: 5334 - Karma: 55,425
smh at all of you pathetic wimps only skiing 130 flex boots, no wonder you're only skiing 100 days a season. I ski on 200 flex boots and get in 400 days a season no prob
6 years ago
5 0
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DominatorJacques
Posts: 11247 - Karma: 76,550
tomPietrowskiAnkle mobility has a big influence on what boot stiffness you will need and often gets over looked.

The range of motion you have can be far more important then your ability.

Put it that in combo with your ankle to knee length, strength and then your ability and a fitter can choose an appropriate flex for you.

Stiffer is not always the best. Look at race boots. They offer different flexes from stif to stupid stiff, even though all the top athletes are skiing to a ridiculous high level.

Tom, any specific recommendations for someone suffering with capsulitis of the second toe. (Causes swelling at the ball of the foot) A fitter put me on some custom beds where the hard shaped part ends just before the ball of the foot. My orthodic for walking addresses the entire foot with extra deep area where the swelling is.
I know this is off the topic here, but you seem to be the guy. Second opinion? Thanks
@tomPietrowski
6 years ago
2 0
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