Looking for a good pair of ski boots for mostly freeride and occasional park

Go to a boot fitter or at least somewhere that you can try boots on. Every boot is built different so it’s impossible to recommend a boot that would be comfortable. Most shops are probably out of most boots right now or they are selling stuff for summer sports, but I would imagine that in the fall places would start getting 2022 boots

What are your feet and ankles shaped like (i.e. wide or narrow, high or low instep, thick or thin calves, etc.)? Which shell design do you prefer between 2-piece and 3-piece? Do you want a walk mode and tech inserts? Height and weight?

Always a good idea to go to a bootfitter, I got a last years pair of hawk ultra 120s for $400 cad and love them.

BurritoWhat are your feet and ankles shaped like (i.e. wide or narrow, high or low instep, thick or thin calves, etc.)? Which shell design do you prefer between 2-piece and 3-piece? Do you want a walk mode and tech inserts? Height and weight?

Id say long and narrow not very wide, as for the two or three peice I find the three peice to be kinda uncomfortable so thats why I’m looking more for the full tilt dropkicks

Please just see a fitter holy shit, there’s no such thing as “freeride boots” or “park boots”. People ski the Freeride World Tour in Lange RS race boots and people also ski park in 50/50 touring boots.

Abel.Itachi.24Id say long and narrow not very wide, as for the two or three peice I find the three peice to be kinda uncomfortable so thats why I’m looking more for the full tilt dropkicks

Full Tilt is the first place I'd look. Note that they have 3 different shells on 3 different lasts (the foot form the boot is built around.) The Original shell (Classic, Drop Kick) is the narrowest, the Soul shell (First Chair, more recent Tom Wallisch) is a little wider and boxier, and the Evolution shell (Descendant, Ascendant, B&E, Kicker) is much wider with a really low cuff. With a narrow foot I'd steer clear of the Evolution shell, but the other two might work. Do a little Google search for basic fitting techniques, and go try some on.

In the FT assortment Drop Kicks will be really soft with a #6/90-flex tongue. For most people that's fine for park, urban, and riding with a very centered/upright stance, but they will fold over if you're really trying to drive into the boots elsewhere on the mountain. That said, flex is extremely subjective. Don't listen to the idiots that tell you you're not a real skier unless you're on a 130-flex boot. Personally it took me a decade of experimentation and evolving my riding style to find a few boots and flexes that matched. Luckily with FT you can just buy new tongues and swap them out if your stock tongues aren't working out (or if you just want to try something different.)

Outside of FT, but still in the 3-piece world, take a look at Dalbello Kryptons (or Lupos if you want a tech toe and a walk mode.) I find their fit to be a little more finicky and better suited to a high instep than FT's, but I'm currently riding some Lupos on Dalbello's narrowest last that I absolutely love.

FYI boots like Full Tilts, Dalbello Kryptons, etc. are 3-piece/cabrio boots (clog, cuff, tongue), and your standard 4-buckle boots from most other brands are 2-piece/overlap (clog, cuff.) There's some room for nuance in there, especially when you get into touring boots, but that's the gist of it. I didn't make any 2-piece/overlap boot recommendations because I don't ride them. I don't like they way they fit and haven't ridden one in probably 20 years.

animatorPlease just see a fitter holy shit, there’s no such thing as “freeride boots” or “park boots”. People ski the Freeride World Tour in Lange RS race boots and people also ski park in 50/50 touring boots.

Everyone gets that, but if you're seeing a bootfitter you're likely paying full retail for your boots. That just isn't feasible for a lot of people. Provided you do some research, ask the right questions, and know the basics of fitting a shell (again, Google is your friend) there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting an informed starting point from the NS crew.

**This post was edited on Apr 19th 2021 at 11:54:03am

BurritoEveryone gets that, but if you're seeing a bootfitter you're likely paying full retail for your boots. That just isn't feasible for a lot of people. Provided you do some research, ask the right questions, and know the basics of fitting a shell (again, Google is your friend) there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting an informed starting point from the NS crew.

**This post was edited on Apr 19th 2021 at 11:54:03am

This is probably why it took you a decade of experimentation to find the right boot for you ;)

In my experience, very, very few people know enough about boots to properly do their own research. Most people end up confusing themselves or getting fixated on the wrong boot because it worked so well for someone else or they actually avoid the right boot for the opposite reason.

Going to a reputable boot-fitter is like going to a reputable mechanic - that person has a wealth of knowledge about boots past and present and will narrow your search down to about 3-5 boots very quickly. Looking at more than that is a waste of your time and you will get confused.

99% of shops do not sell at full MSRP, their regular price is below that. And everything now is going to be at least 20-30% off of that regular price. In addition to that, any reputable boot shop will offer you some type of boot-fit guarantee on the boot they think will work for you- even on boots that are on sale. This often saves you a lot of cost down the road when you need an adjustment, which 90% of the time you will need.

Can someone do all of this on their own? Sure, it is possible. But is their chance of success going to be as high as going to a boot-fitter? Definitely not. Your boots are the most important part of your gear set up and everyone should treat it as such if you want to have the best time on snow.

Abel.Itachi.24Id say long and narrow not very wide, as for the two or three peice I find the three peice to be kinda uncomfortable so thats why I’m looking more for the full tilt dropkicks

wait im confused. Drop kicks are a three piece boot? But you just said you don't want a three piece boot?


OP, go to a fitter if you have the opportunity its end of season, and they will give pretty bomb deals at the end of season. Yeah you might spend a few bucks more, but when you get free work for the boot it simply makes sense. Punches/grinds can cost 50-100 bucks a pop if you didn't buy the boots there. You pretty quickly lose money if you need work done.

I don’t know why you got 5 dislike my dude this was extremely helpful fuck you too the 5 people who down voted u cus u realley helped me my guy :) will definitely remember what u said and look into the models u said

BurritoFull Tilt is the first place I'd look. Note that they have 3 different shells on 3 different lasts (the foot form the boot is built around.) The Original shell (Classic, Drop Kick) is the narrowest, the Soul shell (First Chair, more recent Tom Wallisch) is a little wider and boxier, and the Evolution shell (Descendant, Ascendant, B&E, Kicker) is much wider with a really low cuff. With a narrow foot I'd steer clear of the Evolution shell, but the other two might work. Do a little Google search for basic fitting techniques, and go try some on.

In the FT assortment Drop Kicks will be really soft with a #6/90-flex tongue. For most people that's fine for park, urban, and riding with a very centered/upright stance, but they will fold over if you're really trying to drive into the boots elsewhere on the mountain. That said, flex is extremely subjective. Don't listen to the idiots that tell you you're not a real skier unless you're on a 130-flex boot. Personally it took me a decade of experimentation and evolving my riding style to find a few boots and flexes that matched. Luckily with FT you can just buy new tongues and swap them out if your stock tongues aren't working out (or if you just want to try something different.)

Outside of FT, but still in the 3-piece world, take a look at Dalbello Kryptons (or Lupos if you want a tech toe and a walk mode.) I find their fit to be a little more finicky and better suited to a high instep than FT's, but I'm currently riding some Lupos on Dalbello's narrowest last that I absolutely love.

FYI boots like Full Tilts, Dalbello Kryptons, etc. are 3-piece/cabrio boots (clog, cuff, tongue), and your standard 4-buckle boots from most other brands are 2-piece/overlap (clog, cuff.) There's some room for nuance in there, especially when you get into touring boots, but that's the gist of it. I didn't make any 2-piece/overlap boot recommendations because I don't ride them. I don't like they way they fit and haven't ridden one in probably 20 years.

Everyone gets that, but if you're seeing a bootfitter you're likely paying full retail for your boots. That just isn't feasible for a lot of people. Provided you do some research, ask the right questions, and know the basics of fitting a shell (again, Google is your friend) there's absolutely nothing wrong with getting an informed starting point from the NS crew.

**This post was edited on Apr 19th 2021 at 11:54:03am

animatorPlease just see a fitter holy shit, there’s no such thing as “freeride boots” or “park boots”. People ski the Freeride World Tour in Lange RS race boots and people also ski park in 50/50 touring boots.

Dude just chill wtf

Abel.Itachi.24I don’t know why you got 5 dislike my dude this was extremely helpful fuck you too the 5 people who down voted u cus u realley helped me my guy :) will definitely remember what u said and look into the models u said

The reason he got downvoted is because the information he gave you is not great advice. This strategy may have worked for him, but it is not a general prescription for successfully finding the right boot. He also just told you that only 3-piece boots work for him. And that is honestly ok in regards to his personal boot journey, but you should not think that is a truism for finding a comfortable boot. There are great 3-piece boots, there are great 2-piece boots but the most important questions is: "what will work for you?", not what has worked for someone else.

You should primarily focus your search to finding the best boot-fitter in your area or where you will be skiing if one is not close to you. Do not focus on brands or construction types. Focus on finding the person who will analyze your foot, your ankle flexibility, and other biomechanical factors that make you you because they will help find you the best boot that fits the puzzle piece known as your foot.

Finding the right ski boot is not rocket surgery or a dark mysterious art, but there are cause and effect patterns that boot-fitters are trained understand and look for. They are there to help you find the right boot now and then also fix any issues for you that happen down the road.

Just to reiterate Matt's excellent advice, and provide a counterpoint to the "you can figure this out on your own" stance:

Yep, you can totally get into boots that sort of work for a lot less than going to a fitter and paying full price would get you. And in the moment, when you're grabbing a pair of boots for 50% off and they feel pretty good when you try them on in your living room, it feels like you're making a better investment than you would be by going to a fitter. But often you end up developing problems with those boots, and buying another discounted pair the next year. You get into a cycle of sinking money into discounted boots that don't fit, instead of sacking up and paying a little more, one time, to get boots that do fit.

For me, I was making do with free/discounted boots for years that mostly worked for my foot, but weren't fit to me. I chose boots based on their weights and features and then padded the crap out of my foot so that I could bear wearing them. I probably went through $5-6000 worth of boots in three years, trying them for a few days, getting weird foot pain, and selling them used. I had a job that got me free boots, so I never got bootfit. My feet hurt all the time, but whatever. If I had just gotten bootfit I would have gotten one pair of $600 boots that would have lasted me three years. It would have been a bigger cost up front, but it would have paid itself off in the course of one season of discounted boots.

Then I finally went to a fitter to find new boots, instead of just having him try to salvage boots I'd gotten because of the features, not the fit. One afternoon of fitting and I walked out with the most comfortable touring boots I've ever owned. They don't quite hit the weight I'd like, they don't ski quite as stiff as I'd like, and the buckle layout is not my favorite, but they fit well, and that's all that really matters in the long run. I can swap out buckles and put on a power strap to make them lighter and stiffer, but I couldn't make a lighter or stiffer boot fit my foot like these do. Just finished my third season in those boots, sure they cost more up front, but they've paid for themselves over literally hundreds of days of comfortable skiing.

onenerdykidThe reason he got downvoted is because the information he gave you is not great advice. This strategy may have worked for him, but it is not a general prescription for successfully finding the right boot. ...

It's a fair point. I did try to mention that my advice is only a starting point, but I guess I should have qualified all of it with the fact that my advice and experience comes from the perspective of someone that:

A. Grew up in the midwest with shitty shops whose "bootfitters" were just employees, not in any way professionally certified or trained to properly fit a ski boot. As a kid paying for his own shit, I had to learn on the fly from friends and mentors and through a lot of trial and error...mostly error in those early days.

B. Changed my skiing style quite a bit over my adult life, and much like the OP evolved from mainly park to more and more of the mountain over the years, particularly after getting out west. I've also done quite a bit of work to fuck up my ankles as much as possible over the years, and they are very much not the same shape they were a decade ago. The boot that worked for my feet and ankles at 20 was not the boot that worked at 30. Without the knowledge of my personal fitting experience in those previous years I doubt I would have been able to recognize that.



My advice is definitely not the path if you have the means and access to a great shop with a wide product selection and an honest boofitter, but that's just not the experience of everyone out there. It definitely wasn't mine.

This thread is fucking AIDS. Op said he didn’t want a 3 piece boot and then said that the novel written about full tilts was good and helpful?? 😭😭

Going to a bootfitter is worth a trip to a well recommended fitter if you have the dough. If you don't, I would go into a shop and ask for their most senior staff member and spend a few days figuring out boots. Make sure they size you correctly by putting your foot in the shell only. This will fit your foot for the shell rather than the liner plus shell. Liners change overtime and a thinner liner can always be purchased.

The danger of buying boots without a professional fit is continuing to buy boots every season and permanently fucking up your bone structure. Boots can turn into a Chinese foot binding contraption. I have subtle bone spurs from skiing one season in improperly fitting boots.

animatorThis thread is fucking AIDS. Op said he didn’t want a 3 piece boot and then said that the novel written about full tilts was good and helpful?? 😭😭

OP seemed to be mixed up about the difference between 3-piece and 2-piece boots.

BurritoOP seemed to be mixed up about the difference between 3-piece and 2-piece boots.

Precisely why everyone’s advice to see a fitter DEFINITELY applies here

animatorPrecisely why everyone’s advice to see a fitter DEFINITELY applies here

Haha. I knew that was coming as soon as I posted that last one. Touché.

animatorThis thread is fucking AIDS. Op said he didn’t want a 3 piece boot and then said that the novel written about full tilts was good and helpful?? 😭😭

To keep it real wit u my guy I got mixed up with what a two peice and three peice boot is. I’ve been skiing since I was a kid but never got into the “tech specs” of it if u see what I mean. Yea. Three peice and a two peice is not really tech but what I thought he meant was about the tongue. U know sum full tilts got them to peice tongue idk how u call it or whatever it was just a misunderstanding

Abel.Itachi.24To keep it real wit u my guy I got mixed up with what a two peice and three peice boot is. I’ve been skiing since I was a kid but never got into the “tech specs” of it if u see what I mean. Yea. Three peice and a two peice is not really tech but what I thought he meant was about the tongue. U know sum full tilts got them to peice tongue idk how u call it or whatever it was just a misunderstanding

All of full tilts tongues are one piece of plastic with a metal attachment piece in order to attach them to the shell.....