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What's the Point of Soft Boots

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brosasaki
Posts: 108 - Karma: 825
What's the point of softer flex boots aside from comfort? Why not just use stiff-ass race boots for park and make tip/tail presses a lot easier. Wondering because I'm looking for new boots to replace a pair of race boots I have that are too long for my feet and make butters hard. Aren't the three-piece "full tilt" designs just worse performance?
Mar 27 2022 3:00PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6661 - Karma: 10,910
Smaller, lighter, shorter, weaker, less athletic, etc. people will want a softer boot. What feels soft for one person can be too stiff for someone else.

Get the flex that is appropriate/supportive enough for your weight, height, strength, ankle flexibility, and other forces you will be exerting on the boot. That might be 100, that might be 130.
Mar 27 2022 3:05PM
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brosasaki
Posts: 108 - Karma: 825
onenerdykidSmaller, lighter, shorter, weaker, less athletic, etc. people will want a softer boot. What feels soft for one person can be too stiff for someone else.

Get the flex that is appropriate/supportive enough for your weight, height, strength, ankle flexibility, and other forces you will be exerting on the boot. That might be 100, that might be 130.


But what is "too stiff"? Don't you just want it as stiff as possible for maximum body-ski connection? I mean as long as it fits your foot right, it's not really any more or less comfortable, right? Is ankle movement actually important to ski technique beyond exerting forces that a stiff boot would normally transfer from the knees anyways?
Mar 27 2022 3:11PM
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FruitBootPro
Posts: 3083 - Karma: 13,710
onenerdykidSmaller, lighter, shorter, weaker, less athletic, etc. people will want a softer boot. What feels soft for one person can be too stiff for someone else.

Get the flex that is appropriate/supportive enough for your weight, height, strength, ankle flexibility, and other forces you will be exerting on the boot. That might be 100, that might be 130.


Is this the only criteria for choosing a boot flex? Does personal preference have anything to do with it?
Mar 27 2022 3:19PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6661 - Karma: 10,910
brosasakiBut what is "too stiff"? Don't you just want it as stiff as possible for maximum body-ski connection? I mean as long as it fits your foot right, it's not really any more or less comfortable, right? Is ankle movement actually important to ski technique beyond exerting forces that a stiff boot would normally transfer from the knees anyways?

Ankle movement is crucial to staying in balance. Too stiff = you try to flex forward but you can't, which results in your center of gravity moving rearward and now you are out of balance and aren't able to control the ski properly.
FruitBootProIs this the only criteria for choosing a boot flex? Does personal preference have anything to do with it?

Only after you've satisfied those other conditions I listed.
Mar 27 2022 3:29PM
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anders_a
Posts: 1680 - Karma: 5,603
Soft boots are awesome for apres ski. and sleeping with when drunk after.

Can't see other uses.
Mar 27 2022 3:42PM
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Murslop
Posts: 73 - Karma: 600
For touring i have soft ish boots just for uphill but i have a pair fulls snd race boots n race boots are my favorite they just respond so well
brosasakiWhat's the point of softer flex boots aside from comfort? Why not just use stiff-ass race boots for park and make tip/tail presses a lot easier. Wondering because I'm looking for new boots to replace a pair of race boots I have that are too long for my feet and make butters hard. Aren't the three-piece "full tilt" designs just worse performance?
Mar 27 2022 7:20PM
3 0
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dynafitdaffy
Posts: 61 - Karma: 514
soft boots leave more room for error and self correction I think is the biggest thing. That’s why they’re good for park. Full tilt says soft boots are more comfortable in general, they reduce (but don’t eliminate) shinbang cause the boot flexes a little. Although based on only my own personal experience with shinbang, I’m pretty sure a perfect fitting 130 flex boot would have less shinbang than a “90 flex” full tilt that fits 8/10.
Mar 27 2022 11:33PM
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goatmaster
Posts: 374 - Karma: 2,432
I'm light. Your 120 flex boot feels alot stiffer than a 120 to me. I get mad shin bang in stiff boots also. My AT boots are a 120 flex and after like 4 minutes in those things my shins hurt. In my drop kicks I can ski all season with no issue. A really soft boot doesn't give you as good performance but I'm not an olympic ski racer so I don't care.
Mar 28 2022 12:05AM
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