The 4 Elements of a Great Fitting Ski Boot

A properly fitting ski boot is essential not only for comfort on the mountain but also for control, performance, and overall enjoyment. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, dialing in the fit of your ski boots will completely change your skiing experience. 

There are the four key elements that make up a great fitting ski boot:

1. The Right Size

Getting the right size is the foundation of any well-fitting ski boot. Unlike regular footwear, ski boots are sized using the Mondopoint system, which is based on the length of your foot in centimeters. Shell sizing is the best determiner for the boot size, and this will be done by any staff member helping you with your new boots.  You want about a cm of space when the foot moves from front to back, give or take.  However, length alone doesn’t guarantee a good fit.

What to look for:

• Your toes should lightly brush the front of the boot when standing upright. Remember, that tension or "touch" you feel at the front is the liner, not the shell. In a new boot, you need to have a sense of the end of the boot.
• When you flex forward, your heel should stay in place, and your toes should pull slightly back.
• A snug, even, consistent and precise fit with no pressure points ensures better control and less fatigue.
• It's a complete fallacy that an expert skier needs less room when being shell-sized than a beginner. If we assume their feet are the same length, the only way for a beginner to have more room is to go to a bigger boot size.  Size is the same, but the overall fit can be different.  Yah I know...#mindblow.

Tip: Don’t size up for "comfort" no such thing—modern liners fit better, have anatomical shape, they break in and pack out. A boot that feels too “roomy” out of the box will likely become sloppy over time. Sloppy means overtightening to compensate.

2. The Right Shape/Last

Every foot is different—not just in length, but also in width, instep height, and overall volume. That’s where boot shape, or last, comes into play. The last refers to the width of the boot at the forefoot and gives a general sense of how the boot fits overall...including the cuff volume which has nothing to do with the last width.  Good to mention here that the last width is typically the widest point of the boot at a size 26.5. Getting the shape right, after you know the size is right means the most overall even fit.  Even means exactly that.  You can't get pressure points with even.

Common lasts:

• Narrow (97-98mm): For low-volume feet or aggressive skiers who want a performance, high contact fit.
• Medium (100-102mm): Suitable for most average-shaped feet.
• Wide (103mm+): Best for higher-volume feet or those seeking a more relaxed fit.

3. A Footbed

An insole is not a footbed.  The stock insoles that come with most ski boots are generic and lack support. Custom or trim-to-fit footbeds will vastly improve comfort, balance, and control by providing proper support and stabilizing the foot within the boot.  It's not about arch support, it's about putting the foot in the most ideal, aligned position possible to interface better with the base of the boot, to keep the foot and the boot moving and working together as close as possible.

Benefits of a proper footbed:

• Reduces foot fatigue and hotspots.
• Helps align your lower body for more efficient skiing...foot bone is connected to the knee bone, knee bone is connected to the hip bone...
• Enhances power transfer by minimizing foot movement inside the boot. It can actually slow down the movement of the foot in the boot where the turn is over before the foot can move out of position.  Slow is smooth and smooth is fast...
• Custom is custom...to you and both of your feet.
• We do Superfeet Winter Comfort thin for our trim-to-fit footbed and a variety of SIDAS Custom footbeds.

4. Closure/Proper Buckling

Even with the right size, shape, and footbed, poor closure or incorrect buckling can compromise fit and performance. Properly adjusting the buckles, power strap, and tongue position ensures the boot works as intended.

Closure essentials:

• Buckle from the bottom up, securing the ankle and heel before tightening the upper cuff. Try to keep the tongue pressed down with one hand while you close the buckles with the other.  This will keep the tongue from riding up as the buckles are closed.
• The power strap should be snug and provide downward pressure on the tongue, not just be an afterthought.  It is the most important closure on the entire boot. Pull it out and across with some tension. It's correct when you don't see a gap between the shin and the tongue.  Do yourself a favour and get a BOOSTER strap...
• Avoid over-tightening—fit should come from the boot’s shape and size, not brute force.  Pinky tight is the measure...if you can't close buckle with your pinky, it's too tight.  Buckles are also designed to be opened when not skiing just saying.
• If you're coming out of skiing in a boot that is one or even 2 sizes too big, you need to relearn how to buckle your boots.  Having history in boots that are too bit means a habit of how you've been buckling your boots. And habits are hard to break.  If you do the same red-faced, cross-fit like reach around system where you run out of buckle ladder teeth that you've had to do with your old boots when you get new proper fit ones, you'll crush your feet.  Take it easy and start from scratch...low buckle tension and increase as you need.  

Tip: Learn how to fine-tune buckle tension throughout the day. Slight adjustments can relieve pressure points or improve responsiveness as conditions change.  Having a POW day?  There is waaaaay more drag on your skis in soft snow and drag on your skis transfers to your boots. Give them a bit of a snug up on a soft snow day. Oh yeah, free Powder tip...straight line before you make your first turn in pow...you'll be going faster and the ski will start to plane. Mistake everyone makes is to turn before you're moving fast enough and you fight the snow. Go fast enough and you can pretty much float anything. Haha can you tell I have ADHD? Hey, want to go bike riding?  

Finding the perfect ski boot is part science, part art, part magic and totally easy and fun. Enjoy the process, we do.

By focusing on the four key elements—size, shape, footbed, and closure—you’ll be well on your way to a boot that performs as well as it fits. For best results, work with a professional make the process easy and who can customize and tweak your boots to match your anatomy and skiing goals. Better they are, the least amount of work there will be to do and the faster the process is.  Trust them.  One of the biggest mistakes in info out there about How-to-buy ski boots is to take a lot of time and try a bunch on.  It's really the exact opposite of that.  Or should be...