How tight should Ski Boot Buckles be?

Is there a general rule of thumb when it comes to how tight/loose to have each buckle :?:

IE- If you tighten the top buckle you will have better feel and control :?: :?:
Or, do you get feel and control from the bottom two :?: :?:

I have been experimenting but having only skied on plastic i get the idea that you don't feel much feel from that anyhow..


As a novice i have had my boots quite loose, i seem to be comfortable that way, no real pains in my feet.

However, am i missing something that could possibly help my skiing :?:

I fully understand that it will be such a personal thing and what might work for one might not work for others :!:

PS.. Can you tell i like
these :mrgreen: :lol: :D :roll: :P's

Personaly, I tend to have the top buckle quite tight and also I make sure that the velcro power strap is also tight.

The toe buckle doesn't do a huge amount other than to keep the snow out so just tighten it so that it's not causing any discomfort.

The centre two buckles (assuming a boot with four buckles) I vary the tightness of depending on what I'm about to ski. When these buckles are tight it can be very difficult to flex the shin of the boot forward enough to maintain a decent control of the skis. On steeps where a lot of angle flex is a benefit then loosening the two centre buckles can help. If you're stood at the top of a piste, taken a few deep breaths and are planning to let rip with a full on carve-fest :D then crank them up tight. You can always loosen them again at the bottom!

I had race boots fitted in Banff last year but race or novice they should fit like a glove-really, should be firm hold over the entirety of your foot with no pressure points and no movement of the foot, this is what the bootfitter aims to achieve but it is very difficult to do so as close to this as you can get would be excellent! In regards to buckle tightness it would be to secure the foot there should be no movement once again. and also minimal "heel lift" which can lead to problems with technique.

Ross

In addition custon footbeds can make the world of difference to you especially novies and i'd highly reccommend them!

Thanks for the advice guys,

With regards to the custom foot beds.

I am and have been using Supafeet in all my boots/ shoes for the last 5 years.
Although they aren't custom moulded, they do support the ankle and a little arch support.

Not sure how much more custom moulded ones give, and considering i get almost no foot pain..

:D hi,with a modern clip boot you should aim to have the clips over the bridge of the foot and the ankle clip fairly tight as this will keep your heel into the back of the boot and the soles of your feet flat onto the sole of the boot,the clips over the toes should not be overtight so you cannot wiggle your toes( this is one of the reasons peolpe complain that thier feet are cold because they have restrictid the blood supply to the toes),as for the clips on the shin and the strap-when the top clip is tightened you should be able to insert a fore fingure down the front and then do the strap pretty well as tight as it will go,if the top clip on the shin is too tight this squashes the calf muscle and tendon and this is why you get cramp and pins and needles.
Also when you are fitted for ski boots make sure you wear proper ski socks or a thick pair of walking socks( i find woolen walking socks to be very good)and try and take the time to find a boot that is as snug as possible as you can always loosen the clips slightly ,but if you get a boot that is slightly loose to start with you will not have that option.
many regards
jonG.

If a ski boot fits well, the buckles need not be cranked down.

Generally what happens is that people buy boots that are comfortable with thick socks at the store. They use them a few times, the liners "pack in" and then the only way to get a snug fit is to over tighten the buckles. This is a very uncomfortable situation and these hardly used boots end up on ebay or the owner thinks they have a foot problem when in fact, the boot was at least half a size too big.

Fit new boots with ultra thin ski socks. After several hours of use. you will be able to wear medium socks and by the end of the season, you will be wearing thicker socks still. Modern ski boots don't require thick socks to keep your feet warm in average conditions.

The best advise I was given, was that if you don't have to cut your toe nails every week, then your ski boots are too big.

My foot measures 27.4cm. I use 26.5 or 26.0 mondo boots.Acceptably comfortable while skiing/boarding. Not so comfortable to sit around in. I don't have to crank the buckles.

Search the forum for other threads on this topic.

Good luck

Trencher

:shock: thank god for this thread! Since we are on the topic of hurtin' feets. How about nasty calf cramps? any takers?