Backcountry.com Alpine Ski Boot Fitting Guide
Boot fitting…few unregulated institutions inspire more fear, anxiety, and confusion. How long have you been rocking those duct-taped plastic coffins? Too afraid of the dreaded new-boot torture process to look into some new brick slippers? We understand, and we’re here to help. Finding the right boot is similar to choosing a significant other—long-term commitment, complete trust, and learning all the secrets are a must. Check out our ski boot fitting guide, look for a foot profile that matches your own, and shop with the confidence of a golden-parachute-equipped tycoon.
Brand Breakdown
Lange: With a long and successful history on the World Cup circuit, Lange has always been first and foremost a racer’s bootmaker. Recently, the company has branched into the freeride scene and dialed back the adrenaline a bit, but Lange boots still tend to favor performance over comfort.
Salomon: Another heavy hitter on the World Cup scene, Salomon has seen great success with its Gun, Falcon, and Icon series—toned-down versions of its race room boots. The two-buckle SPK is a radical departure from Salomon’s past designs, and it has pleasantly surprised many park & pipe skiers.
Rossignol: A ski manufacturer at heart, Rossignol actually only designs the upper half and liner of its boots, leaving the bottom shell design in the capable hands of Lange. While that might sound like cheating, the result is often a more comfortable boot that sacrifices little performance in return.
Tecnica: Long the favorite of funky-footed skiers, Tecnica has a knack for fitting a wide variety of feet without cramping performance. From the iconic bright orange TNT of years past to the heralded Agent Freeride series of today, this company makes the hardest decision in purchasing ski gear look easy.
Nordica: The rabid, concrete-stiff Dobermann Aggressor race boot is the inspiration behind Nordica’s Supercharger freeride line, and the function-first approach is clearly evident in these boots. That said, softer flex profiles, wider lasts, and cushy liners let you take these dogs out for hours instead of minutes.
Dalbello: Italian bootmaker Dalbello also produces traditional overlap alpine boots, but its real claim to fame is the 3-piece Krypton Pro I.D., a modern, high-tech evolution of the old Raichle Flexon design. Needless to say, they are feeling some heat from upstart Full Tilt. Full Tilt: Founded to appease the cult followers of the original (and now defunct) 3-piece Raichle Flexon design, Full Tilt uses the exact same molds and hardware as the Flexon, with a new heat-moldable Intuition wrap liner. The design may be old, but Full Tilt’s rational approach is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Skier/Fit Profiles
Re Wikstrom
Foot type: Street shoe: US Women's 9.5. Normal/wide foot, low arch, Amazon-sized calves.
Past Boots: I have always used Salomon except for that one time I had a deal through my ski team on Atomic. Always get custom footbeds. Have dabbled with custom foam-injected liners. My current boot is the Salomon Rush 9, in 25.5.
Skier type: "Type III", skiing since age 3, learned to ski on the East Coast, raced for 3 years in college (was captain of team for 2 years, no varsity status for us, lots of drinking, but I went from 46th-ish overall my first year to tied for 16th the next), been skiing in Utah for 4+ seasons and get 90 - 100 days in. I am also 5'5", 185 lbs, prefer a ski in the 176 cm range at least 105 underfoot, med/stiff stiffness, prefer steep and smooth wide open turns.
Re had to move the teeth on the upper cuff of each boot—this is common for most women because of longer calf muscles (than men).
Tanya Christensen
Foot type: Street shoe: US Women’s 6.0. Normal foot with narrow heel, high instep, medium arch and low-volume calf.
Past Boots: Currently I am in a pair of Lange Exclusive 100, 22.0. For the past 6 years I have been skiing with foot beds and just recently switched over to foam injected liners. They were painful to break in, but worth the performance. Besides that my old ski boots were a pair of Salomon X Wave 9’s. I prefer a stiffer flex.
Skier type: 29yrs old, 5’4”, 120lbs. When I was three years old my Dad put me on a pair of skis on the icy slopes of Bromley Mt. in Vermont and since then I haven’t stopped. At 22, I moved out west to Colorado and just last year I moved out to SLC to pursue my career as a big mountain freeskier and ski mad POW at Alta. My choice of ski is Fat-ypus’s E-motion in a size 174cm. On sweet POW days I ride the Fat-pus’s A-lotta in a 172cm. I love to ski fast, steep terrain with friends and enjoy a nice cold PBR at the end of the day.
Sponsorships: Backcountry.com, Fat-ypus skis, ScottUSA, Surefoot, Five Season’s and Alta ski resort.
Rob de Luca
Foot type: Street shoe: US 10. Narrow heel, medium arch, high instep, low-volume calf.
Past Boots: Two different versions of the Tecnica TNT, and I am currently in the Salomon Pro Model Gun Spaceframe, 26.5 with Zipfit liners and custom footbeds. I’m looking for new shells this year.
Skier type: 29 yrs old, 5'10", 165lbs. 17 years skiing, 2 seasons of 30+ days. Advanced (can’t call myself an expert), all-mountain and backcountry skier with no racing background, and I learned on the Ice Coast. I’m pretty light so I ski with more finesse than power. I prefer a lighter alpine boot with a mid-stiff flex for sidecountry and hiking. I love powder, I wreck often, and I will ski pretty much anything as long as I don’t have to go first or land on my feet.
Jason Whitehouse
Foot Type: Street shoe: US 10.5. Wide foot, medium-width heel, high arch, high instep, high-volume calf. “Flinstone foot”
Past boots: Salomon X Wave 10, 27.5. Had the Falcon Gun last year but could only ski two runs at a time in ‘em—too narrow.
Skier type: 28yrs old, 6’2” 195lbs. 10 or so seasons of 30+ days. Humbly-proficient at steeps, pow, running into trees, falling off moderately-sized rocks..., as long as it isn’t ice I’m stoked. I’m a fat kid and I like to ski faster than I probably should. Grew up skiing the Wasatch in rentals and without lessons. I tend to bootpack often, so hikeability (or comfort and stability while hiking) is important.
Hud Knight
Foot type: Street shoe: US 12. Narrow foot, high arch, medium instep, skinny legs.
Past Boots: Lange WC150 28.5, Lange Banshee Pro 28.5, BD Factor 28.5, and a few others.
Skier Type: 36yrs old, 6’2”, 190lbs. I have been skiing for a few decades now and mostly here in UT. I am a powder snob, like to ski fast, and make large radius turns. I spend most of my time skiing steeps, backcountry, or “Billy goatin” over rocks to get to that last stash. I like a more generous fit for hiking and occasionally getting in the backseat if it is really deep. Not to mention, it’s tough to sit on the Tram deck and drink beer if your feet are killing you.
Men's
| Hud: (Narrow) | Rob: (Medium) | Jason: (Wide) | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Lange Banshee Pro |
Narrow forefoot, high instep—causing heel lift. Medium to narrow heel. Fancy-nice liner, super supple gel tongue. The instep felt high, due to a possible mis-grinding of the boot board maybe? | Practically everything I said about the Rossi B-Squad 130 applies to this boot. | A little roomy in the heel. Somewhat snug around the ankle, but seemingly roomy elsewhere. Comfortable liner, and solid feel throughout—the right kind of roomy for my toes. |
 Lange Super Comp Pro |
The shell’s toe arrow dealie is nice for toe movement – lift them up and you have more room. Had to take the liner out to get the boot on. Lace-up liner is nice and snug. Very snug fit, glued all the way around – super firm liner, performance fit. Snug heel and forefoot. Med to low instep and very snug. Good fit for Hud. | Difficult to get into--had to take laceup liner out first to get in. snug everywhere, bordering on too tight in the forefoot and ankle. Very snug, but almost a pleasant snug – feels very diff from the banshee. Very tight over the instep. | |
 Salomon Falcon CS Pro |
These are lighter than most boots. The leather in the liner is nice but I am skeptical of any stock liner. Fits a lot like my old Sally’s, but plusher in the tongue and lower in the instep. Same inner right ankle rub that I had to have punched. Nice narrow heel. Firm flex but not close to the FT’s. | These feel a lot like my Falcon Guns from last year. Constrictively tight from heel to toe box, and an instep buckle that crushes my arch. Seems like the custom fitting option would help a lot. | |
 Salomon SPK Pro Model |
Snug instep—great for spinning. Medium to large heel. Med to large forefoot. Super, super soft, forward flex, but laterally stiff. | Like slipping on a pair of Uggs. These are plush as hell. Heavy too, with all the leather. The two-buckle thing is better than I thought, but these are clearly park boots, roomy in the toes and all around. Super flexy and shock absorbing. They’d be a lot of fun in bumps. | Feels like wearing a sofa. Big toe box leaves plenty of wiggling room. Heel is nice and sung and plenty of instep and mid-foot room. Really comfy and seems pretty soft. Not too constrictive on the calf. |
 Dragon HP 120 |
Feels like the same shell as the Agent—high volume heel and forefoot. | First impressions: Like slipping on a pair of Uggs. These are plush as hell. Heavy too, with all the leather. The two-buckle thing is better than I thought, but these are clearly park boots, roomy in the toes and all around. Super-flexy and shock absorbing. They’d be a lot of fun in bumps. | Room in the heel. Comfortable in the forefoot, but I wonder if I’d have too much room once the liner packs out. Solid. |
 Tecnica Agent 110 |
Little long, little wide, medium instep – might be better for a higher-volume fit. | Feels almost exactly like the Dragon 120. | |
 Tecnica Agent 80 |
Real soft instep, really tall cuff, gobs of room – definitely a generous fit – not a super thick liner. Plenty of movin’ around room. More than enough toe wiggling room. | Amazingly, these fit lengthwise, though they are now too wide in the foot due to the wider last. Too flexy for my taste but would be good for a very light skier or advancing intermediate. I would have to recommend a custom liner; this liner is awful. | Fits like a sofa compared to the rest of the Tecnicas. Roomy toe box, lots of wiggle room. Heel lifts a lot. Sloppy. |
 Nordica Speedmachine 12 |
Generous heel and forefoot, middle-of-the-road fit. | Nice boot, feels solid overall. Love the big tongue loop and instep “trap door” for putting them on. Fits like the Salomons but not as low in the instep. Flex is progressive, 100mm last is not roomy, just right. These are nice boots; if you used a custom liner they’d be amazing. | Feels comfortable and solid. Definitely enough room in the toebox and instep—I have wiggle room. Cuff is comfortable and not overly-constrictive. Feels good right out of the box, but I have worries about the liner packing out and changing the fit. |
 Nordica Supercharger Blower |
This seems like a race boot; it seems heavy and built to charge. Fit is really secure out of the box and the flex is firm but manageable, not a “race flex”. Harder to put on than any boot yet today, but the reward is a great fit. Like the Speedmachine 12, but a bit narrower last. This boot would be powerful, but I feel like I could wear it all day. | Stiff and solid. Less room than in the Speedmachine, but still roomier than Solly’s 98mm last boot. More of a performance fit compared to the Speedmachine—but definitely not too tight. | |
 Dalbello Krypton Pro |
Long shell. Snug toebox. Low volume boot, roomy in the ankle and heel – almost feels too big. Feels more techy than the Full Tilt. Real easy to take on and off. These are freaking burly and heavy. Really thick plastic in the lower shell. Complicated buckle and wire cable system is tough to figure out but they are easy to put on when you get it sorted. Fit is super-duper tight through the whole foot. Toebox is very narrow, visibly and uncomfortably so; I am told the plastic is designed to be ground and capped in the toe during heat molding. Flex is amazing though, feels like it comes from the back of my heel all the way up my calf, unlike any boot I have worn. | More snug in the toebox than the FLT and the shell feels more contoured. Comfy snug heel, but tight over the instep and toes. No toe wiggling room. Tight around lower calf. | |
 Full Tilt Konflict |
(27.5) *went up a full size. Narrow heel that feels high/ramped. Narrow calf fits well—plush but firm. Stiffer than expected. Snug but not killer toebox, still room to move toes. Really easy to get on. These are wicked light boots. So light, they feel flimsy. They are not flimsy AT ALL. The fit is upright, spot on for length, which is one full size larger than usual. Heel feels ramped, with maybe a bit of lift. Intuition liner feels snug all the way down, like a cast; best non-custom liner feeling I have ever felt. The #8 tongue is SUPER stiff, like, race stiff. Can’t flex it. | Feels generally comfy everywhere but the calf. Snug fit but not too snug. Feels really solid. Liner feels cushy. Kind of a pain in the ass to buckle. Feels pretty static and unadjustable. | |
 Rossignol SAS 110 Sensor3 |
Generous fit—fit long (finger and a half shell fit), medium forefoot, med to high instep, med/generous heel. | Love the look of this boot. The white shell is killer. Liner is not quite as firm as the B-Squad but the fur is nice; I would try to put in my ZipFits. Flex is slightly softer as well. Everything else is about the same as the B-Squad above except no Vibram sole. I really like this boot. | Feels comfortable, roomy but not loose. Great park boot. Comfortably snug throughout. |
Women's
| Tanya: (Narrow) | Re: (Medium) | |
|---|---|---|
 Salomon Idol 8 |
Good overall fit and was quite similar to the Rossi’s. Its flex was a bit softer than I would have liked and I did notice my heels lifting slightly when I flexed, but this issue could be easily resolved with my custom foot beds. Plenty of room in the toe box and my feet had good blood circulation after being in them for a while. | Substantially different feel than the Scarlet—more comfy version of the Scarlet. Heel feels good. Cuff feels like the right height. A little tongue pinch along the inside. Enough wiggle room for toes. Still maybe a little too narrow in the forefoot, but not nearly as bad as the Scarlet. |
 Salomon Scarlet Ski Boot |
I definitely needed to go up a half of size in this boot. It had a nice stiff high performance flex and overall my foot was quite snug. The toe box was a bit too small and I could feel the blood quickly drain from my feet after I cranked down on the buckles. It had a nice smooth liner and the back of the boot’s cuff did not pinch my calves. It was quite easy to get in and out of. I feel a size 22.5 would give me the room I needed in the toe box. | Soft. Barely any toe-moving room, toes being smashed in toe box. Real snug over ankle. Real narrow through the instep—hotspot above the second buckle. More pain as time goes. On lowest buckle setting. Too tight in the arch—feels immediately cranked. Smashing the arch—instep buckle crushes arch. Everything tight from toe box to heel. Cuff not too high. Heel extra locked in. Forefoot is crunched without out buckles being buckled. |
 Dalbello Kryzma Custom Women’s |
It was a bit awkward to buckle everything down and I did notice that I could move the middle buckle lower down on the boot, which would make it a better fit for me. It had a medium to stiff flex and I did feel slight pressure on my instep when I flexed the boot. I had a bit too much room in my heels, but they didn’t lift up when I flexed. Also the toe box was perfect and I could wiggle my toes slightly. The liners were quite “kush” and with some adjustments to make on the placement of the buckles this would be a good all mountain boot. | Wiggle room in the toe—just right amount. Feels a little tight over instep, little tight in the toe box. Needed to switch teeth to larger fit to volume calf fit. Noticeably higher cuff—really tight at the top of the calf. Heel stayin’ put. Definitely feel too tall in the cuff. Non-flush fit on the upper cuff. Too narrow. |
 Roxy Black Magic Women’s |
“Ouch!” This size was way too small for my feet. I could definitely go up a full size to a 23.5. It had a small toe box and would be great if my feet were a little bit narrower. My heel was nice and snug, but my toes were jammed up against the front of the boot. I couldn’t really crank down on the buckles because it was a bit too small. It had a medium to stiff flex and it was a bit difficult to get in and out of. | Small in the toe box, toe is crammed and something annoying sticking out of the liner. Toes hit end when standing up straight, but plenty of room when flexed. Tight in the mid-foot. Soft shell. Lower cuff than the others, more accommodating for the calf. Feels like a plush slipper because of the liner. Heel seems pretty solid—won’t come up unless really forced. Wiggle room in the toe box when flexed. |
 Rossignol B-Pro 100 Women’s |
Overall, this was the best boot out of the bunch. Great fit in the toe box and I loved the furry liners. My heel was nice and snug and I could really crank down on these boots without any pressure points developing. In addition, the flex was perfect and it was quite easy to get in and out of. It also did not pinch the back of my calves. | Teeth adjustment isn’t easy—pain in the ass. Hurts below the shin and above the ankle—feels like a bar running across the shin. Like the boot has a flex point at the shin--not a smooth flex. The cuff feels like it isn’t flexing as one, just hurts. Heel feels large, no lift, just sloppy. Pretty tall in the back, but accommodating. Extra roomy in toe box. Good fit through the instep, plenty of room. Buckles are smooth working. |
Fitting
Proper fit in a ski boot is crucial. To control the long, heavy sticks under your feet, you need the strength of your upper legs and motion control far more precise than any street shoe can provide. Boots are the key to great skiing, and should fit you like an extension of your bone structure—as close to your foot and leg as you can manage. That doesn’t mean you should be in pain, but ask any ski racer and they will tell you: tighter is better. You might be thinking ‘but I’m never going to race in my boots.’ Well, we know that. Want to cruise groomers in your Bogner one-piece before you hit the hot tub at 2pm? This ain’t your guide. This guide is geared toward demanding freeride and freestyle skiers like ourselves, who normally go to a shop to get fitted but want to learn the secrets of professional bootfitters.
Step 1
When you first fit a boot, take out the liners and put in your own insoles or footbeds (more on this in the Tips section) by themselves. Put your larger foot in the appropriate shell so your toes barely touch the front, and lean forward as shown in the picture. Stick a capped Hi-Liter (or your finger) down the back of each calf to your heel. If you can rattle it around, that’s a ‘performance fit.’ If it fits but you can barely rattle it, that’s a ‘high-performance/race fit.’ If you can’t even get it down there, that is called ‘too small’—but you probably can’t get your foot in there to begin with. Any more room than about two fingers/Hi-Liters and you are sacrificing response. The reasoning behind shell fitting is simple: the shell drives the ski, while the liner (no matter what kind) packs out over time.
Step 2
Standing in your ski stance in both boots, and using a mirror (or a friend), examine how your calf lines up in the cuff. Ideally, in a neutral stance, it should be equidistant from both sides. Most high-performance boots have ‘canting adjustments’ (upper cuff alignment) on the sides to take care of knock knees or bowed legs and forward lean angle adjustments to put you further out front, and some have grindable boot boards to change your ramp angle or add more room in the heel. Properly adjusted, with the liners in the boots, your soles should be flat on the ground.
Step 3
Once you’ve dialed the shell fit and the cuff adjustment, spend some QT in your boots to get a feel for any other sizing inconsistencies or hot spots. Buckle into your boots and spend some time (at least ten minutes) in a proper stance to get a real feel for how the boots will fit. This will indicate whether or not you need to take some more fitting measures.
Fitting Tips
Almost any high-performance boot can be made bigger through punching (heating with a heat gun and pressing out from inside) or grinding (removing actual shell material from the inside with a Dremel or similar tool), and made softer by removing bolts or cutting the shell, but you can’t make a boot smaller or stiffer without detracting from performance. Spend time on improving your boots’ fit, and the reward will be better, more comfortable skiing for years to come. Many liners are heat moldable and offer a somewhat custom fit, but the fact is, all liners will pack out after a season or so, leaving you with the shell you bought (remember shell fitting?). A boot shell that fits properly will last far longer than the liner, so consider purchasing an aftermarket liner when your stock liner packs out.
Footbeds
Footbeds, orthotics, insoles…whatever you want to call them, they are one of the most crucial aspects of boot fitting and they can make a huge difference in your skiing. When your foot bones are properly aligned and supported by a footbed, your edging, balance, and comfort level will improve dramatically. Whether you have custom footbeds made, or you just buy an inexpensive aftermarket insole like Superfeet or Yaktrax, you should absolutely replace the ones that came in the boot. Most boot insoles are intentionally cheap and flimsy, because manufacturers actually expect them to be thrown out. We recommend starting with an aftermarket insole and moving to a heat-molded or full-custom footbed as your skiing improves. You’ll thank us.