How long do ski boots last?
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- Gear expert, George discusses how long ski boots last and proper maintenance for longevity.
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I’d say I have the world record. Same pair of Lange XLR’s for 42 seasons and I ski them hard. Only a week per year now but I would ski them up to 30 days per year when I was younger. This was the Gold/silver Olympic medal boot that Phil and Steve Maher wore. Awesome boot!
Is that true? You have those orange boots that Phil used in the 80s? Wow!
1000+ days old school sidas foam liners
Best things ever
I got my old Raichle's out and tried them on for the new season and they feel great!
the ease with which the liners came out and went back in the boots.. dude must be frying in there
The most important point is not mentioned: All skiboots are made of some type of plastic. And as such, they contain emollients. And these emollients are volatile. Once they are evaporated, the boot does not only feel stiffer (wich very likely remains unnoticed), it can break under the presures in action while skiing. Very severe accidents have happened because of that. Critical time is max. 10 years.
Atomic Waymaker 120, best boots I ever owned. Lasted 5 seasons of ski instructing, 80+ days per season, until the shell cracked on a ski tour one fine spring day
Well.. I managed to push my dalbello's (120 flex) to 486 days.. I got them for the 2018/2019 season. According to my tracking data, I put 4.2 million vertical feet of skiing on them. I had to replace the liner, but other than that, they worked out. I just got a pair of Fischers (130 flex this time).. Brought my foot beds over from the previous boots, as they were custom made (Park City Ski Boot!).
excellent! Park City Ski Boot is a great shop.
that's crazy. you must've been skiing nearly 100 days per season?
@@skifast_takechances My last season in Utah was 114 days. I'm back to more "normal" numbers now.
Just bought my first pair last season and wanted to know good tips for storage, I'd buckled them after cleaning at the end of last season and stored inside. So far so good!
have used my lange rx130 for 9 years, closing in on 500 days in them in a professional setting (ski instructing, IVSI level). Still no problem, liners are fine as well. dry them out slowly when wet, dont put them in the heat dryer and take good care of them, then you are golden.
How long do they last? Well, I got my Dynafit 3F foam boots when I was about 20. Yesterday was my first day on the slopes for this season and I blew the side out of the right boot. I am now 62 years old sooo those boots served me very well for more than 40 years. They were custom foamed to my feet for when I was racing back in the day and fit so well I never replaced ver the decades. I likely won’t be around in 40 years so I don’t know how long the boots I get to replace them will last.
Same story with my Dachstein V3 pro. I have tried to find new but you can't find boots as good nowadays..too expensive to manufacture. Have tried dozens of new ones but nothing fits well...
you don't know that. with the state of modern medicine you may very well be skiing hard for 40+ more years. don't give up!
As a long time ski boot and binding technician I love this video 👍 We constantly remind customers to buckle up their boots when they bring them in after leaving them unbuckled for 5-6 months. Plastic has memory so buckle then helps keep proper shape of the upper cuff. For proper binding release the boot soles need to be within proper shape and dimensions. They should be replaced if they are worn down. If you wait too long we may not be able to get replacement boot soles 8+ years later.
Thanks @thomasmedeiros5722, definitely a good idea to keep them buckled up for sure!
Replacing toe and heel on the dinsole is only available on recreational boots. Professional boots have no replaceable parts allow for the sole to be planed to accommodate extra lateral adjustment if necessary, otherwise the lower shell is one piece as it should be to survive the forces. Wearing out the dinsole is caused by walking. If you only ski in your ski boots (have a locker) the soles last forever. .
@@MrDogonjonpretty much everyone will benefit from lifters… more height=more force on the ski
@@MrDogonjon Your use of "professional" is inappropriate in this subject. While it is true that most RACE boots don't have replaceable soles, there is NOTHING unprofessional of a teaching PRO to wear any number of boots with replaceable components.
Three years ago, I had a 15 year old boot split at the toe during a turn. Needless to say, I lost the ski, the boot was a write off and had to walk down to the base. I took a pair of rental boots at the base but asked whether they had seen this kind of thing before and they asked how long I had had them. At 15 years I was at the top end for a plastic boot as the forces from different bindings and general wear and tear can cause multiple stresses that will eventually give way - usually on a very cold day when the plastic is less supple, which was my case. I was lucky I was on a turn when the speed was low. I now own a new pair, but I will think about changing them more frequently. Perhaps after 6-7 years.
Ive been on the same high end solomom boots for 15 years now. I will need to change it soon... damn I hope I get passed this season 😂
My brother skied his pair of Lange's for TWENTY FIVE years only replacing them this past season at my insistence
@@simongloutnez589 past
Helpful video! I have those Nordica speed machines in orange and love them!
That's what I have and I like them too.
My old ski boots lasted for 17years (good old Salomon SPK) skied about 30-50 days every year(included summer skiing). Also used them for training on water ramps. Only thing I had to change was the liner, the shell can last for many years. And much longer than the skis, if you are a park skier.
Love my SPK Pros from 2009, only used them heavily for 2 years... probably have 150 days on them max, tried many other boots including the Ghost 100s, nothing has ever gotten close to the comfort of the SPKs...only thing i ever changed was the grip sole
I'm still skiing in my old Salomon rear entry boots that I got 30 years ago. Probably have used about 120 days. Still very comfortable.
I also had a Solomon from the 1990's that lasted almost 20 seasons. Maybe 14-20 days a year, but still amazing considering how many broken boot posts I see nowadays.
I had a pair of SX91 Equipe Salomon's for 18 seasons as a ski patroller ...finally the shell broke on 1 of them ..I miss those boots ..like slippers
My feet hurt when they think of those old rear entry boots. Not a good carving boot.
@@flyoverstateresident2890 My feet were really comfortable ... can't say they carved a good turn ... as a patroller you weren't expected to do ski instructor turns
@@stihlnz I have to get my boots worked out of the box. My two year old Nordica's started leaking on warm days which prompted their replacement along with packed out liners. Fortunately, PSIA program like the ones offered NSPS makes boots affordable.
I've skied hard on my 1978 Raichli boots and they are still great. I was a double black diamond mogul skier for years. My Raichli's are warm, comfortable and still going. I bought a back up pair on ebay that are identical for $35. Brian H. Canada
There is nothing like the 1978 vintage! I miss those.
What 1978 model Raichle ski boots do you own? I have same 1976 Raichle comp boots. They have a 5 way forward lean adjustment on the back. I have never seen another pair on the MT. or even used . Rare?
I'm a little fuzzy on the year of my boots but they are 70's model. They are black and don't have the adjustment your describe. I used them on Fri. and they still fit great, stay warm and work well. @@sammartinez4244
Nice Video! thanks
Glad you liked it!
I think, for most people, the biggest wear and tear will be walking on the pavement to the ski lodge. If practical, you will save a lot of wear and tear on the boot soles if you can wear something different up to the lodge whenever there isn't snow in the parking lot.
Also, if somebody has moldable liners that you heat up to form fit, you can reheat them a couple of times to make them swell up and conform to your feet again.
Season 35 on my 1989 Rossignol R900’s. Inside shell is on the last legs. About every five years I try on some new boots but they don’t fit like a glove lol. 1989 was the first year Rossignol made boots after buying out Lange.
Still skiing with my Dachstein V3 pro and over 35 seasons behind. Now looking for new boots as boot bottoms are worn out. A nightmare to find new boots for my difficult feet.
Got my pair of Cochise about 400ish days of skiing ago or 3 seasons ago of daily skiing and they hold up in the turn, greatly painful walking around the village and the bootpack
What can we do with the old boots? Give to Goodwill or are there options other than landfill?
Lasts are the foot like forms that ski boots are molded around. lasting only takes less than a second. The amount of time a ski boot remains a good tool depends on the boot you choose, how often you ski and your ability to ski. Most skiers get boots that are two sizes or more too big requiring extra padding inside the shell often a liner that is extra cushy that feels great trying them on only to result in terrible pain and zero performance. Cushy comfy liners pack out in a few days. Shells with extra bells and whistles, flex adjusters, walking mode etc simply break in half under skiing stress. A good boot is two sizes smaller than your street shoes and requires custom fitting. The thin liners are painful when you put them on in the shop cold on the slopes but when performance counts they are excellent. My previous boots Atomic CS 110 worked for 12 years skiing every day working on hill teaching. My current Rossi 120 Hero has been operating for 4 seasons are going strong I hate to give them up once the fit is right boots will work until the buckles fall off and still ski well inspite of that. Most instructors upgrade their boot every other season. Not me I ski them till the buckles fall off or the sole wears through to the liner walking in them.
I was trying to convince a lady and her daughter to buy the boot that is little small and have it fitted. The 17 year old was adamant that it hurt her feet, the next size too, they ended up buying a pair two sizes too big for her that she will have a terrible time skiing in. Have to disagree on the walking mode tho. If you want to do proper freeriding, you need that, otherwise you cannot get to the best places.
My boots are from like 2010, I've changed the custom insoles, liners and grip walk soles. Custom fit to my feet, don't plan on changing them any times soon, rather buy more skis lol
@ryan3984, what do you have your eyes on for new skis?
@@TheSkiMonster Atomic Bent Chetler 120, my Nordica Enforcer 104 Free aren't wide enough for deep days
How about new boots’ shelf life? Is it ok to buy discounted new boots from a few years back? Do shell or liner degrading over the years with proper storage? How old is too old for a brand new pair.
I have at least 10plus year old speed machine boots that have been used to ski and race . Had the liners replaced about 5 years ago with surefoot x5 and everything is good but am concerned how much longer before shell fails
How many full days do you have on those shells at this point?
My boots have lasted over 10 years at about 50 days/year in all terrain and snow. I have used Intuition liners for over 25 years. They last as long as the boots and make it feel as though I am wearing a pair of slippers.
My Lange is from 1996 still going strong but just bought a new pair of K2 revolve
I like that the "higher end" boot example was the lower end version of the boots I bought.
Skiing is ridiculously expensive and that's a huge barrier to entry. if you can afford it, buy once cry once. That being said, I bought 20 year old used ski's and boots on craigslist to start my journey and they worked just fine to get me out in the snow.
Boots are super important, the most important.
@@ryan39584 Yup, I'd say buy new boots and get everything else used - after you've decided you actually want to do the sport for reals.
You can ski on 2 by fours , but don't skimp on the boots
@@joeostrosky8137 You're not going to have a good time on shit skis no matter how nice your boots are.
I'm here after 22 years on a pair of Lange V8 boots, lol. I think I paid $300 in 2002 but they were worth every penny.
Boots get hard and stiff with age. Lose their ability to flex and absorb.
I had this pair of Head boots. Narrow 97 last. I did some fitting when I got them, they hugged my feet perfectly. There was no looseness. Buckles and shell, looked brand new. Everything about them was nearly perfect.
But they were ultimate hell getting on and especially fetting off. Extreme pain. Extreme force required.
When I went to buy new boots, Lange RS130, I thought something was wrong. They were so soft. Like marshmellows compared to old boots. I was shocked how much, and how easily, they flexed.
But skiing them, I quickly realized how much old boots were holding me back. Eveey little bump knockedmeoff balance before. They might as well have been steel casts.
Old boots = unskiably stiff boots
I teach 4-6 days a week 120 days a season. I’m lucky to get 2 seasons from a shell. PS I take care of my gear.
Lot of comments about wearing really old boots kind of scary along with people still skiing on skis that are 30 or 40 years old and don't consider how bad a shape the bindings are in
I get about 3 season out of mine. I spend 60ish days in them a year, most of those are coaching.
Can't say enough about getting a proper fitting by an experienced fitter. Best way is to let the fitter examine your foot and have them choose the boots that are right for your foot/leg dimensions. And get custom foot beds. The other thing is that materials, especially closed-cell foam materials, break down over time. Those boot liners that are only five years old with a hundred days on them do not have the same dimensions, fit or energy that they had new. Trust a pro to get you set up properly but also remember that if they don't feel right and the tech insists they are perfect then you can absolutely go elsewhere. Last time the guy at my local store tried to get me into a really soft boa-type boot with a wide last. The amount of flex was crazy. Told him I'd think about it and then got boots at a Colorado ski area and they are perfect.
@cvn6555, We are also huge fans of a proper fitting with an experienced fitter. Bring on the good times with happy feet.
I have a pair of speed machine bots that are at least ten plus years old and I had the liners replaced with surefoot liners about 5yrs ago. Performs like a brand new pair. But like said plastic doesn’t last forever. So I’m on the fence as to when to replace them. Hate to have them fail screaming down a black
IF you are a skier that goes skiing 2 weeks in winter, you can have it for 20 years+, same with skis.
Same story with bike helmets. Manufacturers and retailers will - surprise surprise - tell you that you need new gear every X years. I wonder why they say that? Look after your kit, inspect it, repair it if necessary. Basically use your brain. The idea that a boot only lasts 150-200 days or whatever is the biggest load of BS I’ve heard.
Not gonna defend the manufacturers etc, but I can tell the difference between a worn ski boot or skis, when either of the two cannot provide the support/performance I need, I replace that gear. On ski boots it is easy to tell, since they become a lot softer and start to open up quite a bit more when pushed hard. With the skis it is a bit harder to tell, but they loose that "pop/responsiveness" and when set on edges you can start to feel the ski twisting more and more and then one day you can feel that the ski is able to twist so much that the edges release. But that is definitely not after 150 days but more like after 500+ full days of hard skiing. Currently I still ski on my 12 year old ex training slalom skis and I have to say in the last few years I am noticing declining ski performance. And I have 6 year old boots that currently have ~300 days of skiing on them, and I can say that I am noticing a reduction of the boot shell stiffness and support when skiing hard (toe box opening up too much and less forward pressure) and therefore am considering to replace both the skis and boots. I mean of course there are a lot of people who won't ever notice that and to them this is irrelevant. There is also a lot of people who buy boots to match the gear they have and don't care about the actual boot stiffness and other properties, but for someone who is buying boots at 115-140 flex range and wants good performance from the boots and skis the decline of the shell stiffness and performance may not be negligible.
Ski boots last much longer than you think. At least if they are old enough… I replaced my old Salomon SX91 Equipe last year after 30-35 years use (one to two weeks each year). Since I was worried about how the plastics would hold up I bought a pair for spare parts and I had tried to find new easy get in/get out shoes that are hard enough for normal skiing. Tried Nordica HF rear entry (with a lot of hope) but those were soft and impossible to ski with. Ended up with Dalbello ID Panterra (ID is the important thing) that are stiff and reasonably easy to get in and out of.
Helmets, they say that because helmet might not be able to protect you anymore.
Helmets aren't about hard shells, they're about the styrofoam. Purpose is to deform and absorb impact. Slow it down. That is where protection comes from.
Time and exposure to sweat, to ozone, etc can degrade foam. Degrade its ability to deform at rate designed for.
It can only save your head if the styrofoam is able to do its job.
@@russelloppenheimer3970I doubt there are any independent studies about styrofoam characteristics degradation out there. It’s all what manufacturers say, and what they say is driven by their sales/marketing teams
In this world material fatigue exists, unfortunately
Bought my Lange Comp 120 in 2004. Just replaced them with a new pair of Lange RX 130. Probably my last boots.
I use my gear until it no longer "keep up", i went through 2 skies "life", 6 years from a Rossignol athlete sl, 4 year from a second hand head i sl and using my current head e sl rd and i still use my nordica dobermann boots since then (45 to 60 ski days per year) . Ski boots usually becomes harder with time, and brittle so if they don't crack they could last forever in terms of "holding power".
Good video, but my advice is to leave the boots *un*buckled when not in use. The reason is that more and more boot brands have a rubber snow barrier between the two flaps on the dorsum of the foot. That helps keeping your feet warm, because snow can creep in quite easily without it. If you buckle up your boots, you will compress that rubber, which will then loose its flexibility and therefore it barring power.
Don't worry about the outer shell being harder to close in the foot after a year in storage unbuckled. The buckles exert more than enough power to overcome that. That's no problem at all.
The problem with leaving them unbuckled during transport is that you are much more like to bend or break a buckle. These gaskets that you speak about are designed to be compressed and while they do help to keep water out, no ski boot is 100% waterproof.
@@TheSkiMonster -- I'm not talking about transport but about leaving them overnight and especially storing them for a longer period.
Any thoughts on the life of the plastic materials?
@keithpither4795, Polyurethane and polyamide are going to be the most durable, polypropylene and carbon or glass loaded boots are going to be less durable. It will come down to use and maintenance regardless.
Is it a US think or why are Ski-Boots so ridiculously expensive on your website? I cant really think of Boots over 600-700 Euros in Europe at all. Would be about the same in Dollars and only high end Touring Boots are more expensive rarely.
@_thundr_lol6125, Thanks so much for reaching out. We definitely cater to a skier that wants a quality product that is sure to last them more than a season or two. We don't want skiers ending up in a boot that will need to be replaced too quickly. In some "cheaper" ski boots they use lower quality materials that take away from performance, fit, and longevity. In the US we follow a minimum advertised price policy that is set by the manufacturer. So you will find the same prices for the same products across the US market.
@@TheSkiMonster Just asking because the same Boots you sell are so much less expensive here. Even on the manufacturers site. But it has to be a US thing than.
@@_thndr_lol6125it’s not just boots, take a look at lift ticket prices in Colorado or California versus Austria or France. Skiing in Europe is wayyyyy more budget friendly
It’s true. Last pair of atomics high end boots I bought (last year) were about 300 eur discounted. Ski gear in general seems way more expensive in the US. I once paid 600 usd for some boots there and there are pretty crap (well actually just too stiff for me to use).
How tight should the buckles be?
@Juloww, Buckle your boots so they feel secure and the pressure feels even, on the cuff the tension should feel the same on both buckles - if it’s not it can result in unwanted shin pressure/pain.
I ski my boot unbuckled a lot. When performance counts I buckle then to their first latch on the ladders. Any more than that distorts the shell ruining my feet causing chill blanes and neuropathy. Skiing unbuckeled can cause damage to buckles so I keep them on the last notch opening the buckles to relelax the fit between runs.
Tight so you don't get slop and end up with shin bang. Adjust as you ski during the day as they warm up and pack in.
@@MrDogonjonThat's because your boots don't fit....
I had a pair of top $$$ creamsicle Tecnica TNT boots from 1993. I put only about 30 days (a short season for me beforehand) in them for over 7 years and in 2000 they both broke on the same run within a few turns. One shell broke, I skied down on one leg to get the boot and ski and the other shell broke. Wtf was that? Defective boots in my opinion but of course after 7 years Technica didn’t replace them.
100 Days WOW!!!!!
Ski boots are like fossils, they last forever; obviously, cheap boots degrade and disintegrate, but I have only worn boots from the 90's and they never die.
ahh the boot salesman wants you to spend $900+ on boots every two years
'the boot salesmen' gave you advice on how to get more time out of your gear with proper care/mainetence and that if certain parts break or get worn out they can get replaced so you don't have to replace your boots.
Cat Tracks for the bottom of the boots!
I made my own with a 3D printer, so far they work great
lol, no you did not
higher end More expensive is mostly flex index no? so a beginner wouldn't really benefit from this advice possibly? maybe?
I believe you made a mistake. You said days instead of years. My skis are 15 years old and now my son is using them and same for my boots the only difference is I bought the boots used so they are about 20-25 years old now he will get another 20 years in and then sell them for someone to enjoy
Zipfit liners $650
If that's all the longer boots last then manufacturers are making shitty boots.
I bought a pair of Raichle Flexon Comps in 1981 and they are still going strong. I have never broken a buckle or any other component.
I am one of those skiers that skis hard all day long.
North of 200
1000 bucks for 100 days of skiing .. ouch.. other than that lots of good info..
My boots are 18 years old and cheap. Still works.
They’ll “work” until they crack or can’t click into bindings anymore.
Mine are 45 years old and were free, still work great
I'd want to get at least 5 recreational seasons or more x 150 days out of a pair of boots, ok have to replace those grip walks every couple of years but hey ho. If it's not broken, why fix it. Bit like saying you have to replace your car every 2 or 3 years. You can, but you don't have to.
As he stated in the beginning it depends on how many hours a day, days, and how hard you actually ski. Some skiers in my group put over 100 days a season at about 4-5 hours per day on their boots. Like he said it relates to actual use.
I get great deals on boots. $400.00 is cheap (pro form). I have a team of boot fitters and regional reps who argue constantly about what I need. That's how I know the good ones who say less is more. Then I end up doing my own fitting.
They last forever if you don’t talk to someone that has a vested interest in selling new ones.
Well that wouln't be entirely true, if it helps you, I have seen quite old boots (approximately over 40 years) breaking off, the owner got on a chairlift and the ski just fell of with front part that was supposed to hold in the front side of binding and I don't mean the pad, but the tip.
One thing is that from eco point of view, these will last for an eternity before it turns "into dust", but had it been made to last for that long, you would have had much more useful things made of it (all sorts of medical things to begin with, pick your example of anything else if you like).
Forever, isn’t this just a simple fact? a FACT.
Ski boots don’t wear out
150 hard uses from tight to shot...just like a young lady.