Build a boot

[Andy Mink]

After trying on a bunch of boots this year and with some experience in others, I found features in most that I liked even if the boot wasn't quite right. My boot, or at least parts of it:
Head Raptor strap. It's burley with the double pass through.
Tecnica Cochise buckles. I like the way they stay open and off the boot. No unnoticed closures when trying to get in or out.
Head Vector buckle multiplier. That little extra leverage on the top buckles make it easy.
Dalbello Panterra wrap around liners. No pinch points at the tongue/cuff interface.
K2 Recon. Stupid light.
K2 Recon Heat. Every boot should be heated! Across the top of the foot makes more sense than a pad under the foot.
Raptor/Dobermann/etc. Enough plastic to grind, heat, cant, and move around without hitting air pockets in the soles or melting through.

What's your "dream boot"?

 

[NE1]

Race fit without pressure points, even response throughout flex range, warm, easy to get on and off...wait...those are my bedroom slippers...

 

[jmeb]

- The perfect last for my foot -- something like a Hawx Ultra with a bit more instep height.
- Overlap design (no 3 piece tongue), with "Easy-in" sort of instep.
- 1200g
- 60-degrees of motion in walk mode
- Three buckles: toe & calf buckles from the Cochise. Instep ratcheting strap a la Dynafit Hoji
- Hoji walk-mode system.
- A modified Voile ski strap as a power strap. Light, strong, elastic.
- Intuition Tour Wrap liner.
- Swappable soles, with DIN and AT soles in the box.

 

[Noodler]

My biggest issue is temperature effect on plastic ski boots. I hate having the boot flex so dependent on how cold it is. I know there are some plastics now out that improve on this, but they lose the damping properties of the typical PE. And, yes, I'm well aware of Dodge Carbon boots, but in my opinion that doesn't yet fully solve the problems and brings in a host of new ones. We need something better for ski boots. (Corollary issue is the entry/exit issues with cold shells).

Also, I want a more easily adjustable ramp angle without being a clumsy mechanism (that leaves slop in the immediacy of the bootboard). The ability to individually adjust the heel, midfoot, and toe heights would be fantastic (without needing to grind or shim!).

Finally, all ski boots should come ready for some kind of heating system, even the high performance race-type boots.

 

[Andy Mink]

I've noticed some boots have precut slits and elastic up the back of the liner for heated inserts. My wife's old boots even had a place on the back to hang the battery. Little things like that make a boot more appealing, IMO.

 

[Josh Matta]

Inbounds

KR2
with 108mm last in the fore foot
Buckles made by nordica

Out of bounds

Kr2
with a 110mm last
Canted to me Lugged Sole
Canted Tech fitting
Hoji Like walk mode
buckles not made by Dalbello.

 

[Choucas]

So far...….Tecnica Mach 1 130 MV (going into their 3rd year) to accommodate forefoot oddities, minimal shell work. Custom footbed built by Heierling. Foam liners also done by Heierling in Davos. The liners have a tongue(not foamed) which significantly changes the pressure into the front of the boot. Boosts stiffness but still a nice progressive flex. Cantology cants on both boots. Power strap helps with the smoothness of flex and adds a bit of pop. Heierling forward lean insert behind the top of the liner puts me in a bit less upright and more balanced/powerful position (also takes up space for my chicken legs). I would like the newer Tecnica buckles but it's not important enough to spend the time and $ to make the swap. Single digit temps, they start to feel blockier and I get less feel but that's a snow feedback and ski (and skier) issue as well.

 

[François Pugh]

What's your "dream boot"?

https://www.pugski.com/threads/best-ski-boots-ever.9533/

 

[Dwight]

- The perfect last for my foot -- something like a Hawx Ultra with a bit more instep height.

Sounds like the Hawx Prime, unless you don't need the width too.

 

[jmeb]

Sounds like the Hawx Prime, unless you don't need the width too.

That's the rub -- don't need the width, just the height.

I'll be working on some Ultras shortly...as a pair of Ultra XTDs just landed on the doorstep.