Explain ski boot flex?

Is 120 soft or stiff?

Explain ski boot flex?
Don't worry too much about ski boot stiffness. It only really matters to racers. The most important thing is how comfortable a boot feels and whether you want to be in it for six to eight hours.





There are two ways to look at boot stiffness. The stiffness index of 50 - 140 measures how easy or hard it is for you to stand and flex the boot forward with your shin. Since pressure is one of the four basic skills in skiing, how stiff the boot is directly affects pressure movements.





The other stiffness is lateral stiffness. It wasn't important until we standardized on shaped skis ten years ago and now it's really important. Because on shaped skis we do a lot more lateral movement, how the boot supports you is critical. There is no metric to measure this, but boots catagorized as "all mountain" or "free-ride" will have excellent lateral stiffness.





I'm a former professional racer and full time instructor. I use a boot with a 110 stiffness, but have used lower and higher. Much more important to me is how comfortable the boot is.





One other thing. Usually the higher the stiffness index the higher the price.





Bob
Reply:Ski boot flex deals with the stiffness of a boot. A lower number like 60 is normally a beginner boot, above 60 is usually intermediate to advanced (some expert skiers that are into freestyle probably use a softer boot. Up to 120 or so is usually an expert all mountain boot. Above 120 is usually a race boot where comfort is not an issue but stiffness is. I started last season in a boot with a flex of 60, it was my first year of skiing but I've been snowboarding for about 20 years, well three weeks into the season I over flexed the boot it bulged big-time around the ankle and my knee almost hit my ski. I took them back because of a defect and the store rep after explaining what had happened in that boot apologized for selling me the wrong boot for my need. I am an aggressive skier and not normal for a first year'er so when I went to my local ski shop they sized me in a boot that is a 120 flex and I love them. I found that skiing was easier in the stiffer boot I could transition in and out of turns quicker and with more response to my skis. I also noticed a huge difference in skiing moguls and off paste terrain. It all depends on your ability, skiing style, and what kind of terrain you plan on skiing. I would look for a boot around 110 to 120 if you are at least an intermediate skier and plan on skiing the whole mt.



nanny