Are snowboard boots really much more comfy than ski boots and how do you thing I'll find the transition from Skier to Snowboarder?
I skated all throughout my youth and I have pretty good balance and can usually pick things up quickly.
I have a bit of dilemma, I got back into Skiing this season after skiing when I was a child. I really enjoy Skiing but after coming back from a 3 day trip I've decided that enough is enough with the agony of Ski boots, I've tried different brands, having them adjusted to my feet but they spoiled my holiday.
I changed from snowboarding to skiing. I find skiing far more enjoyable, infinitely more comfortable, more intuitive, sociable and far far less painful.
After snowboarding my body hurt in ways that simply weren't normal. Skiing, I can ski all day and still feel good afterwards.
But then again i am supremely ungifted on my feet, have balance issues and am tall and lanky. I've been likened to a giant stickman fumbling down a hill.
Snowboarding soft boots are great I know where you're coming from. I hated walking in those ski-boots. Now I put my boarding boots on at home and just take the train to wherever I'm going (usually flumserberg).
I made the switch from skiing to boarding last year and it's not been too bad. Just be prepared to spend 3 days on your behind and then you'll get going. This is the most annoying thing about boarding ... unlke skiing, you don't get "going" straight-away. There's also no "snow-plough" to prevent you from falling. I wear my inlining knee-pads.
I didn't have a problem with having my two feet bound to the board.
Taking some lessons first would be a good idea though to get the basic techniques of turning.
There's still time in this season to try it out ...
Oh, if you're looking to buy boots, I'll be selling a pair of nice Burton boots, worn once.
My snowboard boots are SOOOOOOOOOOO Comfy.... As for the transition, you will probably fall on your butt a few times to start then you will get the hang of it after a couple of days. At least you have a feeling for snow and getting an edge in which most noobs don't have.
Give it a go... You'll love it.
I think thats the plan, I might get a couple of hours during the week to see how I get on.
What size........
Chalk and cheese, boarder boots are fine to wear all day.
You will hate being a boarder to begin with though, its alien. You will fall over alot, feel like a fool because you can't even walk with one boot in and you can't turn corners.
After a week you will be amazed how quickly you have progressed.
I would say that it takes a lot longer to be a good skiier than it does to be a good boarder.
44 - I'll send you details and pic if you like.
I think they might be a bit small, I'm 45.5, but thanks anyway.
Likewise I might have a pair of Rossingnol Scratch Freestyle skis for sale in the near future.....
If your ski boots hurt, then there is something wrong with them. Boots are the most important part of your ski kit and you should reckon on spending a more than a day finding the right pair. And don't go for cheap ones.
Some brands just don't suit. So if a store doesn't have a comfortable tight-fitting boot for you, try another store.
I tighten my ski boots in the morning and never adjust then again until I remove them in the evening - not even loosening them at lunchtime. They don't hurt at all and hold my foot tightly - I can only wiggle my toes.
Boots is no good reason to change from skiing to boarding. There are many more uncomfortable things about boarding. I have done both and after 4 seasons boarding, like Gooner, went back to skiing some seasons ago. I'd never board again...
Basically I could have written the first post. Just went skiing for first time in 9 years and had to stop almost straight away with the agony in my feet. I'm not great with balance so I'm not sure boarding is the answer for me.
Is there a particular brand of boot that might be known for being wider or do I just keep on trying them on until I find less agony?
Also, has anyone in the Zurich area either bought decent foot supports or got specially made ones from a podiatrist they can recommend?
Last year I attempted the transition from shite skier (for 20 years or so) to boarder. If you're a skier then you will already be used to sliding on snow, so initial training from that perspective won't be that bad. However while you're training you won't believe the sheer number of times that you have to take your board off or undo your bindings.
Some things that used to be intuitive(?) on skis such as T bars are now very difficult once you have a board.
Also - very important - buy wrist guards!
Boot-wise, I was never able to find a pair of ski boots that fitted me well. My feet always seemed to be a bit wide for the 'standard' sizes, and I sure couldn't afford to buy some custom-made ski boots. No problem with snowboard boots.
First I'll disagree with AbFab and say that you don't need a "good" reason to switch from skiing to boarding. Do whatever works for you. It is all good. I've tried boarding, it never really worked for me, and am constantly discovering new levels of skiing and new terrain that would be inaccessible to me on a snowboard. But that is me, you will never know what is right for you until you try it.
But everything else that AbFab said I agree with. There is no reason why a modern ski boot can't be comfortable unless you have a very unusual foot, in which case snowboard boots will be just as bad. Ski boots have improved dramatically over the last decade. Ok, they will never be like slippers, as one advertising campaign I saw tried to claim. Also, rental boots will always be shit. If you want comfort you need to buy your own boots and a footbed.
When you buy a boot go into a shop when it is not busy so that they can spend time with you. Go to a shop with a wide range of brands, as every different brand fits a different foot shape. Go to three or four different shops and buy from the one where they give you the most time and pay the most attention to you. Don't buy from the shop where the guy gives you the most popular model and asks how they feel.
Have started skiing this season. As a child did cross country and skateboarding and have a pretty good balance – picked up skiing very quickly and now feel pretty confident and comfortable on any slope. As for the skiing boots, also had my difficulties, but have finally found the ones that are good. You just have to try all different brands and different fittings, but agree that you can find a comfy pair.
After skiing every weekend since end of November, last Sunday decided to try snowboarding. And although I have managed to go down a blue slope in a nice controlled way on my front and back edge, managed to do turns both sides, found the attempt almost a torture. Have of course fallen on my behind (a few times) and on my knee (been icing them in the evenings) – now nurse bruises in both locations. Additionally as you are also using your upper body much more than in skiing (when falling to protect your already sore places and by trying to climb up the hill) – all torso muscles and arms are also in pain.
Will difinitly give it another go, just to make sure that it does not work for me, but honestly skiing just makes so much more sense and you are not strapped to a board and if you fall on skis it is usually not as bed as on the board.
Personally I did not find boarding boots much more comfortable than my skiing boots, they also felt loose in all the wrong places, but pinched my calves.
I had tried skiing before (well coming from Finland most people have... ) and have now taken up snowboarding and absolutely love it!! Am battered and bruised (spectacular falls on the backside) but can't wait to get out there again next weekend!
try it and don't give up because of possible initial difficulties
I tried various different brands of boots and also custom bridges to no avail.
Just nipped into town to try a few pairs of snowboard boots on.....
My god what a difference. I tried a pair of Burton boots and a pair of Salomon, it's like wearing a pair of sneakers. Just got to get to the mountain and have a crack at it now.
Same here, I would have no problem wearing them too and from the slopes apart from the fact they are not so easy to walk in on ice.
I think not adjusting them is key to comfort, your feet change size a lot due to temperature and altitude and every time you loosen them you are just readjusting them to a position that will become uncomfortable next stop.
How they feel in the store is (unfortunately) not necessarily a good indication.
I enjoy skiing and boarding in equal amounts. While I do own my own snowboard kit, I have always (in the past, at least, I've decided to splash on some ski boots in the end-of-season sales) rented ski boots. I've tried on boots that were uncomfortable initially, but quickly "bedded in" and were fine for the rest of the day. Conversely, I've tried on boots that seemed fine inside the building, but nearly had me in tears after less than an hour of skiing.
Snowboard boots, while softer, are no panacea either. I've had more than enough of them cause me pain. Even the boots I own, for the first two days I used them, were agonising - but once they'd moulded to my foot (or my foot had moulded to them ) they were (and are) like wearing a pair sneakers.
While I would encourage anyone to try both skiing and boarding, I must echo the sentiments already expressed that "bad boots" should not be a reason for changing from one to the other. If ski boots are painful, then you either need better fitting boots, or you have very weirdly shaped feet - and in the latter case snowboard boots are unlikely to be much better (although you might get lucky).
It's also a bit like buying a motorcycle helmet, in that certain brands have certain shapes, and some people just don't fit into some of those shapes.
CS
As someone who spent 15 years skiing, switched to boarding for 8, and am now a telemark skier there are a lot of things to tackle here... Overall snowboard boots are more comfortable. Not always and not for all people, but in general this seems true. That said: Ski boots shouldn't hurt. If they do, try other ones. Sooner or later you will find goodness. I have wide feet and my Garmont tele boots work great. Snowboard boots vary greatly in stiffness and change depending on which bindings you use. I *hated* getting in and out of bindings so I used K2 Clickers. I also like a very stiff, carving ride so I wound up with boots that were very stiff also. (side note: I never see click-in bindings and never understood why more boarders didn't adopt them) Skiing and boarding prefer different terrain. A looooong cat-track is no big deal for skier, you lean into your boots and chill out. For a snowboarder this is a great chance to catch an edge, crash, and walk. On the other hand when the snow is thick and soft I much prefer my snowboard; some days you just feel like surfing Neither is better or worse, just different and expect to spend some time finding the terrain to suit the gear. Skiing and snowboarding also use different geometry. Hard to describe but one of the reasons for the perennial "snowboarders are jerks" meme is snowboarders turn in different arcs and tend to need to sit and rest from time to time. This leads to the "why do snowboards stop and sit in the middle of the run" gripe (which is legit, I wish snowboarders would stop on the edge of the run). Definitely wear a helmet; catching that back edge is part of the learning process. If you decide not to wear wrist-guards then make sure to keep your hands in a fist, it will really help those first few days to keep the fingers from bending backwards on the inevitable frontside crashes.
And overall just have fun. Skiing is great, boarding is great too.