©Nordica

There are two fixed ideas non-skiers have about skiing. The first is that it will be expensive. The second is that they will have all sorts of problems with their boots. Both of these perceptions can be true – but they don’t have to be.

Ski boots are cumbersome, heavy, stiff lumps of moulded plastic. But there is no reason on earth they should be uncomfortable. In the rental shop here’s what should happen. You wear a medium-weight pair of socks, and just one pair. The padding is in the boot liner, not the sock. You will need a boot for a beginner because they are more flexible (therefore more comfortable and forgiving).  You’re paying a lot of money to hire them – if they look battered, say so, because they might be too loose after a huge amount of wear and tear.

When you put your foot in, your big toe should touch the end of the boot. Stand up and bend your legs a little to see how the boot ‘sits’. Get the fitter to fasten the straps, and watch the order they are done up – those on the shin first, and very snug, then the two on the foot, moderately tight. The latches should flick open with some pressure, but neither be stiff nor come open easily. Finally the Velcro strap pulls the top of the boot close to your upper shin. The boot should be very snug on your shin/calf, with space to get one finger down the side but not two.

With the boot now done up, your foot is drawn back into the boot and your big toe should no longer touch the end. Your heel should not slip up and down or side to side, you should feel the boot snug across the broadest part of your foot but it should not be too tight, and you should feel some support under your arch.

Overall, a good fitter should be able to tell what boot you’ll need by looking at your feet – they assess the width, and overall ‘volume’, and recommend accordingly.

There are some rules to stick to:

-Take your time in the shop. If you have to try on 20 boots, so be it.
-If you feel pain while skiing, stop and take the boots back to the shop.
-Check the boot is done up properly. The stiff tongue goes on the inside, the outer plates wrap around it – beginners often put the tongue on the outside.
-Don’t tuck anything into your boot – ski pants go on the outside. Make sure socks and base layers don’t bunch up or you might get a sore patch as it rubs
-Check the clips have not flipped open while skiing. If they are loose, put them on the next notch. If anything aches, check it’s not too tight.
-Loosen your boots if it makes it easier to walk, and to give your feet a break over lunch or a rest stop, but beware that many are injured by falling due to fully opened straps.