What To Look For
First and foremost in a boot you must determine your type of skiing. If you are a recreational skier who only goes out every once in awhile you will want a cozy and soft flexing boot. This will make for easier days on your feet. For Intermediate skiers, you might wish to try a higher performance, tighter fitting boot. This will force the skis to do what you want them to. For advanced or aggressive skiers, you will want to have extremely tight fitting boots because on the challenging terrain you need your skis to respond as if they are an extension of your very own leg.
Common Pitfalls
One of the most common problems for those buying boots is getting talked into something outside of your level or need. Those who work in the field tend to want to put you in a high performance boot as that is what they would choose. But if you are not skiing 100 days a year, these will only make your experience less than optimal and often times painful to your feet. Also beware of odd ways of attaching to bindings. Every once in awhile a company will come up with a new binding style in which you will need a particular boot. These boots tend to quickly become obsolete and you will likely only be able to use your own ski set-up with them, limiting your options when skiing.
Where To Buy
You can buy ski boots at any sporting goods store but to have the best selection you should choose a store that specializes in winter gear. Sometimes stores will focus on ski boots only in the winter months. This is when you will get the greatest number of options as well as be able to try on the boots in the store.
Cost
New ski boots can range anywhere from $300 to $800 depending on how high end you go. You can often times find boots on sale and can sometimes work prices as low as $150 or $200 if you wait for the deal. Consider buying at the end of the season in order to hit up the sales. Stores are trying to move product and will often cut deals. Also consider getting last year's model. Often times the differences are small, mostly just the graphics on the boots.
Comparison Shopping
Some of the most popular brands are Rossignol, Salomon, Tecnica, Nordica and Lange. When looking at these boots it can often be a matter of what fits better on your particular foot. The boot that you find perfect might be too narrow for someone else. Rossignols tend to be the most generic in their fit style. Salomon also offers a narrow and wide variety. Tecnica tends to lean toward higher performance boots as well as Lange. These tend to work best for more advanced skiers. Nordica tries to split the difference by putting out a recreational and performance line of most of their boots.
Accessories
To enhance performance as well as comfort, consider getting a liner or insert that is molded to your specific foot. Most of these are done with a heat system inside the store. They can be a little pricey but can also extend the life of your boot by increasing your happiness with the product.
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