Ski Boot Parts

Do you want to know about ski boots parts? Modern ski boots provide good feet support without the pain of the old school hard frame boots. There´s even the chance to thermomold the inner boot, to get the perfect fit. But even the most basic ski boots nowadays have the following parts:

1. Outer shell. Plastic, depending on brand and design can be more or less flexible.
2. Outsole. It´s the key part for the boot to provide good control over the skis.
3. Toe gap. This is the place where the front part of the binding connects with the boot.
4. Heel gap. It´s a prominence that continues back from the back part of the sole. Provides a place for the back part of the binding to click on.
5. Ankle flexpoint. Usually a flat bolt, allows the skier to move forward and change stance when skiing.
6. Buckles. These are the devices that tighten the outer boot to the foot. Most ski boots have five or four buckles.
7. Power strap. A canvas strap that tightens the upper part of the hard boot around the low leg.
8. Tongue. Most boots offer two overlapped tongues, inner and outer, to provide great support, stability and comfort.
9. Grab loop on top of the tongue. This loop will help putting the boots on. It´s strongly sewn to the body of the outer shell tongue.
10. Liner. The liner goes inside the shell, and is where the foot fits. Depending on the liner material,it can tend to be thinner or thicker. The best quality boots are lined with natural wool liners. Most liners have a set of laces of their own.

Molding the inner boots is a good way to prevent the formation of blisters and other injuries. Even if your boots do not clearly state it, most synthetic or wool liners can be thermo-molded. Just apply some heat to them and put them on, tighten them and walk around for a few minutes.