Race fit ski boot for freeride??

[RadSkier_]

New boot time and looking to replace my Raptor 140rs. Current shell fit is slightly larger than the 1/2inch race fit and closer to 1 inch which is great for comfort but I feel like it lacks in performance at times. Unless I crank it down to max I cant find a great balance between snug fit and relative comfort. I’m on my second liner (warranty replace due to liquid fit) and would rather not go the zipfit route.

My question: anyone have experience using a race fit shell as a 50/50 piste/free ride. I like to carve hard and also like to catch air on anything I can and also love to bash moguls. Will I hate my life if I size down to 1/2inch shell fit when doing more free ride skiing?

[gregL]

My question: anyone have experience using a race fit shell as a 50/50 piste/free ride. I like to carve hard and also like to catch air on anything I can and also love to bash moguls. Will I hate my life if I size down to 1/2inch shell fit when doing more free ride skiing?

My approach is to use a "citizen" race boot (Atomic Redster CS 130) with an 11mm shell fit for my "freeriding" (I don't run gates, but ski all over the place) boot. Add some rubber soles and they are $$$. Nothing from the "hybrid" or "high performance alpine" categories skis as well. Not everyone has the patience to make a plug fit or flex properly, though.

[Dromond]

My approach is to use a "citizen" race boot (Atomic Redster CS 130) with an 11mm shell fit for my "freeriding" (I don't run gates, but ski all over the place) boot. Add some rubber soles and they are $$$. Nothing from the "hybrid" or "high performance alpine" categories skis as well. Not everyone has the patience to make a plug fit or flex properly, though.

Is the sole swappable to rubber on that Redster? Just casually browsing the listing it didn't look like it.

[Marshal Olson]

Quick thought.

1/2" shell fit is 12mm. I'd call that a performance fit, but a race fit is more like 5mm shell fit.
1" shell fit is 25mm... and that is a pretty extreme comfort fit verging on hard to ski with control.

[ezgzy]

I'm using a fischer rc4 140 as my main all mountain boot: not sure on exact shell fit numbers but it's 1 finger or smaller. I got the shells on the vacuum machine with moderate pressure, and I'm not running into issues skiing bumps or getting air if i'm staying properly in the front of the boot. That is paired with a zipfit though.

[mr_pretzel]

Not going zipfits is a loss.

Your shells sound too big. A better fitting boot is always better, I ski Lange plugs for all types of skiing.

[NotSoBright]

Agreed, also in plugs (Nordica) with race fit for all types of skiing, including moguls and some park.

Initially had bought them only for skiing some FIS SL skis (which are insanely fun - highly recommend). Turns out they've been great for everything, so ditched my other boots all together.

Having said that, lots of time with the boot fitter to get the fit.

Also, I'm in 130s, not 140s (@ 170-175 pounds, 6')

Buckle them up more for carving, buckle a little less for getting rowdy.

[RadSkier_]

Thanks for the input so far - super helpful.

When we did the fitting the bootfitter thought it best to not go "performance" given that I was not going to using these boots exclusively for aggressive on-piste skiing all the time. In hindsight I should have stuck to my gut but Its not like they have been a mess the last 4 years, just not quite as "locked-in" as I'd hoped - even after all the "liquid fit" pumped into the liners.

I'm going to go with the same Raptors just one size down - appointment with a (different) bootfitter is booked for tomorrow!

[stuckathuntermtn]

It's not so much what you're doing as the fit you are going for (for what you wanna do). For me, that 1 skinny index finger behind my bigger foot and everything comes after that.
If you are the least bit of a technical skier, then you want the smaller dowel at the shop (half inch?) and you can always make a smaller boot bigger.
Also, I've heard of plenty of people downsizing, but I've never heard of going back up a size just because you like to ski the whole mountain. That's fucking dumb.
Half inch is the standard.

[mntlion]

Quick thought.

1/2" shell fit is 12mm. I'd call that a performance fit, but a race fit is more like 5mm shell fit.
1" shell fit is 25mm... and that is a pretty extreme comfort fit verging on hard to ski with control.

yes. 10-15mm is kinda standard. under 5mm = race

[gregL]

Is the sole swappable to rubber on that Redster? Just casually browsing the listing it didn't look like it.

Not without a sole planer . . .

[gregL]

Not without a sole planer . . .

Actually if the existing sole is in good (new) shape you can just screw the new sole on and rout the toes and heels to get back to ISO 5355 spec.

[tenB]

Not going zipfits is a loss.

Your shells sound too big. A better fitting boot is always better, I ski Lange plugs for all types of skiing.

Anybody skied zipfits and mimic professional or other injected liners? Would love to hear a comparison.

[mr_pretzel]

Anybody skied zipfits and mimic professional or other injected liners? Would love to hear a comparison.

I haven’t skied mimics, but I’ve had other foam liners before and the zipfit provides far better compression and feel than the ones I’ve had. The boot doc race ones might be good but I’m not sure.

[EWG]

Jesus - going into a sloppy boot for technical, fast hard all mountain skiing sounds insane. My larger foot is a 10 3/4 or so, and I'm in a 26.5 boot. it works. That's because that's the size I need for my smaller foot to be tight - that one is a normal "race" fit. Larger foot is stupid tight fit. But after some time at the fitter it all works.

Those are s-max 130s and I use them skiing hard everywhere, and buckle them tighter the more technical the line gets. Ripping carved turns on groomers I can do with the buckles all undone, cause as long as my body position is good my foot stays in the bed. Dropping off airs and bumps and steeps I'm far from having my body weight perfectly centered and I want that boot dead ass tight so I can get out of jail on a dime.

As my college kid (who is in Mach 1 140s that mtnlion helped us figure out) said when I offered to pay for a heat mold for his liners - "ski boots aren't supposed to be comfortable. They are supposed to not move." This is a guy doing double backies and 50 foot airs and sending highboy. Everyone thinks freeriders are moving to softer boots. Not the ones doing big stuff that I know.

This whole conversation is backwards from what I believe, and it's confusing me.