How to Choose / Measure Your Ski Boot Size

Most ski boot shells (the outer boot) cover 2 foot sizes. This works because the soft 'squishy' liner boot will stretch and mould to fit different size and different shaped feet.

How To Measure Mondo Sizes

Ski boots are sized using the Mondopoint system which is very simple, making it nice'n' easy to choose the correct boot size. The Mondopoint size is the length of the inside of the ski boot liner, measured in cm. To work out your size, the best way is to look it up on a pair of ski boots which fit you well but, if this is your first pair, measure the length of the insole on your best fitting pair of trainers. Remove the insole and measure, using a steal measuring tape, from the extreme tip of the toe to the extreme tip of the heel. The measurement will ALWAYS be exact to the nearest 0.5cm. You will never get 30.2 or 28.8; it will always be 30.0 exactly. This is your mondo shoe or boot size. Checkout this video to have Adam explain it all in plain English. The video uses a snowboard boot but the principle is exactly the same.

Comfort Or Performance Fit?

You may have come across the terms "comfort fit" and "performance fit" for ski boots. The vast majority of recreational skiers, skiing 3 weeks a year or less, choose comfort fit - which means they chose a pair of ski boots the same as their normal shoe size. This provides the best level of comfort straight from the box. Performance fit involves choosing a ski boot a little on the small side to ensure a really snug fit. This tight fit gives greater control over your skis, which is important at high racing speeds. It does, however, mean that your boots will need to be professionally fitted because the outer shell will need to be adjusted to relive any pressure points.

How Should Your Boots Feel?

When you first try on your ski boots they should feel too small, with your toes touching the front of the boots inside. This is perfectly normal. Ski boots have foam in the heel cup area designed to pad around your ankle to prevent heel lift when skiing. This foam is soft and spongy and pushes your foot forward in the boot, making the boot feel too small.

Very Tight

To counter the small feel, bang your heel on the floor to ensure your heel is as far back in the boot as possible, then tighten your boots almost to maximum possible, especially around the ankle area. This will help force your foot back inside your boot and you should feel your heel fit snugly inside of the heel cup. In store, we regularly have customers tell us their boots are too small but when we tighten them, they tell us their boots now fit fine. New ski boots are stiff so it is not easy getting them as tight as they need to be. Starting with the clamp closest to your toes, attach it before moving backward down the length of your foot, attaching each clamp in turn. Then, go back to the toe clamp and tighten it a bit more, repeating for each clamp as you move back down the boot. Repeat the process until the boots are as tight as they can be without causing discomfort and without causing pins and needles! If you get pins and needles, ease the clamps a bit.

Bend Your Knees

Even if you have tightened your ski boots properly, they could still feel too small but this might also be absolutely fine. The back of a ski boot is inclined forward by about 20 degrees to help you maintain the correct skiing stance, with your knees bent so that they overhang the front of the boots. This is the position you should be in when you test your ski boots for fit. Bounce up and down a bit so that your thighs burn. This is what you will be doing whilst skiing. Doing this pushes your feet back into the boots and compacts the heel cup foam.

So many customers make the mistake of walking around our ski shop testing their boots for fit as if they were buying a pair of shoes. This is so wrong! If you stand up straight your calf will act like a lever against the back of the boot, pushing your foot forward and making the boot feel too small. Always test the fit of ski boots by bending your knees so that they hang several inches over the front of the boot. Never evaluate a boots fit by standing upright and by walking around the room like you would for a pair of shoes.

Pressure Points

Ski boots are made to exactly the same size specifications as normal shoes but if you have unusual shaped feet, please be aware that the outer shell is much tougher than nice soft shoe leather. Parts of your foot can press heavily against the side of a shoe and the leather gives. Unfortunately on a ski boot any pressure against the outside of the boot means a sore foot and uncomfortable skiing.

The Final Test

So, your standing there in your living room, boots done up nice and tightly after banging the heel of the boot on the floor. Your knees are bent and all of your weight is on the balls of your feet. You have bounced up and down a few times as if you are skiing and your thighs are burning. You can now start evaluating the fit of your boots. Your boots should feel snug all round. A loose fitting boot is no good because you will loose control of your skis. If you feel the boots causing a pressure point or any pain, then the boots will need to be adjusted. If your heel is staying put, your toes are either just about touching or just off the end of the liner and the boots are nice and comfy, then it sounds like you have the perfect fitting boot!

Still not sure what size to get? We're here to help!

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