Stiff or Soft?

Boots that is.....
Anyway........

My Lange XR 7.5's are close to the end of their life and I have been looking
for replacements, reading all the reviews of the new boos, etc... but I am
not having much luck deciding which way to go, soft or stiff? Everything
that I have read so far is split on the subject. I am getting older now, 43
and I am not replacing my skis this year but I will be demoing alot. I
currenly am on Volkl Carver XT's 184's, still plenty of life left in em. So
what do you good and not so good people think? Pro's and con's on the
subject.... I have been told that the Lange 100 is close in flex to the 7.5
and last year I tried on the Banshee 110's and they felt like old well used
rear entry rental boots when I flexed them in the shop so I passed on them
bescuse I thought they were way to soft. Or have I fallen so behind in the
times that everything is going to feel real soft to me, due to new
technology. BTW I am mainly an East Coast Skier have no fear of ice, just a
fear of losing the responsiveness and snow/ice feel I have with my current
set up.

Thanks.

I don't know anything about Langes, as I have a very wide foot! However, I
was in retail race boots for quite some time, and then I got some of the
Salomon X-Waves, the 9s which were the "stiffest" in teh women's range. Way
too soft for me, and they did unkind things to my achilles. You tend to
change the way you ski a bit, and I did miss that hair-trigger response.
Latest boots are some atomic B9s, bought purely for their amazing fit, and
they also feel rather soft to me, I can bend them a lot. Plan to put a bolt
in the back. This new soft thing is an option, I think, not an absolute.
Race style boots are still stiff, and they also recommend stiffer boots for
people with poor dorsiflexion or flexibility in their ankle or stiff feet.
Bottom line it, I think, if you like skiing in stiffer boots, then you
should stick with them. Especially if you are not into jumping off logs and
things, or ski a fair bit of hardpack.

ant

ant wrote:
I don't know anything about Langes, as I have a very wide foot! However, I
was in retail race boots for quite some time, and then I got some of the
Salomon X-Waves, the 9s which were the "stiffest" in teh women's range. Way
too soft for me, and they did unkind things to my achilles. You tend to

Your x-waves did bad things to your achilles, eh? Interesting that you
should mention that. My x-waves from the beginning of the season last
year bit my ankles so bad that I had to lay off skiing a few days last
March. I've since bought two new pair of boots. Lowa AT's and Raichle
Flexons. The Lowas are very soft but seem to drive soft skis quite well,
the Flexons will drive anything. Both boots have a great deal of
fore-aft bend even though the flexons are called racing boots.

change the way you ski a bit, and I did miss that hair-trigger response.
Latest boots are some atomic B9s, bought purely for their amazing fit, and
they also feel rather soft to me, I can bend them a lot. Plan to put a bolt
in the back. This new soft thing is an option, I think, not an absolute.

Don't know the Atomic line, but in the Salomon line, the x-wave 10 and
he cross max 10 are the same boot except the crossmax has the cuff
riveted to the lower to decrease the fore-aft bending and to make
response to ski pressuring fore and aft quicker and more precise. In the
latest version of the cross max, those rivets are actually tee nuts and
bolt which can be removed.

So, that stiffness thing can indeed be optional and changeable if you
want to experiment.

Race style boots are still stiff, and they also recommend stiffer boots for
people with poor dorsiflexion or flexibility in their ankle or stiff feet.
Bottom line it, I think, if you like skiing in stiffer boots, then you
should stick with them. Especially if you are not into jumping off logs and
things, or ski a fair bit of hardpack.

ant

Yo, are you in the states anywhere this season?

"VtSkier" wrote in message
...

Your x-waves did bad things to your achilles, eh? Interesting that you
should mention that. My x-waves from the beginning of the season last year
bit my ankles so bad that I had to lay off skiing a few days last March.

When I first had them, an APSI examiner commented that a lot of women he
knew (instructors) were having achilles problems with them. I was having so
many problems that I think the achilles thing faded into the others, but I
ended up semi-crippled. I actually could make it round the supermarket
without hobbling. I've got some proper podiatrist orthotics now but still
have some fairly major problems. the distance I can walk is severely
limited. Being in ski boots all day actually seems to help, a bit, although
i suffer in spring snow.

Don't know the Atomic line, but in the Salomon line, the x-wave 10 and he
cross max 10 are the same boot except the crossmax has the cuff riveted to
the lower to decrease the fore-aft bending and to make response to ski
pressuring fore and aft quicker and more precise.

The men's atomic B9s have a thing you can engage to lock the cuff. The
women's (my ones) have a hole drilled in the inside cuff, ready for such a
thing, but you have to add it yourself. I am planning to have it put in. I
just don't need all that softness, and my achilles don't like it at all.
I was a lot happier with my skiing when I had race boots (Lowas!).

Yo, are you in the states anywhere this season?

Yep! And if the tips are anything like what I got today, I'll be a very
happy camper indeed.

ant

On 2004-12-20, ant penned:
"VtSkier" wrote in message
...

Your x-waves did bad things to your achilles, eh? Interesting that you
should mention that. My x-waves from the beginning of the season last year
bit my ankles so bad that I had to lay off skiing a few days last March.

When I first had them, an APSI examiner commented that a lot of women he
knew (instructors) were having achilles problems with them. I was having so
many problems that I think the achilles thing faded into the others, but I
ended up semi-crippled. I actually could make it round the supermarket
without hobbling. I've got some proper podiatrist orthotics now but still
have some fairly major problems. the distance I can walk is severely
limited. Being in ski boots all day actually seems to help, a bit, although
i suffer in spring snow.

What sort of ankle/achilles problems are you having? I just got the X-wave
9s. I haven't had any ankle problems in the two days I've skied on them,
though my calf is getting awfully sore. They're a more aggressive boot than
my old ones.


--
monique
Longmont, CO

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2004-12-20, ant penned:

CLIP
a lot of women he
knew (instructors) were having achilles problems with them.

CLIP



What sort of ankle/achilles problems are you having? I just got the X-wave
9s. I haven't had any ankle problems in the two days I've skied on them,
though my calf is getting awfully sore. They're a more aggressive boot than
my old ones.

Could it be related to women stuffing their feet in high heels (even
women's flats seem to have more heel than men's) and thereby shortening
their calve and achilles? A flat footbed boot with lots of builtin
forward lean or soft enough to really flex might put excess strain on
women's shortened muscles/achilles?

In that case you could try greater footbed angle, heel lifts, or stiffer
boots, all of which would relieve stretched ankle/calve parts...

On 2004-12-20, lal_truckee penned:
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2004-12-20, ant penned:

CLIP
a lot of women he knew (instructors) were having achilles problems with
them.

CLIP



What sort of ankle/achilles problems are you having? I just got the X-wave
9s. I haven't had any ankle problems in the two days I've skied on them,
though my calf is getting awfully sore. They're a more aggressive boot
than my old ones.

Could it be related to women stuffing their feet in high heels (even women's
flats seem to have more heel than men's) and thereby shortening their calve
and achilles? A flat footbed boot with lots of builtin forward lean or soft
enough to really flex might put excess strain on women's shortened
muscles/achilles?

I wear men's trail running shoes (merrell, love that brand) on a daily basis,
so I'm sure I don't have that problem. I did wonder about those shoes wrt
ant's mention of achilles tendon problems, but I wouldn't imagine that female
ski instructors wear heels much, either.

In my case, I suspect that it's somewhat related to my calf flexing against a
fairly tight boot as I figure out which buckle positions to choose ... also, I
no longer have the "walk" option on these, so I have to walk around with
forward-leaning lower legs at lunch, which is also new.

In that case you could try greater footbed angle, heel lifts, or stiffer
boots, all of which would relieve stretched ankle/calve parts...

Mine are purely muscle-sore, not stretched. I am hobbling down stairs, for
example; classic sore-calf symptom.

Oh! As for my experience with the X-Waves. The "ring finger" toe on my left
foot is still going numb, but other than that, my feet are *so* happy.
Because of the numbness, I did take my left boot off for lunch on Saturday,
but I left my right boot on all day long with no pain. This on the second ski
day with these boots. I seem to always have problems with numbness in the one
toe; I wonder if I somehow damaged it in the past so that it's more sensitive
than others. It feels "weird" for days after skiing. Anyway, point being,
these boots after two days of skiing are more comfortable than any boot I've
ever worn. My faith in skiing has been restored.

--
monique
Longmont, CO

ant wrote:
"VtSkier" wrote in message
...
(schnipp)


Yo, are you in the states anywhere this season?


Yep! And if the tips are anything like what I got today, I'll be a very
happy camper indeed.

ant


East or west, email me off group if you like
mistypnd at vermontel dot net
RW

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2004-12-20, ant penned:

"VtSkier" wrote in message
...


Your x-waves did bad things to your achilles, eh? Interesting that you
should mention that. My x-waves from the beginning of the season last year
bit my ankles so bad that I had to lay off skiing a few days last March.

When I first had them, an APSI examiner commented that a lot of women he
knew (instructors) were having achilles problems with them. I was having so
many problems that I think the achilles thing faded into the others, but I
ended up semi-crippled. I actually could make it round the supermarket
without hobbling. I've got some proper podiatrist orthotics now but still
have some fairly major problems. the distance I can walk is severely
limited. Being in ski boots all day actually seems to help, a bit, although
i suffer in spring snow.


What sort of ankle/achilles problems are you having? I just got the X-wave
9s. I haven't had any ankle problems in the two days I've skied on them,
though my calf is getting awfully sore. They're a more aggressive boot than
my old ones.


I got these boots at the beginning of the season last year. I skied them
comfortably and successfully through January and February. In March they
started biting my right achilles tendon somewhat like a pit bull latches
onto something. I'd ski all day with a little discomfort but when I took
the boots off, I was somewhat crippled and in pain. A day would have to
go by before I could put the things on again. I tried getting some
relief from the ski shop I bought them from. No luck. And as time went
on, the interval between wearing them and when I could put them on again
got longer. In the meanwhile I bought the Lowas which worked very fine
in soft (spring) snow and I stopped using the Salomons. The shop I got
them (the Salomons) from said they could fix the problem, but with two
new pair of boots which don't have the problem, I haven't been back.

BTW, go ahead and use that funny colored notch on the top buckle. It is
attached to the rest of the strap and will hold while you are skiing.

VtSkier

"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
day with these boots. I seem to always have problems with numbness in the
one
toe; I wonder if I somehow damaged it in the past so that it's more
sensitive
than others. It feels "weird" for days after skiing.

That sounds like nerve pain. A proper bootfitter will know what's causing
it. can be a nerve being pressed around the ankle, from the side, or from
underneath the foot ball.

ant