The flex in ski boots refers to how easy or hard it is to move the boot forward at the cuff. It is represented by an index number, ranging from 50 (very soft) up to 130 (race stiff). The flex index of the boot can usually be found on the side of your boot.
Some brands and styles will have two different flex numbers, for example 110-100. These boots tend to have an easy to use dial on the back of the boots, which allows you to slightly alter the flex of the boot between the two numbers. The tricky thing is that most boot manufactures don’t stick to a standardised flex index, so one brands 110 flex could be another brands 100 flex. So its good to just use the flex index as a guide, rather than strictly going by the number.
What Flex Ski Boots?
You may ask yourself, what kind of flex would suit my skiing ability? Generally speaking, a first time beginner skier will be in a very soft flex boot and an advanced skier would be in a much stiffer flex boot. However, your weight and the type of skiing can affect it too!
Too keep it simple, a 70 – 90 flex would suit beginner men. Intermediate men would be comfortable in an 80 – 100 flex boot, and advanced male skiers would look at a 90+ flex. Again, this is just a guide; a heavier/stronger skiers would want to go for a stiffer flex boot because they will be more powerful and will easily ‘flex’ the boot.
Women tend to have less body mass for their foot size and height, therefore flex ratings are lower. The flex starts from 50 and will go up to the highest point of 110. Beginner women skiers would suit a 50-60 flex, intermediate women skiers will be looking for the 60-80 flex, and advanced women skiers will get much more out of a boot that’s between 80-110 flex.
As always we recommend seeking professional advice and getting your ski boots fitted by a qualified boot fitter.
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