How to Choose Backcountry Ski Boots

This is a guide to get you on your way to picking the perfect pair of backcountry ski boots. A good of pair of boots for backcountry skiing will make your day of skiing all the more comfortable, enjoyable and warm. In the last few years the market has been flooded with all kinds of boots for every niche market and type of skiing, and so you, the consumer, have a lot to choose from these days

The first step is to decide what broad category of backcountry riding you fall into. Are you a telemark skier? A day tripper? A ski mountaineer? A big mountain freeskier? Or a cross country skier? Be honest with yourself, what are you really going to using this boot the most for? All of these categories have some overlap between them and so if you’re a ski mountaineer who also enjoys cross country skiing, fret not because who can find a ski boot that falls somewhere in between the two categories. Even if you’re a telemark skier, NTN Bindings has released boots that can function both as telemark boots and everyday backcountry ski boots.

Just based on the categories above the answers are pretty clear for the telemark and cross country skiers: a telemark skier should look at purchasing telemark boots and a cross country skier should look into cross country boots. However, for the day tripper, mountaineer and big mountain skier, the answers are a little murkier. A day tripper should look at boots that balance a comfortable walk mode with downhill performance, and doesn’t fall too far into either category. A big mountain skier on the other hand should look at maybe just getting good old fashioned alpine boots which will offer unparalleled downhill performance and stability, at the cost of comfort while hiking in them. On other end of the spectrum, a ski mountaineer typically looks for boots that are very comfortable and light, which in turn, means sacrificing some downhill performance.

The next step is to take a look at your ski touring gear. Does your gear require any special kind of boots or fitting? If you ride AT gear and you have Dynafit bindings, remember to look for bindings that have Dynafit tech fittings. If you’re a big mountain skier planning on getting alpine boots, will those fit into your chosen ski touring bindings? Also, in the telemark world, if you use cable free bindings, make sure you choose boots that are NTN binding compatible.

The penultimate step now that you have narrowed down what type of boot it is you want and any special considerations is performance. Ask yourself how hard you are really going to be skiing and if you need high performance, stiff, lightweight boots or if lower end models will be just as good. There’s no point in shelling out for cross country ski racing boots unless you plan on ski racing.

Finally, make sure the boots fit! The best way to do this is to head into your local backcountry ski shop where a professional bootfitter can work with you to create custom liners, footbeds and shells. Don’t be intimidated, the benefits of properly fit and shaped boots are phenomenal and will ensure you keep getting out in the backcountry for years to come!