Size
Ski boots are measured on a scale called Mondopoint. Mondo (meaning world, but in this case it’s just the skiing world) sizing is the length of your foot measured in centimeters. You can determine your Mondopoint size by tracing your foot on a piece of paper or cardboard with a pen, keeping the pen vertical against your foot so there is just a slight border. Measure the traced outline from the heel to the longest part of the toes. Round off to the nearest half centimeter. (If you don’t have a metric ruler, you can multiply the length in inches by 2.54 to get the centimeter equivalent.) If the tracing of your foot measures 26 cm (10.23”), then your Mondo size is 26.0.
When fitting (or skiing) ski boots, we suggest wearing a thin or very thin sock. While a thicker sock may be slightly warmer in some instances, the plastic shell and foam in the liner provide lots of insulation, and extra sock thickness between your foot and the boot shell diminishes control and response. In general, the best skiers wear the thinnest socks for this reason.
Beginner/Intermediate skiers should generally choose a boot close to their indicated Mondopoint length, even if it feels small. Keep in mind that the liner of the boot will compress after you ski in it a few times, and you’ll generate more space fairly quickly.
Intermediate/Advanced skiers should also choose a boot close to their indicated size or slightly shorter, but in a stiffer flex. Pay attention to the width of the boot as well, and choose one that offers a snug fit if possible.
Advanced/Expert skiers often choose a shell size slightly smaller than their indicated size for a super precise and responsive fit, and a stiff or very stiff flex. Downsizing in ski boots may call for a collaboration with a skilled bootfitter to make the boots comfortable enough for skiing.
How to Try On Ski Boots
The Proper Size
Slight pressure on your longest toes when the boot is buckled up is usually an indication that the boot will be the right size after some use. If the boot feels too short, try buckling the top buckles and flexing the boot hard – drive your knee forward with all your weight. This will force your heel back into the heel pocket of the boot and create more space in the front. Check the fit of the liner with it out of the boot shell to see if the source of the pressure is the toe of the liner rather than the hard plastic shell – if so, this can usually be stretched by your shop or bootfitter. Keep in mind that while it’s usually possible to enlarge a boot that’s a little too small, it’s virtually impossible to shrink a boot that's too big.
Shell Fit
A common method of measuring the length of the boot interior is called a “shell fit,” and it’s a good way to see if a boot is close to the right size. This requires removing the liner (inner boot) from the shell. Insert your foot into the bare shell and slide your foot forward until your longest toes just touch the end of the shell. Then check the distance between your heel and the rear of the shell – most people do this with their hand or a piece of wood of a known thickness, like a ½” dowel. Bootfitters commonly refer to this measurement in terms of “fingers,” which is pretty imprecise because everyone’s fingers are a different size, but tend to average around 15 millimeters (roughly 0.6”) for men. Using this standard, a “one finger” or “one-and-a-half finger” fit (15-22 mm or 0.6 to 0.9”) is considered a good performance fit. More than two fingers is usually too big, while less than one finger is getting into “race fit” range.
Note: Ski boot manufacturers don’t make boot shells in half sizes, so a 26.0 and 26.5 boot normally use the exact same shell. The difference between these two sizes is the amount of padding in the liner and/or insole thickness. For a shoe size conversion chart, check out our Mondo Point Size & Conversion Chart. If you try on a boot and it feels too small or too big, you’ll have to go up or down a full shell size which will be a centimeter larger or smaller.
Last
The length of your boot isn’t your only fit option. Like feet, every ski boot interior has a unique shape. Most manufacturers of alpine boots now make two or three distinct models or “lasts” to fit various types of feet. Generally, these lasts can be divided into narrow, medium and wide, and are based on the width of the forefoot measured on a slight diagonal across the metatarsal heads.
Narrow Last - Narrow lasted boots normally have a forefoot width of 97 mm to 98 mm, and are quite narrow through the midfoot as well. These boots are best for people with narrow and low volume feet.
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