I'm pretty happy with my boots (new last season) but I'm always wondering if I could do better..
I know that the last and volume have to do with how much room there is in the Forefoot, heel, and arch areas or the boot.
But how does the flex factor come into play?
If you use the scale Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced / Expert then I'd fit into the Advanced class more than likely.
I'm also a really heavy skier (280lbs @ 6'1") which is why I'm questioning the flex rating of my current boots.
(The specs of my current boots are below)

Dalbello Aerro 80
Developed for sport level skiers who take their comfort seriously. The Aerro 80 is a lightweight, performer that has highly versatile personalization and fit adjustability. Featuring exceptional lightweight comfort with easy on/off convenience; positive foothold with quick responsiveness


Last: 105 mm
Flex Index: 65 - 85

Being as I'm a heavy skier and ski mostly advanced and expert terrain shouldn't I more than likely be using a boot with a higher flex rating than my current ones?
Could a more high performance boot improve my skiing??
I do want a boot that I can ski in all day then drive home 2 hours, but I don't need a pair of slippers either.
This is what I thought I bought, but now I'm starting to second guess after seeing what the boots description on Dalbello's website.
Then again I have also noticed that the more performance the boot the less last/volume there is for the most point.

My current boots fit better than any boot I've ever had... althouth they are still a little tight on my left big toe area (even after being stretched and worn all last season)
I really don't need new boots, and from what I've heard the most important thing about boots is your comfort.
I'm just wondering if stepping up to a higher performance boot would be a good idea.

If your boots are fine...go with it but based on the flex index...they're definitely a recreational/low end model..You'd might want to get your left big toe area worked on by a boot specialist..There's definitely a trade-off between comfort and performance. I used to use Lange Boots which were really stiff and I would often have to loosen my buckles early in the day and on liftrides. Last season I picked up a pair of low end Atomic Boots..fairly similar to your boots..They're more comfortable but I have to crank them tighter..for better performance..In the fall I'm in the market for another pair of new boots..I want something in between the Langes and the Atomics if such an animal exists..I'm thinking about maybe getting the Flexons or Full tilts.

After more research the boot I have is actually a little different...

The flex rating is 70-90 not 65-85 as the Dalbello Aerro 80 from 06-07 was like the Dalbello Aerro 90 from 07-08
I took my boots out of the attic and the flex indicator on the back of the boot confirms this as well... Soft 7 - Hard 9
FWIW - I always have it on hard and have yet to use them on soft...

I also find myself cranking them tighter as the day goes on, but I thought it was due to the fact that I wanted more assistance because my legs were wearing out..

a lot of factors come into play besides just the shape of your foot. for example, someone that doesn't have great range of motion in their ankle will often times be more comfortable in a stiffer boot, because if they are putting pressure on the boot to flex, and it has enough pressure to flex more than their ankle is accustomed to, that can be uncomfortable. in my case, the opposite is true. i'm a strong skier, and very aggressive, but like a softer boot because i have a very flexible ankle, and the softer boot allows my ankle to flex as it naturally wants to. if you're fine with the flex of your boot, as in, you don't get ankle, heel, or shin pain from overflexing and bottoming out the boot, then i'd say its not too soft. if you do run into problems where on difficult terrain, you find yourself bottoming out the boot and causing discomfort, maybe you do need something stiffer. as far as the toe box, you should still be able to stretch/grind it a bit more to alleviate the issue. also, if you don't have any kind of aftermarket footbed in your boots, you might want to look into a pair of those, as they're bring the inside of your foot off the boot a little bit and get your knee/ankle/foot back into alignment.

The only time that I could see that a stiffer boot helping me would be during high speed sharp turns.

as in right before one of your epic wipeouts..

Yeah that's pretty much it.... when I initiate a turn pretty aggressively at high rate of speed and feel like I can't control the ski any longer... and usually leads to a side slide to ski popping off to big ol cloud of white shaved pocono ice... flavoring optional.

Pretty much sums it up....lol

I don't know anything about skiing but, get out of the back seat.

I don't fall ALL the time...

Trust me I'm not trying to blame the equipment here...
I know I'm not the best on the hill by any means.

I'm just looking for some insight on last / volume / and flex ratings
and a valid excuse why I should or shouldn't be buying new boots wouldn't hurt.

I did a ton of research this past winter regarding fitting boots. Every shop/bootfitter I spoke with recommended fitting the foot first, and then worrying about flex later (as long as it isn't a rental/recreational boot).

correct. provided the boot fits, which it sounds like it does in this case, for the most part, you can do things to tweak the flex of the boot.

Right on Justo. I feel the same way, I ski Head S12 with a flex 8.6-9.6. I cut the cuff and took the flex screws out of the back so I could flex it more. You have to understand that the ankle is the most important joint in the body for balance.If you cannot flex your ankle, your balance will be off. Like Mr Miagi says balance good skiing good, balance bad skiing kaput....

As far as fit goes, the best investment I ever made was a fully foamed liner and custom orthotics. But make sure you have it done by a excellent, reputable boot fitter. Not some clown in a local shop. Canting and alignment is the next best investment. If you are on a flat ski and your lower leg is aligned, you will be able to ski better and longer because your muscles will not fatigue from trying to balance yourself.

I had my boots done about 3-4 different times. Bill Kaplan set me up 2 years ago and really did the best job I had done in years. I realley believe that a good fit, being canted and aligned, can really bring your skiing to the next level.

Bill is in the Langhorn area, PM me if anybody wants his number.

i've heard nothing but bad things about foam injection liners actually. i guess it totally depends on how much/how hard you're skiing. at a high racing level, i can see where they're beneficial, in that you get a perfectly custom fit, but in a recreational level where you're realistically going to have a pair of boots for several years, i feel like they'd pack out beyond the point of being useful. whenever i get new boots, i go slightly tighter than what's comfortable sitting on the bootfitting bench, because 10 to 15 days down the road, they pack out and end up being pretty spot on. if you're lucky enough to be able to afford new boots often enough that packing out is not an issue, then i'm jealous, but even working at a shop with access to all sorts of tools and equipment whenever i need it, i still prefer a hand-sewn liner.

p.s. lange's banshee boot for next season is the best boot i've skied in thus far. if it fits your foot, check it out.

Justo,
I just want to say that 100% of the time when you have given me your opinion on here you have been spot on.
Not kissing your ass or anything but just saying thanks and that I think you really know your shit.

My boots started off a little tight and I wasn't too sure about them to be quite honest.
I just trusted the boot fitter at the shop and ended up being pretty darn happy in the end.
I've gone through 5 pairs of boots in the past 4 seasons and these have honestly fit better than anything else.
The one tight spot that I do have is more of an annoyance than a problem. I've had it stretched twice and the fitter
told me the only thing he can do next it to cut the liner to allow it to stretch. I didn't go that far as I didn't want my liner cut.
Being as I'm never going to race, and I ski about 20 times a year these boots seem pretty darn good for me.
They are considered the top model of their all mountain boots ( recreational boots below it, and high and top performance boots above it)
They fit good, and I can ski in them pretty much all day.
I basically started questioning them because I saw something on flex ratings and realized that all the more expensive boots had higher flex ratings.
Then that got me thinking about my weight and if it would have anything to do with the flex of the boot..
Now I read that the flex of the boot has more to do with the ankle motion.

I can honestly say that I've never maxed out this boot to where it's given me any sort of pain or even discomfort for that matter.
I do ski rather aggressively rather than letting my skis do the work, I work my skis.
Like I said above pretty much the only place I could see a boot change helping me at all would be in the occasional high speed turns.
That isn't honestly going to help me any either.

As I said I do ski really aggressively and when my legs start to wear out through the day
my mind doesn't. If I just slowed the hell down sometimes I'd be a lot better off than pushing my body too hard.
I tend to cram as many runs as possible into a 5-6 hour period of time without stopping and then wonder why my legs get worn out.
So basically I'm my own problem...

glad i could help.

I totally agree with you also on the off the shelf boot fit, tighter is better, but not to an exterme.

I was foamed 2 years ago. I ski 65-75 days a year. I ski pretty aggressively, I race 2 nights a week and ski bumps as much as I can. I have some issues with my feet as far as width / length relationship and some bone spurs. Also in my research is that the new foam does not “pack out” because it is harder than in the past. The way it was explained to me was that they use a thin cushion in the liner but the foam that conforms to your foot is way harder than the retail liners. So the foam liner does not pack out.

I was foamed in Dec 2005. I skied out at Mammoth in May and I am still on the first buckle on my lower shell,
exactly where I was when I was first foamed 2 ½ years earlier.

I am not saying this in the norm, but it is my experience with the foam liner.....

But like Justo said earlier, getting the right boot last is the most important part. It does you any good to buy the “hottest” boot with the best reviews if the last does not fit your foot.

I rep for Head, but I do not recommend their boots until they see a good boot fitter, if the head last fits their foot only then do I recommend a direction as far as performance and type goes.

God, I can’t wait for ski season……

I'm looking at some head boots for my son because they seem to have some of the best boots out there for people with a forefoot width over 98cm
The ski shop I normally goto doesn't carry head products = (

I will look into finding a shop for you........

Skied them last season and it was an interesting experience. I really liked them for skiing rails and what not, but the version I had just didn't seem stiff enough for skiing harder. I was under that impression that the version I had is one of the stiffer models as well. That on top of having flop stick skis made for a setup that was just not at all what I normally prefer. I think I'm gonna check out something else for this season, possibly the Langes that Justin spoke of...

Here is a list of Head dealers in pa.

http://www.head.com/ski/dealers.php?region...ca&state=32

come in to nestors during ski mania, there should be a pretty good selection of both this upcoming season and leftover boots from last season to choose from. pretty much everyone makes a few models that are more than a 98mm last in the forefoot as well. sadly, 98mm seems to be on the narrow end these days. thats what my new langes are and i wish they were a tiny bit narrower. thats what my dalbellos were, and they also got a bit too big after packing out as well. the head rs boot feels near perfect for me straight off the wall, but the way the lange flexes, plus the added freeride features sold me.