Ski boot stiffness index

March 13, 2009 10:54 PM

How does the ski boot stiffness index get determined, and how does it vary between manufacturers? I usually see stiffness indexes between 50 and 150, and I wonder if some manufacturers inflate them, or if there even is anything like a standard. I have Head Edge 9.5 boots that are labeled with 5.0/6.0 (adjustable) stiffness index ... are they 50/60, or is Head's own weird system? How do you navigate the whole mess of marketing?
posted by bsdfish to sports, hobbies, & recreation (2 comments total)

It does vary between manufacturers -- the flex index is really only useful for comparing boots from a given manufacturer (i.e., these are Head's softest boots, etc). To figure out how stiff boots are between manufacturers, you really just have to try them on and flex them.

The best way to navigate all the marketing is to mostly ignore it. :) Different brands tend to fit different types of feet (Lange for narrow feet, Salomon for wider feet, etc), so really just find the brand that feels most comfortable on your foot, move up until you find one that feels right flex-wise, and then get a fitter to take care of any weird pressure/fit issues that might be left over.
posted by rachelv at 6:22 AM on March 14

You may want to try asking this question here, try the "ask the boot guys" area or search around in the archives especially the "gear" section. Good luck
posted by flummox at 5:24 PM on March 14