If you have flat feet, then finding a perfect pair of ski boots can be a difficult task for you.
Therefore, to reduce your efforts, we are sharing some helpful information that will guide you step by step to find the best ski boots for flat feet skiers.
In this article, we will cover a lot of things, and that will take some time to read this article. If you don’t have enough to read it to the end, then the next section is good for you where I have talked about my personal favorite boots for flat feet skiers.
So, let’s get started.
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My Personal Recommendation
If you have flat feet, then my personal recommendation is to go with Salomon QST Access 70 Ski Boots.
- Forefoot width is 104 mm, which is wide enough to support flat feet & wide feet of skiers.
- These are flex 70 boots, so they’re not very stiff, but if you’re a beginner to intermediate level skier, then they are good for you.
Another thing is, they’re new to the market. This is a 2019 model, so you’ll get improved features as compared to the old boots.
But, I’ll admit one thing.
The insoles are not as good as the boots. Even, if you purchase some expensive boots that costs more than $500, the insoles will still be a problem for you.
That’s why, most of the skiers use their own insoles.
I recommend that you buy a pair of insoles that are good for flat feet and can be fit into the ski boots. I personally like Arch Support Insoles for Men & Women because you can easily insert them into ski boots.
So, the combination of Salomon QST Access 70 Ski Boots with Arch Support Insoles will become a perfect pair of boots for flat feet skiers.
Best Ski Boots for Flat Feet
Alpina Elite 80 Heat Ski Boots
The Alpina Elite 80 Heat Ski Boots are also good for the flat feet and wide feet skiers. The forefoot width is about 102 mm, and that is more than the medium width.
If the extent of overpronation is severe, then above mentioned boots may be better than this one because they’re wider than the Alpina Elite boots.
The flex index is 80, so they’re not for the aggressive skiers. But, if you are learning or an intermediate skier, then go ahead, they’re a good fit for you.
The InTemp Heating System keeps your flat feet warm inside the shell. It uses a USB cord to charge the battery pack that is hidden inside it, to heat the coils that are wrapped inside the liner. With this Heating System, your feet will stay warm even in the extreme cold conditions and that’ll help you to improve your skiing ability & performance.
To improve the overall control over the boot and improve the responsiveness, Alpina’s X-Frame Construction is used that reduces the weight of the boot and also provides rigidity to it. This special construction also helps to transfer the energy to some specific points of the shell where energy is required.
There are 4 buckles that will help you to adjust the fitting of the boots, but there is nothing that you can do with the flex. The flex adjustment is not possible in these boots.
Pros
- Good for the flat feet & wide feet skiers
- Moderate stiffness
- Perfect for beginners to indermediate level skiers
- Inbuilt Heating System to keep your feet warm
- X-frame Construction
- Not very expensive
Cons
- May not be good if the overpronation is severe
- No flex adjustment
Nordica Sportmachine 85 Ski Boot
The Nordica Sportmachine are high volume ski boots that are good for the beginners who have heavy body frame to the lightweight experienced skiers.
If you have flat feet, then these ski boots can be a good choice because they are 102 mm wide. Therefore, if you have flat feet, then you can wear them, but if the overpronation is severe then it’s possible that you find them uncomfortable. But, they’ll be definitely better than other ski boots.
The waterproofing weathershielf keeps your feet dry & warm even when you are out there in the extreme cold conditions.
The adjustable cut profile is comfortable, and the Precision Fit W Primaloft makes it even more comfortable.
Salomon QST Access 70 Ski Boots
The Salomon QST Access 70 Ski Boots are one of the best boots for flat feet skiers because they are extra wide as compared to other boots.
They are perfect for the skiers who have flat feet or wide feet. The last width of the boots is somewhere between 104mm to 106mm depending upon the size you use. They are a good fit for skiers who have medium to wide forefoot area, and also have wide leg shape.
When it comes to flex index, they have flux index of 70, which is good for beginners to lightweight intermediate skiers. If you are on the heavy side or you are an experienced skier, then they may not be a good choice for you.
When we combine the above two most important requirements, you’ll get the ideal buyer of these boots.
So, these ski boots are for the beginners to lightweight intermediate skiers who are not very experienced and also have flat foot or wide foot condition.
My Custom Fit Comfort liner increases the comfort level that you get in these boots.
There is a 35 mm power strap that’ll help you to create a snug fit on the leg area, while the systematically designed three buckles will help you to adjust the fit of the boots on the feet area.
The easy to use walk feature along with comfortable liner allows you to use these ski boots throughout the day comfortably.
Pros
- Perfect boots for flat feet
- Flex Index 70
- Good for Beginners to Intermediate level skiers
- Hike and Ride Technology
- My Custom Fit Comfort
- Affordable
Cons
- These are not for you if you have narrow feet
- Not very stiff
- Not for experienced or advanced skiers
Check Details of Salomon QST Access 70 Ski Boots
The Final Verdict
The Salomon QST Access 70 Ski Boots are a good choice for the flat feet beginner to intermediate skiers who want a boot that is moderately stiff.
On the other hand, if you are an aggressive skier with flat feet, then these are may not be a good choice for you. Even, being an aggressive skier, you can still use them, if you’re a lightweight adult.
When it comes to the price, they’re not expensive, but still you have to more than the simple winter boots. If you are actually looking for winter boots you should read our comparison of sorel vs kamik winter boots.
Does flat feet affect skiing?
Technically no, having flat feet does not affect skiing. But, flat feet and plantar fasciitis does affect how comfortable you are when skiing, can cause some pain, affects your stability and other similar problems caused by flat feet. Flat feet per se, does not directly influence your capacity for skiing but the issues that come with it will.
That is why you need to research for the best ski boots for narrow feet, wide feet, plantar fasciitis or flat feet, whatever condition you have there is definitely a pair of ski boots perfect for you.
Things to Consider Before Buying Ski Boots
Flex Index
If you are new and never purchased a ski boot, then the first thing that you need to know is flex.
You can say that flex is stiffness score. On the ski boots, you can find a number written, and that number denotes the stiffness or flex of the boots.
A high number means high flex or high stiffness. While, a low number means low flex or less stiffness.
The biggest question that comes to new skier’s mind is that which flex boots should I buy.
They often get confused, and they purchase a wrong pair.
A general idea is, if you are buying boots for children, then they should be somewhere between 50 to 70 flex index.
The beginners should go with 70 to 100 flex index boots.
The advanced and experienced skiers should go with
The flex is all about how much effort or force you need to put to move the boot. The boots with flex index of 70 are much softer as compared to the boots with flex index of 130.
The advanced & experienced skiers take quick turns, sudden stops, and fast movements. Therefore, they need high flex index boots.
While, the beginners make some mistakes while skiing, and the low flex index boots forgive them, and can be changed direction easily.
When purchasing a pair of ski boots, then your skiing ability is not the only thing that needs to be considered.
Along with your skiing ability, there are some other criterion that you should consider like your body type, and how hard you are going to skiing.
Your weight, and how hard you’ll ski
I suggest you
Body Type
Before buying a pair of skiing boots, it is important to ask yourself a question.
What is my body type?
Are you a heavy or a lightweight person?
It is important to understand because the adult heavy skiers need boots that are stiff, while if you are on the light side, then you should go with some softer boots.
The skiing ability is not the only thing that you need to consider. If you have a light body frame means you are short & lightweight, then going with low flex index boots can be a good choice for you, even if you’re an experienced skier.
While, if you’re beginner, but you’re tall & heavy, then choosing high flex index boots can be a good choice.
Skiing Style
As talked earlier, the experienced skiers need stiff boots with high flex index, and beginners skiers need slightly soft boots.
But, along with skiing ability and your body type, before buying a perfect pair of boots, you should also think about your skiing style. Some skiers are aggressive even in their learning stage, if that is the case, go with high flex index boots.
While, some experienced skiers don’t like aggressive skiing. So, they don’t need very stiff boots, but they can wear stiff boots if they want.
Fitting (For Flat Feet)
The most important thing before buying a pair of skiing boots is the proper measurement of the feet.
If you have not done the proper measurement, then you can’t expect the proper fitting, whether you have flat feet or not.
The feet size should be measured by standing straight and putting weight on your feet. By putting weight on your feet, you’ll notice that the size of your feet increases a little bit because weight forces the feet to expand, and this slight change in size can create a huge different in the fitting.
If you are buying skiing boots for flat feet from online stores, then you should take a close look at the width.
But, this data will only be helpful if you have measured your feet properly.
The width of the boots is given in mm.
Generally, the adult boots start from 98 mm of width, which is for the narrow feet.
The somewhere between 98 and 102 mm of width boots are good for the skiers with narrow to medium width feet. The skiers with flat feet can also use them depending upon the extent of overpronation.
The wider skiing boots comes in 102 to 104 mm of width, and they can be a good choice for skiers with flat feet and wide feet.
Another thing you should know that there is no half size in skiing boots. There is only one unit increases. If your feet are 27, then you can get 26.5 or 27.5, not 27.
Try to measure your feet size when they’re at the maximum length & width. In the morning, your feet may be at their normal length & width, but you have to ski in the outdoors at a very low temperature. In such conditions, your feet get swollen. So, try to measure them in the evening when they’re at their maximum length & width.
The wrong selection of ski boots can hurt
This short video is very helpful that shares some great information about how to find a perfect fitting ski boot. Don’t miss it.
Buy Separate Insoles
The insoles of the skiing boots are not good. They do not provide any kind of support even for the normal feet. Even, the insoles of expensive boots are not effective.
If you have flat feet or high arch, then I highly recommend buying a pair of insoles for flat feet, and use them in your boots.
They are very important if you want to fully adjust ski boots for your flat feet.
If you want to buy insoles that can be used in the ski boots, then I’ll recommend you to try Arch Support Insoles for Flat Feet.
- ★LASTING COMFORT - arch support improves foot and leg alignment, enhances comfort, and helps ease stress and uncomfortable caused by flat feet (Pronation), bunions, arthritis,good for Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain & heel spurs), Achilles Tendonitis
- ★DEEP HEEL CUP- to maintain correct foot positioning.protects your heel during the heavy impact of landing during walking or running and stabilizes the foot.
- ★PREMIUM EVA MATERIAL - It is excellent for shock absorption and foot fatigue,The fabric also helps keep your feel cool
Buckles
Some boots have 3 buckles while some have 4 buckles.
The more buckles give you the extra custom fitting options. But, if you find a good pair of skiing boots for your flat feet, then you should not think about how many buckles they have.
For flat feet skiers, the perfect fitting of a boot is the most important thing to consider. Rest are just the secondary things which doesn’t matter a lot.
Can you ski with plantar fasciitis?
Yes! You can ski with plantar fasciitis. This is a common problem among people and there are several athletes with this issue who were still successful. You might have some issues but not to the point you can practice skiing.
Plantar fasciitis is a condition a lot of skiers suffer from, as well as fallen-arch-type mostly found on downhill and Nordic skiers. There are a few other types of foot problems people have and they haven’t stopped skiing because of them.
Final Words
When buying a good pair of ski boots then there are a lot of things to consider. Sometimes, it takes a lot of time and needs to try many pairs of boots before settling on a pair. Same thing you would do in any other sport, you can read about the best golf shoes for flat feet analysis we did, for example.
Therefore, if it is possible, then take help of a bootfitter. This way, you’ll be able to save a lot of money and time.
If you have any questions, then feel free to comment down below. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
