How to Determine Your Ski Boot Size

Ski boots are an extremely important piece of skiing equipment. Skis, bindings, and boots all work together to allow you to control your turning and edge control.

However, without a good pair of boots, your other gear will not be as effective. Ski boots provide a rigid control point that translates the movement from your legs directly toward your skis. In that way, boots act much like an auto transmission on your body.

As pivotal as boots are, they don’t do much if they don’t fit. Ski boots that are too big or too loose can lead to poor control of your skis, as well as bruised toes or heels. Boots that are too small can be quite painful. In fact, some can cut off blood circulation and lead to extremely cold feet.

This article will show how to properly size your ski boots and avoid such problems.

1. Mondopoint

Years ago, ski boot manufacturers wanted to create a standardized ski boot sizing system that could work for skiers all over the world.

That led to the mondopoint sizing system, otherwise known as mondo, which corresponds to the length of your foot in centimeters. It’s a good measurement to know if you’re a skier looking to get your own pair of ski boots.

Finding your mondo ski size is easy, and you can easily figure out the measurement at home before you go shopping for ski boots. Start by placing your foot on a piece of paper.

Don’t wear shoes or shock for this process. Next, align your bare foot so your heel is on the back edge of the paper and the inner part of your foot is along one edge. Then, take a marker or pen and make a mark on both the top of your big toe and the widest part of your foot.

Now take your foot off of the paper and find a ruler, measuring stick, or tape measure. Measure the distance from the edge of the paper where your heel was to the mark you made at your big toe.

This length in centimeters is your mondo ski boot size. Average foot sizes tend to range, but most fall in the 25 to 35 centimeter range.

Note: your foot might not be an exact round number, and ski boots can come in half-centimeter sizes.

When sizing, you also want to measure the width of your foot so you can determine your boot’s last width. This number will be in millimeters, and all you have to do is measure from the inner edge of the piece of paper to the mark you made at the widest part of your foot.

That number, along with your mondo boot size, gives you the measurements needed to accurately size your boot.

2. Sizing for Different Skiing Abilities

It’s important to know that sizing methods differ from skier to skier depending on skill and experience level. While your exact mondo measurement might be the same as your actual boot size, there are certain considerations to keep in mind when breaking down your skiing ability.

If you’re a beginner skier, you will most likely want a ski boot that lines up with your mondo measurements. That sizing provides plenty of support and enables you to ski in a way that steadily improves your skills.

Comfort is important for a beginner skier because you don’t want your feet to feel too restricted or uncomfortable while strapped in. A comfortable fit allows you to ski longer as well.

If you’re an intermediate or advanced level skier, you want a tighter-fitting ski boot. The general rule is that you will want a half size down from whatever your mondo measurement is.

As such, if your measurement comes out to 30cm, you want a 29.5-sized boot. This tighter fit created by a smaller-sized boot allows for more control.

Expert skiers want a secure boot that feels almost uncomfortable up until you hit the slopes. That tighter design provides excellent control of your skis. Though a slim boot might feel odd at first, you will feel a huge difference in performance as you zip through the snow.

3. Different Manufacturers, Different Sizes

Another important consideration to keep in mind is that certain manufacturers and brands can have slight variances in the sizes they make.

Two different boots of the same size from two different brands might fit your feet differently. That is simply due to the different methods of production or measurement that the manufacturer uses.

With that in mind, it’s important to try on boots before you purchase them to make sure they fit your foot correctly. The slight differences from manufacturer to manufacturer might not seem like a big deal at first, but they affect your ability and comfort out on the mountain.

Even if you know your boot size, it’s always recommended to try the boots on to see how they fit.

Final Thoughts

It’s easy to properly size your ski boots. Not only is the process quick, it only requires a few basic items you probably have lying around the house. Even so, the process is important and will keep you comfortable on the slopes. It also improves your skills.

Just remember to downsize a bit if you’re an advanced or expert-level skier and always try on boots before you buy to make up for any variances in manufacturing.

Have you ever sized your foot for ski boot size at home? Did you think it was easy? Let us know any of your tips below!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

  • lynda Robinson

    Hi could you tell me the circumference of the trunk of a ski boot so i can get the correct salopettes, as i don’t want a pair with zips?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Christine

      Hey Iynda,

      To find out the circumference of a set of ski boots, you’ll likely need to just measure them yourself. If you have a pair of boots in mind, I’d reach out to the manufacturer for this information, as it’s not always listed. Or, if you already have the boots, take a piece of string and warp it around the trunk of the boot. Mark where the string touches with your fingers, and then measure using a tape measure. That should give you a good circumference estimate to match your pants. I’ve never had a pair of snowpants that were too narrow to fit over my boots, so keep that in mind as well. Hope this helps!

      Reply