<aside> đź’ˇ It is always strongly encouraged that racers/parents speak to their coach if they have any questions or before making any changes to their equipment.
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The single most important piece of equipment in skiing is boots! Ski racers should have ski boots that are of proper design and fit for racing and fitted for each season. Note: adult boots are typically not recommended for junior racers as they tend to ride too high on their calves, and be too stiff, which makes them difficult to flex.
Guideline for Fitting Boots:
Length: If you remove the inner boot and place the child's foot back inside the plastic shell, there should not be room for much more than 1-2 fingers spacing behind the heel. As they get to U16, look for 1 finger spacing. The foot should be snug in the liner. The best is to have the boots fitted by a proper boot fitter, letting them know your child will be ski racing, not skiing recreationally.
Volume/Width: Ski boots tend to be designed to be low, medium, or high volume fit. This designation is aimed at accommodating the width and mass of the skier's foot. Certain manufacturers have certain fit characteristics. For example, Lange boots traditionally have been recognized as low-medium volume boots. Most junior skiers usually fit best in low to medium volume boots.
Flex: Junior race boots come in a variety of “flex indexes” which are related to the stiffness of the boot. Most junior boots have flex indices between 60 and 100. In general, U8/U10/U12/U14 racers will want to have boots in the 60-80 range of flex index with the stronger, heavier U14s/U16s in stiffer boots of 80-100. It is important to note that flex can vary by manufacturer. A 60 flex in a Lange may not be the same as a 60 flex in a Rossignol boot. The best thing to do is have the racer assessed when fitted. They should be able to bend/flex the boot comfortably when warm (remember plastic hardens when it gets cold!).
Flex will ultimately depend on 4 things: Manufacture, weight, size, and skier type (more aggressive can handle more flex). However, here are some general guidelines if you are just starting out.
Overall Fit:
It is recommended that boots be purchased at a location that stocks race equipment and has staff qualified as “boot fitters”. In addition to the size, proper boot fitting may also include checking the skier stance in the boot to see if “canting” adjustments are needed. This is to ensure that the boot and therefore the ski is absolutely flat when the skier is standing. If a racer is slightly “knock-kneed” or “bow-legged” this will need to be compensated for through canting to ensure the racer properly controls the ski. The boot fitter may also recommend custom footbeds for the boots which have the effect of greatly improving the fit in many cases.
Bottom of Boots:
PLEASE check the bottom of the boots each season for wear and tear and avoid walking on hard surfaces or pavement if possible. If you have to walk on pavement, invest in cat tracks. You should always try to replace the heel and toe pieces before any wear begins to occur on the boot itself. Boots that are worn can create issues with how the boot fits and releases in the binding, normally causing the boot to release too easily.
For U16-U18s: Plug boots.
As a racer develops into a stronger, more competitive 2nd year U16 or U18, they should consider plug boots. This is essentially a very stiff, very narrow, low-volume boot which often has lace-up liners for a more precise fit and often comes with a better powerstrap. These do require a professional boot fitter to do the custom shell work required for a proper fit. You will end up paying around $800-$900 for the boot and usually an extra fee for the boot fitting.