Alpine Skiing
Alpine (downhill) ski gear, organized the way a shop buyer thinks about it: boots first, then skis, then bindings. A bad boot ruins a good ski, so fit and sizing come before anything else.
Boots
Last width & foot volume
What last width means, the 95–106mm bands, how to measure your foot, and which brands fit narrow, medium, and wide feet.
Guide · BootsMondo sizing chart
US men's & women's to mondo (mondopoint), EU, and UK — plus comfort vs performance fit and how to measure your foot.
Guide · BootsGripWalk vs Alpine vs Touring soles
Which ski boot sole fits which binding — a sole-type × binding compatibility matrix, how to ID your sole, and what to buy.
Guide · BootsBoot flex index, explained
What the ski boot flex number means, a flex-by-ability table, and how body weight and brand scale the number.
Guide · BootsWhy boot fit matters more than ski choice
The case for fitting boots before buying skis — a fit-vs-skis comparison and the order to buy in.
Guide · BootsBoot brand fit profiles
How Salomon, Atomic, Head, Tecnica, Lange, Dalbello, Nordica, Rossignol, K2 & Fischer tend to fit — narrow, wide, and women's-specific lasts.
Guide · BootsBoot sole length & binding compatibility
What BSL is, why it differs from mondo, the sole standards (ISO 5355, GripWalk, ISO 9523, WTR), and why a certified tech sets forward pressure and DIN.
Skis
Ski waist width
How a shop buyer thinks about waist width — the frontside / all-mountain / powder bands, trade-offs, and a decision framework.
Guide · SkisFrontside vs all-mountain vs powder
The three ski categories compared by waist, rocker, turn radius, and terrain — and how to choose by home mountain.
Guide · SkisUsed ski checklist
How to inspect a used ski — topsheet, edges, base, bindings, brakes, and DIN — with green flags and red flags.
Guide · SkisLabor Day ski sale strategy
2026 Labor Day ski-sale events and end dates (Sniagrab, Ski-A-Rama, Powder Daze, Ski Rex), plus a buy-now vs wait framework by gear category.
Calculator · SkisSki Selector — Alpine Ski Length Calculator by Height & Weight
Free alpine ski length calculator: enter height, weight, ability, and terrain for recommended ski length, waist width, and turn radius.
Bindings
Buying skis and bindings separately
Match brake width to ski waist (equal to 15mm wider, 5–10mm ideal), read tip/waist/tail dimensions, pick a mount point, and decide flat vs system skis — plus retailer mount policies.
Calculator · BindingsDIN Setting Estimator (Educational)
Educational ski binding DIN (release value) estimator using the ISO 11088 weight method — a certified technician must set and test the final value.