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Is there such thing as park boots?

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jahblesstheday
Posts: 202 - Karma: 26
Are there boots that are actually designed for park? and dont just look different? if so, how are they different? and who makes them?

Sep 6 2010 2:44AM
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Taylor_A
Posts: 529 - Karma: 4
salomon spk, full tilt, some of the dabello boots, nodica ace of spades
Sep 6 2010 3:00AM
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Ducky.
Posts: 5811 - Karma: 1,420
Salomon Ghost, sort of a park boot.

All of the Salomon park boots have 2 buckles instead of 4. I assume most park boots have softer flex than others, but besides that and the buckles, I don't know if there is any difference.
Sep 6 2010 3:13AM
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fuck.your.tits
Posts: 935 - Karma: 20
I'd say flex is the bigger difference. stiff boot for charging a big line or racing and a soft-medium flex boot for park. Plus the 2010-2011 Salomon Spk koas has a rubber toe instead of plastic which would help toebang...
Park boots are just a whole different style
Sep 6 2010 4:26AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
i'm still not convinced by the whole park boot thingy, i ride technica diablos, basically a raceboot, but they have a plug in the back to adjust flex, when i ride park i flip it around and i get a much softer boot than any of my friends who mainly ride on Spk, agents and FTs ....

and for freeriding or slalom i flip it back around and i get super stiff flex :)


so if the only difference is the flex i'm not convinced...
another advantage i have is that i can manually adjust cuff alignment and inclination, things that aren't always possible on parkboots....
+i can easily replace worn-out soles on my boots, whil ie. fulltilt is basically the shell that wears out and not just a footpad...
Sep 6 2010 5:24AM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
^^so if there are any other major differences i'd like to hear it...

one thing that might be different is the inclination, the angle between your shins and your foot; on my boots i stand angled forward quite a bit, while freestyle boots look to be standing more under 90°
Sep 6 2010 5:26AM
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 522
Park boots generally have a progressive flex other than that the best thing u could do is buy a boot with little forward lean that fits ur foot
Sep 6 2010 6:02AM
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DHogg
Posts: 3462 - Karma: 235
The Ghost is most definitely NOT a park boot. It's based off the Salomon Falcon and is not similar to the SPK in any way except the 2 buckle design. 98mm last, 130mm flex, ect . The falcon is pretty much a (non WC) race boot.

Park boot is such a stupid term, you are paying for the flashy colours and pro endorsements. It's 99% marketing. A good park boot is one with a suitable flex and shape for YOU, not some pro. If it fits, and you can flex it, its going to be a good park boot. Plenty of great park skiers in narrow 130 flex boots many would classify as race only boots. Many park boots are just too soft.


Sep 6 2010 7:42AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
Just because you ski a lot of park does not mean you should get an SPK (or any park branded boot for that matter). You get what fits your foot and flexes based on your body weight/flexibility/preference.

Now, the what a lot of manufacturers are doing is updating a certain shell that fits well with a liner that has more shock absorbing properties. This is what usually separates a park boot from a "normal" boot. Does it work? Yes, the good ones do a very good job at it and it is a noticeable difference over the "normal" boot.

1. Get what fits you.
2. See/ask if there is a version that has shock absorbing features to it if the model that fits does not have them.
3. Always get what fits.
Sep 6 2010 1:00PM
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jahblesstheday
Posts: 202 - Karma: 26
Thanks for all the replies. I was just wondering out of curiosity, not because i wanted to buy some boot with advertising plastered all over it haha. i just wanted to know if they actually were any different.
Sep 7 2010 12:29AM
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DHogg
Posts: 3462 - Karma: 235
This is true, however some park boots (like the SPK) just have a shitty rubber pad thing. Many other non park specific boots have rubber boot boards which have much better shock absorbing anyway.

I still stand by that it is a marketing ploy, which is working, as half the kids on NS wants full tilts or spks.
Sep 7 2010 3:42AM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
not at all...
Sep 7 2010 3:50AM
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DJ_Pauly_D
Posts: 1043 - Karma: 42
this...
Sep 7 2010 3:56PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
Say you are about to take a hard landing off a large booter. If you were in a boot that fit you well and your left boot had a normal liner with a normal hard boot board but your right boot had a liner with actual shock absorbing inserts and a rubber boot board, you would feel a big difference.
Sep 8 2010 11:50AM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
There is a tradeoff, with all the rubber shit, you lose precision. Thats why the nordica race boots have aluminum boot boards.
Sep 8 2010 12:05PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
Fun fact of the day: no one on the World Cup actually uses the EDT boots (or Tecnica Power Chassis), total marketing gimmick.
Sep 8 2010 12:09PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
^^this

but is it actually worth the extra trouble of looking for a good fitting park boot when its much easier to find a good fitting regular boot ?

(in belgium, the anus of the world, most skishops only have a very limited ski-boot assortment, and you're lucky if they have 1 freestyle/freeride boot model...)
Sep 8 2010 12:43PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
the reality is you can only make do with what's available to you, which sometimes can be less than ideal. but like I've always said, fit is the most important.

one of the things you can upgrade on your boot (most of the time) is the boot board. see if your shop can at least order you a rubber one based off your model + shell size. not every boot has a rubber equivalent, but it's worth checking into.
Sep 8 2010 2:10PM
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chardi
Posts: 5040 - Karma: 59
thats a bummer. the easiest thing would be to just buy your boots online, however, this is not always a good idea. you probably aren't a certified bootfitter (that exists right?) or if you knew a lot about general bootfitting and such, you could buy them online.

I am just throwing out an idea, i know next to nothing about this stuff, but i'm sure someone will quote me eventually and tell me that i am either really dumb, or may possibly have a good idea.
Sep 8 2010 2:12PM
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 522
Get a part time job at ur local shop and proform urself whatever boots u want, along with gaining some invaluable bootfitting knowledge.
Sep 8 2010 4:41PM
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brakes
Posts: 457 - Karma: 11
the 2010 and up spks have a rubber toe piece that flexes to prevent toebang, works like a charm. I haven't had shin or toebang since I got the boots, even over/undershooting 30ft+ tables. One thing to note is that my wide-ass foot perfectly fits the spk's shape, so It could just be working for me so well because of that.
Sep 8 2010 6:41PM
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Bonobo
Posts: 437 - Karma: 11
didnt take the time to read the thread, but basically park boots generally:
-Have more bold styling
-Have softer flex
-Have more cushioning for landings

unless you really are looking to spend a lot on a park boot, just finding a regular boot that fits will probably be your best bet. Some companies that make park boots are Solomon, Full Tilt, Dalbello, Technica, and Atomic

Hope that helped

Sep 8 2010 7:58PM
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