Ski Boot Sizing: Mondopoint Conversions and Choosing your Fit
Before you entered into the world of Outdoor recreation, you probably never knew you’d have so many different sizes to keep track of when searching for gear. You’ve got European sizing for climbing shoes and cycling shoes, UK sizing from UK footwear brands, and USA sizing for hiking shoes and US brands. Once you decide to pick up skiing you’ll be adding another one onto the docket with Mondopoint sizing.
Mondopoint sizing was created as a universal shoe size, but is most often seen when referring to
ski boots. Mondopoint sizing is based on the measurement in centimeters from the back of your heel to the tip of your big toe. Easy peasy!
One of the most widely used home-measurement tactics is to put down a piece of paper against the wall, place your foot on it and back your heel up to the wall as well. Then draw a line at the tip of your big toe, and measure that length. Sweet! Now you’ve got your Mondopoint size.
As much as the actual measurement is easy enough to take, every boot might be made just a bit differently, so like any other shoe, there’s still a need to be somewhat flexible in sizing.
Take a look at some of the conversion charts from popular ski boots brands so you get the idea:
Finding Your Fit
On top of learning a new sizing system just for your ski boots, you will want to take into consideration your desired fit.
As a rule of thumb, ski boots should be more snug than a regular pair of shoes. Too loose, you’re in for an injury, blisters, and uncomfortably.
If you’re a casual skier, tend to stick to groomed trails, or just like to be generally comfy, you’ll still want to rock a comfort fit, which is more true to the length of your foot in centimeters.
If you’re an intermediate to advanced skier, who’ll be riding on more technical, varied runs, and at higher speeds, you’ll want a tighter fit, also known as a performance fit.
It’s important to head to a qualified bootfitter to help you find the fit you need as you start working toward a performance fit.
The Thing About Half Sizes
When you’re perusing Geartrade for your latest or first pair of ski boots, you may notice size like this:
This is the marking of both sizes. 25 and 25.5 are different sizes, but the reason it’s listed as both is because the boot or “shell” is going to be the same size in both. The thickness of the liner will be the difference in the actual size. This means that whether you’re looking for a 25 or 25.5, this boot should work for you, but you may need to consider getting a different liner.
So now that you’ve got a bit more information about ski boots and the intricacies of sizing them, we wish you a happy ski season full of the terrain that you like best and boots that fit exactly how you need them to.
Kalie Lovell: self proclaimed hiker-trash, fiction and non-fiction writer, video content creator, cheese, ramen, and dog lover. As a regular UnNew-repper, she is constantly sharing gear care, maintenance, and repair tips in order to keep her gear in tip top shape for all of her hiking and backpacking adventures. Kalie dreams of an even more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming outdoor industry and wants to share her love of the outdoors with all who are willing to tag along!
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