The flex index

What the number on your boot does, why your level is the wrong way to choose it, and why tall and heavier skiers feel it most.

Skis with a mind of their own? Six signs your boot may not be holding youIt may not be you. Before you decide you're bad at skiing, check whether your boot is holding you.4 min readWhat's your level? Why it's so hard to answer in a ski shopBeginner, intermediate, Level 3? The answer depends on where you learned, but the flex index on your boot should depend on your body.4 min readThe number on your boot has no agreed test behind itIt's printed on your boot: 80, 100, 120. It looks as exact as a shoe size, but it isn't, and here's what that means for the boot that should be holding you.4 min readMyth: a low flex index is comfortableIt sounds like common sense: a lower number must be kinder to your feet. But foot pain is usually about fit, and a boot too low for you doesn't hold you.4 min readTall or heavier? Why the same boot can feel different on youPicture two friends in the same boot, with the same number on it. One loves it; the other is taller and heavier, and spends the day fighting for balance.4 min readWhy beginners quit skiing, and the part worth checkingSkiing hurt, never felt steady, or simply stopped getting better, and you're close to deciding it isn't for you. Before you do, there's one part worth checking: whether your boot actually holds you.4 min readWhy I built FlexFinderSkiing that hurts, scares you or stops getting better isn't always down to you. I built FlexFinder so the boot gets checked before you blame yourself.4 min read

Fit or flex

Two different things go wrong with ski boots. How to tell which one is yours, and who fixes it.

Fit or flex? Two things that go wrong with ski bootsSore feet, or a boot that won't hold you? They feel different, they have different fixes, and mixing them up can keep you stuck.4 min readWhen it's fit: what the shape of a boot does to your feetSore toes by lunch? When the pain is in your feet, it's usually the shape of the boot, not the number on it.4 min readWhen it's flex: too low, too high, and how to tellBurning thighs, a ski that won't turn when you want it to, the feeling you're falling backwards. It may be the number on your boot, not you, and that number can be wrong in two directions.4 min readFixing the wrong problem: why a lower flex index may not cure sore feetSore feet? A friend may tell you to get a lower flex index. Here's why that can leave the pain where it is and, if the new number is too low for you, cost you your balance too.4 min readTeaching someone to ski? Check fit and flex firstBefore you blame their technique or your teaching, check their boots. Here's what to watch and listen for, and who checks what.4 min read