Cozy Feet. Happy Skier. That’s the headline for the APEX  Ski Boot System advertisement at the right of this article. It’s worth taking notice…especially with the unusual, limited time 20% discount to SeniorsSkiing.com readers.

In  a reader survey from a few years ago, we asked which new equipment you intended to purchase in the coming season. 25% of you responded “ski boots.” Your reasons generally had to do with issues of comfort and support. Cold feet. Painful feet. Blackened toe nails. The need to spend more time than wanted in the lodge. Difficulties getting the damn things on and off.

 

APEX offers an excellent solution to these and other problems. It combines a comfortable snowboard-type boot with a hardshell partial exterior. The beauty of this approach is that it allows the wearer to walk to the lift or the lodge in the soft boot only and carry or leave the hardshell in the bindings.

There are many ways to adjust the boot and many sources of help to get it right.

The boot was conceived by Denny Hanson, whose Hanson rear-entry skiboot was popular in the 1970s and is still favored by some older skiers who fell in love with the comfort it provided.

For some, finding a boot that is functional and comfortable is enough of an obstacle to get in the way of their favorite winter outdoor activity. If that includes you, or if you are curious about stepping into a new, comfortable, and proven ski boot design you may want to 1) demo the APEX (free to SeniorsSkiing.com readers) at any of its dedicated demo centers (click here for locations), or 2) take advantage of the company’s rare 20% discount (exclusively for SeniorsSkiing.com readers) by entering SENIOR3000 at checkout.

10 Comments

  1. Try before you buy! Great idea, still lacking in execution by my demo.
    Brad

  2. Bob Margulis says:

    My ski time used to be limited, on cold days, by my feet. Superficial frostbite from ice climbing in my ‘youth’ left me with a very sensitive left foot. About 20 years ago when I needed new boots I went to a shop that had a professional boot fitter on staff. He put me into a closed cell foam heat molded replacement liner, custom foot bed and then used various presses to ‘punch out’ areas of the shell that were creating pressure. And boy was I happy. That liner and footbed lasted me through two pairs of boots. My latest boots came with an excellent heat molded liner and a new custom foot bed plus shell modifications resulted in another great pair of boots. Bottom line: a professionally trained and experienced boot fitter is worth their weight in Visa. BTW–my limiting factor then became my hands; however, last year a pair of Outdoor Research heated gloves put that in my rear view mirror too!

  3. John Christiano says:

    While Apex bots are comfortable, They sacrifice performance a lot.Two of my friends use them and wear them to the hill. The exo-skeleton is interesting and light weight.
    However if you want to improve , soft boots is just about the last thing you.want to buy. Think about it. Feeling dialed into a turn is better then feeling out of precise control .
    DO THIS. Demo a pair of apex boots but before putting them on only put one on and then put on one of your regular boots. Now make a few turns. Do you really want to make turns in Apex boots? Who knows, maybe you do. I have invested a lifetime of skiing learning to carve beautiful turns at a reasonable speed. If soft boots worked we would have been wearing them 50 years ago. Sloppy boots never last ie. Rear Mount Boots. Why? They did not give skiiers what they want. PERFORMANCE. If you ski 6. Days a year , spend a lot of time yackin in the lodge, and slide all over the slopes , give it a go.

  4. You want to feel comfortable, Orthotics heat moldable shell and a foam liner with toe warmers. Not only will you be warm and comfortable but be able to carve turns if you want to learn how or in joy the best feeling in all of skiing ( carved turns ) like the guy who posted above me.
    Why are you hyping Apex? You should know better.

  5. It is getting harder and harder to find really comfortable boots, so I am willing to give the Apex a try. Thanks for the article.

    As for performance, I think that is way over-rated, unless you are a ski racer looking for every fraction of a second improvement. I raced for about 24 years (recreationally). For the first 15 or more of those years, every time I bought a new pair of boots, I looked for something stiffer that would give me that extra bit of performance.

    But then I came to the conclusion that this is a fool’s errand. I will never be a world class racer, and for the recreational racing I do, almost any boot is fine, unless you are really attached to the concept of winning!

    I now look for the most comfortable boot. That is my number one criterion. If you are well balanced and know what to do, you can carve in soft boots tooDon’t diminish the importance of technique. Don’t blame it all on your boots.

    It’s simply a question of priorities in your life. If you want super-stiff boots for the pleasure of extracting that extra fraction of a second out of each turn, go for it. For me, I prefer softer and more comfortable boots that I can wear all day and walk around the lodge in without any discomfort.

  6. I am 80 years old and started skiing when I was 21. I haven’t missed a year since. I usually ski 50 to 60 times a season including a one week vacation when I ski the whole day. Started with leather lace up boots and have bought new boots every 6 or 7 years. The warmest and most comfortable boots I have owned are the FULL TILT DROP KICK pair I bought 4 seasons ago. They are rated at 80 stiffness (soft enough for an old guy to flex) and provide excellent side support. I would recommend these if you have a narrow foot.

  7. Full Tilt are doing much more than apex and more since a long time ago, and you always can find a good deals after the season and so forth

  8. Also like the senior skier above who shared his huge skier life experience, I also can confirm as 72 yr old skier that Full Tilt Descendant 6 (I.e., equal to about 90 flex of conventional boots) are the most advanced, easy entry/exit and maintained ski boots for not only seniors.

    In comparison with any conventional ski boot on the market Full Tilt are the most innovative boot to consider

  9. Ben Thereonce says:

    A few years ago I came off the hill last day of the season and my ankles were bleeding in places in my 2nd set of bootfitter fitted boots and liners. Made up my mind the choices were quit, go dark side, (snowboard), or ?. The ? was research and finally having boots made for me by Daleboot. They fit by actual volume of my foot and ankle area. I may not crush cliffs at my age, but a firm fitting boot that doesn’t cut off circulation or feel sloppy, it was heaven. Would have also looked at Strolz if they were closer.

    • Jon Weisberg says:

      Ben, I, too, ski Daleboot. A wonderful product, especially if there’s a nearby shop that can perform the occasional adjustment. Jon

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