To buy boots or not?

[hillyhilly]

I started skiing again three years ago, have only realised this week that I'm paying about £40 for a weeks boot hire which seems a lot when I saw boots in decathlon for less than £100 last month.
However, I've always thought that at least if you hire, then if you have a problem you can change them and you're not lugging them there and back.
I am hoping to keep going every year, but am aware that if I buy maybe I need more specialist help with the fitting than decathlon can offer which will I guess cost more.
What do you do? Buy your own or rent?

I got mine fitted and my feet were moulded into the insoles which were heated first. My boots have been comfortable and as a result my feet are usually warm.

Got mine from sail and ski, the advice was great and insoles were heat moulded for a great fit. They were also in the sale which was even better! I'd go visit a couple of your local shops and get some advice on which boots are suitable and gauge the price range. If you're not going over the next couple of months, you could always wait till the season has finished and get a great bargain.

I have my own boots. Soooo much more comfy and warm than hired ones, and it makes the process of hiring skis in resort so much quicker and easier if you haven't got to faff with boots first.

I bought mine from snow and rock and got the insoles moulded - they are so comfortable - I had one too many holidays having to return boots on day two because they were ridiculously painful, now I just know my boots will fit every time.
They are heavy to lug around but some airlines allow you to check them in as a seperate piece of hold baggage at no charge- Swiss air and BA I think

That's the problem with having your own boots, the lugging them in your luggage. By the time you have your boots, helmet, ski clothing there is not much room for much else. The hotel we were in this year was full of people turning up to dinner in dresses and high heels. I take it they hired in the resort because we did not have room for any of that.

Best thing I ever did was to buy my own boots.
I am more relieved when my boot bag arrives on the luggage carousel than anything else. But I do have weird feet with high arches and need a big volume boot.

i would. but then we also have snowboards and helmets to take so already have ski carriage sorted, boots fit in the same bag

I find that boots, helmet, gloves, goggles, socks etc will all fit in my boot bag.

We then have a huge bag that we put all the coats, sallopetes, base layers and so on it.

And then a couple of normal cases for other clothes and toiletries and shoes.

I have my own heat moulded boots, which are a couple of years old now. The budget airlines don't allow seperate boot bags so they have to go in the normal hold luggage. Not only did they take up a lot of room, they used 25% of the weight allowance. Three fiends all hired in resort, all claimed they were the most comfortable boots they had ever worn. Their boots were lighter than mine too. I'm in the minority here but I think with improving technologies I'll stick to hiring in future rather than investiging in my own.

I can't hire boots - I have huge calves and I also need heel lifts to put me into the correct position. I ended up having to go to a professional fitter as I had too many miserable holidays due to badly fitting boots. Snow and Rock at the Ski Show was not a good option for me - the boots they sold me were the wrong size and too narrow (the moulded footbeds seemed to be pinching my feet and i was in agony).

DH snowboards and has been known to wear his boots on the plane ;-)

My ski boots and skis live in resort, but I can't imagine lugging them backwards and forwards! By the time you have paid for ski luggage/over weight bags it can't be much of a saving?

Where do you live? Lockwoods in Leamington Spa are excellent, if you're anywhere within driving distance of the Midlands. I bought my boots there years ago and dh did more recently and their fitting service is fantastic.