The History of Ski Boots

Modern skiing was popularized in Scandinavia around the late 1700s and the first ski competition was held in 1843. At that time, ski boots were primarily made of leather and featured medium-height cuffs, sturdy laces, and flexible soles. These early boots were all handmade and were attached to skis using leather or woven straps. As skiing evolved into a more technical sport and mass production was introduced, ski boot design changed, too. The ability to lock the heels down became key, sizes were standardized, and boots also began to feature a stiff shank in the sole. Around this time, Nordic (cross-country) and alpine boot design diverged. Metal ski bindings were introduced in the late 1800s and ski boots began to feature heel and toe welts to interface with the bindings, but the main material used was leather until after WWII, when American skier Bob Lange began experimenting with adding plastic to existing leather boots for better control. After years of work, Lange released the first fully plastic ski boot in 1962. Skiers appreciated the extra power and control Lange's innovation offered and plastic ski boots quickly took off — especially after the Canadian ski team wore Lange’s plastic boots in the 1966 Olympics. Cuff heights continued getting taller as time went on, and then in the 1970s, Sven Coomer developed the original Nordica Grand Prix, ushering in the modern overlap boot design. (Two-piece overlap boots are still the most popular type of ski boot today.) By the end of the decade, all ski boots were made to be compatible with releasable ski bindings and soon, three-piece boots were introduced. The earliest version was the Henke Strato, but the most popular design was Coomer’s Raichle Flexon, which is still available under a different name today. More recently, heat-moldable plastic and foam in both liners and boot shells have made ski boots far more comfortable and easier to fit, while alternative closing mechanisms like dials have made them easier to put on or take off. Today, ski boots are worn by skiers all over the world, with the most popular design still being the two-piece overlap boot originally introduced by Coomer, albeit with many modern upgrades.