How to Adjust Salomon Evolution Ski Boots

People love using Salomon Evolution ski boots, but they usually leave any necessary adjustments to the professionals at the ski shop. While it is easier to let someone else adjust your boots, the service they provide is usually not worth the amount of money they charge. Learning to make these adjustments yourself, even on boots as advanced as the Salomon Evolution line, will not only save you money, but you will find that nobody can adjust your ski boots better than the person who has to use them.

Change the flex adjustment according to the weather on the mountain. The flex adjustment is on the side of the boot right where the outside of your ankle would be. This adjustment is a simple dial or slide lever that softens the flex in one direction and stiffens the flex in the other direction according to the labels around the flex adjustment. You want a stiff flex on warm days because your boot will be soft and a soft flex on cold days when your boot will already be stiff from the weather. Also, adjust the flex softer for powder and stiffer for hard packed snow.

Adjust the forward lean of the ski boot with the Allen wrench at the side of the boot at ankle height. The end of the Allen wrench inserts into the forward lean adjustment or canting bolt and you turn the wrench either way to adjust the cant of the shin of the boot forward or upright. You will usually want the forward cant of the boot at a middle angle unless you are a racer and then you want it all the way forward. It is best to stand in your boots in the skiing stance you use most often while you adjust the forward lean until it reaches a comfortable angle.

Adjust the tightness of the boot's buckles. Each buckle on the boot is possible to adjust by simply rotating the buckle when it is undone. Each individual buckle is threaded allowing the skier to loosen or tighten them by turning them counterclockwise or clockwise respectively. Once you have made the previous adjustments to your boots you will find it necessary to adjust all of the buckles in order to allow the most secure fit.

Adjust the 3D buckle to narrow or widen the instep. One of the buckles on Salomon Evolution ski boots is called a 3D buckle, but this is only an industry term that means the second buckle from the bottom can make the instep of the boot wider or more narrow. If your foot moves from side to side in the closed boot then you should tighten the 3D buckle by rotating it clockwise. If the boot feels a little too narrow then you should loosen the 3D buckle by rotating it counterclockwise.

Set the "Walk/Ski" dial to ski when you are locked onto your skis. The dial along the back of the upper cuff of the boot labeled "Walk/Ski" loosens the boots so you can walk more easily when taking breaks from the mountain. Always remember to set the dial back to ski when you hit the slopes again.

Tips

You want the forward lean angle of the boot to match your leg angle when in a skiing stance. Once you have adjusted your boots to properly fit your legs and the way you ski, you need to make sure the fit is not too tight. It shouldn't cut off blood circulation, but your foot shouldn't be able to move around either.

Warnings

It is best to make your adjustments at or near the mountain because the boot will adjust a certain way in warm temperatures and a different way in the cold mountain air. Making your ski boot adjustments at home may end up being a waste of time once you arrive at the mountain and have to start over again on a colder, stiffer boot.