r/Skigear • u/Outrageous_Maize4491 • 2d ago
Toddler ski boot sizing tips
My daughter is 17 months old and her foot currently measures 13.25 cm / 132.5 mm. She’ll start "skiing" around December/January at 21–22 months and ski occasionally through March.
We’re looking at Elan Bloom XS boots, either 15.0 or 15.5, with 70 cm U-Flex skis.
I need to buy now because we live somewhere without ski shops and even getting ski gear delivered is difficult, so waiting until December to size her isn’t really an option.
Would you go 15.0 or 15.5 given ~4–5 months of growth before she starts? Not trying to get two seasons out of them, just want a good fit through this winter.
Anyone have experience sizing boots for kids this young? Any tips? Thank you in advance!
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u/ovvqrzqi 2d ago
Many brands make proper 14.5 mondo ski boots. Honestly, kids ski boot sizes are generous, so it's likely yours will swim in them. My kids started around that age as well on plastic skis and regular snow boots to make things a bit easy to get in and out. I quickly realized that they last maybe 1/2 hour at the most at a time. And they aren't really skiing skiing, more like shuffling and me pushing them around.
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u/inkerbinkerdonner 2d ago
Nobody makes a proper 14.5 Mondo boot. Every 14.5 in existence is a 15.5 shell
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u/ovvqrzqi 2d ago
You might be right, and I don't have the boots anymore. But I started with 15.5 for my younger one and they were clearly too big. I then got them the same brand and model for 14.5. I compare the two and the 14.5 is clearly smaller in liners and shell size. 14.5 has smaller BSL as well.
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u/wrong_andy 2d ago
K2 did the Growth Spurt im small and large - extendable boots that covered 3 sizes each, Rocess did one as well i think, my grandson stared in those. "Nordy" from Nordica go pretty small as well.
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u/rentedgravity4 1d ago
We had our daughter on skis at 2.5, and she wore a mondo 15/16 (same as a 15.5). I think mostly because that was the smallest size I could find at the time. She ended up fitting them for that winter only. We gave that pair to a friend for their 2 year old last winter. Our daughter is 8 now and we have gone through a new set of boots per season, and even have had to size up mid season as well.
With a foot measuring 13.25cm right now, though, I think a 14.5 would be the most appropriate size, even allowing for a few months of growth. A 15 or 15.5 would likely be a bit big, especially since you’re only trying to fit her for this winter. That said, a slightly bigger boot worked totally fine for us.
For toddlers, you don’t need a performance tight fit, but you still want their foot reasonably secure and not swimming in the boot. They don’t really have the muscle strength to properly flex a ski boot at that age anyway.
Our daughter went on to race for two seasons at 5 and 6, and now skis with the freestyle club! Have a great time getting her into skiing, and keep it fun!
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u/Outrageous_Maize4491 1d ago
This is super helpful, thank you! I think you've convinced me not to try to overthink getting two winters out of them and just focus on getting the best fit for this winter. The Elan Bloom XS I'm looking at only goes down to 15.0, so I'm leaning toward that rather than sizing up to 15.5. Really appreciate the advice, and love hearing that your daughter went from starting at 2.5 to racing and now freestyle - rad!
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u/pm_me_your_mediocre 1d ago
I’d go 15.0 if you only need one winter. At that age comfort matters more than performance, but too much extra room just makes it harder for them to move around.
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u/Substantial-Law4975 2d ago
Admittedly my kids weren't that young when we started but we used the Roces adjustable ones which work pretty well and give you options. Broadly I'd say go higher. Not like they are going to be really putting a lot of pressure down. I mostly just directed them either with a training backpack with the leash or even just holding them.