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Choisir les bonnes chaussures de ski

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Choisir les bonnes chaussures de ski


Choisir les bonnes chaussures de ski est crucial : un bon ajustement peut transformer votre journée en montagne, tandis qu'un mauvais choix peut la gâcher. Prendre le temps de choisir les bonnes chaussures de ski vous garantira performance, confort et plaisir, sur piste comme en hors-piste.

Choisir les bonnes chaussures de ski

Les chaussures de ski sont un élément essentiel pour tout skieur. Elles constituent le lien direct entre vous, vos fixations et vos skis, et chacun de vos mouvements se traduit par une action sur la neige. Un bon ajustement peut transformer votre journée en montagne, tandis qu'un mauvais choix peut la gâcher.

Des chaussures bien ajustées offrent le maintien, le confort et le contrôle nécessaires pour profiter pleinement de votre journée sur les pistes. À l'inverse, des chaussures mal ajustées peuvent rendre l'expérience frustrante, voire douloureuse, et gâcher une sortie qui aurait pu être agréable.

C'est pourquoi il est crucial de prendre le temps de bien choisir ses chaussures de ski. C'est un gage de performance et de plaisir, que ce soit sur piste ou en hors-piste.

Chez Vertical Addiction, nous proposons une large gamme de chaussures de ski . Que vous recherchiez des chaussures légères pour le ski de randonnée ou des chaussures rigides pour le ski alpin, nous avons ce qu'il vous faut. Nous proposons des marques de chaussures de ski populaires telles qu'Atomic , Nordica , Tecnica , Salomon , Dynafit et Scarpa .

Notre personnel qualifié est là pour vous aider à prendre une décision éclairée en fonction de vos besoins, de la forme de votre pied, de votre budget et de vos capacités de ski.



Différences entre les chaussures de ski alpin et les chaussures de ski de randonnée :

**Chaussures de ski alpin**

Les chaussures alpines sont principalement conçues pour le ski alpin sur pistes damées. Rigides, elles offrent un excellent maintien pour maximiser la transmission d'énergie entre le skieur et les skis. Leur rigidité permet un contrôle précis des skis, notamment à grande vitesse et dans les virages serrés. Généralement plus lourdes, elles ne favorisent pas la mobilité en montée, mais plutôt la stabilité et la puissance en descente.

Ces chaussures se fixent fermement aux skis via des fixations qui n'autorisent qu'un mouvement minimal du talon, garantissant une grande stabilité.



**Chaussures de ski de randonnée**

Les chaussures de ski de randonnée, quant à elles, sont conçues pour la montée et la descente, ce qui implique des caractéristiques très différentes. Pour les skieurs hors-piste, la performance ne se limite pas à la descente, et la légèreté joue un rôle crucial pour limiter la fatigue.

Plus légères et plus souples que les chaussures alpines, elles offrent une plus grande amplitude de mouvement en escalade. Elles sont dotées d'un mécanisme « mode marche » qui libère la cheville, offrant ainsi une plus grande liberté de mouvement lors de la marche ou de l'ascension.

Les chaussures de ski de randonnée sont également compatibles avec des fixations spécifiques qui libèrent le talon en montée, facilitant ainsi la marche ou la randonnée à ski. Elles peuvent toutefois être verrouillées en descente pour offrir une rigidité similaire à celle des chaussures de ski alpin, avec toutefois un contrôle souvent moindre dans les virages rapides ou à grande vitesse. Ceci dit, nos chaussures de ski de randonnée haut de gamme parviennent à trouver le juste équilibre entre légèreté et rigidité, offrant un bon compromis entre confort à la montée et performance à la descente.



Différentes semelles, différents usages

Les semelles des chaussures de ski alpin (ISO 5355) sont rigides, fabriquées en plastique dur et conçues pour assurer une connexion précise avec les fixations de ski alpin. Elles sont généralement lisses pour assurer une bonne connexion avec les fixations de ski alpin, mais ne sont pas idéales pour la marche sur des surfaces variées.

Les semelles des chaussures de ski de randonnée (ISO 9523), quant à elles, sont souvent en caoutchouc antidérapant (semelles « Vibram », par exemple) pour une meilleure adhérence en montée ou sur terrain rocailleux. Elles sont également plus souples et conçues pour faciliter la marche, essentielle dans les sections où il faut porter les skis ou marcher sur des surfaces glacées ou irrégulières. Ces semelles sont également souvent compatibles avec les fixations techniques, qui permettent au talon de se libérer à la montée et de se bloquer à la descente.

Certaines chaussures proposent des semelles offrant une meilleure adhérence que les semelles alpines ISO 5355, mais moins épaisses que les chaussures de ski de randonnée (ISO 9523). Elles utilisent des semelles Walk-to-Ride (WTR) ou GripWalk (GW) (ISO 23223).

** Différences entre WTR et GripWalk**

- Compatibilité des fixations : les semelles WTR nécessitent des fixations spécifiques certifiées WTR, tandis que les semelles GripWalk sont compatibles avec une gamme plus large de fixations certifiées GripWalk, ce qui les rend plus polyvalentes.

- Conception : les semelles GripWalk ont une conception plus moderne et standardisée avec une meilleure adhérence et stabilité, tandis que les semelles WTR sont plus anciennes et moins largement adoptées.

- Marche : Les deux types de semelles améliorent le confort de marche par rapport aux semelles rigides traditionnelles de ski alpin, mais les semelles GripWalk ont tendance à être plus performantes sur différents types de surfaces grâce à une courbure et un caoutchouc optimisés.



Différences entre les chaussons de chaussures alpines et de randonnée


Les chaussons de chaussures alpines sont généralement plus épais et plus rigides, conçus pour offrir un soutien maximal, un ajustement parfait et une transmission d'énergie optimale aux skis. Ils sont souvent composés d'une mousse dense et isolante pour garder les pieds au chaud pendant les longues journées sur les pistes.

En revanche, les chaussons de ski de randonnée sont plus légers et plus souples, améliorant ainsi le confort en montée. Ils sont souvent fabriqués à partir de matériaux plus respirants et moins volumineux, réduisant ainsi le poids tout en offrant une isolation adéquate. Certaines chaussures de ski de randonnée sont thermoformables, permettant un ajustement personnalisé pour un confort et des performances accrus.



Caractéristiques des chaussures de ski expliquées

**Rigidité selon le niveau du skieur**

La rigidité d'une chaussure de ski, souvent mesurée par l'indice de flex, est un facteur clé pour choisir la paire adaptée à votre niveau de ski. Un indice de flex faible (moins rigide) est recommandé pour les débutants, car il offre plus de souplesse et de tolérance, facilitant l'apprentissage des virages et le confort. Pour les skieurs intermédiaires à confirmés, une chaussure plus rigide offre une meilleure réactivité et un contrôle du ski plus précis. Plus vous progressez, plus la rigidité devient importante pour optimiser vos performances, notamment à grande vitesse ou sur terrain plus exigeant.

**Largeur de la botte et largeur du pied** 

La largeur de la chaussure (ou chaussant) est essentielle pour assurer un bon ajustement à votre morphologie. Si vous avez le pied large, une chaussure avec un chaussant large (100 mm ou plus) vous offrira un meilleur confort. À l'inverse, les pieds plus fins bénéficieront d'un chaussant étroit (généralement entre 95 et 98 mm), qui assurera un meilleur maintien. Un chaussant adapté évite les mouvements excessifs à l'intérieur de la chaussure, améliorant ainsi le contrôle et la précision en ski.

**Réglage de la boucle** 

Les boucles jouent un rôle essentiel dans l'ajustement général de la chaussure. Elles permettent de personnaliser la fermeture et la compression sur différentes zones du pied et du bas de la jambe. Il est important de serrer les boucles uniformément, sans créer de points de pression. Des boucles bien ajustées assurent un bon maintien du pied, améliorant la transmission de puissance aux skis, tout en préservant le confort tout au long de la journée.

**Taille des bottes** (mondopoint)

La taille des chaussures de ski se mesure en « mondopoint ». Elle doit correspondre précisément à la taille de votre pied (en cm) pour garantir un bon ajustement. Une chaussure trop longue peut entraîner une perte de précision et de contrôle. Une chaussure trop courte peut entraîner des douleurs ou des engourdissements. Un ajustement précis assure un confort et une réactivité optimaux sur la neige.



**Mouvement à l'intérieur du coffre**

Les mouvements du pied à l'intérieur de la chaussure doivent être minimes pour maximiser le contrôle. Un mouvement excessif peut entraîner une perte de précision et de puissance, ainsi qu'un inconfort à long terme. Une chaussure bien ajustée doit maintenir fermement le talon et limiter les mouvements latéraux, tout en offrant une souplesse suffisante pour permettre un mouvement naturel vers l'avant.

**Amplitude de mouvement d'une chaussure de ski de randonnée**

L'amplitude de mouvement est l'une des caractéristiques les plus importantes d'une chaussure de ski de randonnée. Contrairement aux chaussures alpines, les chaussures de randonnée sont conçues pour offrir une grande souplesse en montée. En mode marche, la cheville est libérée, permettant un mouvement de bascule avec un angle de rotation de 30 à 60 degrés, voire plus, facilitant la marche en montée. En mode descente, la chaussure se verrouille et devient plus rigide pour offrir un meilleur maintien en descente, bien que cette rigidité soit généralement légèrement inférieure à celle des chaussures de ski alpin.

En résumé, les chaussures de ski alpin sont optimisées pour la descente avec rigidité et précision, tandis que les chaussures de ski de randonnée allient légèreté, mobilité en montée et contrôle optimal en descente. Quel que soit le modèle de chaussure dont vous avez besoin, le chaussant est essentiel pour profiter pleinement de votre journée en montagne.

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