Finding Ski Boots for Tiny Feet (Women’s 5–6): What Actually, Mostly Works

Margaret Myrick
5 hours ago
4 min read

If you’ve ever been handed kids’ ski boots at a rental shop and told “these should work,” this post is for you.

I wear a women’s size 5–6, which in the ski world puts me in an awkward in-between: too small for most adult boots, too big for most junior ones. For years, that meant cold feet, poor control, and a lot of unnecessary pain on the mountain.

After one particularly miserable trip- where I spent more time stopping to relieve shin pain than actually skiing- I finally decided to figure this out for real.

With ski season being done for the year (and it was a dry, snow-less ski season for us in the Southwest US), here I am posting about ski boots for small footed women. If you have come across this post, you may have very small feet like I do. And if you also dabble in mountain sports you may have felt the painful nightmare of finding ski boots that work for you.

I have struggled with this particular gear issue for a while, and haven’t found a lot of online resources to help. (Also true for mountain bikes, but that’s for another day.) So I’m sharing my experiences here in case you are also searching online for the same information.

Renting has always been a crapshoot. My foot size is anywhere from women’s 5 to 6 shoe depending on the type. Rental shops usually give me junior boots, which are not as insulated or supportive. While I’ve heard junior race boots work for some, reviews are mixed and I cannot speak to it personally.

Two years ago I decided to forgo the rental challenges and buy my own boots made for an adult woman. I found a pair of used Salomon boots with 90 (Medium) Flex, size 22.5 which should be equivalent to a Women’s 5.5 in terms of length.

Salomon customer service let me know they do not make smaller boots than this.

The boots, with their “Golden Glow” accents, were sharp and I was excited to own a pair! Oo la la! Unfortunately, when I took them to Breckenridge, my shins and legs were screaming in agony after the first runs of the morning. I was drowning in the boots and my shins were taking a beating. I tried filling them with inserts from a ski shop at the base, but to no avail. I was stopping constantly and in pain.

A boot fitter at base examined and explained. Oh, they’re HV. What is that? First time boot owner, I was not aware that "HV" on a boot means "High Volume." These are meant to provide extra room in the forefoot and instep, making it ideal for wider foot shapes.

He gave me a handwritten list of boots to search for - smallest of the small, even at the same numeric size (see list below). At the top of the list he wrote the numbers 21.5, which is the size I should be, if any brands actually made that size for adults.

On my second ski day after another attempt at skiing with too big boots, I ventured forth with my HV boots to Surefoot in Breckenridge. They happened to have a pair of boots on my list – Lange Shadows. Surefoot offers the service of filling these boots with foam that exactly fits the customers shins and feet. Of course, at a price. Custom insoles from Surefoot cost more than the boots themselves.

I took time to think.

The ski industry doesn't have tiny women in mind when they design their boots. And while it stings to pay a premium for something that should be available, I finally accepted that I’m “out of normal range” and went through with it. At the time, as I was still in consulting, I had a salary that could mostly accommodate this, with a tinge of guilt.

My non-consulting self looks back and says “Thank you!”

I wanted to try them out on a full ski trip before I reported back. And now I can say that I can ski without the constant threat of shin splints. I am absolutely not sponsored by any of these companies. I will also say that when it gets hot (such as this year in the 40s in Angel Fire), the boots get a little loose.

However, custom insoles are 95% working for me and I will stick with them. So, fellow tiny-footed skiers, keep your chin up! There are boots out there for us. It might take some serious research, a few tears, and a hefty investment, but finding the perfect fit is possible.

P.S. Here's that list of boots the boot fitter gave me, in case it helps:

21.5 - Low Volume or Snug Medium Volume - Flex between 85-95