Knessl Rail Boots

[865rolla]

I've read good and bad reviews on these. I bought the newest model, and they are AWESOME. These are my first boots, but I know what comfort is and I know what flex/support is.

Cons: walk/ski thing doesnt work well, but I don't really care that much. i came to skiboard, not to walk. Wish ski boots were lighter, these are heavy like the rest. Salomon Verse 5.0s are lighter.

Pros: These things are muscular, very solid sideways. The forward flex can be unbelievably stiff or unbelievably flexible. theres a lacing system on the liner that comes up right to the ankle. if you lace it and thats all, youll have sideways support & the boot sticks to your foot, but you can flex forward like tennis shoes. Theres a strap over the middle of the foot to hold your foot in position good, works very well. Another strap is located at the top of the cuff to increase/decrease forward flex. You can tighten it so much that it hurts or you can loosen it so much you can't feel it. There is a plastic buckle at the ankle that holds your ankle in very well. it's variable as well.

the liners are more comfortable than the salomons i've tried. they keep your feet warm, the shock absorber seems to work pretty good, because I haven't felt anything yet when landing on ice.

the sizing chart on www.skiboards.com (http://www.skiboards.com) fits perfect. i typically do not trust sizing charts from retailers, but I didn't have much other choice on these, as they were sold out of the size I wanted. To my suprise, I fit perfect in the one they said I would. the price I got them for (150) makes this boot the best buy I could possibly find. I'd say they rank up to $300-500 boots. Wonder why they're so cheap... I don't know still.

[Greco]

I'll sell anyone my pair for $100.00 They are size 12, used for 1/2 season. I'm selling because I can't stand 'em, they kill my shins and calves and since there is just one strap they feel loose in some areas and tight in others. I think you have to have a certain type of foot or leg for these boots. I don't know. I switched to the Lemans and i'm loving them.

G

[865rolla]

tighten the liner, push the liner down to the top of your ankle, pull it back & tuck it to your shin.

don't tighten either of the velcro straps hard, just snug. for the buckle... put it where you can barely see the strap hang from the buckle.

thats how i ride them anyway, they're real comfortable. you gotta have em adjusted right though or they will feel loose in places & tight in other places like you said. if your foots sliding around, its because of the lacing on the liner & the strap around the foot at the bottom. if you have too much or too little forward flex, it's mainly because of that buckle in the middle. the velcro strap on top has a little to do with it though.

if this doesn't help, then yes, you are right, they are for certain people, and i'm lucky enough to be one of those. ive got pretty narrow shins & feet for a guy my age.

OR MAYBE... i'm just used to aggressive skate liners & boots. Once you try skates on from 2002 or before, all ski boots will feel perfect, you won't notice anything bad about them except weight lol. try skating sinister 1 liners with loose buckles on skates, now that is what i call a mix between tight and loose. the entire bottom part of the liner fits your foot perfect. above the ankle, theres no support from the liner, the liner is actually around an inch away from your ankle all the way around.

Maybe i'm just used to wearing crap & it feels good lol. the best skate liners feel the same or worse than the rails fit me. so i'm happy.

[CrazyDave]

Overall I like the design and functionality of the boots. Thus far I've had one issue with them though. They tend to put alot of pressure of the inner "balls" of my ankle, particularly on my left foot and after a couple hours it becomes quite sore. Maybe I'm not adjusting them properly...I usually tighten them down as tight as possible (both the inner boot and the outer shell). I haven't given up yet and I'll try some of rolla's tips and let them hopefully break in a little more before abandoning them for good. Other than that, they are warm and work well as a skiboard boot.

[865rolla]

they hurt me when i put them on too tight too. i accidently tightened them too much one day, n it hurt my shins on my warm-up run on the bunny slope! i loosened the mid buckle & the velcro strap at the top & they haven't bothered me since.

they're naturally well fitting boots, i barely tighten the top two straps just enough to stay a little snug. i dont have problems rocking around in them, they stay solid. but they also allow forward flexibility for jumping, landing, and spinning. I noticed a world of difference when i loosened the top two straps some on my spinning & jumping. it allows your body to do it's natural movements better, i find that it makes it easier to spin

i had the same problem with my USD liners being too tight on my skates, it greatly reduced my jump & my spin, i loosened them around the ankle so they weren't so tight (but still snug) and they felt perfect.

let me know how it works with the top two straps loosened to "snug". later

[CrazyDave]

I went out last night with the top two straps loose and it seemed to help quite a bit. I still had some inner ankle soreness on my left foot at the end of the night (about 3.5 hrs of riding). When I finally got them off, my archs of my feet seriously cramped up...that's the first time that's happened on skiboards. I'll see how they feel tomorrow night...I'm begin to get the feeling that my feet aren't made for these boots either. We'll see...

[865rolla]

glad the straps thing helped some. as for the ankles... my inner ankle got sore after 8 hours of riding, but i think that was partially due to wearing double socks (because of how they rub together and cause blisters/cut the skin.)

thats odd about the archs of the feet, i've never had that problem with anything being too loose or too tight in any type of boot though.

heres how they feel when i ride them, if it helps any...

tight around the arch & top of the feet, ankle held into the liner (i.e. i pull the straps on the liner pretty snug, but dont put all my force into it, just some.) my toes are loose and i can wiggle them some. i strap the bottom strap down pretty snug.

the sides of the boots are solid on the sides of my ankles & shins, with a little bit of movement (maybe 1/8 of an inch i guess). the front of my boots allow me to flex forward i'd say around an inch. i latch the the latch right before it begins to hesitate while latching with a few fingers. this is just enough for me to feel like i'm not sliding around in the boot, but i'm still able to move my ankle good. i strap the top strap with barely any force. just enough to make it a bit snug.

they're complicated, haha. let me know how they go after riding them again.

[CrazyDave]

Went out last night again. 4 hours...no soreness! I think I got them figured out and they felt great all night. I think I still had my two upper straps a little too tight last time. This time I made the inner boot tight. The bottom strap tight. And the two upper straps just loose enough to stay together. I didn't notice any unwanted side-to-side flex and I could still carve great. I extra think the forward flex really helped me clean up my jumps too.

[McShane]

as i said on these boots a while ago (under another thread), they fit well once you figure them out ;)

[865rolla]

hahah awesome man, i'm particularly glad the same thing helped you so i know how to help other people with it.

[Jordahl]

courtneys got those boots. she says they're uncomfortable after a year or so, and they do hurt ur shins. from what i hear they dont go tight enough in some spots and too tight in the other. thats just what ive heard tho ive never tried a pair.

[jyee]

anyone ever try the rossignol soft boots? how do they compare to kneissl's?... not that i'd switch from my rail scandiums, but i'm just kinda curious.