Is it time for new boots? That’s a question we all ask ourselves eventually. For hard skiers who hit the snow 30-40 times a season, it might be every other year, while an average skier out there (15-20 times a year) might easily get five years or more our of a pair of boots.

It also depends on the type of use. A skier who cruises groomed runs can get a lot more runs out of a pair of boots than a teenager who bashes the bumps or spends his days catching air in a terrain park.

There are several signs that boots need repair or replacment. Wear at the heel and toe of the boot sole can create an improper boot binding interface and must be corrected.

Your ski shop will have to check this, and on many models it can be fixed with replaceable plates.

Avoiding walking on pavement with ski boots can prevent this kind of wear.

Broken buckles can often be replaced, but if the boot has had enough hard use to have worn soles or buckle problems, other signs are likely to be present. Ski boots grow over time because the liners pack out. If you’re tightening buckles an extra notch and still feeling slop, this may be why. If the shells are not showing excessive wear, it may be possible to spend some time with a good boot fitter to add padding between the liner and the shell. Adding a custom footbed to your present boots is another possible way of getting more mileage from them. There are numerous ways to fix boot problems, usually best found in your ski shop. If, however, they are beyond recovery, there are some great new boots on the way.

Just as skis have been getting better each year, boots have been undergoing improvements. Better yet, with the new shorter skis, we don’t need as much boot and the manufacturers have built more performance into lower priced models. For years, the boot companies have been adding features to make boots easier to fit, and precise fit is the key not only to performance but comfort. With new plastics boots can be stiff laterally and softer in forward flex. Where we needed stiff boots to control race skis in 200-plus centimeter lengths, we can now go with a softer flex.

One of the more interesting new boots is the return of a classic. Over 20 years ago, the Raichle Flexon Comp was popular with downhill racers. The three-piece boot locked the heel in, gave strong lateral support and flexed easily. It absorbed the shocks of high-speed skiing and freestyle aerials. The Flexon disappeared for a time, but was partially brought back in the Dalbello Krypton. Now it is back under the name of Full Tilt.

There are five mens’ models, the Bumble Bee Pro ($499), the Konflict ($529), the High Five ($479), Hot Dogger ($529) and Booter, ($399). The ladies’ single model, the Sally, is $479. All have custom heat-moldable liners. The company bought the original molds to reproduce this classic boot.

The usual cast of boot makers has a broad selection of models at various ability and price levels. New from Tecnica is the Dragon series, three high-performance models in 120, 110 and 100 flex, priced at $749, $679 and $549. In other words, the softer the flex, the lower the price. The Agent series has a 130 flex race boot and scales down to an 80 flex for $299.

The Diablo is back with the 130 flex Race Pro and a pair of softer models. The Vento series is a good mid-range boot in 95, 80 and 70 flex, from $499 down to $349. For women, the Attivas range in price from $629 down to $199 and flexes from 100 down to 60.

The different series feature various fit systems and adjustments, which is true of most brands. This is also true of pricing so most any budget can be accommodated.

One of the stiffest boots is the Head Raptor 150 RD. This Racing Pro model is an opaque, colorless plastic, because light changes pigments and affects the flex factor in colored plastic, and they wanted the boot to maintain its stiff flex. The Raptor RD’s are for hard-core skiers, and the RS models are more for comfort. The Peak boot has an actual flexing sole for ease of walking. Head has a full line of models including designs for women and juniors with wide price ranges.

Dalbello has been a rapidly growing brand for a number of years and is known for being easy to fit. The top-of-the-line Kryptons are based on the Flexon Comp in the tongue design and range in price from $699 to $449, depending on features. The Proton series overlaps the Kryptons with pricing from $379 to $750. Ladies’ models run the gamut from the Aspire 50 at $189 to the Krypton Krzma I.D. at $599, a good example of how much value can be found at all levels.

Lange is back with the familiar Comp, but the popular race boot has had considerable upgrading as has the Banshee and the rest of the line. They have a full line for women and juniors.

Alpina, Atomic, Rossignol, Salmon and Fischer also have extensive lines. It would be impossible to give all the features of all the lines, but you get the idea.

There are boots out there for every ability level, and it’s never been easier to get a proper fit at a good price. If you need new boots, you might find some bargains as the season winds down but the selection is usually limited this time of year. For the widest selection shop, the preseason sales is when shops have the most models and sizes.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.