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Back Country Boots on Nordic Skates

Back Country Boots on Nordic Skates

We are asked frequently about whether or not using a BC boot on a nordic skate is feasible. Yes, it definitely is! It happens to be the setup I use because I also have a pair of Sporten Expedition Back Country Skis that I use with my Alpina Alaska Back Country boots! There aren't too many places where you can use the same footwear for multiple sports, so this is pretty cool.

Ankle support is key when skating, so the boot has a major role in creating a good or bad experience. I chose these Alpina Alaska boots because they are warm, comfortable, and have great ankle support. Not to mention that I can put them on at home, drive to a skating venue (or ski out my back door) and wear them all day without worrying about being uncomfortable!

Another factor about being able to successfully and comfortable skate is the flexor used on the BC bindings that we mount to the skates. As seen in the picture here, this is a Rottefella BC-MANUAL binding with a RED flexor. The red flexor means it is "hard", resembling a skate flexor, which forces the skate to return to the boot more quickly when the skate is off the ice. This way you don't have a dropping ice blade as your skating along. For those of you that like to do cross-overs, this is a necessity! Another detail to highlight is the fact that this binding is not a magnum (magnum is a wider binding better suited for BC skis) and this is also not an AUTO binding--try balancing your foot on a skinny ice skate, on ice, and pressing your foot into an auto binding--you'll be on your butt before you know it! Having a manual binding is key in allowing yourself control when clicking in and out of your bindings.

Hopefully these are some helpful tips when pondering whether or not you can use a BC boot with a nordic skate!

Some helpful links:

For BC Manual Bindings (NOTE: if you order these from us for ICE SKATES, specify that so we can add in the correct RED flexor for these, otherwise we will ship you the BC Ski components):

https://nordicskater.com/products/copy-of-rottefella-nnn-bc-manual-bindings?variant=12118469902426

Back Country Boots:

https://nordicskater.com/collections/boots/back-country-boots

Nordic Skates:

https://nordicskater.com/collections/ice-skates-gear/nordic-ice-skates

Or give us a call at 603-763-2727 and we can walk you through any details!