Downhill ski boot assembly

A downhill ski boot assembly utilizes a ski boot shell into which a soft walking boot may be inserted. The shell has a rigid sole plate with a stiff forefoot and shin piece as well as heel hold down means. The forefoot and shin piece has an opening at the toe so that the boot toe may extend therethrough. The heel hold down means of the shell coacts with means on the heel of the boot to hold it in place against the sole plate. A calf strap and an instep strap provide further immobilization of the skier's leg and foot to provide the desired degree of skiing control.

The invention is a boot assembly for use with a downhill ski which assembly 
comprises a soft boot and a stiff boot shell. The soft boot may be secured 
within the stiff shell which is in turn insertable into the ski binding. 
The structure of the shell enables the skier to control the attitude of 
the ski during skiing, while the soft boot allows the skier to walk 
normally and comfortably when he is not skiing. 
It is well recognized that the standard hard shell downhill ski boot is 
very awkward and uncomfortable to walk in. A number of prior attempts to 
utilize a reasonably comfortable soft walking boot in combination with 
support means for use in downhill skiing have suffered from serious 
shortcomings. Prior devices have predominantly attempted to provide 
control for the skier through the use of a strut or the like extending 
from the skier's calf either along the side of the leg or along the back 
of the leg to the ski binding. These prior devices usually did not provide 
the skier with a sufficient degree of control over the ski, or they were 
awkward to use, being cumbersome or complex to attach and adjust. Often 
the prior devices proved to be of insufficient strength to survive normal 
downhill skiing maneuvers or mishaps. 
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior devices and 
satisfies a long felt need for a ski boot assembly which may be used with 
a walking boot. Accordingly, the invention provides a downhill ski boot 
assembly comprising the combination of a stiff ski boot shell and a 
flexible walking boot. The ski boot shell has a rigid elongate sole plate 
with heel and toe portions adapted to be insertable into a conventional 
downhill ski binding. A unitary stiff forefoot and shin piece is attached 
to the forward portion of the sole plate. The forefoot and shin piece has 
an opening at its front to allow the toe portion of a boot to protrude 
therethrough. Vertically adjustable heel hold down means are attached to 
the sole plate for engaging the heel portion of a boot and holding it 
against the sole plate. A calf strap is attached to the top of the 
forefoot and shin piece. 
A flexible walking boot of a size to fit within the ski boot shell has heel 
means adapted to coact with the heel hold down means of the ski boot 
shell. In operation the skier wearing the boot inserts it toe first into 
the ski boot shell so that the toe portion of the boot protrudes through 
the opening at the toe of the forefoot and shin piece. The boot heel is 
held against the sole plate by the weight of the skier and the heel hold 
down means of the ski boot shell is engaged with the rear portion of the 
boot adapted to so receive said means. The calf strap is secured in place 
about the skier's leg, and he is then ready to insert the combined ski 
boot shell and boot into his downhill ski binding.

Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a 
ski boot shell 10 having an elongate rigid sole plate 12 being shaped at 
the heel 13 and toe 14 ends so that it can be inserted into and held by a 
conventional downhill ski binding. The sole plate may be made of a variety 
of rigid materials, but a thermoplastic material, possibly reinforced with 
glass or other suitable material, is preferred. 
Attached to the sole plate 12 is a forefoot and shin piece 18 having an 
opening 19 through which the toe portion of a boot may extend. The piece 
18 is preferably unitary and made of a material providing sufficient 
stiffness for downhill skiing purposes. Preferably, the forefoot and shin 
piece 18 is made of a thermoplastic material compatible with the material 
of the sole plate 12. It is desirable for the forefoot and shin piece 18 
to possess a degree of flexibility in response to the forward leg pressure 
of the skier. Portions of the forefoot and shin piece 18 may be reinforced 
either through the design and shape of the piece itself, e.g. by providing 
ribs or areas of greater material thickness, or by providing reinforcing 
members for the piece 18. As an example of the latter, FIG. 1 shows 
optional reinforcing metal wings 21 extending from the sole plate 12 
upwardly along either side of the forefoot and shin piece 18. The wings 21 
may be of a metal such as aluminum, and may be molded into the sole plate 
12 as well as into the piece 18. Other means of attaching the reinforcing 
wings 21 to the plate 12 and piece 18 will be apparent to the skilled 
person. Preferably, the sole plate 12 and the forefoot and shin piece 18, 
as well as any reinforcing members coacting with these parts, are 
manufactured and assembled pursuant to an injection molding process. 
The forefoot and shin piece 18 has a shin pad 23 attached to the top inner 
portion of the piece 18 and which extends over the top front edge 24 of 
the piece 18. The pad 23 is preferably of a cushioned foam material and 
may be adjustable by, for example, the use of hook and loop pads 25 
available under the trademark VELCRO. 
A calf strap 29 is attached to the top rear portion 30 of the forefoot and 
shin piece 18. The strap 29 is preferably attached at one end to the piece 
18 by a fastener such as a rivet, and preferably at the other end to the 
piece 18 by a buckle means such as a latch 33 and ratchet strap 34. The 
strap end 34 may conveniently be inserted into a housing 36 formed into 
the forefoot and shin piece for the purpose. A cushioned calf pad 38 is 
attached to the calf strap 29 and preferably extends both above and below 
the lateral edges of the strap 29. As with the shin pad 23, the calf pad 
38 may be made adjustable by providing a VELCRO pad 39 attachment to the 
strap 29. 
It is desirable to be able to loosen the calf strap 29 when not actively 
skiing, so the strap 29 is preferably equipped with an off centre latch 40 
which may conveniently be located adjacent the ratchet strap 34. 
The ski boot shell 10 is intended to be used in association with a 
comfortable soft boot suitable for walking in when disengaged from the 
shell 10. A preferred boot 45 is shown in FIG. 2. 
The boot 45 is made of a sturdy flexible material conventionally used for a 
winter walking boot. The preferred boot 45 shown in FIG. 2 has a sole 47 
and foot portion 48 made of a rubber, with a lower leg portion 49 being 
made of a synthetic fabric such as nylon. A felt liner 50 for the boot 45 
is preferred to provide insulation and cushioning. 
The boot 45 is adapted in the heel portion thereof to coact with heel hold 
down means 52 of the ski boot shell 10. A preferred heel hold down means 
52 is shown in FIG. 1 as an adjustable over centre latch means comprising 
parallel upright turnbuckles 55 attached to either side of the heel 
portion of the sole plate 12, and an over centre latch 57 pivotally 
attached to the turnbuckles 55 through a cross bar 59. The latch 57 has a 
tongue 61 which is insertable into a slot 63 formed in the heel portion of 
the boot 45. The slot 63 for receiving the latch tongue 61 may be 
constructed in a variety of ways, but when the foot portion 48 of the boot 
45 is made of rubber, this structure can be conveniently molded integrally 
with the portion 48. The over centre feature of the latch 57 holds it in 
place against the rear leg portion of the boot 45 anchoring the heel of 
the boot against the sole plate 12. The turnbuckles 55 ensure a firm 
engagement of the latch tongue 61 in the boot heel slot 63. 
While the heel hold down means of the ski boot shell 10 and boot 45 operate 
to hold the sole of the boot 45, and particularly the heel, against the 
sole plate 12, the skier's foot may still retain an undesirable degree of 
mobility within the boot 45 itself during skiing. To provide a means for 
holding the skier's heel down within the boot 45, an instep strap 71 is 
attached to the boot 45 from pivotal anchor points 72 at either side of 
the heel, where the strap ends may be secured by rivets 73 or the like. 
The strap 71 extends forward over the foot in front of the ankle. The 
strap 71 is preferably in two pieces with a buckle 74 at the outer side of 
the foot portion 48 for adjustment of the strap 71. An instep pad 76 is 
preferably attached to the strap 71 to cushion the pressure on the foot 
provided by the strap 71. 
In use, the ski boot assembly of the invention provides the skier with the 
ability to walk comfortably in the same boots he skis in. With the sole 
plate 12 in the ski binding, the booted foot is inserted toe first into 
the forefoot and shin piece 18 so that the toe of the boot 45 extends 
through the toe opening 19 of the piece 18. The boot heel is pressed down 
against the sole plate 12 by the skier's weight and the heel hold down 
latch 57 is engaged in the heel slot 63 of the boot 45 to secure the boot 
45 against the sole plate 12. The calf strap 29 is secured about the 
skier's leg. Just prior to skiing the over centre latch 39 is closed to 
tighten the calf strap 29 and the instep strap 71 is tightened to 
immobilize the skier's heel within the boot 45. The assembly according to 
the invention enables the skier to control his skis as if he were wearing 
conventional ski boots, but allows him the flexibility and comfort 
associated with a soft walking boot. 
Variations of the preferred embodiment with the scope of the present 
invention will no doubt occur to the skilled person. Without being limited 
by the foregoing description, the full ambit of the invention is defined 
in the following claims.