Fischer ONE & TWO: Alpine Ski Boots for Kids win ISPO Award 2022

It should always start with pleasure. Fun is what it is all about when you want to get the little ones excited about skiing. That's why Fischer has focused on the needs of two- to eight-year-olds in developing the new ski boot for children. Handling and weight have been optimized to what makes sense at this age. The innovative ski boot models for children Fischer ONE & Fischer TWO are the outcomes.

What features does a boot for kids need to have? Fischer's product team spent a lot of time in the snow with children, talking to parents, ski instructors, and boot fitters during research and development. As a result, the most critical factors impacting performance became apparent: boot weight, simplicity, and intuitiveness of use. Easy use on the ski slopes, on the way to the lifts, during lunch breaks, or playing in the snow were considered critical metrics. In addition, a child's ski boot is on their feet all day and should neither become heavy, pinch, or cause cold feet.

"We wanted to design the Fischer ONE & TWO so that children can put on and fasten the boot on their own. And even if two- to three-year-olds need help from their parents, easy handling wouldn't hurt either," says Christoph Lentz, product manager Alpine Boots Fischer. If help is needed when putting on the boot, two pull loops on the sides help get in and out, for example.

No buckles and straps also immediately caught the eye of the ISPO Award jury. The Fischer ONE & TWO children’s ski boots  are not just shrunken copies of an adult or youth ski boot. "We have deliberately dispensed with them. For one thing, it's tough to determine whether the boot was closed too tightly or too loosely with the ratchet. And smaller children often find it hard to close buckles themselves," explains Lentz. That's why the width of the inner shoe is adjusted with an easy-to-close hook-and-loop fastener. In addition, the protective gaiter is zipped up at the front with a zipper that can also be easily operated by a child's hand with an extra-large ring.

The new ski boot for kids consists of an innovative construction of soft parts and a hard ski boot shell. The soft-lined gaiter made of PVC keeps feet warm and is tear-resistant on the outside. The fact that the gaiter is warm was essential to the team because nothing ends a child's ski day faster than cold feet.

The boots must also fit well shouldn't hurt or be too small. The shape of the toe box was adapted for this purpose. In addition, the inner boot can be adjusted when the feet grow, and the toes in the front of the boot hit the end—allowing the ski boots to be worn longer by a growing child.

Walking and movements like side-stepping or skating while skiing is more strenuous the more weight you have on your feet. Therefore the wings on the side of the shell give enough lateral support in crucial places, as does the back of the shaft. In addition, the liner leaves enough room for mobility towards the front, exactly where you want to get youngsters to move forward. 

"The mixed construction of soft and hard materials was inspired by our nordic boots - an area in which we have a lot of experience as a brand," explains product manager Christoph Lentz. At the same time, the significant advantage of this lighter construction is evident. With kids, every gram makes a huge difference. The Fischer ONE & TWO are 20 percent lighter than what has been available on the market to date. To an adult skier, that would be several kilograms saved. At the same time, this makes it much easier for children to move in the snow.

For a kids' boot, it's not just performance characteristics on skis that matter. The best children’s ski boot is already put to the test in the parking lot or on the way to the lift. The Fischer ONE & TWO come with rubber sole coating and GripWalk® as standard, making walking easier and safe travel across slippery restaurant floor tiles, for example. In addition, a lighter ski boot reduces the stress on youngsters walking to the lift and decreases overall fatigue. 

The design of the new kids ski boot was deliberately kept clean and simple. Yet still not dull, always with the target group firmly in mind: The ski boots come with stickers children love and can customize their new ski boots themselves. The visual focus is on fun, while technically sophisticated product design does the rest to make the Fischer ONE & TWO a reliable companion for the first steps and turns on snow.

• Velcro fastener instead of buckles for enough hold yet child-friendly handling
• two side straps for easy pulling up 
• Inner boot adaptable to fast-growing feet
• Non-slip GripWalk® sole
• Waterproof, warm and robust gaiter with zipper