Ski boots are specialized footwear that are used in skiing to provide a way to attach the skier to skis using ski bindings. The ski/boot/binding combination is used to effectively transmit control inputs from the skier's legs to the snow. Ski boots were originally made of leather and resembled standard winter boots. As skiing became more specialized as a form of recreation, so too did ski boots, leading to the splitting of designs between those for alpine skiing (downhill) and cross-country skiing. The latter remain similar to standard footwear, but include an attachment point for the bindings near the toe. The former have become much more specialized, rising up the leg in order to transmit sideways rotations of the legs through the bindings and into the skis, a process known as "edging". A variety of techniques combine features of cross-country and downhill, notably Randonee, and Telemark, and have led to further customization of boot styles to fill these niches.
