Editing Ski boot (section)

===Rear-entry===
Rear-entry boots were brought to market in the early 1970s by the [[Hanson Industries (ski boots)|Hanson brothers]] to address the issue of getting conventional boots on and off, while also providing a generally better fit.<ref>Seth Masia, [https://books.google.com/books?id=RlgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40 "The Rear-Entry Boot: A Life Cut Short"], Skiing Heritage Journal, June 2007, pp. 40-42</ref> Rear-entry designs were very popular in the 1980s, notably [[Salomon Group|Salomon]] designs like the racing-oriented SX 91 Equipe.

In the rear-entry design, the entire foot area and sole are a single unit similar to a [[slipper]]. The leg cuff is split in two, with front and rear sections that meet at the hinge point at the ankle. The rear half of the cuff can pivot far to the rear, opening wide for easy entry. Closing a cable locks the moving rear portion forward onto the front half, forming the stiff cuff that pivots around rivets at the ankle like a conventional front-entry design. As the toe area is a single piece and lacks buckles for adjustment, rear-entry boots may have considerable "slop", and various systems of cables, plates or foam-filled bladders were used to address this. The upside of this approach is that the foot area can be made larger, fitting almost any foot.

The rear entry design fell from popularity in the 1990s due to their shunning by racers in search of a closer fit. Recent improvements to front-entry and mid-entry boots, primarily in the areas of comfort and ease of entry/exit, have diminished the popularity of rear-entry designs even in recreational roles, though mid-range models remain common as rental boots.