"Which kind of boot is best: overlapping shell or rear entry?" The most sage words of advice on this topic were: "The most important factor in selecting a boot is insuring that the president of the company has a foot just like yours". In other words, try 'em both on. Buy the ones that fit best. In general (and there are many exceptions to this) the rear entry boots tend to be more convenient (i.e. easier to get on/ off) but suffer somewhat in performance. The racing community still tends to favor an overlapping shell. If you are new to skiing you won't know the difference.