In reply to andy foers:
I'm fully aware that I'm likely to be reduced to a pile of ash for this, but it does cross my mind that people in Mordic and Alpine countries have been skiing in footwear considerably less supportive than modern mountaineering boots for hundreds (if not thousands) of years.
Indeed, if you Google "1960's ski boot" images, you'll see exactly what I learnt to ski in on Scottish pistes. Now while I wouldn't want to use them today, I'm sure that there were people who could (and did) ski off-piste in them.
Jist a thought, JW