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Chrononaut, I remember reading your post and I tried prying the buckles loose with a screwdriver, but all that did was start to bend the buckles. Maybe I shouldn't be worried about that, but I sort of overpaid for these ski boots and would like to try first a method that doesn't do any damage to these precious buckles.
Don't judge me, but if I can't get any farther with pre-drilling and then drilling, I'm also considering just taking them to a ski repair shop where they have the equipment to replace/remove buckles. Throwing that out there as a tip for anyone who may not have power tools at their disposal and doesn't mind throwing some money at the problem. Also, a ski shop near a family member offers a $200 trade-in on ski boots in ANY condition! So anyone not sure of what to do with the ski boots they're destroying for their Jyn costumes? Check your local ski shops for trade-in deals.