Let’s lead with a tester’s comments: The Zero G is money!
The Tecnica Zero G Tour Scout W is updated this year with a completely revised liner, which testers said impressed them for its fit improvements and praised how those went even further in unlocking this lightweight's descending super-powers. Yes, testers said that they felt like "enhanced" super-humans when they donned these fleet-of-foot ski shoes.
Were our testers really that fired up? Sometimes these things are simply best left to our testers to say: "A great fitting true narrow (tighter than 99mm). Though it has a nice amount of room in the toes, which is nice on a backcountry boot. But the heel, ankle and navicular are snug, snug, snug. This boot is best of its category by far! It skis like an alpine boot. Powerful, reliable and responsive. But with a comfy liner. No complaints here."
Yes, testers said it was a little off the mark on fit tension--they say this 99mm fits like most performance 98mm and 97mm alpine lasts--but they apparently didn't mind that as the lower volume fit was well done for the anatomy of the foot and leg (Anatomical Fit got a perfect score of 5.00). They loved how closely the shell and closely mated liner followed the curves of the foot, negotiating typical problem fit areas with well-placed curves. This was a close but hot spot free fit they said, with some extra room for length and width in the toebox--which they appreciated for touring or hiking missions with the cuff released. While the liner is fully thermo moldable, testers said the pre-molded, out-of-box fit of the new liner was stellar, commenting that the blend of firm hold upon the foot and just-soft-enough cushioning throughout made for a dreamy initial feel that didn't change for the worse with repeated on-snow trials.
The double-blocking cuff release mechanism impressed testers for its simplicity of use but also for its rigid lock-down when it was time to ski and a free-hinging rotation when it was time to sweat. They approved of the stance angles of the Zero G in every direction (another perfect score) and liked the just-right height of the tongue against the shin as well as the way it distributed pressure along the leg during flexion--no shin bang or bite at any point on the tongue.
Testers were very impressed with the strength to weight ratio of the Zero G, pointing toward an all-Grilamid (our favorite lightweight plastic) build for shell and cuff. While they wouldn't pass up the Cochise for a 50-50 resort-backcountry crossover boot, they said the Zero G would be more than capable of ripping some firm groomers at speed if it was asked to. Testers also liked the color this year, which they claimed was best-of-test.
Our test team is having a hard time comprehending how some brands are managing to pack as much skiing power and stability into small, lightweight packages. Take the Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro--one tester said this: Yeah, this thing is as quick as any race boot, steers as good as any race boot--how the hell did they do this? It's magic, goddamn sorcerer's work there. Race boot quickness and steering? Well, perhaps that's a little bit of hyperbolic tester talk there, but our test team's consensus was that the Zero G Tour Pro might be one of the very best skiing and fitting true backcountry boots we've ever tested.
The Zero G's liner is all new this year and it did the trick for testers who claimed that it was a nearly perfect fit for the human foot and leg. Testers say it fits more narrow than medium in the in-between fit zone that is the 99mm last. It's a close fit everywhere, they said, but without offending typical wide and bony spots. While the liner is low profile and light, it offers enough padding to keep the plastic just far enough away for a warm and comfortable experience on snow. Yes, the new liner is fully moldable and articulated for touring, with two liner pull loops and a minimalist rear spoiler--it also sports expanded use of grindable CAS exterior material for enhanced fitting work if needed, but testers said no, it's good to go out of the box.
The co-molded carbon fiber and Grilamid cuff has much to do with this little micro's bigger-than-expected power reserves--it's light but rigid, and the double-blocking cuff release mechanism increases anchoring strength when locked for skiing but allows free rotation of the cuff when popped loose. Testers loved the Zero G's rare combination of descending power mated with real backcountry travel functionality, packaged in a near-flawless fit. While testers didn't really expect to use it in a race course, or even on hard resort pistes, they said you could get by with its close-to-alpine levels of downhill performance. Quick, strong, light and comfortable--one of Tecnica's best efforts, they agreed.
The Scott Freeguide Tour was a new model for our test team, who put the slightly stiffer Freeguide Carbon through the ringer at last year's test. The Tour offers a 120-flex rating and a non-Boa closure liner as the defining features that set it apart from the Carbon--that and a few less bucks on the price tag. The other thing that testers said one gains with the Freeguide Tour is a slightly softer liner construction which put this model at the top of the heap for creature comforts as well as ease of entry and exit. Testers said that for a warmth, comfort and convenience driven backcountry skier there may not be a better option than this one.
The unique "hybrid cabrio" design employs a hinged plastic tongue which allows for unimpeded entry to the boot and then also enhances the forward range of motion when the cuff is released for touring. Testers said the release mechanism is clean and functional and the resulting amount of travel in hike mode is large and smooth--the Freeguide Tour was one of testers' favorites for its comfortable fit and ergonomic strolling stride.
Testers weren't as impressed with the Dual Flex Action Tongue when descending through critical bits of terrain or at demanding speeds. Testers said there was a too-soft feel to the flex with a tendency to collapse if hammered hard. They loved the rearward support of the boot's spine while skiing and also said laterally the boot was stable and strong for controlling the ski on edge. So, their comments trended toward suggesting lighter weight skiers and those with less reliant-on-tongue skiing styles would most favor the Freeguide Tour. Yes, there is that stiffer option available in the Freeguide Carbon if more flexion beef is desired.
Our test team had a chance to test the new Gea RS to see how it compared to its predecessor and testers were impressed with the step-up performance wise brought by the stiffer Grilamid Bio cuff. Strong moves to the edge were backed up by this boot's lateral stability and supportive fore-aft flex feel, and testers said that its light weight and close-to-the-foot medium fit profile kept it among the quickest in its category. In fact, it received perfect 5.00's for both Edge Power and Quickness.
Testers also gave it a perfect score for its Dynamic Balance, saying that it put them in the, well, perfect position for good skiing movements and offered a proper feeling height against the shin for strong and comfortable moves to the front of the ski. They liked the ergonomics of the cuff's long stride when released into touring mode and said the quality of movement was smooth and unhindered.
Testers remind that the Gea RS is one of few backcountry boots claiming to be a medium width that actually fits as such. It's a closely-contoured fit, meaning a little on the snug side of the 100mm marker, but generally was about what testers expected from a middle-of-the-road fit. Testers mentioned that the liner was adequately padded and warm, citing side-by-side comparisons with other BC category entries that proved the Gea's warmth.
Testers still struggle a little to avoid some sharp plastic bits when getting into the boot and the various overlaps and strap style buckles continue to confound upon first try, but after some familiarity with the system they say the minor start-up struggles are worth it for the whole up then down performance package it offers the accomplished skier.
The Maestrale line has been through a variety of iterations, ups and downs, tighters and loosers, over the years and our test team says the Maestrale RS's current iteration with its revised cuff material is the best combination yet of a good, anatomical fit matched with real ski boot descending skills and legit BC touring functionality. Testers still grumble a little bit about getting past some sharp and jumbled overlaps and straps but once in and locked down they say there are few backcountry category competitors that can match the nearly universal medium width fit and easily managed features.
According to testers, Scarpa remains one of the few brands that consistently incorporates more environmentally friendly plastics into its designs without tanking their performance potential. The new Grilamid Bio cuff proved to be strong and stable when driving big, fat skis at speed through a variety of different terrain and snow surfaces, and testers said that response time remained as good as it's ever been with the Maestrale design. They thought that the balance of medium fit, strong edging skills, quick steering reactions and functional cuff-release features and functionality kept the Maestrale RS in the top group of BC boots tested.
Some testers felt that there was an excessive amount of space in the toebox and forefoot, but for many tourers this would seem a benefit, and depending on how much toe-cappage one used during liner molding a more snug liner fit in the forward cab could be achieved pretty easily.
Stance angles were neutral and allowed for easy balance for cruising, charging or ascending, alike. Testers liked the cuff release mechanism and loved the resulting stride range of motion and smooth feel. They generally had no complaints (beyond some entry and exit consternation) except for some of the usual grousing about ladder strap style 45-degree buckles and zig-zaggy Wave Closure buckles--which was probably good news--when testers' negative comments fall on buckle design, you know the boot's gotta be pretty solid overall.
K2's maiden voyage into true Backcountry boot territory was a successful mission according to our testers who liked the Dispatch W LT for its massive and smooth range of motion in touring mode, coupled with a generous medium width fit and reliable lefts and rights on the way down. While not the most important element, testers did agree that the boot looks cool, too.
Gone are the lateral cuff adjusting elliptical spacers, which had to go to maximize the range and feel of the upper cuff's rotation when released for walking or skinning. Testers said that the lateral stance set-up felt neutral and balanced to them out of the box, so at least most skiers will have no need for lateral stance work. The fore-aft stance was upright and tall against the lower leg shaft, testers said, which they liked for low quad-burn levels and for touring but they mentioned that it took a little attention to get over the sweet spot while skiing.
Testers loved the roomy-medium fit that gently matched the curvatures of the foot and leg without offering too much squeeze. Our higher volume testers loved the extra room (more than they expected from a 100 mm last), especially over the instep where they noted very high ceilings. Testers liked the soft address of the Tourfit LT liner and while they appreciated its full-thermo Ultralon molding capabilities, only one mentioned feeling a need to utilize it. Testers appreciated the dual liner pull loops, but said they felt a bit let down by the wimpy, narrow power strap.
Testers generally gave the boot highest marks for its comfortable fit and category-best touring features and skills. It skied just fine everywhere they pointed it, they said, but also mentioned that skiers seeking untracked pow stashes farther afield from the chairlift might best appreciate the Dispatch's adventurous character.
The all new K2 Dispatch Pro impressed testers with its good skiing character and (mostly) anatomical fit map for the average foot and leg. Testers were universally enthusiastic about the Dispatch's hardened outer self (i.e. the shell) which offered a great, balanced stance and a highly transmissive linkage between skier movement and ski response with crazy-good hike mode functionality. Testers were similarly universal in their skepticism surrounding the Boa Tourfit liner, which most claimed restricted entry and exit and came with tongue fit issues.
Now, ignoring those two caveats, our test team thought the Dispatch Pro was one of the better skiing and better touring BC boots they've tested in recent years. The tall-enough cuff and progressive flex feel offered a substantial amount of leverage over the ski and proper stability in rock-and-roll conditions. The Pebax shell and cuff provided a surprisingly crisp, yet damp, feel when tipping a ski on edge, testers said. They also praised the hike mode's simplicity and vast range of motion when released. Testers agreed that for a first foray into the full-rockered BC market K2 hit a homerun--well, at least a stand-up double.
The caveats were hard to ignore, however, as the Boa reel's cable length seemed short, and as such kept testers from getting the bugger on. Most testers found they needed to don the liner, snug the Boa, then enter the shell, which is fine but not always convenient for skiers and leads to excess wear and tear on a liner over time. Second, the liner tongue's out-of-box fit was neither smooth nor anatomical for many of the test team, who across the board suggested that a full temp, thermo molding session would probably sort out this issue. However, given that an out-of-box, customer purchase experience is part of the testing process, this didn't help the Dispatch's score. There's always the chance that we were testing early production liners and the likelihood that this issue will be ironed out by the Fall's buying season (no answers yet from K2 on that). Testers suggest that upon try-on, if the entry and exit isn't an issue and the shin fit is comfy, then buy it, as the rest of the Dispatch's skill set is top notch.
Testers did like the idea of the Boa liner closure in the Pro, but observed that the boot's available without it in the Dispatch LT, along with a softer 120 flex. The Pro comes with a sweet cam buckle power strap though, and testers do like those. The softest Dispatch at a 110 flex comes at $150 MSRP discount for the lightweight of body and wallet.
The Fischer Transalp Tour W is a hit with our women's test team two years running. First, they say they could run in it, if they wanted to, its range of motion in touring mode is that good. But unlike many light-enough-to-run-in BC boots we've tested over the years, the Transalp actually skis like a real ski boot, testers agree. And it skis not just like a real boot but like a real good boot--as in, it skis as well as many of the top shelf four-buckle overlap boots in the test, they said. Even after a first look at this featherweight two-buckle last year, testers were still surprised all over again with how strongly and accurately it puts skis on edge and heads down the fall line.
It has a gorgeous toebox and forefoot shape, testers reported, but some felt it ran a little short, overall (this without a full liner cook though), and while some testers felt it was a little close through the instep none felt it was out of the norm for being on the snug side of the 100 mm fit spectrum. Even without cooking the liner testers liked the creature comfort here, citing enough padding for bony spots but just barely--one tester mentioned the outside ankle pocket was a little aggressive.
Stancewise the crew loved the neutral angles all around and as proof it received a perfect score in the Dynamic Balance category. It also received perfect 5's in both Edge Power and Quickness, so this is a well-rounded downhill performance model that also tours with the best of them. Bravo Transalp!
This is what the Fischer guy wrote for our testers' info packet about the Transalp Pro: "...gets to the heart of what downhill-oriented ski touring professionals want: outstanding stability and power transmission for demanding descents, balanced with the lowest weight and a large range of motion." Well, our testers said that for once, the marketing mumbo jumbo wasn't B.S.--in fact, they said that description hit the nail on the head for this two-time gold medalist and category winner this year.
Many of our testers had put the Transalp Pro pro through its paces at last year's test but a few mentioned they were looking forward to this year's re-test of the unchanged entry because they weren't sure if they really liked it as much as their test forms suggested last time around--i.e., maybe last year's results were a fluke. Well, nope. Those guys loved it just as much this time, and continue to be amazed at how a micro-minimalist touring machine can generate the kind of power and stability that it manages to. It's about the lightest boot our test accepts an entry for (we are not tights-wearing rando-racers by a long shot) and it has the kind of range of motion that you expect is possible but is rarely achieved in releasable cuff boots but it puts a fat ski on edge like a 130-flex four-buckle overlap boot. Really. It's surprising.
Testers continue to gripe about the entry and exit--it's a little tricky--but once it's on it's a regular boot on your foot--albeit with a massive and frictionless stride. The Double-Lock Ski Walk release mechanism is simple and bombproof, and once locked in place creates a comfortably rigid cast that's ready to drive a ski. Some of our larger testers felt that there was a little over-flexing to the front but not enough to drop its stance or fore-aft stability scores, and they mentioned that its rearward resistance was rock-solid.
Not only does the Transalp Pro (and the softer Transalp Tour) have a nice, fat power strap with a cam-lock style buckle, it comes with the testers' favorite feature-du-jour, the rip-cord pull release for that cam buckle, but wait, there's more, the power strap is also releasable with a hook grabber (kind of like the GI Joe Kung Fu grip you may remember if you're old like us) that avoids having to re-thread the webbing strap through the cam buckle. Nifty.
The 2021/2022 Scott Cosmos was tested in the men’s Backcountry category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The completely rebuilt Cosmos lurked about in its half-brother Cosmos Tour’s shadow at this year’s boot test but busted out in the end as a sleeper performance model that offers backcountry skiers great bang for the buck. As with the Tour, testers liked Cosmos for its snug anatomical fit and straightforward entry and closure system. Testers said they could run it up and down any slope for reliable, comfortable performance.
Testers agreed that the Cosmos does not fit as its 103.5mm last width would suggest, though it fit slightly more relaxed than Cosmos Tour due to liner differences. They say it remains an average medium fit and they liked that, and the even more-cushioned (than Cosmos Tour) contact the full-thermo liner made with the foot and leg. They did agree that it fits a little shorter than average, so skiers in between sizes already may want to opt for the upsize for improved toe room while touring. The cuff fit flared nicely at boot top for a muscular calf and testers said the cuff’s height was ideal and its stance angles neutral.
Several of our testers simply wrote see Cosmos Tour for the performance section of the Cosmos—that’s good news for good skiers who could use an extra hundred bucks! The Cosmos line-up has a noticeably high internal ramp angle that worked well for testers who typically add a heel lift to their set-up. The Cosmos’s 110 flex did a good job of maintaining leg shaft angles while descending, offering good support in smooth terrain and soft snow. Testers noted that the side-to-side set-up was neutral and comfortable in all conditions, allowing for reliable arcs as intended on the way down. As with the Cosmos Tour, the Cosmos’s cuff release range of motion is wide and smooth of stride and tester like the simplicity and strength of the Rear Hook release mechanism.
The Cosmos sports all the BC goodies needed: rockered and lugged Vibram outsole, Dynafit certified tech inserts, dual pull loop and speed-laced full thermo tongue style liner, and two lower buckles, two upper cuff buckles plus a Velcro power strap—very real boot like, which we like.
The 2021/2022 Scott Celeste was tested in the women’s Backcountry category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
Testers liked the welcoming attitude of the Celeste, from the accessible price to the anatomical fit that worked for the average and slightly thicker foot. This year’s revised version felt lighter on the foot and offered a slightly longer feeling stride in touring mode than in the past—and it was good to begin with! Testers thought that this was a good value solution for backcountry enthusiasts who weren’t looking for the stiffest descender on the market.
The Celeste isn’t as wide as its blown-out-of proportion last width numbers would suggest, but testers put it on the roomy side of medium-width boots and said that its anatomical and easy-going fit was one of its best qualities—you’ll note the perfect score in the Anatomical Fit and Initial Feel category. Testers felt that the flex was about right at a stated 100-flex, but said that it folded a bit under situations of high fore-aft force.
Testers liked the Celeste best on smooth creamy surfaces where its less-aggressive transmission could go with the flow—and that’s the point of a tour anyway, right? If not, testers suggested stepping up to the Celeste Tour’s slightly beefier 110. Testers really liked the ease of use of the Celeste while hiking and skinning, saying it was one of the best of the rest when it came to convenience and function—it’s other perfect score. Testers noted that the fairly high boot board ramp had them pitched forward onto the balls of their feet.
Dual pull loops on a tongue style, full-thermo liner made getting it on and off a snap, and the 12-14 degree forward lean adjustment is a useful feature to get the fore-aft sweet spot dialed.
The 2021/2022 Scott Celeste Tour was tested in the women’s Backcountry category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Celeste Tour was our test team’s preferred women’s backcountry boot from Scott for its ideal flex feel and a roomy-medium fit throughout the lower boot and cuff. They liked that it handled what they threw at it on the down without complaint and strode out like it meant business in touring mode. At a slightly stiffer 110 flex and a firmer PWR Lite High liner, testers said it edged out its softer sis Celeste in performance and would be worth the extra C-note for more aggressive skiers.
Testers put the fit in the lower and upper to the wide side of the medium class—so not too far off of its wide ride last width indicator, and surprisingly testers said it ran slightly more roomy than the softer Celeste due to the differing liners. They liked the cuff’s fore-aft positioning and said that side to side it was neutral as could be. They did note that the internal ramp angle felt a bit steeper than average, which worked for those who preferred a fat heel lift typically.
At the 110 flex testers felt solid through variable terrain without over-flexing the cuff and they felt that the lateral and torsional capability of the boot was on target for backcountry applications. They loved the touring range of motion and ease of use in and out of cuff-release mode.
Dual pull loops on a tongue style, full-thermo liner made getting it on and off a snap, and the 12-14 degree forward lean adjustment is a useful feature to get the fore-aft sweet spot dialed.
