A lot of backcountry boots may claim to combine both uphill and downhill performance, but rarely do both exist in equally excellent measure--then add the nuances of a properly shaped fit and a stan
Testers were surprised by how well this softie skied all around the mountain, and they liked its easy-going medium-fit attitude as well. With a adequately functioning tour-mode enhanced by the cabrio's long forward travel range, they said the X-Ride was comfortable for the up and the down. While testers said that it performed with better-than-listed power (for an 80 flex), they still noted it would be a boot best utilized by lighter and less aggressive backcountry skiers.
The ratchet style instep buckle worked well for restraining the heel, keeping it in its pocket, and testers felt the intuition liner was pre-molded enough to fit right off the rack, though noted that a cook job would only enhance the internal shape.
Testers were surprised and impressed with the Spectre, citing its very light weight, massive touring range of motion and better-than-expected edge hold as its primary strengths. Some testers called it a predictable cruiser on the downhill, while others called it cat-like for quickness.
Our test group agreed that this 103mm ran on the snug side—somewhere on the tight side of most medium-width boots. And while most of the boot's grip on the foot was evenly snug, testers agreed that the instep height was lower-roofed than most of the category and a better option for low volume feet or an option for a size-up to gain toe room while maintaining good heel and ankle retention. A few testers cited some peak pressure points and hot spots but felt that liner molding would solve many of them.
For as light as this boot is (very) testers were impressed by its lateral stability and edge hold on firmer snow and at higher speeds. A few testers were less excited about its fore-aft feel and stability, noting a firm tongue feel and a range of back and forth travel that was a bit greater than desired, but at a 110 flex this is not unexpected for taller, heavier skiers.
The Transalp Vacuum TS Lite, Fischer's new foray into the tech-compatible, backcountry market, impressed testers with its lightweight feel and touring range of motion. Testers also liked the quality of the touring stride when in hike mode—citing the blend of three-piece and overlap constructions as a reason for the long and natural feel.
While the last width is listed at 102mm, rather than a Vacuum-style width range, testers found the fit to be fairly medium throughout all fit zones and comfortable right off the rack, without Vacuum molding.
Testers agreed that the Transalp was more climber than charger—they felt the flex was quite soft (though , in fact, we don't know how it's supposed to feel with no listed flex index for the boot) and that it lacked the lateral strength to manage wider, stiffer skis on edge. Testers suggested that this one was reserved for uphill athletes who place a premium on the ascent or for lighter weight skiers using narrower and softer skis.
How’s the saying go? Don't bring a knife to a gunfight? Backcountry skiers who find their ski day containing more chair riding than they'd expected know exactly what that means. Oftentimes, lightweight boots don't have the horsepower to drive burly boards on firmer surfaces well enough to keep the posse in sight.
Well, the Radical CR is the “gun” skiers want to holster for a no-compromises crossover between the off-area and on—as well as between the up and the down. Yes, this four-buckle polyurethane shell is a descending machine with a firm flex feel but testers said it remains lightweight and offers a long and friction-free touring range of motion.
Testers liked the Radical’s simple features. There are straightforward magnesium buckles and the easy-to-use Motion Lock System on/off switch for toggling between touring and ski modes. A pre-molded, firm-construction Custom Ready liner fits well from the get-go. There’s nothing too fancy, and everything worked perfectly. What's not to like about that?
Testers liked Dynafit's clever take on the cam-buckle powerstrap with its unique pull-string release. They also appreciated more persnickety details like the tuck-away stowage for the strap’s tail end. They called the Ultra Lock strap the best in class.
Though a 104mm last might sound wide to alpine boot buyers, backcountry models get a pass on the width metrics—the numbers there simply don't seem to describe fit tension as well as alpine boots do. Our test team said the Radical's fit hit the head pin dead center and most jotted down medium-width fit tension scores. They did note that the forefoot width and instep height both offered a little more-than-medium room to breathe. That’s a good fit combination for descent control with maximal blood flow and warmth while touring.
The Quadrant's Triax Pivot Frame construction lets the cuff rotate freely when released, offering a huge touring range of motion in a lightweight package, testers said again this year. The mechanism to switch from ski to hike and back again is simple and seamless, and teamed with featherweight QuickWire buckles to put together a great option for uphill focused skiers looking for a boot that can manage the down without fail, testers said.
Testers claim the fit this year still remains slightly shorter than most in length but that the new Efficient Fit AT liner did much to open up the forefoot and toebox fit, offering a more generous and all-day comfortable feel that better matched expectations for a 103mm last. Testers said the fore-aft stance was slightly more forward with the new liner, which they liked, and that it remained neutral side-to-side. Some testers still felt that the cuff struck them on the leg a little lower than most, but mentioned that the power underfoot was adequate for aggressive charging in varied terrain.
Scarpa's a backcountry brand, right? Does the Freedom SL belong here? You bet it does. Well, assuming you're okay with race boot level edge power and quickness, featherweight construction and one of the best hike modes on the market. Our test team loves it for those reasons, and we think you will too.
The Freedom SL returns unchanged for this season to unanimously positive reviews, again. Testers love the light and snappy Pebax plastic construction and continue to marvel over how strong it skis—vastly superior to other Pebax boots we've tested in the past. Its secret is a carbon fiber I-beam built into the boot sole that stiffens the boot laterally and torsionally but without adding weight. This, in combination with a best-in-class touring range of motion made this boot a dual category winner—here, in the All-Mountain Adventure category with alpine soles, and also in the Backcountry category where it was tested by a different team using the Freedom's lugged and toe-rockered tech-compatible soles.
This medium-fit 101mm overlap boot sports an evenly distributed fit tension from toebox through instep and up into the cuff, but whether that's a tight-medium or a roomy-medium depends on sizing. It fits long enough in length that many testers were able to ski it a size down for a seriously snug, area-based performance fit. Other testers stuck with their more normal boot sole length for a luxurious toebox and forefoot better suited for off-trail and hike-to forays. Note that Scarpa's shell sizing breaks at the half-size, meaning that the 26.5 and the 27.0 shared the same boot sole length (307mm).
Testers note that in its stock stance settings the boot is a bit more upright than most and the cuffs are tipped outwardly, which translated into strong inside edge angles. Adding to the strong-edged feel of the boot is the fact that the bootboard is also tipped out slightly (i.e. varus). This makes it a ripper on smooth, firm surfaces, but at times a little hooky and unmanageable with wider, softer skis in deeper snow. The Freedom SL is highly adjustable, with an eight-degree fore-aft range and single-sided cuff adjustment with threaded, metal attachment points on the cuff.
Having a chance to test the Factor MX in the All-Mountain Adventure category with its Alpine DIN sole set up against more on-area style hike mode boots made for interesting comparisons. It became apparent to testers that the Factor's through-bolted foundation made it one of the strongest boots in the group. For as light as this boot is (it and the Scarpa Freedom are the lightest of the category) the Factor MX impressed the test team with how well it drives a ski. Hard snow, variable junk—it didn't matter, the Factor resisted twisting off or deflecting no matter what testers threw at it.
The key to its lateral stability is the fact that the modular soles are bolted through the shell and directly into the rigid internal bootboard, solidifying the interface with the ski bindings and providing a more positive and immediate link to skiing movements. Testers called it surprisingly quick and powerful on edge.
The boot's simple, traditional appearances are misleading as the core features are sophisticated and highly functional. The hike mode is solidly engaged for skiing, but when released, the cuff is wide-ranging both backward and forward due to a uniquely engineered internal shell cutaway that allows for softer forward movement in hike mode. This, in concert with a low-friction and unobstructed glide path, makes the Factor MX one of very few boots that can claim a tour mode which operates on the same high level as its skiing performance.
The Celeste II is revised for the current season with a completely updated platform of features and functionality. The bi-density external tongue is beefed up for a stronger fore-aft transmission and the full thermo liner is redesigned for more breathability. Buckles and tech fittings are improved in this generation Celeste, as is the touring mechanism itself.
Testers were stunned by the long and natural touring range of motion and weight feel underfoot. This was a serious touring machine, they said. The buckle catches easily held bales in place while unbuckled for the uphill and buckle throws and cuff release lever were accessed with gloves without hassle.
The test team applauded the Celeste II for packing serious power—they said the 120 flex rating was no lie. But many testers found the boot so upright in its fore-aft stance that, coupled with the stiffness, they had a tough time finding an ideally balanced spot over the ski. The addition of a rear spoiler might improve that angle, but testers also found the calf fit fairly snug, possibly complicating that solution.
The lower boot fit was ample, with extra room in the toebox and over the instep, and testers thought that thick feet would do well there.
Strong descent capabilities mate with best-of-category touring range of motion and an impressive power-to-weight ratio to make this a favored tester app. Credit a stout Grilamid shell and Pebax tongue for the 20% boost in stiffness from the 2013 model. Testers said the boot was stable and strong no matter where on the hill they challenged it.
The three-piece, cabrio-style closure puts the shell into close contact with the foot and employs a solid, fully heat-moldable Intuition Pro Flex RS women-specific liner. Testers called it a snug-side-of-medium kind of fit. Testers unfamiliar with the side-hinged tongue entry fumbled a bit to get past the buckles and straps and settle into the cockpit but they all liked how the instep ratchet strap secured their heel deep into the pocket. A few testers felt that the Gea's lower, women-specific cuff caught them a touch too low on the shin, but it didn't inhibit the performance.
A new cuff release design combines a burly metal-to-metal attachment with an easy to activate switch that frees-up a huge range of motion both fore and aft. Touring movements were natural and low-friction touring movements. Best-of-category power on descent mated with best-of-category touring range of motion and pushed this one to the top of our testers' favorites list.
Testers said the Sparkle was an "efficient and legit" newcomer to the boot test and far-and-away one of the lightest touring boots they tested. The liked the way the hike mode release switch functioned once they figured out its M.O. and unanimously approved of the cuff rotation's range and quality of movement when released for skinning. Downhill performance received adequate marks, but testers said it lagged behind others in the category for stability in challenging terrain and snow conditions.
Testers gave the boot fairly consistent fit marks—with a medium-to-wide fit tension through most of the fit zones, with the exception of the instep, which testers said was especially tight fitting and posed some barrier to entry when putting the boot on.
The Sparkle's designer buckles impressed testers for their cool, machined look but they struggled with the small pin-in-hole functionality, especially with gloves on. Cosmetically, testers claimed that the Sparkle had it going on in the women's backcountry group—top scores there.
Our test team liked the Neo PX for its combination of TLT6-like feather weight and huge, friction-free touring range of motion along with a more versatile binding interface (any AT binding will work) and a 3rd buckle for slightly more secure closure. Testers felt that the Neo PX's cuff carried itself a little taller on the leg than the TLT6 and liked that for a solid fore-aft skiing position—firm against the shin but not rigid, with plenty of rearward back-up for maintaining an aggressive downhill position.
Though both the lower boot and cuff construction is Pebax, our test team found it plenty solid on edge, at high speeds and on variable snow surfaces.
While testers loved the range of cuff rotation and its quality of movement when released, they were slightly less excited that the Ultra Lock top buckle had to remain swung open to maintain the released position. Finding the hole for the buckle's peg to go back to locked mode takes a little wrangling but testers agreed that the mechanism was bomber once locked.
The Swift returns this year with a completely redesigned liner which our test team applauded for its improved comfort and warmth, as well as more open fit in the forefoot and toebox than in the past, making it a real option for the wider-footed trekker who is looking for an all day touring fit that still skis well when the time finally comes.
Testers loved the Swift's Triax Pivot Frame construction, with its rotating upper buckle anchor that lets the cuff rotate freely when released for a huge touring range of motion. The mechanism to switch from ski to hike and back again is simple and seamless, and teamed with featherweight QuickWire buckles to put together a great option for uphill focused skiers.
The fit still runs slightly short in length and snug in the calf, testers said, but fully molding the EVA liner should take care of much of those two zones. Testers said the fore-aft stance was neutral side-to-side, and noted that the new liner gave the boot a taller feel than in the past, which they liked for the fore-aft stability it created.
