Thread: benchmark boot

we at vibram need to select 2-3 benchmark freeride boots for some development studies.
I've been skiing too much with AT boots lately and mebbe I've lost the connection with beefer boots you yanks like

my friends in cham still like a lot the garmont shaman/G2, I guess titans and new dalbello scorpions might also fit.... what do you think?

for overall, and general, the Lange RX seems to be popular and ski well. Also the Dalbello Krypton for a 3 prt boot is common

Does a freeride boot these days have a walk mode or not?

Originally Posted by hop

Does a freeride boot these days have a walk mode or not?

good question. For me, it should have. For some freeride gurus, a walk mode spoils and kills the boot. Did the walk mode kill the good ol' T1? For me it certainly did not kill the hurricane...

Originally Posted by hop

Does a freeride boot these days have a walk mode or not?

No. There's not a point in having a boot with walk mode unless you plan on touring in it.

Originally Posted by Snowy Spartan

There's not a point in having a boot with walk mode unless you plan on touring in it.

Sure there is. Not all freeriding takes place right next to the lift. There's plenty of times when you need to do some walking or booting to get to the skiing; there's plenty of times (especially in Europe) when you need to walk around on icy cobblestones in some little town at lunch. A well-designed walk latch doesn't detract from ski performance at all.

dalbello scorpions for sure, best all time.

I would love a freeride boot with a walk mode. It would be great for short slackcountry laps accessed either via a brief skin or bootpack.

walkmode unnecessary unless yer walking downhill imo. i average close to 300k of skinning/booting each season and never even touched the walkmode on my typhoons and never pined for a walkmode on my lange comp 120. if yer goin uphill, why would ya wanna lean back? keep goin up and forward.

worse thing about a walkmode is when ya forget to flip it to ski mode for the descent you've worked so hard to get to. that right there is enough reason for me to never use it.

the new lange rs 130 will be replacing my 3 seasons old typhoons. stoked!

rog

Maybe a FullTilt

benchmark suggestions:

1. titan - light at boot with performance anatomy
2. salomon falcon - alpine boot with very range of fit across users
3. full tilt / dalbello - 2 peice comparison

the garmon shaman/g2 is way a low volume, and will fit fewer folks feet without modifications.

Jong question: what is a benchmark boot?

Originally Posted by Arty50

I would love a freeride boot with a walk mode. It would be great for short slackcountry laps accessed either via a brief skin or bootpack.

x1,000. Also ideal for hiking in-bounds, e.g. at Bridger and Moonlight. Nothing sketchier than hiking the headwaters in DIN boots with no walk mode.

What a great question.

Already mentioned, but I would pick Salomon Falcon and the Dalbello Krypton.

I'm probably in the minority here, but I think a "freeride boot" should be pretty burly and shouldn't be an AT boot. Walk function is unnecessary. That's for AT boots. Beefy AT boots are just that, beefy AT boots, and seem to incorporate too many compromises into design/function.

The Lange RX series, Garmont Shaman, and Dalbello come to mind as Freeride boots. A good freeride boot should be a pseudoplug.

While we are talking about soles, why do they have to be so damn slippery. I understand all that power transmission stuff, but can't the slide rule guys figure something out? The soles on the latest gen Rossi and Lange boots are the best I've ever seen.

Perhaps out of the spectrum, but I would look at the Rossi Sensor 110/Salomon Impact 9. These softer, wider boots bridge the gap between crappy beginner boots, but aren't the more narrow and stiffer boots that are just too tough for the recreational skier (~25 days) handle.

Lots of useful insight, thanks!

Atomic Tracker 130 (Int) might also be one...

I'd say the solly ghost also qualifies. Are a lot of people still on doberman variants too?

Originally Posted by verbier61

...

my friends in cham still like a lot the garmont shaman...

Yeah Buddy! How'd I miss that in the original post?

I'm finishing up 300+ days in my Garmont Shamans. That my maggot friends is a "freeride boot". Very popular boot with JHSP. I'm at a loss as we will no longer be selling Garmont next year I loved it. Ass kickers only. Depending on foot flexibility, it fits a wide variety of feet, but will crush you into submission.

"Freeride Boot", as a category in the 40+ year history of modern skiing is pretty new. I almost put the Salomon X-Wave on the list, but I can't remember peeps using that term then. Not heavy enough anyway. Maybe the Rossi Course X, but that was a race boot. IMHO, freeride boots should have, at minimum, a high(er) instep and a more upright stance. This is more comfortable on bootpacks. The loss of control from the roomy instep is regained by a tighter heel pocket and a overall tighter mid-foot. That way, your toes can have a party in the front of the boot while you ski bell to bell. You don't need to cramped into a freeride boot. It is burly but comfortable.

Fischer was kind enough to let me have a pair of prototype Vacuums mid season last year and I liked those. They are definitely going to be on the lighter side of freeride. Fischer told me the production boot will be stiffer.

Originally Posted by skiing-in-jackson

While we are talking about soles, why do they have to be so damn slippery. I understand all that power transmission stuff, but can't the slide rule guys figure something out? The soles on the latest gen Rossi and Lange boots are the best I've ever seen.

Totally agree. Been wearing Rossis for a while and I like the evolution in the soles. The vibram soles on my B-Squads (which were essentially Lange lowers with a Rossi upper) that I bought a couple of years ago are awesome. By far the best traction I've ever had in an alpine boot. I'm getting a set of the RX 130 Pros this year. For some reason, Lange didn't do the vibram soles on last year's Pros, but the normal 130s had them. They're back on both this year.

Just to be representative of what I feel like most are riding, I would go with a "stiff" "freeride" two piece boot (Lange RX, Tracker, etc) , and some sort of Krypton Pro, Full Tilt...

FT might be harder to work on, Much thinner sole (one reason they are so light) so hard to add vibram, lifters, cant, plane etc. Also a narrower fitting boot, so might not fit as many people, as well.
Bad side on Krypton: hard to find new/cheap

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...info?p=2168120

Originally Posted by Arty50

Totally agree. Been wearing Rossis for a while and I like the evolution in the soles. The vibram soles on my B-Squads (which were essentially Lange lowers with a Rossi upper) that I bought a couple of years ago are awesome. By far the best traction I've ever had in an alpine boot. I'm getting a set of the RX 130 Pros this year. For some reason, Lange didn't do the vibram soles on last year's Pros, but the normal 130s had them. They're back on both this year.

I also dig the B-Squads, mostly for their fit and even flex pattern. The vibram sole, which offers good traction, is a piece of crap when it comes to durability. I've gone through two pair in one and a half seasons. I think I chipped a big chunk out of the corner of the toe of my new ones on their first day out.

The shaman is a bad ass boot, but as Marsha said, it's very low volume.

Walk mode is for telemarkers

Originally Posted by skiingislife

I've gone through two pair in one and a half seasons.

dude, you ski 200 days a year, and hike on sharp, pointy, jagged rocks.

alpine boots make such good bc boots cuz the alpine din soles are so much better for kicking steps up very steep (50 degrees plus) than AT boots with hiking soles or din soles with vibram rubber, i climb in my langes without crampons what my touring partners with AT boots do but need crampons as the beveled toe and rubber suck for kicking steps in steep hard snow compared to a sharp flat plastic din sole.

heavy and stiff rules for steep booters. mmmmmm, langes.......



pardon the alpine zone deal. i didn't take the fucking pic of me climbing. helmets are ghey btw

rog

Originally Posted by icelanticskier

heavy and stiff rules for steep booters. mmmmmm, langes.......

On the other hand, if you kept climbing above the snow in your picture - to tag the summit, to ski what's on the back side, whatever - you'd find those Langes really sucked and wish you had something with a bit of ankle flex and a sticky rubber sole . . .