Thread: Full Tilt Konflict ski boot....Yea or Nay?

I just now saw an ad for a the Full Tilt Konflict boot...they're toutincg it as the next thing in ski boot comfort (that ain't saying a lot).

To me the thing sort of reminds me of Raichle's Flexon boot, which, if I remember right, was a mutt of a boot...the whole front sorta opened up, but had the feeling of a rear-entry boot. There were a few others of that design type...can't even remember what the design was called. But I DO remember, that while they were fairly comfortable the first month or so...everything inside crapped out after that...and they never really had good precise feel even when new.

These things look about the same...just with different bells and whistles. Obviously Raichle sold the design back to the inventer or whatever.

Raichle at one time made the BEST (IMO) all-leather mountaineering boots in the world. Wish I still had my dad's pair.



Here's the Raichle Flexon:






Here's the Full Tilt Konflict:



Looks oddly familiar eh?


I remember when the Flexons first hit the scene, they were touted as being developed directly from NASA space-suit research. Great...but skiing is anything BUT zero-gravity!



Maybe they're for people that ski like THIS:





and NOT like THIS:










Any feedback on these Full Tilt Konflicts? Is Full Tilt really Raichle re-badged and trying to bring back a bad idea? or is the Konflict THE SHIT?

They've got to be Raichle designs. No one else can come up with the same design without getting sued. I know SOME peeps LOVED their Flexons....I hated mine. Had them for 1 year...and the liners just went to crap.

YES...I KNOW Seth Morrison and a number of famous racers skied the Flexons...they were also paid HANDSOMELY to do so!!!!

I guess I wouldn't be so down on the Flexons if they just had a better liner...maybe the Full Tilts fixed the liner issue?

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The coincidence & similarities should come as no suprise, if you just looked into it a little more. I'll let you find out why for yourself, and hopefully, come back to edit your post.
Also, you'll probably want to take down the gaper image and replace it with a pic of Seth Morrison, who skis better than the other 2 skiers in your photos

This thread deserves to be on NS

Can we get this moved to polyass?

Originally Posted by 2turntables

The coincidence & similarities should come as no suprise, if you just looked into it a little more. I'll let you find out why for yourself, and hopefully, come back to edit your post.
Also, you'll probably want to take down the gaper image and replace it with a pic of Seth Morrison, who skis better than the other 2 skiers in your photos

Yeah...after I posted the thread...I did some research on the designer...Eric Geisle? He seems like a smart guy and being a NASA engineer, I'm sure that he is. I have no problem w/ people coming up with better mouse-traps. We'd all still be in ankle-high leather boots and cubcoe bindings if it weren't for new ideas. But I just could never get the same feel from the ski with the flexons. I guess everybody's foot is different.

Best race boots I EVER had were my Lange X9. They were stiff and gave great edge feel. They were also uncomfortable and felt like clamps after a day of training. Then I went to the Lange Mid 5.5...same basic design as the X9...just softer shell. Those were the most comfortable all-around boot I've ever had!

I guess I shouldn't diss a whole design concept because I had some issues with liners and perhaps they didn't fit my particular feet..so sorry Eric and Peter....wherever you are.

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Worth a try I guess.

I tried some FT First chairs. Went right back to my Lange's after 1 week.

akr way too many words.
you wrote the obvious, now the facts.

insert your own very special one of a kind fitted intuition liner in any damn shell you think is pretty.

RR shells are great
bobby

they're not red. Don't buy them.

Welcome to 2006.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...exon-a-Reality

Does anyone know of a website where you input text and it reads it back in a cranky Andy Rooney voice? Because AK Rover's post as read by Andy Rooney would really improve my Monday.

keep it less than 60 seconds

I own that exact konflict boot. my fav boot of all time. lighter and warmer and you can't beat an intuition liner.

seth morrison my be paid to ski full tilt now, but he was skiing flexons for decades by choice.

is this for real?

I was interested but the boot man said not for my foot, I hear they are light enough so they even tour reasonalbly well for an alpine boot and I got friends who have done big days touring them

I find it hard to believe you been hanging around here and you are asking this question

Originally Posted by flowing alpy

akr way too many words.
you wrote the obvious, now the facts.

insert your own very special one of a kind fitted intuition liner in any damn shell you think is pretty.

RR shells are great
bobby

I think when I had those Raichle Flexons, Intuitions weren't even around. Early eighties?? Intuitions, I think, are the BEST liner around. They would make a bear-trap feel comfortable.

WOW...Lots of Flexon fans here!!

Incidently I've never liked the idea of rear-entry boots either....but there is ONE design that I think belongs in a Museum of Modern Design....Scott boots !!! Never wore them, but man, they sure looked well-made. I just like the look of them purely from a design standpoint. Sorta the same way I like the Poloroid SX-70 Land camera...that one IS in a museum of design!

Anyone ever have these? Were they comfortable? I'd love to pick up a pair.

Who designed these boots?? Apple Computer??? Pinninfarina?? Not sure how well they worked, but they were the best looking ski-boot EVAH!!

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You do know flexons and their modern day derivatives are not rear-entry, right?

Originally Posted by PaSucks

You do know flexons and their modern day derivatives are not rear-entry, right?

I skied on the flexons for a year...yes, I should hope so. Never said they were rear-entry. The only reason I even brought up rear-entry is because those flexons sort of reminded me of that same cushy feel...but as noted, I didn't have Intuitions in them, and wasn't happy with the standard liner.

The reason I brought up Scott also really had nothing to do with the fact that they're rear-entry...I just loved the look of the design. Didn't really like the OTHER rubber lined boots..Hansens (hansons?), although I had a friend who would spring ski in them barefoot.

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

I was interested but the boot man said not for my foot, I hear they are light enough so they even tour reasonalbly well for an alpine boot and I got friends who have done big days touring them

I find it hard to believe you been hanging around here and you are asking this question

Touring in a Flexon??? I suppose. They weren't bad for walking, I'll give them that. So I suppose they'd do fairly well in a AT binding. To be completely honest, the reason I'm down on flexons, I guess, is I just never liked the look of them. I either like something cool looking like a Scott or I like the traditional buckled boot. There IS a reason why traditional, buckled boots haven't really changed IN DECADES...'cause they WORK.

Speaking of touring, the Scotts have been toured with success...but I'm wondering about touring in a rubber liner...and doesn't seem they'd be particuly warm. Guess I'll have to pick up THAT line of thought on the nearest Scott thread. There has got to be a reason why they never continued their initial success...I think Billy Kidd endorsed the hell out of them, if I remember correctly. Fuck...now I just want to go out and nab a pair and try them on corn!!

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Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

There IS a reason why Flexons haven't really changed IN DECADES...'cause they WORK.

Here's your answer.

Originally Posted by flowing alpy

akr way too many words.
you wrote the obvious, now the facts.
bobby

I think AKR has Madd typing skillz, like 100 words per minute, so we are all just hunting and pecking to keep up.

But I want a pair, tried all the 102 but too wide, next season see if the 98 last fits right and step up.

AK typing training video-



__________________________________________________ ______________________________________
You know what ruins a good fisting video for me? Those fucking Livestrong bracelets, all I can think of is some guy with one nut in his scrotum- Bobcat Goldthwait

Originally Posted by marshalolson

is this for real?

I'm afraid so.

Originally Posted by coldfeet

Does anyone know of a website where you input text and it reads it back in a cranky Andy Rooney voice? Because AK Rover's post as read by Andy Rooney would really improve my Monday.

Or Roseanne Roseannadanna

Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

To be completely honest, the reason I'm down on flexons, I guess, is I just never liked the look of them. I either like something cool looking like a Scott or I like the traditional buckled boot.--

OK, that confirms it. You are a compl333t dumbass.

Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

Touring in a Flexon??? I suppose. They weren't bad for walking, I'll give them that. So I suppose they'd do fairly well in a AT binding. To be completely honest, the reason I'm down on flexons, I guess, is I just never liked the look of them. I either like something cool looking like a Scott or I like the traditional buckled boot. There IS a reason why traditional, buckled boots haven't really changed IN DECADES...'cause they WORK.


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The Scotts do look kind of cool but they used to break so you never see old scotts on the hill but you do see old flexons

update the color schemes, thro in an intuition liner, a little marketing and the Full Tilts are a legitimate brand

I got a buddy who did a 15000 ft day on the original flexons, loosen the top buckles & they would probably tour > a 4 buckle overlap .

things for AKrover to goggle:

raichle thermoflex
bill johnson
glen plake
vreni schneider
seth morrison
flexon 9.9 / GS (as opposed to the comp, that you posted).

and then check out the raichle rx8 if you want a simple, classy, rear entry flexon.