Printable View
Thanks for the update. This is exactly how I felt when I carpet tested it. Liners sucked, ROM was awesome. In the end, I got cold feet about being a guinea pig and got the ZGTP instead. The thing is - I don't need a boot as stiff as the ZGTP and it's not very progressive. I'd rather have something that tours better! Feeling like I might have to switch things up soon...Quote:
Originally Posted by phattypowpow
What size intuition did you go with? Same as shell?Quote:
Originally Posted by phattypowpow
I gotta do something about the stock liner as well. My heels and forefeet are getting pretty beat up in this boot. Almost wonder if I should have sized up -- I'm at about a one-finger shell fit in the 27.5
Feedback on the tongue, it’s overlap, and keeping it in position? When I tried them on I thought it was kind of annoying how part of the tongue flap always needed to be adjusted to sit right.
Yup, 27 boot and 27 Intuition Pro Tour LV (MV = no go). At first, the Intuition seems too big, especially in the upper cuff, but it seems to adjust nicely after a few days. Mine feel about perfect after 15-20 days in the shell. Also, I was also about a 1 finger shell fit. In my experience going up a shell size and getting a thicker liner has never worked out well. Once the liners pack out a little, you'll be swimming in the shell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NWFlow
Yeah, the tongue of the Intuitions is pretty clunky and I that's one area where the Palau Pro Lite Tour EVO were nicer with the velcro closure on the cuff. I suppose you could use the laces but that seems to defeat the purpose of the flexy liner, IMO. The fiddly nature of the tongue actually works for me. The fit on my bony-ass shins seems just right when I position the tongues slightly inwards when I buckle up. It's feature, not a bug, right? ;) When touring, I never notice the tongue which is a good thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thejongiest
Great, thank you. I'd love to put a tour wrap in these despite the ROM decrease, but i just don't think I'm going to get a MV in there. I ended up needing to punch for metatarsal/bunion width, but waited too long to do so and let the bunion blow up. I think going up to a 28 however would have resulted in absolutely swimming in the boot. Stoked on how they walk and ski, but still trying to dial in the fit.Quote:
Originally Posted by phattypowpow
Can anyone give any input on sizing relative to ZGTP and the Spectre 2.0s? Having a hard time finding a pair locally, trying to figure out a slightly-upsized boot to stuff a warm liner in. Wondering if the 28.5 Skorpius might be that boot (I'm a 27.5 in others).
Not in relation to those specific boots, but it feels like it runs a bit short. Like it's a short 27.5, but not so short as to warrant up sizing for me under normal conditions. If that makes sense.
Seconding this. Maybe pick the bigger shell if you're super borderline anyways, but actually going up a shell size leaves you wobbly after you pack down the liners. It's a good choice for high-altitude ski mountaineering (think Denali or something) where your feet are going to swell at altitude and you might be stuffing toe warmers, extra insulated insoles, etc. inside. But for any normal touring, your feet are going to compress even thicker liners enough after ~5 days of use that you don't need a giant shell. The parts that need to get compress will. Assuming you're fitting your boots like a normal human and not an FIS racer don't get too wild with shells.Quote:
Originally Posted by phattypowpow
All of that said............Backward Banana, a Skorpius is a decent choice for a slightly upsized boots. It definitely runs a hair short so a 28 shell if you normally ski a 27 is a great choice. Keep in mind that if you're taking the liner out anyways, an 28.5 Skorpius is the same shell size as a 28. Sizes and their corresponding half-size share a shell and just swap the liner, unless you're Scarpa and special and then the shells break on the half-size (28.5 shares with 29, etc.). If you're buying online and ripping the liner out anyways just find the cheapest 28 or 28.5 you can as they're identical for your purposes.
ZGTP feels a tiny bit longer but significantly narrower overall, especially in the ankle, heel pocket, and midfoot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Backward_Banana
Thanks for all the help everyone. These are, in fact, boots for Denali, and I'm on the border of 28 in all these other boots, so I feel good about my chances. I also had to have the ZGTPs blown out for width in the forefoot, so also sounds like I might be getting lucky. Gonna try to stuff a MV or HV tour pro liner in there to stay toasty.
If not, keep an eye of GS for these in a few weeks.
Update:
After around 50 days, I snapped the tongue on the right boot right at the top of the EZ flex zone. I've cobbled a solution together using an old, thin plastic cutting board, superglue, and gorilla tape but am overall a bit bummed with this as it was the first day skiing in temps below -25C. So guessing the failure may have been cold-related.
We'll see if La Sportiva will help out, but I'm in Europe and it seems like they are out of my size. Unsure if i will bother with this boot again due to the amount of hassle it took to get them fitting well and the failure. I was, however, quite happy with both skiing and touring perfomance.
Bummer to hear that, but thanks for letting the collective know. I'm surprised the little tab holding the power strap / buckle didn't fail first...Quote:
Originally Posted by NWFlow
Hopefully La Sportiva helps you out and damn that is some coooold skiing.
Sorry to hear that. After getting new liners earlier in the season, I have been loving mine for comfort, agility, and performance. I do raise an eyebrow every so often when I look at the thin plastic and wonder if it will hold up. So far, so good but I haven't skied in temps that cold yet. Seems like a ski boot should be able to handle extreme cold.
In my experience, across the board, Sportiva's products are some of best performing and least durable out there. Hopefully they step up for you. A few years ago, my GF was blowing through the soles of her Raptors every couple weeks and they kept sending her replacements. After like the 4th pair, she felt bad and stopped sending them back - I wonder how many times the she could have warrantied them before Sportiva threw in the towel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NWFlow
First la sportiva experience,so we'll see.i find warrantying more of a hassle in Europe than in the states, but am fairly sure i can/will get another pair before next season via warranty.
Once I got the boots fitting i have to say i too was loving them. I'd actually found them to be sufficient to ski my bigger skis (189 black crows atris) at moderate speeds and wasn't planning on really using another boot this season.
The last little modification i think i would make would be to attempt to find something resembling a thin booster to replace the velcro power strap.
Anyone know when these boots are expected to arrive in North America? I want to buy a pair ASAP (should have bought in the spring but I hesitated). I know they are available from Alpinstore but thats a last resort
They have the softer flexing Solar (non-carbon) version in stock on STP in 27/27.5 if that's interesting to you? They're cheap:Quote:
Originally Posted by Benneke10
https://www.sierra.com/made-in-italy...r-men~p~33xgp/
I don't really mind the softer flex, and the Solar even weighs in ~60g lighter than the Skorp, but the Skorpius has some fit and durability improvements over the Solar that were discussed in the Wildsnow review that are important to me. I was just able to get ahold of La Spo CS and they said the boots are scheduled for early October arrival but might be delayed at the Houston port by a few weeks.
Word from Skimo.co is that LS is redoing the Skorpius with a beefier tongue for 22/23. Don’t know if there’s other changes.
Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
That's good news!
So I have skied the Vega plenty and love it, but I just got my Skorpius in the mail. Wont be able to ski em for a while, but these things seem killer.
They are actually stiffer than my Vegas. If I can get a little bit of a progressive feeling from them, I'll be totally sold.
Other thoughts:
The liners seem fine for a light boot - probably better than the liners Ive had in Evos and Syborgs
Not sure about the forward lean adjuster...woulda rather seen an actual rear cuff adjuster rather than a piece of plastic
Toe insert quick step slots (is this their name?) will be great with my Trab Titan Gara toes
Overall, excited to get on this boot. Will be skiing it on all manner of skis (Commander Tours, Hustle 11s, Supernovas, etc)
They were designed with Trab, you can step right into the toes without having to press the lever they work so well togetherQuote:
Originally Posted by thecazdog
Update after almost 2 full seasons:
I've probably have close to 100 days on the Skorpius the last 2 seasons and they continue to be my favorite touring boot ever for all the reasons that I've mentioned earlier. A couple weeks ago, I was out all day on a frigid, below 0F day. At some point on the skin out, the tongue snapped right at the top of the Flex Zone. It was not a big deal for the exit but would have been a drag if it happened on a descent. Probably not a huge deal since the top buckle would still provide support but obviously not ideal. This sounds exactly like what happened to NWFlow last year on another cold day. It's not really too surprising since they part of the tongue is flexing continuously when skinning and everything has its limits. Unfortunately, the tongue is not replaceable and is part of the lower shell. Probably a better hinge mechanism and replaceable tongue would be a better design but Sportiva, IME, seems to prioritize performance and weight over durability.
Now the good news: La Sportiva North America in Boulder was completely awesome handling this. Here's the timeline:
- Sat: Broken tongue
- Sun night: contacted La Sportiva NA via their website about the incident
- Mon: heard back from Sportiva, saying that they'd replace the boots and send them out as soon as they had a tracking number for my return. I shipped my boots that afternoon and sent LS the tracking number.
- Tues: my replacement shipped
- Thurs: The replacements were delivered. Since I still had my own liners/footbeds (Intuition Pro Tour LV), I was back in business immediately. Note that I'm only 1 state away so shipping times might be longer for other locations.
I think that's about as amazing a customer service experience as you can hope for. Note that LS does not normally ship out replacements until after they've accepted the return. In my case, they made an exception because I needed them by the weekend and, well, they werre just super cool about accommodating my situation. Even if they waited until my return arrived, it would have been less than a week for the entire return/replacement process. Huge props to LS for their kick-ass customer service.
Every so often, I try on a new boot that lives in the 1100-1300g space so see how it compares and I'm always amazed at how much ahead of the pack the Skorpius stil is, at least for my feet and priorities. YMMV. While I was waiting for the replacements, I did a couple short tours on my beloved, retired Dynafit Mercurys. Aside from weight/ROM, it's crazy how much better the Skorpius skis. More supportive, more progressive forward flex, and definitely stiffer laterally.
Anybody know precisely what is different with next year's Skorpius 2? I'm definitely in need of a boot in this category. Also, is the instep on the Skorp as low as that on the original Spectre? Had a pair of the first get Spectres and had to do a significant instep reshape to make them tolerable.
According to Skimo Co next years Skorpius is switching to a boa, the instep has been raised, and the cuff of the liner is beefed up a bit. I'm kind of surprised they're switching to a Boa. I haven't used this boot, but my impression was people like that buckle. The Skorpius is in the running for my new boot for next year (so are the new boots from Tecnica and Salomon and the Scarpa F1 XT).