crispi xr vs. bd push

**jbultman** · 11-07-2013, 02:49 PM

Looking to get a new pair of telemark boots. Either the crispi xr or black diamond push for resort skiing. I've seen the reviews for the black diamonds but haven't really heard anything about the crispis!
Help, opinions, ideas and comments would be appreciated thanks

Jbultman

**mn_teleswede** · 11-07-2013, 06:23 PM

Pm flyoverlandcaptive, as he has skied both. My experiences with the XR, is that it is very stiff out of the box and requires a substantial break in period. Once broken in, the we're great; albeit a bit more "hingey" at the bellows. Flyover loved his push's prior to moving to ntn

**~mikey b** · 11-07-2013, 06:29 PM

I really like my Push. Two 100-day work/fun seasons in 'em with zero issues.

**Flyoverland Captive** · 11-07-2013, 08:19 PM

I've skied 'em both. The Crispi is indeed hinge-y once broken in. Solid lateral performance, and a nice 'kick' out of turns, but not very smooth flexing. I was having some foot pain problems (unrelated to fit, although I didn't know it then) so I switched to the Push. The fit was excellent, very snug and comfy; it was apparent after the first run that the flex was much, much smoother, and almost as powerful. After a season the softened up a lot, so I switched to Customs, which absolutely ROCKED.

If you like lots of power, and the fit works, go right to the Custom. If you tour a lot, get the Push. However... the liners don't last very long, and they are cold.

The XR is much warmer, and has lots of power. However... they take some time to break in, and the flex eventually gets very hinge-y. But if you couple them with a strong binding (HH, Axl) at a high setting, they absolutely kick ass.

FWIW, I'm in Crispi EVO's now, and LOVE them.

Edit to add: If BD made an NTN boot, and could figure out better liners, I'd be all over a Custom-style NTN powerhouse...

**jbultman** · 11-07-2013, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by Flyoverland Captive

I've skied 'em both. The Crispi is indeed hinge-y once broken in. Solid lateral performance, and a nice 'kick' out of turns, but not very smooth flexing. I was having some foot pain problems (unrelated to fit, although I didn't know it then) so I switched to the Push. The fit was excellent, very snug and comfy; it was apparent after the first run that the flex was much, much smoother, and almost as powerful. After a season the softened up a lot, so I switched to Customs, which absolutely ROCKED.

If you like lots of power, and the fit works, go right to the Custom. If you tour a lot, get the Push. However... the liners don't last very long, and they are cold.

The XR is much warmer, and has lots of power. However... they take some time to break in, and the flex eventually gets very hinge-y. But if you couple them with a strong binding (HH, Axl) at a high setting, they absolutely kick ass.

FWIW, I'm in Crispi EVO's now, and LOVE them.

Edit to add: If BD made an NTN boot, and could figure out better liners, I'd be all over a Custom-style NTN powerhouse...

Thanks for the comment. What do you guys mean by hing-y?
I'm coming off garmont syner-gs from 2002 so anything's a improvement. I'm coupling what ever I decide to get with vices and line prophet 90 for a lift served set up and no backcountry... Kinda hard to do in southern Ohio, even though I would love it.

So your basically saying, it's up to me? I'm just afraid to get something too stiff and be put off. So when I break in the xrs their going to be great but stiff and "hing-y" (whatever that means) and the pushs will be good off the bat but loosen up over time. Hummm.....

**Flyoverland Captive** · 11-07-2013, 08:49 PM

Hinge-y means they bend at the bellows, but not much anywhere else. Picture the whole upper part of the boot staying exactly the same as you flex forward; all the motion happens at the bellows.

With an un-hinge-y boot, the whole thing flexes evenly. Picture your leg pressuring the cuff: The whole boot bends, not just the bellows. It feels much more natural, and much smoother.

If you're coming from old syner-g's, I'd say get Pushes. They are a powerful boot (not at the level as the Custom or XR, but damn close) and won't require a huge adjustment in your skiing style to get used to. The XR will be a major shock to the system as you try to break them in.

**mn_teleswede** · 11-07-2013, 08:55 PM

Hingey/ abrupt would be the opposite of a progressive/ smooth flex. Basically, the forward flex is stiff and then it gives way. A progressive/ smooth flexing boot slowly builds or backs off. IMHO, the push would be a better learning boot.

**mn_teleswede** · 11-07-2013, 08:56 PM

What he said ^^^^

**jbultman** · 11-07-2013, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Flyoverland Captive

Hinge-y means they bend at the bellows, but not much anywhere else. Picture the whole upper part of the boot staying exactly the same as you flex forward; all the motion happens at the bellows.

With an un-hinge-y boot, the whole thing flexes evenly. Picture your leg pressuring the cuff: The whole boot bends, not just the bellows. It feels much more natural, and much smoother.

If you're coming from old syner-g's, I'd say get Pushes. They are a powerful boot (not at the level as the Custom or XR, but damn close) and won't require a huge adjustment in your skiing style to get used to. The XR will be a major shock to the system as you try to break them in.

Ah ha moment... I don't know why that didn't dawn on me before. I should have thought it through..yea I was feeling like the pushs might be the better route.

Bd push it is...
Why are the bds cold? And what's your opinion on the boa lacing system/liner? And did they fit true to size?

**~mikey b** · 11-07-2013, 09:06 PM

I don't find them cold. My wife says she's warmer in hers than any other boot she's ever had.

Boa works fine for me, but I was dubious at first. Didn't trust a mechanical system that might fail, but they've been reliable. You can get the liners way snugger than with anything else.

I wear an 11.5-12 US shoe. 28.5 Push.

**Flyoverland Captive** · 11-07-2013, 09:11 PM

I liked the fit of the liners; they just seem thin, and therefore get cold, esp. the toes. They also don't have much insulation on the sole of the foot, which means your footbed is doing most of hte work. BD changed them last year, adding some reflective foil, but I have no idea if it helped. The BOA system was nice, but not really necessary; once you buckle in, any tightness the BOA provided is kinda overwhelmed by the buckles. For touring, I didn't really loosen the buckles much anyway, so it was kinda silly.

I like a snug boot, so I skied in a 27.5 in both Customs and Pushes. I wear a 10.5-11 street shoe.

**~mikey b** · 11-07-2013, 09:34 PM

And I really notice the difference between a tight and a loose liner. I can't get a proper fit with a loose liner and tightly buckled shells.

**Flyoverland Captive** · 11-07-2013, 09:39 PM

^^^ Interesting... I never really noticed that, but maybe it's because it just felt so comfortable.

**DaHeel** · 11-07-2013, 09:47 PM

Any reason you skipped over the T-Race? Very smooth progressive bellow/sole flex with some serious stiffness.

**Flyoverland Captive** · 11-07-2013, 09:51 PM

Can't speak for the OP, but...

I don't have a Scarpa foot, apparently; I had a pair of T-races for one run, and was in agony. I tried TX Comps when I switched to NTN, but they didn't work either. The arch is too pronounced in the shell, so no amount of baking can get them to fit me.

**~mikey b** · 11-07-2013, 10:02 PM

I went from T-race to Push because I am so much better than DaHeel. Always wore Scarpa and they fit me well, but the Push fits better.

**DaHeel** · 11-07-2013, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by telemike

I went from T-race to Push because I am so much weaker than DaHeel. Always wanted to ski like DaHeel but the Stiletto fits better.

Fixed it for ya Mikey!

**jbultman** · 11-08-2013, 05:45 AM

Originally Posted by DaHeel

Any reason you skipped over the T-Race? Very smooth progressive bellow/sole flex with some serious stiffness.

Yea just as flyoverlandcaptive said I don't have the foot for the t-race, let alone scarpa. The t1s are tight. so... Yea that's why, I "skipped" over them. I heard they are great boots though!!!