La Sportiva Spectra....

[ulty_guy]

Thanks tDot13.

Anyone try them w/ BD Cyborgs?

[Dry]

Anyone try them w/ BD Cyborgs?

With the bigger (chrome) bails up front the Cyborgs (all BD crampons) work OK on the Spectre and TLTs. Again the heel tabs could be better fro width but aren't too wide in the back on my 28 shell. Levers will suck them on hard enough to be good to go. Just be aware of not over tightening the heel levers and then forcing the heel wires out of the adjustment piece.

I would not expect the new smaller/narrow black bail that mimicks the smaller Petzl (but a little bigger so it might well work fine) to work all that well but have not tried them.

[LeeLau]

Inspired by verbier61

[shirk]

Inspired by verbier61

Getting deep at Cypress?

[LeeLau]

chest deep ... spring corn

[John_B]

One of those things is not like the other. Bonus points for photos of the confused looks you get from lift ops. Extra points if you are touring.

[shirk]

chest deep ... spring corn

Please tell me you put a big pow ski on one foot and a little rando ski on the other foot just to mess with people at Cyps.

[LeeLau]

Not much to say other than that the Spectre's flex is about the same as the older Maestrale. Or to be more long-winded; laterally it's decently stiff - say a tiny bit stiffer than the Maestrale RS. Fore - aft its substantially softer than the Maestrale RS. Put it in the mango/older Maestrale comparable there

Skied with Intuition liners on G3 Spitfire LTs. Need to keep one variable and everything else constant as much as possible

Definitely a cool exercise and it was nice views

[neonorchid]

Yep, very cool Lee!
At my weight (142lbs), i'm good with lateral stiffness over fore aft…i think. Anyway, it's clear in your photo how that Spect is shaped like a human foot and not something only a ballerina could fit. Tempted to order a pair now that i returned the unused Freedoms due to a roomy ankle fit, but if i'm gonna go the full monty i wanna wait for on snows of that F1 EVO Lou teased us with today.

[kevino]

I have about five days on my pair now, been really pleased so far. Still dialing in fit, but I've had one day on my fat skis (124 mm) in deep pow and the rest on my skinny skis (92 mm) in a variety of conditions. I felt the boots have done fine driving those skis in their respective conditions. Touring in them is every bit as good as my vulcans and former tlt5s. Walking in the boots is more comparable to tlt5s, way better than vulcan.

[verbier61]

Well done Lee
Btw, I had exactly the same feeling you had..... But skiing with the spectre was painful for my nasty foot so after a few slopes I gave up

[LeeLau]

Yep, very cool Lee!
At my weight (142lbs), i'm good with lateral stiffness over fore aft…i think. Anyway, it's clear in your photo how that Spect is shaped like a human foot and not something only a ballerina could fit. Tempted to order a pair now that i returned the unused Freedoms due to a roomy ankle fit, but if i'm gonna go the full monty i wanna wait for on snows of that F1 EVO Lou teased us with today.

The Spectre is narrower at ankle than Freedom SL for sure. I've requested the F1 for review for next year. It seems comparable to the TLT5 but hopefully less fragile - hard for it to be more fragile.

The Spectre is very good value for money and like the Scarpa Maestrale offering, a nice counterpoint to the very high prices for boots lately (Dynafit those prices man!)

[shirk]

So it goes from "wow these are stiff" to "meh not stiff enough" in 5 pages?

Guess I need to try a pair on.

Mostly I don't have any issues driving my bigger skis with my Spirit 4's inbounds or touring, sloppy fit issues are likely a bigger performance issue with my current boots then flex.

[LeeLau]

So it goes from "wow these are stiff" to "meh not stiff enough" in 5 pages?

Guess I need to try a pair on.

Mostly I don't have any issues driving my bigger skis with my Spirit 4's inbounds or touring, sloppy fit issues are likely a bigger performance issue with my current boots then flex.

That's why I waffled so long. I thought they were soft right from the start and wondered if I was on crack because some people were going on about how stiff these were compared to say the Scarpa Freedom SL.

I'd say these are as stiff as the Spirit 4 with the soft tongue fore-aft but laterally stiffer. Definitely an awesome walk mode.

Forgot to mention that the liner is actually quite good. Has to fit better than Spirit 4 which frankly fits most people like a barn door

[shirk]

Has to fit better than Spirit 4 which frankly fits most people like a barn door

As my liner has packed some I am having major heel pocket hold issues. I likely should have had something lower volume to start with, specifically to fit skinny ankles and lower calves.

Meh it's all window shopping, not going to put any money into gear for this season at this point.

[Cocximus]

Any idea what's up with the Sparkle?

Found this snippet on wildsnow

The true women’s specific model of the Sparkle, with fit differences from the Spectre, is produced only in sizes 23-26.5 (worldwide). The Sparkle, in sizes 23-26.5, has a women’s specific liner. This women’s specific liner is pre-shaped on a different last with the following differences compared to the men’s version: 1) more room for women’s calves which tend to be wider closer to the ankle due to shorter legs in general, 2) a little wider in the forefoot, and 3) narrower in the heel. These differences are built into the liner only, not into the plastic shell. The only other difference is that the cuff is proportionally graded a little shorter due to the shorter leg lengths in women.

Narrower in the heel sound bang on for me.

I dont get "The only other difference is that the cuff is proportionally graded a little shorter due to the shorter leg lengths in women." What does he mean by that?

[kevino]

^^^ guessing not quite as tall as compared to spectre, relatively speaking since women having shorter tibias.

Continued review from me: Added superfeet, which took care of some hot spots. These things tour and boot pack every bit as good as my old TLT5s. Buckles are easy to use/quick transition once you get them dialed. To the best of my ability, I like skiing them better than my old tlt5 (could be partially due to fit). And they ski somewhere between my old titan UL and tongue-less vulcans, which honestly, is all i need.

[hoarhey]

^^^ guessing not quite as tall as compared to spectre, relatively speaking since women having shorter tibias.

Continued review from me: Added superfeet, which took care of some hot spots. These things tour and boot pack every bit as good as my old TLT5s. Buckles are easy to use/quick transition once you get them dialed. To the best of my ability, I like skiing them better than my old tlt5 (could be partially due to fit). And they ski somewhere between my old titan UL and tongue-less vulcans, which honestly, is all i need.

Excuse the obvious question: For you kevino, the spectre's ski stiffer than your old titan UL's and softer than tongue-less vulcans, or the other way around?

[kevino]

Yes as you phrased it.

[Shorty_J]

I tried a pair on yesterday and my very subjective and un-scientific assesment is that they are stiffer than regular Maestrale's. I've never tried on the RS so can't compare to that.

Nice walk mode... buckles are interesting... not sure if I like them or dislike them or am indiferent.

[Dry]

I'm with you Shorty....after weeks of of skiing on them now I am still not sure where I want to use this boot. Unusual for me.

I get a good fit, like the quality and fit of the inner boot and like the progressive flex of the shell. Don't like how much the boot's flex changes from really soft (too soft and I liek a soft boot) to moderatly stiff + depending on how I buckle them up and how tight. To get them "stiff enough" it get uncomforatble even pon my skiing legs. Walk mode is so easy to use. It becoems a wonderful climbing/skining boot. I want to really like this boot. But the TLT skis the same every time out just with one buckle and one position. Hard to fault the TLT any where. Hard to sort out the Spectre for day in and day out use.

Annoying too in that th teech inserts are not Dynafit. All the boot factories/brands should just get over it and buy the Dynafit inserts. Everything else I have use that isn't...isn't even 2nd best.

I found the RS a easy choice as a Ski boot. The TLT6 a ski or climbing boot that could still use a better inner boot. The Spectre long term has just confused me. It will do anything...but it is so finicky to get sorted, I get frustrated.

[Cocximus]

I just bought the spectre. Daaaamn wtf is wrong with the instep? Right where the nylon thats supposed to keep the water out is riveted my foot is getting killed. I have a small instep but this is nuts. First foot went numb before I finished buckling the second. Gonna try heating them.

[Huskier]

I just bought the spectre. Daaaamn wtf is wrong with the instep? Right where the nylon thats supposed to keep the water out is riveted my foot is getting killed. I have a small instep but this is nuts. First foot went numb before I finished buckling the second. Gonna try heating them.

Couple people posted in this thread earlier about this issue. Wildsnow has a good description of the problem & fix too:

[LeeLau]

Couple people posted in this thread earlier about this issue. Wildsnow has a good description of the problem & fix too:

\

Yup - that is one narrow instep

[Cocximus]

Thing is, I have heel lift and and a bit of play. I cant just do what lou did.

I think heating them with the third buckle closed will allow me to pull the rivet up, but keep the instep in to avoid more heel lift.