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  1. #1
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    2016 Lange XT Freetour

    Searched and I'm surprised nobody that attended SIA has commented on this yet ...

    Has Lange just produced the (my) holy grail of boots?
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Lange fit and stance - check
    Cuff canting - check
    97mm last - check
    4 buckle overlap - check
    130 flex - check
    WTR sole w/ Tech fitting - check
    Weight = 1770g

    I'm going to guess walk mode isn't on par with the most articulating boots out there, but after skiing most of the 'best/ stiffest' AT boots out there I don't really care as long a this thing skis like an alpine boot.

    The only unknown for me is the Grilamid material. My experience is that Pebax and Grilamid boots typically have that lack of a progressive flex, and are often 'dead' feeling compared to PU. However, much of those concerns are also related to 3 piece versus overlap designs ... so I'm optimistic.

    Anyone have one on their foot that could compare to an RS 130/140? or offer any impressions?
    Last edited by YoEddy; 02-09-2016 at 09:07 AM.
    Who cares how the crow flies

  2. #2
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    I am so jazzed about these boots. Hopefully we'll finally have alpine ski boot fit for those of us with narrow heels.

  3. #3
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    Bit of discussion about it in the 2016/17 New gear thread starting with my inquiry here:

    https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...t=#post4659976

    Consensus seems to be an XT with tech fittings, i.e. marginal walk mode and folks that saw it seem more excited by the new cochise and zero G.
    I suspect that's a little bias from the TGR crowd looking for the burliest touring boot available and missing the niche for this particular product which i think is resort oriented, and a bit of bias in favor of Tecnica/Blizzard products amongst this crowd too

    Jut got to look round any resort and see how many Lange XT's there are to see that a boot widely panned here on TGR was wildly popular.

    Personally I am very interested - currently ski a RX130 and would like a "alpine boot with walk mode" since more than half my days on the hill involve a lap or two booting up Highland Bowl.

    If I'm touring I'm still in a TLT5p and I'm not going to lug a cochise or zero g around.

  4. #4
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    I'm excited. The TLT6P I tour in now is meh, and I keep wanting my RS140 back. Hopefully the XT Freetour, plus the RS140 liner or a stiff Intuition liner will be the boot I'm looking for.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by dcpnz View Post
    Bit of discussion about it in the 2016/17 New gear thread starting with my inquiry here:

    https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...t=#post4659976

    Consensus seems to be an XT with tech fittings, i.e. marginal walk mode and folks that saw it seem more excited by the new cochise and zero G.
    I suspect that's a little bias from the TGR crowd looking for the burliest touring boot available and missing the niche for this particular product which i think is resort oriented, and a bit of bias in favor of Tecnica/Blizzard products amongst this crowd too
    .
    Market for people who 'want to try touring' but still mostly resort ski is strong I think. I don't tour much at all so gear that has no compromise on the way down but gives you options is appealing.

  6. #6
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    It's not a stiffness issue. It's a fit issue. I've yet to ski a touring boot that fits remotely as well as any modern alpine boot.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by dcpnz View Post
    Consensus seems to be an XT with tech fittings, i.e. marginal walk mode and folks that saw it seem more excited by the new cochise and zero G ...
    Thanks.

    Yeah, seems the XT has never gotten good reviews. I had the original version for about one day, which is all it took for me to hate it. Soft (no way it was a 130), heavy, no tech fittings, and for some bizarre reason the last was different than the RS (had to punch toes to make it work).

    But the first nit on this new boot is the walk mode? I can't imagine it's that much different than the Cochise walk mode in ROM or function? I'm not trying to compare this thing to real AT boots - not the same purpose. But we're getting so much closer to the holy grail aren't we!?

    The Cochise and Zero G look good to me too. I REALLY like the use of the PU in the Cochise.

    (edit) Have they done away with the cuff canting on the Cochise??

    Quote Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier View Post
    It's not a stiffness issue. It's a fit issue. I've yet to ski a touring boot that fits remotely as well as any modern alpine boot.
    Amen to that.
    Last edited by YoEddy; 02-09-2016 at 10:55 AM.
    Who cares how the crow flies

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by YoEddy View Post
    But the first nit on this new boot is the walk mode? I can't imagine it's that much different than the Cochise walk mode in ROM or function? I'm not trying to compare this thing to real AT boots - not the same purpose. But we're getting so much closer to the holy grail aren't we!?

    The Cochise and Zero G look good to me too. I REALLY like the use of the PU in the Cochise.
    .
    I suspect the lack of interest in the Free tour among this crowd stems from the lack of enthusiasm for the XT which was never embraced by the hard core skier with an interest in touring yet loved by the masses who buy ski boots.

    Mere mortals like myself won't get to find out answers till they hit retail next fall but I do sense were getting to the point where there are lots of very good boots that make different choices and tradeoffs between the mostly opposing spectrums of skiability and tourability and probably fit differently too so hopefully we can all find something that works for each of us. I'm not sure a holy grail exists since everyone has different demands and expectations in this space.

    FWIW there's a dedicated thread on the tecnica boots.
    Wasatchback claims an incredibly anatomical fit but while he's a valuable source of knowledge and information, I think he's a rep so perhaps not exactly impartial. And also it wouldn't be hard to improve on prior Cochise fit that I thought resembled the box the boots shipped in.

    Long way of getting around to saying that as a current Lange user I hope the Lange Freetour is every bit as good as its marketing promises and I look forward to trying it and the tecnicas when they're available.
    Last edited by dcpnz; 02-09-2016 at 12:54 PM. Reason: for clarity of thought

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by dcpnz View Post
    And also it wouldn't be hard to improve on prior Cochise fit that I thought resembled the box the boots shipped in.
    The choice between running 2 shims or sizing down to point where extensive boot work was required both kinda sucked if you ask me.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier View Post
    The choice between running 2 shims or sizing down to point where extensive boot work was required both kinda sucked if you ask me.
    Worked perfect for my boxy foot. Bummed the last is changing. Hopefully I can still make it work though.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lindahl View Post
    Worked perfect for my boxy foot. Bummed the last is changing. Hopefully I can still make it work though.
    there are so many boxey foot AT boots. not many boots for those of us with canoes for feet.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier View Post
    there are so many boxey foot AT boots. not many boots for those of us with canoes for feet.
    Name one that flexes well. The Maestrales, Lupos and Dynafits will work well for skinny heels.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lindahl View Post
    Name one that flexes well ...
    Who cares how the crow flies

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lindahl View Post
    Name one that flexes well. The Maestrales, Lupos and Dynafits will work well for skinny heels.
    Skinny heels doesn't equal narrow boot. The front half of my foot swim in Dynafits if I get the correct size, if I down size, well, I'm still doing boot work to my TLT6s to get my toes not to fall asleep.

    We all know stiff touring boots are out there, but it's about fit. I will gladly ski a boot that's softer than a 140, like the Freetour will probably be, if it fits right.

  15. #15
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    So far my experience with the performance of stiff touring boots is 'meh'. It's got to be stiff to even consider it (small pool), then it has to fit (even smaller pool), and ultimately I would like it to ski, feel, flex like an alpine boot (empty pool). I can find two of those three, but have yet to find all three ...

    BTW - just noticed there is in fact no cuff canting adjustment on the new XT. Bummer, but that can be worked around.
    Who cares how the crow flies

  16. #16
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    People I've spoken with that have skied the Lange Freetour liked it, haven't toured in it, but said it was an alpine boot you could tour in... Lange fit, lighter than the current XT, dynafit built tech fittings, plenty of power, resort oriented built for shorter tours skied like an alpine boot. I spoke with 8 or 10 folks that seemed to be the overall thought, I heard the phrase light for an alpine boot more than once. For what it's worth.

  17. #17
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    I've got a Lange XT 130 Freetour on as I type this. The 100mm last fits like a 100mm RX with a bit more room over the instep (I won't have to cut out the elastic and vinyl like I usually do with Langes). Flex is softer than my "reference" 130 flex boots (RS 130 and Mach 1 130) but should be plenty stiff for the sidecountry use I expect it to see. Grilamid shell punched very easily. Walk mode doesn't quite have the rearward range of the Cochise, but it's not terrible either. Forward range of motion seems very similar. Weight of a single boot in 26.5 is 1796 grams.

  18. #18
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    2016 Lange XT Freetour

    ^^^ sounds promising. Hows the liner?

    And is it appreciably better/different than the current XT i.e. If I don't really care about tech fittings should I jump on a pair of current XT's when they go on uber sale this summer?.
    Last edited by dcpnz; 02-11-2016 at 07:57 AM.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by dcpnz View Post
    ^^^ sounds promising. Hows the liner?
    The liner itself is well made, lower in volume than the standard XT liner, uses Ultralon foam. Super comfortable right out of the box after I punched for my first and fifth mets. If you like one of the current Lange fits and don't need a great walk mode or super stiff boot, the current XT might be perfect for you.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by gregL View Post
    I've got a Lange XT 130 Freetour on as I type this. The 100mm last fits like a 100mm RX with a bit more room over the instep (I won't have to cut out the elastic and vinyl like I usually do with Langes). Flex is softer than my "reference" 130 flex boots (RS 130 and Mach 1 130) but should be plenty stiff for the sidecountry use I expect it to see. Grilamid shell punched very easily. Walk mode doesn't quite have the rearward range of the Cochise, but it's not terrible either. Forward range of motion seems very similar. Weight of a single boot in 26.5 is 1796 grams.
    Thanks!

  21. #21
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    The salient comparison points are the flex, which is softer than and RS 130 or a current RX 130 but feels just like any quality 4 buckle overlap boot in terms of progression and consistency, a fit that will make slightly higher volume and taller instep skiers happy, and the lighter weight which will be apparent to pretty much anyone who puts it on (~500 grams per foot less than the polyether XT in a 26.5).

    Lighter weight with a smooth overlap flex pattern are the way most of the major alpine players are headed (see Tecnica Zero G Guide Pro, Salomon QST Pro, etc.)

  22. #22
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    Will there be a LV version for those of us with skinny feet?

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier View Post
    Will there be a LV version for those of us with skinny feet?
    There is a 97mm version now, I just decided to save myself some work and get the 100. I made the 100mm shell fit my foot in about 15 minutes, as opposed to my Mach 1 LV's (you saw them) which took hours over a course of several days.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by gregL View Post
    There is a 97mm version now, I just decided to save myself some work and get the 100. I made the 100mm shell fit my foot in about 15 minutes, as opposed to my Mach 1 LV's (you saw them) which took hours over a course of several days.
    Nice. The 97mm lange last is pretty close to my foot out of the box. Took a few punches and I was in business with my rx 130 lv. Maybe 20 minutes of boot work and a few hours of them in a press. I'd worry the 100mm version might pack out too quickly.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by gregL View Post
    ... feels just like any quality 4 buckle overlap boot in terms of progression and consistency ...
    So good to hear this - thank you.

    Can you confirm if the cuff has canting adjustment or not? Photos are tough to tell but it looks identical to the RS boots.
    Who cares how the crow flies

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