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Thread: Salomon MTN Lab's
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12-26-2017, 02:00 AM #26Registered User
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First day on the labs, all in bounds. Overall I was pretty impressed with how they skied (Tecton 12 probably had something to do with that). Plenty stiff, and had no issues with the forward lean without spoilers. I can see adding a booster to help make the flex more progressive, but that goes for any boot.
One thing that bothered me was the stock liner tongue was constantly shifting to the side, to the point that my shins were getting bruised in the front, and that was with constant adjustment throughout the day.
I baked them tonight, and put the laces in, hoping that helps. Has anyone had this problem with the liners?
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12-26-2017, 11:48 AM #27
Had the same issue with the liners both pre and post baking. I have thin lower legs from knee to ankle and relatively skinny calves. My assessment is that the tongues are too narrow and don't have enough width to properly curve enough to project laterally to support the sides of the anatomy of my tib/fib/shinbones area. If I kept the boots/liners I probably would have hot glue gunned or shoegoo'd on some intuition foam "wings" (have a coupla blanks sheets of foam from the old days for custom mod work) and spot heat molded the attachments with a heat gun to have enough supportive wrap.
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12-26-2017, 11:54 AM #28Registered User
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On my MTN Labs I used a set of Nordica Grand Prix (cork) liners for inbounds days and the stock for touring days, Booster Straps and a velcro attached spoiler for the Nordica liners. While these alpine liners and Booster were definitely an improvement, it still wasn't enough to satisfy. Even the Nordica liner would shift over like the stock liner as mentioned by you Nevada29. Hopefully things work out for you but in the end having had 4 days now on Dalbello Lupo 130s, I'm much happier to have made the switch.
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12-26-2017, 02:49 PM #29
Oh yeah, forgot to mention; I also used a hot air gun to heat mold the shell plastic of the overlap outter and inner lobes so that they naturally assumed a more 'curved' profile than in stock form...which if I recall correctly, projected kinda straight forward with minimal pre curve. Only skied the boots a few more days after that mod before selling so can't accurately give a report on if it was a game changer..but I do recall that it did help in seating/positioning the front of my shins/innerboots a bit better into the shell. YRMV.
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12-27-2017, 01:46 AM #30Registered User
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Thanks for the advice. I have some Dalbello Scorpion liners I might try if the stock one doesn't work, as well as a brand new pair of zipfits, but those are heavier than I'd like for a touring setup.
Sounds like lots of people haven't been able to make this boot work. I also carpet tested a Lupo AX 120, but was getting heel lift so went with the labs.
If I can't fix the shin bang issue though, these will definitely need to go.
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12-27-2017, 06:32 AM #31
I'm very happy with mine after 50-60 days the last three seasons. Primarily using them inbounds on a Billygoat/Beast16 combo, and for touring on a BMT/Ion combo. Also skied them a bit on a few skis I had mounted with Wardens, but didn't really work out that well.
Anyhow, shells are still in good shape, but I think the liners are toast. Seems to have packed out, and with my low volume ancles/calves I slip forward in the boot if I ski variable/crud. In other words, more difficult to keep my weight forward.
Obviously new Intuitions is a/the solution, or maybe a slightly thicker boot board, but since I'm considering my options regarding alpine/touring boots I'm not really looking to put to much money into them right now.
Would molding them help? Liners usually puff out a bit when heated?
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12-27-2017, 06:43 AM #32Registered User
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I'm happy with mine as well. Mold the liners and expanded the front of the shell slightly with great results.
Used them on a BG/Warden 13 combo and Steeple 102/Kingpin combo multiple times on the east coast and west coast. So far, no issues. Liners seem to be fine, but we'll see after another longer trip on them in the coming months.
Never tried on the Dalbello options so I can't comment on similarity.
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12-27-2017, 11:45 AM #33Registered User
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Figured I'd throw my .02$ into the ring here. I'm on my second pair so far and my experience might help.
I went a size down from normal and wear this boot in 26.5. I have an average width foot and I ski these boots straight out of the box, the only change I make is a different insole and a shim to take up some instep volume.
I bought these as a pure touring boot and paired them with a kingpin binding on a new set of K2 powder skis, never quite gelled with the set up and experienced the same issues with back seatedness as the OP. So I decided to throw some MNC alpine bindings on my old skis, and holy crap these boots skied well. After that day I was back in the BC on my kingpins and over the course of two days I was skiing my BC setup just like my old alpine gear. I think that confidence in my gear played a big role in finally getting to the point where I feel like I have a no compromise set up in the BC, even managed a huge double eject from the kingpins on my last day and it was a massively smooth release.
Anyways, I love the boots now.
I weigh around 170lb and I have the KP toe shimmed so that a boot sits level like my alpine clamps. I got my shims from skimo, I think they're like 4.6 mm or something.
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12-29-2017, 07:24 PM #34
Just spent a couple days on Salomon Mtn Labs. I got them because Dynafit Ones were not stiff enough to drive my Lhasa Pows on Marker Kingpins. The MTN Labs are a huge improvement and transfer power very well. I skied on everything but powder in bounds including moguls, light crud, soft groomers, hard groomers and even some mank. Overall I am happy but the outside of the shell is pretty fragile.
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12-30-2017, 08:14 AM #35
I like mine after 10 or 15 days. Had the tongue shifting problem too but the laces cured that. I didn’t think that’d make any difference but it helped keep it in place. I do notice the forward lean thing but haven’t done anything to change it. I’m not sure there is a boot out there that would fit me any better that’s this light and tourable. I’m about 50 50 tour vs in bounds. I wouldn’t mind slipping in the atomic but these are great.
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01-16-2018, 11:08 AM #36Registered Useless
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01-16-2018, 06:41 PM #37
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01-16-2018, 11:31 PM #38
Absolutely love my MT labs. Best fit I've ever had and I love the forward lean. I've got skinny feet but high insteps and these are perfect with custom insoles in them. Ski them in and out of bounds on a Fischer Motive 95TI with adrenaline bindings and Volk BMT 109 with Kingpin.
Previously I was in Tecnica Cochise pro 130 and had much less control. Plus my legs were always screaming at me while now they rarely hurt. I learned to ski on leather tele boots so assume I'm more used to a more upright stance. Those of you who like forward lean probably won't be happy in these.
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01-16-2018, 11:38 PM #39
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01-17-2018, 12:33 AM #40
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01-17-2018, 11:13 AM #41Registered Useless
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01-17-2018, 12:13 PM #42
Ah shit...sorry for the delay guys...been tinkering full time in the shop. Game changing forward flex mod for vulcans. I've produced 4 iterations of the mod and each have failed but number 5 seems to be working out. Still some technical hurdles to overcome but hopefully have the mod dialed by season's end. So far, it's a 50 minute process that can be done in the shop with a few simple tools and materials. Been test skiing and refining over past few weeks and it's taken my skiing to a whole new level. I think the mod will work best for vulcans not using the cuff flex stops and primarily relying on the stiff carbon cuff for the forward flex but can see it also working out for the mtn. lab. Full disclosure, i'm prone to hyperbole and exaggeration but this seriously is the fucking cat's ass.
As for spoilers...okay.
In the old days I just used shit from around the house. Beer coasters acquired from a Germany trip (seemed to be more durable than the canadian ones), starbucks napkins, stiffer foam wedges, old insoles from running shoes and taped it to the shell with the red stuff. Nice and tacky that red stuff. All ya gotta do is make sure you layer it in the right profile to match yer anatomy and it's a reasonable temporary job until you get some real plastic spoilers. Additional stuff that's useful is automotive gasket making cork from can tire (cheap and super useful for general boot fitting), double sided carpet tape and velcro.
Now I work in a shop and we have a lot of old boots to poach parts from, so the spoilers that worked for the mtn. lab and now the vulcans, are red ones from some solly dh boots. Have a few others kicking around like some blacks from maestrales and yellows from lange's but the red ones work best. Added a bit of cork to fill in lateral gaps and good to go. These days i'm just shoving the spoilers into place for each ski touring run or wedging them into place for the day of dh skiing but intend on making them a bit more permanent with the wide velcro shown in photo.
Master of mediocrity.
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01-17-2018, 12:19 PM #43
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01-17-2018, 04:53 PM #44Registered User
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When you flex them they actually sigh “stupid American”
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01-17-2018, 06:54 PM #45Registered User
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Just skied my MTN Labs for the first time this last weekend. My biggest complaint was that the tongue on the factory liner is super wimpy, and the hard reinforcement in the tongue is too short to reach above the plastic of the boot cuff so when I flex into the tongue my shins are just hammering into the plastic cuff. I ended up skiing with the stock booster strap super loose to give my shins a break.
I was skiing them with a hefty spoiler from my Atomic Redster Pros shoved in the back for a little more forward lean since they're more upright than any boot I've ever skied, I'll have to try them without the spoiler eventually to see if I really need it.
I didn't feel like I needed the third buckle mod when I was skiing the brand new factory liners, but when I tried them on at home with a different liner that was cooked for a boot with a super low instep there was a TON of room at the third buckle location right at the ankle joint, so maybe when things start to break in I'll be wanting a third buckle...
I'm definitely going for a new liner with a beefier tongue, I'm thinking Intuition Pro Tongue like this guy is rocking:
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03-13-2018, 04:03 PM #46Registered User
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Had a chance to try pre owned mtn lab in 25.5. Shell fit is 18-20mm. I guess they would be pretty sloppy with stock liner - I could flex and move my foot inside the boot. Also I tried them with intuitions from dalbello kr2 25.5. Fit was much better. May be a little more volume in toes area than I prefer and heel hold could be a little better. Would intuition pro tour mv or even hv fix the fit? also if I recook stock liners - will fit improve? if this is a no go, what boots should I check for better fit?
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03-13-2018, 04:43 PM #47Registered User
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03-13-2018, 11:52 PM #48Registered User
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What is your shell fit?
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03-14-2018, 12:06 AM #49Registered User
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About 8 and 10mm.
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03-14-2018, 04:39 PM #50
Holy fuck.
you going to resort ski them only or actually plan on touring with them?
IMH opinion you'd have to be crazy to climb with an alpine shell fit.
I'm in the MTN Explores: great boot. And yes, an Intuition HV does wonders to fill space; using one myself.
Your shell fit in length (~18mm) anyway, sounds perfect for a tour boot.
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