Alpine boots with tech inserts?

[Ville]

So no we have Shifts. Is there full alpine boot with out walkmode(which will eventually wear and not work correctly) but still has techfittings or possibility to change soles? Salomon has X-pro, but it seems very upright. My alpine boots now are old Full Tilts with biggest wedge in the back, so used to quite agressive stance. So is there any other options than X-PRO? There was Ghost 130 but that seems to be gone.

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[jackattack]

CAST mod?

[Ville]

CAST mod?

Is it possible to do it in Europe?

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[smooth operator]

A skilled bootfitter may be able to. I had mine done by Heierling in Davos (CH), but they prefer to only do so on solid lugged boots. I've heard there is a shop in Chamonix (Boot Sole Lab? not sure) that does mods as well. I do not know if they do the cast plate insert that you can see in the flylow-CAST movie, which also works on non-solid lugged boots. I also know of a lot of people who have done a DIY mod, including pros, so if you are halfway skilled that is also an option.

[Ville]

A skilled bootfitter may be able to. I had mine done by Heierling in Davos (CH), but they prefer to only do so on solid lugged boots. I've heard there is a shop in Chamonix (Boot Sole Lab? not sure) that does mods as well. I do not know if they do the cast plate insert that you can see in the flylow-CAST movie, which also works on non-solid lugged boots. I also know of a lot of people who have done a DIY mod, including pros, so if you are halfway skilled that is also an option.

Have to think about modding it myself, 3500km to Alps. Although I need new boots, so factory ready setup would be nice.

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[toast2266]

I too am interested in this, but I'd like a toe insert that I can actually ski in since I'm still in kingpins. I just want one boot that I can use for inbounds, and then swap to the touring skis for a quick side country shuffle where a walk mode isn't really necessary.

[westoxified]

my CAST setup on my race boots is the tits for the Shifts. when I am skiing full-pin it's meadow skipping on heavily modded X-Alp boots.

Toast, you want this because the walk mode sucks and develops play or just because most walk mode boots are light and ski like crap?

[XavierD]

If you found an old Tecnica Mach1 or Demon boot with the removable sole blocks you could swap them out for the old tech blocks from the first couple iterations of the Cochise. Still pretty upright boots, and 5 year old design at this point.

Otherwise it’s CAST.

[straightlineorbust]

my CAST setup on my race boots is the tits for the Shifts. when I am skiing full-pin it's meadow skipping on heavily modded X-Alp boots.

Toast, you want this because the walk mode sucks and develops play or just because most walk mode boots are light and ski like crap?

What'd you do to your X-Alps?

[westoxified]

What'd you do to your X-Alps?

I bolted on a tongue and some new liners. I'll try to get some photos up in a separate thread. or just PM me for details.

[ClayCole]

There are a few agro options around now, but they all have walk modes because everyone buying tech fittings assumes they need a walk mode.

I'm interested in the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130. I tried on the Lange Freetour and they seemed good also.

If you want race boot performance though, just buy race boots with solid soles and have CAST mod them. I had CAST do some old Salomon Falcon CS Pros for me and they turned out awesome. I think the mod is dialed for solid race boot style soles but not as good for boots with removable soles.

[Ville]

There are a few agro options around now, but they all have walk modes because everyone buying tech fittings assumes they need a walk mode.

I'm interested in the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130. I tried on the Lange Freetour and they seemed good also.

If you want race boot performance though, just buy race boots with solid soles and have CAST mod them. I had CAST do some old Salomon Falcon CS Pros for me and they turned out awesome. I think the mod is dialed for solid race boot style soles but not as good for boots with removable soles.

Yeah, I have Salomon QST pro 130. It's ok, but when it comes skiing it's not on the same line with my Full Tilts.

I need to search around to see if I can find diy instructions or hints somewhere online. Cast would be too expensive option.

I remember Blurred did mod to his Full Tilts many years ago and there is some info buried in here too.

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[smooth operator]

salomon ghost 130 also has removable soles I think? Seems to work for Jeremie Heitz and Sam Anthamatten.

An alpine boot without walk mode just skies so much better than anything with a walk mode.

[Ville]

salomon ghost 130 also has removable soles I think? Seems to work for Jeremie Heitz and Sam Anthamatten.

An alpine boot without walk mode just skies so much better than anything with a walk mode.

Ghost is discontinued. Would have been good, my brother has them with tech soles. Don't know, maybe have to give X-PRO a try.

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[skibrd]

Email CAST, you’ll have to pay shipping to Idaho and back, but I’m if you are ok doing that, I don’t see why they wouldn’t.

I spent a bunch of days in the Lange XT Freetour last winter and they are pretty good. They are not a plug boot, but there isn’t much of a difference between the XT Freetour 130 and the RS130/140. I might of noticed a slight difference when going as fast as I’m comfortable on a rough groomer, but I don’t often have them on when I’m carving groomers.

[Ville]

Email CAST, you’ll have to pay shipping to Idaho and back, but I’m if you are ok doing that, I don’t see why they wouldn’t.

I spent a bunch of days in the Lange XT Freetour last winter and they are pretty good. They are not a plug boot, but there isn’t much of a difference between the XT Freetour 130 and the RS130/140. I might of noticed a slight difference when going as fast as I’m comfortable on a rough groomer, but I don’t often have them on when I’m carving groomers.

Shipping to US and back would probably cost more than new boots?

My Salomon QST 's are good enough in powder and long tours. But at my home hills it's usually all kind of wind affected snow and only 300-500 vertical meter. And aproach is done by snowmobile. That and lift skiing would be best to get real boot.

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[SupreChicken]

I know that these boots technically have walk modes, but the lupo 130c and the new full tilt ascendant are alpine boots with a simple lever for a walk/ski mode. Not much of a mechanism to wear out. Nice mod from margotron in the lupo TI thread about getting some more forward lean that will likely erase/prevent any play that would develop in the lupo.

Personally, I think that’s a better choice than a cast mod as the tech fittings are certified on those boots (and it’s a Salomon binding), but I’ve found I’m less picky about boots than some of my peers here. I hit my holy grail when a cabrio boot with tech fittings came out. I don’t miss true alpine boots at all since I got my lupo TI.

[auvgeek]

I spent a bunch of days in the Lange XT Freetour last winter and they are pretty good. They are not a plug boot, but there isn’t much of a difference between the XT Freetour 130 and the RS130/140. I might of noticed a slight difference when going as fast as I’m comfortable on a rough groomer, but I don’t often have them on when I’m carving groomers.

Also, Lange has the XT Free Pro 140 flex version out this season which is stiffer than the XT Freetour 130.

I've been ogling those with the Shift on a pair of Moments, maybe the Deathwish. Can't afford to drop that kinda cash, but boy would that make a great travel setup.

[skibrd]

Also, Lange has the XT Free Pro 140 flex version out this season which is stiffer than the XT Freetour 130.

I've been ogling those with the Shift on a pair of Moments, maybe the Deathwish. Can't afford to drop that kinda cash, but boy would that make a great travel setup.

I’m seriously considering selling my plug boots and last pair of RS140s and getting the XT Free Pro as my every day inbounds boot. Could it possibly be one boot to rule them all for me? The perfect lift access boot for anything and everything?

[auvgeek]

I’m seriously considering selling my plug boots and last pair of RS140s and getting the XT Free Pro as my every day inbounds boot. Could it possibly be one boot to rule them all for me? The perfect lift access boot for anything and everything?

Looking forward to a review if you do!

I don't think they'd replace my plug boots -- I've tried the RS130/140 and I can blow through the flex pretty easily, especially on warmer days. But I could definitely see using the XT Free Pro as a travel boot and inbounds on cold days (like low single digits F and below) where the ZB is honestly a little too stiff and also a huge pain to get off at the end of the day.

[TheWetNoodle]

Lange came out with a pro model in their free tour line. It’s a 140 flex but I haven’t had an opportunity to play with it.

I had the k2 pinnacle 130 last year. It has intuition liners and a solid flex. I enjoyed when it lasted... the boot split in half. The whole walk mode assembly and spine of the boot separated from the rest of the shell. I sent my boot in for repair under warranty on March 9th and I haven’t gotten it back yet. :-)


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[rod9301]

Maybe the 140 freetour skis better.
I have the Lange rx130 and the freetour 130.
To ski in the resort the freetour is inadequate. Bumps, uneven snow at speed, etc.

You always feel like you're a steep behind the terrain, and you get pitched forward when the snow changes.

And that's compared to a rx130, which is not the stiffest boot out there.

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[auvgeek]

Maybe the 140 freetour skis better.
I have the Lange rx130 and the freetour 130.
To ski in the resort the freetour is inadequate. Bumps, uneven snow at speed, etc.

You always feel like you're a steep behind the terrain, and you get pitched forward when the snow changes.

And that's compared to a rx130, which is not the stiffest boot out there.

Why? Because the flex is too soft or too harsh or what?

[Supermoon]

I have Technica Cochise 120s.

https://www.evo.com/outlet/alpine-sk...ca-cochise-120

Has walk mode, but you'd never have to move out of ski mode.

[toast2266]

Toast, you want this because the walk mode sucks and develops play or just because most walk mode boots are light and ski like crap?

Mostly the second one - I've just never found a walking oriented boot that actually skis well. Some of that is that the flex tends to not be very smooth. Some of that is that a heavy boot with a lot of PU tends to be much more damp. But as much as anything, walking boots tend to be wider lasts and I have trouble finding one that fits particularly well. The few narrower options that are on the market can be made to work, but they're still a ways off from how I generally get my alpine boots to fit.

If I'm mostly skiing pow, walkable boots more or less work for me. But for a boot that I'm gonna ski inbounds through manky chop, I want a better fit, smoother flex, and more damp construction.