La Sportiva Vega

[lesssismore]

An important feedback on La Sportiva Vega ski boot for the skiers who might buy it. Just look at it but don't buy it.

I change my touring set up for this winter, and it didn't go well. I had an big crash after an accidental release while testing my Faction Prime 2.0 mounted with ATK Crest. The result was a trochiter fracture.

It takes time for me to identify the problem. Do the ATK Crest or the Sportiva Vega be the culprit? Maybe both, but it is clear there is a serious issue with the boot. as shown in the picture, the inserts are misaligned between left and right boot. I have checked on the same ski, and there is no doubt. The shop recognizes the issue and offers me an exchange... I switch to Zero G.

On Vipec, it was not a problem to ski with this boot, due to elasticity. But wit classic low-tech, there might be serious issue. So be careful and you may avoid this crap boot.

[thecazdog]

I looked at mine just as you did. No problems, both sets of inserts perfectly aligned.

ZGTP is a good boot, but forward lean is too upright for me, hence Vegas for this season.

Maybe you got a dud pair. Or maybe you should mount your own fucking skis, buy better skis (Primes are turgid), and improve your skiing before blaming your gear.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

There were a run of Scarpas (Spirit 3's?) that has the issue (misaligned toe pin sockets) a while back (15 years ago?). I think there was a recall.

Hope you heal up quickly.

[lesssismore]

Prime are my spring skis, after years on Lowdown 102 186cm in all conditions. Just to give you an idea.
And yeah Prime are easy going...
I fucking mount my bindings and you fucking don't know how to look at pictures.

[lesssismore]

There were a run of Scarpas (Spirit 3's?) that has the issue (misaligned toe pin sockets) a while back (15 years ago?). I think there was a recall.

Hope you heal up quickly.

Thanks for your kind words! I will recover

[sruffian]

Sorry bout the injury

I'm sure you probably just wanna burn the boots and bindings in a barrel fire after that kind of injury, bot honestly I've been able to correct that degree of toe / heel misalignment by retightening toe screws with the boot heel locked in


Certainly not a shop approved procedure but has spared me a set of holes in skis I like when I butchered a tech mount

[Tjaardbreeuwer]

Sorry bout the injury

I'm sure you probably just wanna burn the boots and bindings in a barrel fire after that kind of injury, bot honestly I've been able to correct that degree of toe / heel misalignment by retightening toe screws with the boot heel locked in


Certainly not a shop approved procedure but has spared me a set of holes in skis I like when I butchered a tech mount

But the issue here is not misaligned bindings, it is in the boot. As shown by the fact that the left and right boots are different.

I agree, if you discover this out on a trip, maybe realigning the bindings like you mention is the way to go, and designate a left and right ski.

But once at home, I would, (as @Lessisimore has done) go back to the shop for new boots.

[lesssismore]

First I did unscrew the toe to re-align. But when I discover I had to mark each ski to identify the one for the left boot and the one for the right... I just told myself "no way" !
Imagine if you have several touring skis... what a nightmare. I just returned the boot saying you're boot is quite a good product in term of range of motion ; with a flex sufficient for touring and not like a wall. It is easy to put on and the range of motion with tightened buckles is good for short ascent. But I have the impression to be a beta tester on a boot with unbearable product quality and reliability.
On an ATK it was very dangerous. According to the brand support the tolerance margin is less than 1mm between pins & inserts. But that's normal.
Even at DIN 9, a small harsh beat resulted in a lateral release (with the misaligned boot). And I tested the set up on icy piste... crash test

[MHSP1497]

First I did unscrew the toe to re-align. But when I discover I had to mark each ski to identify the one for the left boot and the one for the right... I just told myself "no way" !
Imagine if you have several touring skis... what a nightmare. I just returned the boot saying you're boot is quite a good product in term of range of motion ; with a flex sufficient for touring and not like a wall. It is easy to put on and the range of motion with tightened buckles is good for short ascent. But I have the impression to be a beta tester on a boot with unbearable product quality and reliability.
On an ATK it was very dangerous. According to the brand support the tolerance margin is less than 1mm between pins & inserts. But that's normal.
Even at DIN 9, a small harsh beat resulted in a lateral release (with the misaligned boot). And I tested the set up on icy piste... crash test

Sorry to hear you had a bad crash. Really kinda bummed about this news on this boot. I have the Synchro now and was considering the Vega when it’s time to change. Normally I hold La Sportiva in very high esteem (still have my Mythos climbing shoes from the late ‘90’s), the Synchro’s fit me great out of the box and I enjoy touring in them. I just find the flex in ski mode to be a bit brick-wall at first before it finally gets nice and progressive and was hoping the Vega flexed more like the Spectre in ski mode.

Well, hope you get better quick and heal up well so you can get back after it next year!

[skis_the_trees]

I have some skis/boot combos with that amount of heel pin misalignment on one ski (or maybe it's the boot? I forget). Haven't ever had a problem, the classic Dynafit style toe seems to accommodate a little rotational torque to engage the heel pins just fine. But I don't ski hard on pin bindings, so maybe that's why its never given me trouble. But still obviously not awesome that they came out of the mold from La Sportiva with misalignment, but what makes you think this caused your accident/injury and isn't just a red herring?

[lesssismore]

But still obviously not awesome that they came out of the mold from La Sportiva with misalignment, but what makes you think this caused your accident/injury and isn't just a red herring?

Ok the story...
After the accident, I go on skiing during 1 month, as the fracture was not initially detected. Frankly I used the Vega and I had no problem. But it was on a ski mounted with Vipec. At that time, I suspected a problem with the ATK and wasn't confident at all to use the skis I had trouble with.
But one day, I told myself I need to check the skis again. Theres was fresh snow on the small mountains near my home and I take the Faction mounted with ATK. First lap was allright, then I went for a small ride in the forest. In a small traverse at less than 10Km/h (!!!), my right ski went a little down and released. Holly sh... In this condition I told myself there is a really big issue.
Then I checked the force needed to releases the skis. On a flat area I tried to release the ski. I noticed the right ski was really really easy to release. But not the left one. After talking with ATK or with people on ski forums ; searching I found out that the culprit was not a bad toe & heel binding montage. In fact it was the boot. The photo easily demonstrates the issue.
You are right, while skiing on my old Plum Guide or Dynafit, I may have no accidental release with the Vega. But who knows. I push really hard on my Plum Guide for years and had none. It's so bad I sold them.
As ATK told me, the tolerance margin for their bindings is less than 1mm... ATK also offer me the tshipping to send my skis and my (new) boots in Italy for a check up. Fair...

[XXX-er]

this ^^ is fucking painful so

- a la sportiva vega AT shoe so far a sample size of one has misaligned toe pins
- has anybody experianced misaligned pins on a la sportiva vega AT shoe ?
- has anyone experianced misaligned toe pins on any other model of la-sportiva AT shoe ?
- has anyone experianced misaligned toe pins on any other brand/ model of AT shoe ?

I remember hearing about misaligned toe pins on some scarpa back in the day

i know/experianced shitty pins (but not misaligned) on garmont cosmo & celeste, it happened just as Scott acquired Garmont and i was about to buy a pair so went mercury instead