What boot am I? Replacing Salomon XPRO 120

[snoboy]

My XPRO 120s are finally giving up the ghost. At least these ones lasted longer than one season...

What I liked about them:
-ability to swap in a tech/pin WTR sole to use with CAST bindings
-the last was reasonable for my foot. Could have been wider
-happy with the flex

What I didn't love:
-would have like a little wider last
-durability (1st 2 pairs lasted less than a season each - MEC replaced them though.)
-no longer available AFAICT

I ran them with an Intuition Plug liner to get a little more room in the toe box - lead to a little bit of heel slop but nothing I couldn't live with.

What I need:
-Boots I can wear all day 4-7 days a week, full time patrol. Fit is critical.
-CAST compatibility, willing to pay for conversion in the right boot (probably required considering the next requirement)
-NO WALK MODE
-A wide last
-A similar flex to the Salomons

I tried on the Head EDGE LYT 130 and it was a pretty good fit (104 mm last) out of the box, but the flex was super soft compared to my current boots.
I tried on a Fischer Ranger 130 Walk DYN and it was even softer than the Heads. Was a walk mode boot also.

TLDR:
What's a wide fitting, true 120 Flex, alpine boot that could be made to work with CAST?

[DarthMarkus]

Tecnica mach1 120 mv.

Edit: guess I'm not fully understanding the CAST situation. You want an Alpine boot to use in the tech fittings? If so, old Salomon boots like the Ghost, or other xpro boots are your answer. Otherwise, I don't know of any other Alpine boots that have the option for tech compatibility.

[scmartin69]

I gather you can have the walk mode "removed" by a couple rivets in the spine. This might expand your options...

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[sierra_cement]

I always wondered who would ever buy these dalbello boots with tech inserts but no walk mode.

https://www.dalbello.it/en-us/boots/...ton-130-id-ti/

Now i know.

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[snoboy]

That ticks a lot of boxes for me, except that it's narrow. I shall have to see if I can find some of those to try on - thanks sierra_cement.

[gregL]

That ticks a lot of boxes for me, except that it's narrow. I shall have to see if I can find some of those to try on - thanks sierra_cement.

You know a decent bootfitter can make any boot wider in the forefoot, right? My right foot measures 117mm to 121mm depending on which scanner I'm using, and I'm currently in a 96mm Atomic Redster CS (that's about the limit, but all my other alpine boots are 97mm or 98mm).

Also, CAST will install tech fittings in almost any alpine boot with a solid sole.

Relying on flex index numbers on the side of the cuff is an exercise in frustration; there is no standard that makes sense. You need to stand in them and flex them (and you still can't do this in a cold environment).

If you work full time on your skis, you probably need to get a new pair of boots each season - what exactly is breaking on the Salomons? A thick, heavy PU boot with solid soles (i.e. plug race boot) will be the most durable but I certainly wouldn't patrol in one.

[sweatypowderpig]

You know a decent bootfitter can make any boot wider in the forefoot, right? My right foot measures 117mm to 121mm depending on which scanner I'm using, and I'm currently in a 96mm Atomic Redster CS (that's about the limit, but all my other alpine boots are 97mm or 98mm).

Also, CAST will install tech fittings in almost any alpine boot with a solid sole.

Relying on flex index numbers on the side of the cuff is an exercise in frustration; there is no standard that makes sense. You need to stand in them and flex them (and you still can't do this in a cold environment).

If you work full time on your skis, you probably need to get a new pair of boots each season - what exactly is breaking on the Salomons? A thick, heavy PU boot with solid soles (i.e. plug race boot) will be the most durable but I certainly wouldn't patrol in one.

listen to GregL, width is easily corrected. it's much trickier/impossible to do things like make the ankle/heel narrower and make the instep bigger.
go to a couple different bootfitters and try stuff on. zipfit liners are expensive, but ultimately oh so worth it.

[snoboy]

You know a decent bootfitter can make any boot wider in the forefoot, right? My right foot measures 117mm to 121mm depending on which scanner I'm using, and I'm currently in a 96mm Atomic Redster CS (that's about the limit, but all my other alpine boots are 97mm or 98mm).

Also, CAST will install tech fittings in almost any alpine boot with a solid sole.

I do know that boots can be punched - just trying to start with a fit as close as possible to start. Might not be an option though. I've found most boot fitters a little reluctant to punch as much as I want for the forefoot. I'm impressed with the numbers you are talking about - maybe I just need to find another boot fitter - but there's not a whole lot of choice.

Relying on flex index numbers on the side of the cuff is an exercise in frustration; there is no standard that makes sense. You need to stand in them and flex them (and you still can't do this in a cold environment).

Sure is...

If you work full time on your skis, you probably need to get a new pair of boots each season - what exactly is breaking on the Salomons? A thick, heavy PU boot with solid soles (i.e. plug race boot) will be the most durable but I certainly wouldn't patrol in one.

1st pair separated between the two different mould colours, right around the ankle pivot. 2nd pair cracked across the instep as many boots seem to do eventually, but way too soon - I think it was 2 months. Last pair cracked across instep too, but they lasted 2 or 3 seasons.

[Muggydude]

Still very curious why you want tech pins in an alpine boot with no walk mode? I cannot imagine going uphill in my X-pros, even if they were fully unbuckled

Atomic hawx prime XTD 130 seem like a good fit for patrolling if you want to go uphill sometimes… they ski 90-95% as well as my X-Pros on the way down.

I suppose I could see worry about the walking mechanism breaking prematurely, but it’s pretty beefy


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[snoboy]

Lots of sub 1 hr walks in the resort side-country here. No problem walking that far without walk mode. I've gone through enough boots that developed super sloppy walk modes or simply broken ones, that I don't want to deal with it for my resort/work boot any more. Been doing it his year for a few years now, and happy.

I'm sure I am not the only one as evidenced by the fact that CAST will mod alpine boots for this very use.

[PeachesNCream]

+1 for the new dalbello krypton that has tech inserts, assuming you can get it to fit. I've been riding it since the beginning of the season and very happy with it. Full downhill boot (no walk mode) but has tech inserts for short skins. It is a 3 piece boot so it will flex a little differently than a overlap boot (in a good way in my opinion)

[Muggydude]

What size boot do you have?


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[snoboy]

290/295

[snoboy]

Just checking back in to say a big THANK YOU to sierra_cement for cluing me in to the Dalbello option. It's been a bit of a painful journey to get enough width in the front of the boots, but the heel pocket is ideal and the boot skis really well. Other than the fit out of the box, it was exactly the boot I was looking for.

Also learnt during shopping that K2 will have a non walk-mode Tech boot next season.

[sierra_cement]

I have duck feet, too -- narrow heel and ankle, wide forefoot. I can never figure out why ski boot manufacturers can't make a boot with narrow heel pocket but wide toe box. Seems like plenty of people have this foot shape. Always makes me dread getting new boots, since i have to go back into the bootfitter's so many times to blow out the width of the forefoot. I like my zipfits, since they have just a layer of neoprene for the forefoot, so you don't have to contend with liner foam taking up volume there, too.

Glad to hear your boot journey ended in a successful place!

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[fleaches]

I have duck feet, too -- narrow heel and ankle, wide forefoot. I can never figure out why ski boot manufacturers can't make a boot with narrow heel pocket but wide toe box. Seems like plenty of people have this foot shape.

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Truth

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[gregL]

I can never figure out why ski boot manufacturers can't make a boot with narrow heel pocket but wide toe box. Seems like plenty of people have this foot shape.

Not so much. Boot manufacturers work with a database of thousands of scanned feet when they design a last, and the vast majority of people with a wide forefoot also have a wide or medium heel . . .