Normal (Alpine) Boot (sole) Options in 2022

[brown9]

This hopefully is a quick question, but for replacing ski boots in 2022, are the only options gripwalk/touring soles? My ski bindings are a few years old and I hadn’t contemplated the change in norms making normal din boots obsolete for my skis. Anyone have suggestions on boots that fit pre-grip walk era bindings? Binding is a Salomon sth12 driver and Rossi/look spx 14. Rather not have to but new bindings for three pair of skis so new boots can work…

Or maybe this is super-jong, but can a gw boot go into a classic din sole style binding?

[phatty]

Most new boots have alpine sole blocks you can buy to replace the GW soles. Most reputable shops either have them or can order them for you. You can also find them online.

You "can" get GW boots into some old bindings, but they won't release properly and could potentially lead to injury. Basically "yer gunna die!"

[Eluder]

STH2 is Gripwalk compatible. If the SPX is a WTR Dual binding it will also work with gripwalk in the din setting.

[gregL]

My ski bindings are a few years old and I hadn’t contemplated the change in norms making normal din boots obsolete for my skis.

Yeah, that one went right past the boot and binding manufacturers when they mandated GripWalk, too. The vast majority of alpine and hybrid boots that come with GripWalk (pretty much everything) have an available ISO 5355 sole that can be swapped over, it's just a question of locating them. We have a pretty good stock of ISO 5355 soles to replace GripWalk ones when you buy a boot from us, but the selection varies from day to day.

The actual height from AFD center to top of toe lug should be the same - ISO 5355 is 19mm plus or minus 1mm, GripWalk ISO 23223 is 19mm plus or minus .75mm - but the fore/aft location of the GripWalk AFD is a bit further forward than some 5355 ones and the deeper rubber lugs on the GripWalk soles sometimes hang up in a lateral release. That means whether they will actually function (unofficially, they will not be indemnified and no shop will touch it) in an older binding is a case by case scenario.

[brown9]

Yeah, that one went right past the boot and binding manufacturers when they mandated GripWalk, too. The vast majority of alpine and hybrid boots that come with GripWalk (pretty much everything) have an available ISO 5355 sole that can be swapped over, it's just a question of locating them. We have a pretty good stock of ISO 5355 soles to replace GripWalk ones when you buy a boot from us, but the selection varies from day to day.

The actual height from AFD center to top of toe lug should be the same - ISO 5355 is 19mm plus or minus 1mm, GripWalk ISO 23223 is 19mm plus or minus .75mm - but the fore/aft location of the GripWalk AFD is a bit further forward than some 5355 ones and the deeper rubber lugs on the GripWalk soles sometimes hang up in a lateral release. That means whether they will actually function (unofficially, they will not be indemnified and no shop will touch it) in an older binding is a case by case scenario.

Thanks gregL.

[singlesline]

(unofficially, they will not be indemnified and no shop will touch it)

You say that, but I got into an unpleasant argument with a shop owner who refused to go find a pair of rental skis for my wife with gripwalk compatible bindings to match her new boots. We knew they had them because we had rented from a different employee of the shop earlier on the same trip.

He insisted it didn't matter, that they were all compatible, it was just a marketing thing, and that I must be thinking of alpine touring boots...

He finally begrudgingly relented, but he was a huge dick about having to go setup another s ki. I don't remember what bindings they had on the skis, but they were definitely not ones that are "technically" compatible...the the GW rubber was visibly interfering with the AFD and putting a bunch of upward pressure on the toe.

Maybe he was just having a bad day...but I sure hope he figured it out before someone blows an ACL when a binding doesn't release (especially now that GW is on every boot)