I skied the first part of the season on rossignol Sprayer boots that were 2 sizes too big (don't ask...please) and they weren't doing it for me. I planned on replacing my boots next season anyways, so when i saw a pair of Full Tilt Camos on a certain deal-at-a-time website(which will remain secret... =) for 157 USD, i decided to go for it. i know i took a chance on buying them online, but i do have a very skinny foot and ankle, and it turns out that they fit better than any boot i have tried before (i worked in a shop, so i know how a boot should fit) here is what i thought.
the fit: they are a tiny hair too big. just a tiny bit bigger than what would have been ideal, but with 2-3 weeks left in my season and seeing as i am still a teenager, i can safely guess that my feet will fill that smidgeon of space.
but thanks to the ingenious and gloriously customizable buckle system, with some tweaking, and a painfully educational first day, i was able to get a good lock down
My first time out, i had the ankle buckle so tight that the calf buckle couldn't get to where it needed to be. i had the worst shinbang that night, partly because i was getting used to the 100 flex tongue (my rossi were a 50 flex...) and the upright stance, but mostly because i didn't have them buckled right. i guess it all comes down to the fit. IF YOUR SHINS/CALVES MOVE AROUND TOO MUCH, even in full tilts, you will get the bang. it took some experimentation, but the next 2 days went incident free.
Performance: they are spectacularly light and the intuition liner is ingenious. very warm and comfortable. The camos are a 6/10 flex on the Full Tilt scale, which some would say are too stiff for park, but seeing as i don't go extremely big (i ski southern PA), i didn't notice a single problem with stiffness. I actually loved it. with a 50 flex price point boot, driving through the "loose granular" (pieces of ice ranging from the size of M&Ms to Hersheys Kisses, for you westerners) that the snowcats turnout like popcorn was no fun at all. the full tilts power right through anything i threw at it. The difference was night and day. shame i can't use them at there full potential.. these are definitely a charging boot.
Overall i am EXTREMELY SATISFIED with these boots, but i have experienced what would happen if the fit isn't right.
Would i recommend these boots? No.
get fitted. full tilts aren't a cure for shinbang. a boot that fits and is right for your circumstances is.
if you want to take a chance at the online order, get fitted anyways, because if your boot isn't right for your foot, you will be miserable. it could be that you didn't have the buckles where they needed to be, or you could be trying to stuff an SPK shaped foot into a Krypton boot. know how a boot should fit before even thinking about ordering one.