A quick word on blocking ads
It looks like you are using an ad blocker. That's okay. Who doesn't? But without advertising revenue, we can't keep making this site awesome. Click the link below for instructions on disabling adblock.
Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!
nicofogliaI’m going to a boot fitter next week, so my question it’s not which boot should I actually buy. My dilemma is if the downsides of a boot capable of touring are worth it, even when I’m gonna tour just a couple of times per season. Or should I stick with a more down hill focused boot and sort it out for those rare tours.
tomPietrowskiThere are no real downsides these days to gettin boots which are tour capable, well at least if you are getting the more freeride side of touring boots.
Boots like the mindbender, xt, Lupo or hawk xtd are very capable and can happily be your only boot. I skied in the mindbender 130 all last season and did not tour once but rode everything else from park to even a race in them.
Like any boot fit is key but as long as you are not going for the ultra light rando boots they will be good for everything.
**This post was edited on Oct 31st 2019 at 11:18:07pm
brogoldenhairThis. Just make sure they fit into your bindings, gripwalk/wtr/din norms are heinous
nicofogliaI should have stated that i am kind of an aggressive/big mountain skier, and my concern was about the flex. Anyway I think I’m going to trust you, I’ll see if any of those are gonna fit my foot properly. Thanks
tomPietrowskiThese days actually soles are getting really good. Now that grip walk has become the norm it’s alot easier.
Grip walk requires no adjustment compared to alpine soles so most new bindings will automatically work with alpine or grip walk with no modification needed.
Touring soles are still sometimes tricky but you will see less of those moving forward I believe too. Grip walk will become the norm for all boots very soon I think.
TurnfarmerCan you expand on this? Are Delta angles still the same? If not how do they change with bindings that drop the AFD vs bindings that lift the toe piece up?
cobra_commanderMeh, despite improvements in ski boots there is still no free lunch. None of the ‘cross over’ boots ski as well as a true pinned alpine boot. If they did companies wouldn’t be making non Race high performance alpine boots. Sure, you can ski with them, but you don’t get near the same smooth power transfer to the ski, let alone feedback from the ski. For some folks it’s worth the sacrifice but they really ski like shit compared to a good alpine boot. Anyone who can’t tell the difference between an XTD and Hawx Ultra, mind Bender and Recon, Cochise and Mach or XT Free and RS is likely just an oblivious or shitty skier. Even a Lupo HD and Krypton Pro are pretty easy to distinguish the difference in ski feel.
do what you want, but if your just doing short side country or not even touring just get an alpine boot.
**This post was edited on Nov 1st 2019 at 5:23:58pm
cobra_commanderMaybe 80%, nowhere near 95%. I can definitely tell the difference in soft snow in the resort, especially after it starts to get tracked, wind or sun affected. The boots really tend to give out when you get deeper into the flex pattern, this is especially true with lighter boots like the XTD or ZeroG Pro. I can still notice it, although a little less in my XT Frees and Cochise.
There was no comparison skiing an XTD and a Hawx Ultra back to back in soft resort conditions on a mid week pow day.
Sure, if I’m traveling and skiing a mixture of resort and BC, I’ll take my XTs, but I know I’m making a sacrifice.
A day of mostly or all touring: ZeroGs. Resort shred day with minimal hiking: RS.
Moatly Resort with some hiking of tour: XT or Recons
I don’t ski in race boots anymore, too cold and too much work.
**This post was edited on Nov 1st 2019 at 6:28:21pm
