Differences between full tilt boot models?

J_Nyk22So last year I went and got sized for a full tilt boot but the shop only had the first chair 130 in my size and I’m 5’11 150 lbs so that wasn’t gonna work. But are there any fundamental differences between the boots besides flex, last, liner, or buckle type? Like is there any real difference between the Tom wallisch and the drop kick pros, even though they’re the same specs and price? The shops around me rarely carry much for full tilts but I do like their design and everything, so I am considering ordering online.

**This thread was edited on Oct 7th 2021 at 12:13:38am

The shells are where they differ. Original shell is the Drop Kick S, Drop Kick, Drop Kick Pro. 99mm wide, narrow/short toe box, non replaceable soles. The Soul shell is the TWall Pro and the First Chair series. 99mm wide, wider toe box, replaceable soles. The Descendant shell is the Ascendant Approach, Ascendant SC, B&E Pro, Descendant series, and the Kicker. 102mm wide, wide toe box, different tongues than the Original and Soul shells and different soles too. If you fit in the First Chair 130, any other boot from that line (i.e. First Chair 120 or 100, or the TWall Pro) will fit the same with some small differences (mostly in the liner, where the TWall has a wrap liner compared to the tongue liner of the First Chair line). You could also just cop the 130 and get softer tongues.

Great post @animator , I'm doing some shopping and I'm finding similar things.

One difference that I notice, is that about half the FT boots have Raichle style cables over the outer tongue and the rest have buckle gate washboards right on your instep. My feeling is that this must make a noticeable difference in the range of motion when flexing. Not having skied both I have to ask, has anyone noticed that this matters? Is this the real reason that FT is so revered?

Blisterreview said @JLev spun off FTs for K2 in 2006. I'm really impressed by his career. I wonder how involved he was in the design, and if the old Raichle pattern was improved upon?

sarcGreat post @animator , I'm doing some shopping and I'm finding similar things.

One difference that I notice, is that about half the FT boots have Raichle style cables over the outer tongue and the rest have buckle gate washboards right on your instep. My feeling is that this must make a noticeable difference in the range of motion when flexing. Not having skied both I have to ask, has anyone noticed that this matters? Is this the real reason that FT is so revered?

Blisterreview said @JLev spun off FTs for K2 in 2006. I'm really impressed by his career. I wonder how involved he was in the design, and if the old Raichle pattern was improved upon?

Glad to hear you're gonna "just get full tilts!" The original Raichle DNA is still in most models but these days there are so many different customer preferences in boot performance and variations offered by brands that FT has also evolved the original design into variations of the original to better suite everyone's specific use. I haven't been involved since 2013 but best thing you can do for yourself before spending $400 to wear a piece of plastic on your foot all day while skiing is first visit a good boot fitting shop and try on as many different brands and models of boots as possible talking with a person that fits boots to humans feet for a living.Make sure you're considering the shell that best fits the shape of your body regardless of brand or how cool it loks. Once you nail that, you'll be comfortable and from there you can easily determine and adjust flex as needed. May the force be with you!

JLevGlad to hear you're gonna "just get full tilts!" The original Raichle DNA is still in most models but these days there are so many different customer preferences in boot performance and variations offered by brands that FT has also evolved the original design into variations of the original to better suite everyone's specific use. I haven't been involved since 2013 but best thing you can do for yourself before spending $400 to wear a piece of plastic on your foot all day while skiing is first visit a good boot fitting shop and try on as many different brands and models of boots as possible talking with a person that fits boots to humans feet for a living.Make sure you're considering the shell that best fits the shape of your body regardless of brand or how cool it loks. Once you nail that, you'll be comfortable and from there you can easily determine and adjust flex as needed. May the force be with you!

This is all everyone ever need for advice on boots!

JLevGlad to hear you're gonna "just get full tilts!" The original Raichle DNA is still in most models but these days there are so many different customer preferences in boot performance and variations offered by brands that FT has also evolved the original design into variations of the original to better suite everyone's specific use. I haven't been involved since 2013 but best thing you can do for yourself before spending $400 to wear a piece of plastic on your foot all day while skiing is first visit a good boot fitting shop and try on as many different brands and models of boots as possible talking with a person that fits boots to humans feet for a living.Make sure you're considering the shell that best fits the shape of your body regardless of brand or how cool it loks. Once you nail that, you'll be comfortable and from there you can easily determine and adjust flex as needed. May the force be with you!

Thanks for the response. When I bought my current boots I didn't ask for any brand, the guy just had me stand in shells with no liner as a starting point. He asked me to pick the one that felt best and it worked out great. It's funny you mention shells that fit you aren't alone in that, made me remember that fitter.

Anyway it kinda sounds like you see the FT loyalty as partly fanboy bias. I am thinking maybe the same and hoping to coax some more forum comments. It seems only a few seem to notice how different the models are so maybe they just believe or one just fits them well. But I've also seen some mention swapping tongues to change flex for example so they see something useful in those designs. Adult boots with a 90 flex aren't that common either.

sarcGreat post @animator , I'm doing some shopping and I'm finding similar things.

One difference that I notice, is that about half the FT boots have Raichle style cables over the outer tongue and the rest have buckle gate washboards right on your instep. My feeling is that this must make a noticeable difference in the range of motion when flexing. Not having skied both I have to ask, has anyone noticed that this matters? Is this the real reason that FT is so revered?

Blisterreview said @JLev spun off FTs for K2 in 2006. I'm really impressed by his career. I wonder how involved he was in the design, and if the old Raichle pattern was improved upon?

So Im not going to pretend to know for sure because I’d have to get a micrometer and compare shells side by side but according to Bodie Miller in this podcast ( https://blisterreview.com/podcasts/the-pros-gear-bode-miller-ep-163 ) the soul shells had a ton of plastic removed compared to the classic shell which uses the same molds as the og World Cup winning raichle boots. I’m imagining the soul shells are thinned out in common pressure points to have a better out of the box fit