Boots for the lady

A snowHead

I know, get what the bootfitter says!

But bear with me. The lady in question has progressed very fast last winter, from snowploughing on blues to very reasonable parallel skiing on reds (as a couple of sHs on the EOSB can attest to). It helps that she has no fear and has decent leg / core strength.

She loves skiing and has plans to keep getting better at the same rate. She definitely wants her own boots.

The question I have: should she just get alpine boots, or should she look for something with interchangeable soles?

Yes I know, early days to be thinking about touring, but I can see her trying out a light tour in good snow and on an easy pitch by next spring. And the boots should be good for a few seasons...

Besides price and maybe availability, is there any reason to NOT get boots that would also be better for some light touring than pure alpine ones? (DEFINITELY not looking for pure touring boots - no point whatsoever at this stage).

A snowHead

Get her both you tightwad!

Personally I wouldn't compromise the learning experience by getting into a boot that was sub-optimal in downhill performance/control plus as we all know the most important thing for enjoyment is fit so the widest selection possible will always be in alpine boots. If there is a WTR in the same last etc maybe go for it.

PS you probably should have said she plans on getting better than you very shortly - remember she has age and beauty on her side wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

As I am in disagreeing with @Dave of the Marmottes, mood, I have quite a few friends who ski all the time in touring boots. They vary from reasonable to very good skiers.

Go for interchangeable soles, I'd think.

Most people aren't ever going to need or want race boot stiffness and the best AT boots these days are getting pretty close, as far as I can determine.

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@horizon, I would have thought the ones that best match her skis / outfit obviously Toofy Grin

There are not that many swappable sole boots around these days, with only the Scarpa Freedom and Tecnica Cochise springing to mind.

As materials are getting better, boots seem to be getting lighter year by year, with better walk modes, so a 2kg boot of five years ago is now 1.7kg, so there is less compromise when touring, especially in frame binding.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I actually bought the Salomon Quest boots last year for off piste skiing as my race piste boots were a tad uncomfortable forest skiing all day, although the performance was spot on. The Quests are fine on piste unless you are on SL or GS skis, for an all mountain ski they seem fine. They have a hike / touring mode and for touring up to 3 hrs they are also great. I do have softer touring boots but then I miss out being able to drive the ski on the ride down. Some of the more Alpine biased boots with a touring mode are pretty damned good these days. I just leave the Alpine soles on them, I've never really needed to hike that far and if I was venturing onto really icy ground I would just stick crampons in the pack.

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Thanks everyone. So it looks like a pretty short list of boots with swappable soles, and a longer list of increasingly good and light Alpine boots that would have decent touring capability for what she's likely to do. We'll always ask the bootfitter's advice, but maybe I don't need to focus so much on swappable soles. Mind will be kept open.

(and then we'll get the boots that match her outfit).

@Dave of the Marmottes, there's a ticket system in place. First my son needs to get better than me. That's probably going to happen by the end of next season, I can still take him this winter. Then it will be the turn of the mrs. But no argument on the age and beauty!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

My GF has Atomic Hawk 80s. They are a pretty stiff boot but transformed her skiing ability and confidence.

They are a bitch to get on though.

After all it is free

I think I would disagree that the Hawx 80 is pretty stiff... and should be like slippers to put on and off... Puzzled

Can she post on here herself? (I don't think you are native English tongue @horizon - though your English is clearly excellent - so maybe she isn't either)... might be useful for her to ask these questions and get an understanding/feedback for herself? (by the way this is not some 'feminist thing' - would say the same if the sexes were reversed).

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@miranda, horizon speaks better English than I do!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

@horizon, Every manufacturer does a freeride/touring boot with interchangeable soles so there's plenty to choose from.

You know it makes sense.

erm only Head, Nordica, Rossi, Fulltilt (of the main brands don't)

Salomon, Tecnica, Atomic, Dalbello, Lange, K2, Scarpa, Dynafit*, BD* all do. I'd say that swings in they "most" do, "plenty to choose from".

*still in circulation, but not current. Little Angel

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@CH2O,
Rossi do but Lange don't? Aren't they all the same boots, or are they just missing from one brand range?

A snowHead

define interchangeable sole.... on a freeride/touring boot are we talking alpine to WTR or alpine to low tech

one day maybe but probably not in my lifetime CH20 might add a positive comment without the bitter spite which he seems to have to add any time he responds to something i post... but i doubt it rolling eyes

A snowHead

@CEM, I'm thinking that rather than indulge in some petty spat, you could have actually added something helpful to the OP given your extensive specialist knowledge.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Ray Zorro, the point is there are boots out there with replaceable soles BUT not that many interchange between alpine AND low tech, some do, and there are a good few which go from alpine to WTR but in CURRENT season boots there are less than there were in the past

i think if we go back to the OP the whole subject was open to debate but the interchangeable sole thing is IMO a bit of a red herring, it was made pretty clear that this is a first set of boots and normally i would be considering fit over anything else, especially as said user has not even considered any form of touring yet.

the whole buy a freeride/touring boot with replaceable soles came from someone else entirely and what i was pointing out is there are not as many as it may first appear and each brand mentioned may do one but they are each pretty specidfic fits and for a specific skier...@CH20 is based n Chamonix as we all know, which is, as we all know a bit of a different market for ski boots than anywhere else including most resorts

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Just to get things clear in my own head, there are:

Alpine boots that only fit alpine bindings or frame touring bindings.
Tech boots (Dynafit etc compatible) that don't fit alpine or frame bindings, unless you swap the sole.
Low Tech boots - I assume these are alpine boots with a hike to ride function for those who do short tours in frame bindings (not tech compatible)?

I ask because I currently have alpine boots and frame bindings (F10 Tours). So I'll probably change boots this year - but intend to go the tech route (with swappable sole) to future proof them a bit.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@clarky999, I'm starting to see that. I spotted Dynafit Mercury TF's in an online sale - they appear to be the same?

After all it is free

@spyderjon, Thanks. I re-read the blurb and it says 'all touring bindings'. I missed the word 'touring'the 1st time. At least it'd be an option for my Tours that you fitted a year or so back.

Help!!

Boots for the lady

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