Alpine Touring boots

[Mike]

The two types of ski boots, Alpine Touring boots and Alpine Ski boots, are similar, obviously as what they are called, one is designed for ski touring and the other one for traditional alpine skiing. So what is the difference?

For ski touring, one does a lot of walking with the skis. So the primary advantage of Alpine Touring (AT) boots is comfort and light weight while walking. Most of them are softer than most alpine boots (although the new alpine boots are getting softer), most AT boots have some kind of locking/unlocking hinge to make climbing and skinning easier, and most AT boots are lighter than most alpine boots (the new alpine boots are getting lighterer as well).

All that means that you are most likely be more comfortable in AT boots if you do a lot of walking, booting, or skinning.

The downside, however, is control. Because most AT boots are softer than alpine boots, you won't have quite the control and power that you do with alpine boots. That's no big issue if you're doing pure backcountry where the snow's untracked and excellent. If you're doing primarily sidecountry (lift-accessed but outside the piste boundaries), you'll probably run into more variable tracked-out and crud conditions. In those situations, an alpine boot is more powerful and offers better control.

[Mike]

I thought the Apex at US1295 is the most expensive ski boots in the market, I was wrong.

Dynafit and SCARPA have even pricier ski boots.
Dynafit's new Dy.N.A. TF is touted as being among the lightest Alpine Touring (AT) race boots on the market, and it retails for US$1,550.

The Dynafits are indeed light. At just more than 2 pounds per boot (in a size 27.5), the Dy.N.A. TF was made for“ambitious, fast ski mountaineers.” The company touts it as the lightest commercial boot in the world. It weighs less than an average leather hiking boot.

The Dy.N.A. TF boot is made for racing both down and up a mountain. It has a“rockered" sole and a flexible fit to acquiesce, literally, with running up a mountain slope. Then, heading down, you can cinch the“lightest and fastest performing cuff buckle system" on the market closed, click into your skis, and off you go.

Not to be outdone, SCARPA this year unveiled their F1 Carbon in its randonee racing family of boots. It weighs an astonishing 13.6 ounces (in a men's size 27). It is touted as the lightest alpine-touring ski boot on the market, and it has a carbon chassis and carbon-fiber cuff. They retail for US$1,499.

[Mike]

Salomon's new Quest series will mark Salomon's entry to alpine touring.

The product launch, however, has met with challenges. Demo units of the boots that were first made available to the pros and media last season included "tech inserts" that made the boots compatible with Dynafit bindings. An accident which the victim claims was caused by a failure of the tech inserts was followed by the recall of the few demo units in the field.

Salomon is tight-lipped about the issue due to pending litigation. To be fair, other manufacturers including Garmont, are now creating their own tech inserts as well, but the setback forced Salomon to release the boots this winter without Dynafit compatibility. Dynafit compatibility may be restored in future models.

All of this means nothing to skiers using alpine touring bindings from Fritschi, Naxo, Silvretta and more. This year's production boots are compatible with both the ISO norm for alpine touring bindings and, by swapping out appropriate toe and heel lugs, the alpine DIN standard. So like the popular Garmont Endorphin or the Scarpa Hurricane - neither of which are Dynafit compatible, either - owners of the new Quest boots from Salomon will only need one pair of boots to go from alpine to randonnée with a quick twist of five screws, far fewer than on their counterparts.

Quest series are three-buckle models. Salomon uses a single buckle to latch what are in essence two buckle points on the upper cuff, with stiffness augmented by one of the largest power straps we've seen. In essence they're four-buckle boots. Quest have a beefy walk mode switch that engages a magnesium backbone behind the cuff to provide a rock-solid ski mode with full rearward support. The V-shape lower shell integrates this backbone as well as the release cuff system, although there is only one forward lean position on offer.

The toebox in the Quest line is surprisingly roomy, and typical of the Salomon last the heel pocket will best fit those with slightly wider heels. Like all AT boots the Quest line tips the scales signficantly less than their alpine brethren. This means easier hiking and skinning, whether in-bounds or in the backcountry. Soles are augmented with rubber traction under the arch of the foot as well, a nice touch for walking on rocky ridgelines.

[Mike]

Here is the Salomon's Quest series AT boots: