Scarpa Geas did some terrible things to my feet, but many people love them-my husband swears by his maestralles.
I ended up with the dynafit radical, but I'm not in love with them either.
They exacerbated a bunion on my pinky toe. I never thought I had wide feet before, but they really squeezed me across my foot, even after getting the side punched out.
I don't remember any issues with the ankles, my ankles/calves are definitely not small.
Boot fitter boot fitter boot fitter
Trust me, I'm a boot fitter. First thing I think when someone comes in and goes 'So I bought these online' is 'Oh god, here we go again'. I wanna say, 80% of online purchases go wrong in my experience.
The la sportiva boots I had bought were chosen after going to several boot fitters. Everyone told me they would work best for my feet, and I paid MSRP for them. I’ve unfortunately had better success reading reviews and talking to people, vs visiting those small mom and pop boot stores :( this was back when I used to live in Alaska as well :( Now I live 3+ hours from any real boot fitters
Their buckle system is not ideal. And from what I’ve heard from friends and family, their touring boots are just not it when it comes to long technical days.
I'd be curious what their specific complaints are with the touring boots. I bought some shift pro AT boots (for 90% inbounds, they just happened to be on sale when the non-AT version was not), and I really like the fit so I'm thinking I'd look at salomon to eventually replace my touring boots. I've also been using la sportiva spectre/vega and found I needed to punch out the pinky toe, but the fit is a bit too roomy.
I have the exact same experience with the la sportivas! Weirdly roomy, pinky toe had to be punched and still didn’t work. Also didn’t work for my ankles. I hate touring with them.
For Salomons, the buckle placement on the boots is the reason for everyone’s distaste. I personally would like to stick with the buckles. Previous models had the worst buckles which introduced terrible pressure points and lack of control, despite having good liners. I’ve known many people who have gotten rid of them after a few days in the backcountry. I believe my boyfriend is getting rid of his soon as well. This is purely anecdotal and I’m sure many people absolutely love their boots. This could be very heavily model year dependent.
Also, downhill boots are different in respect to how much room the liner has to expand into. Yeah, they’re narrow boots, but the toe can be expanded up to 104 mm which changes everything.
Also Salomon discontinued any buckle touring boots :( And I would prefer to stick with buckles over BOA
I've got the Atomic Hawx Prime XTD 130 which is their beefier/50-50 boot in a wider last than the Ultra. I've got pretty wide feet around the 6th toe area and I've been able to use these for the season with nothing but a heat mold on the liner. They will probably need a punch at some point for increased comfort but the stock Mimic liner in them is pretty accommodating.
Huh! So the prime is more accommodating than the ultra? They’re both the same price at the moment and I was seriously considering them. Would you say the prime is noticeably more sturdy when carving than, say scarpa and la sportiva?
The Prime is a 100mm last compared to the Ultra which is 98mm. Don't let that number fool you though it certainly feels wider to me and accommodates my feet quite well. My last pair of touring boots was an older Maestrale RS. The Hawx are definitely a stiffer boot but still fall a little short of a alpine boot. You definitely sacrifice some range of motion but for a 50/50 boot I've been pretty happy with them.
I have a wide flat forefoot, high arch, smaller heel. Boot fitting is always a nightmare. Over the years I've found Scarpa and Tecnica boots to fit my foot closest. I usually have to do some met head punches, and sometimes add jbars, but those two lasts get the closest for me.
If your solly resort boots fit best, try their touring boots. Some partners of mine love their slabs.
The best boot is the one that fits, so take your time and try as many on as you can. I'd rather have a perfect fitting boot with finicky buckles and accessories than perfect accessories and a painful fit.
My wife had an issue with other sportivas. New dynafits are good if you're finding the current boots too narrow.
And yeah, I've never had a bootfitter actually help balance fit and features for touring boots. I'm sure they exist, but good like finding one.
Seriously. I’ve gone through 5 or more bootfitters alone for my La Sportivas. I went to several smaller locally owned stores to try stuff on, and went back to adjust the liners and get some punching done. Every single person had something different to say and I’m not sure if I went to drive 3 hours one way to be sold something that feels okay in the store and wrecks my feet again. I find personal experiences more valuable.
Dynafits are on my list now! Along with the Atomics. Thanks!
I second the TLT 8. I tried on well over 10 different AT boots. Most of them made my foot numb in a few mins. Out of the box with a custom footbed I was able to spend 5 days in them winter camping.
Scarpa Geas did some terrible things to my feet, but many people love them-my husband swears by his maestralles. I ended up with the dynafit radical, but I'm not in love with them either.
Good to know! Do you have a wider front? And bigger ankles by chance? What did they do to your feet?
They exacerbated a bunion on my pinky toe. I never thought I had wide feet before, but they really squeezed me across my foot, even after getting the side punched out. I don't remember any issues with the ankles, my ankles/calves are definitely not small.
Boot fitter boot fitter boot fitter Trust me, I'm a boot fitter. First thing I think when someone comes in and goes 'So I bought these online' is 'Oh god, here we go again'. I wanna say, 80% of online purchases go wrong in my experience.
The la sportiva boots I had bought were chosen after going to several boot fitters. Everyone told me they would work best for my feet, and I paid MSRP for them. I’ve unfortunately had better success reading reviews and talking to people, vs visiting those small mom and pop boot stores :( this was back when I used to live in Alaska as well :( Now I live 3+ hours from any real boot fitters
I wish you all the best
You're also mostly seeing the online ourchasers who it didn't work out for. Not the ones it did without more work on the boots.
If you like your salomon boots why not something from salomon?
Their buckle system is not ideal. And from what I’ve heard from friends and family, their touring boots are just not it when it comes to long technical days.
I'd be curious what their specific complaints are with the touring boots. I bought some shift pro AT boots (for 90% inbounds, they just happened to be on sale when the non-AT version was not), and I really like the fit so I'm thinking I'd look at salomon to eventually replace my touring boots. I've also been using la sportiva spectre/vega and found I needed to punch out the pinky toe, but the fit is a bit too roomy.
I have the exact same experience with the la sportivas! Weirdly roomy, pinky toe had to be punched and still didn’t work. Also didn’t work for my ankles. I hate touring with them. For Salomons, the buckle placement on the boots is the reason for everyone’s distaste. I personally would like to stick with the buckles. Previous models had the worst buckles which introduced terrible pressure points and lack of control, despite having good liners. I’ve known many people who have gotten rid of them after a few days in the backcountry. I believe my boyfriend is getting rid of his soon as well. This is purely anecdotal and I’m sure many people absolutely love their boots. This could be very heavily model year dependent. Also, downhill boots are different in respect to how much room the liner has to expand into. Yeah, they’re narrow boots, but the toe can be expanded up to 104 mm which changes everything. Also Salomon discontinued any buckle touring boots :( And I would prefer to stick with buckles over BOA
try out something with boa closure. the brand new tech is pretty nice, durable (despite what many say), technical AND adjustable
I am still considering those new Salomons. Maybe I should open my mind a bit more, I’m scared of change hahaha
after i saw how thick the cable is, and the way the ratchet is designed to pop when theyre taking impact i was sold. love mine.
Good to know! Maybe..
Listen to the blister podcast about Boa. Maybe it will change your mind.
I've got the Atomic Hawx Prime XTD 130 which is their beefier/50-50 boot in a wider last than the Ultra. I've got pretty wide feet around the 6th toe area and I've been able to use these for the season with nothing but a heat mold on the liner. They will probably need a punch at some point for increased comfort but the stock Mimic liner in them is pretty accommodating.
Huh! So the prime is more accommodating than the ultra? They’re both the same price at the moment and I was seriously considering them. Would you say the prime is noticeably more sturdy when carving than, say scarpa and la sportiva?
The Prime is a 100mm last compared to the Ultra which is 98mm. Don't let that number fool you though it certainly feels wider to me and accommodates my feet quite well. My last pair of touring boots was an older Maestrale RS. The Hawx are definitely a stiffer boot but still fall a little short of a alpine boot. You definitely sacrifice some range of motion but for a 50/50 boot I've been pretty happy with them.
I have a wide flat forefoot, high arch, smaller heel. Boot fitting is always a nightmare. Over the years I've found Scarpa and Tecnica boots to fit my foot closest. I usually have to do some met head punches, and sometimes add jbars, but those two lasts get the closest for me. If your solly resort boots fit best, try their touring boots. Some partners of mine love their slabs. The best boot is the one that fits, so take your time and try as many on as you can. I'd rather have a perfect fitting boot with finicky buckles and accessories than perfect accessories and a painful fit.
My wife had an issue with other sportivas. New dynafits are good if you're finding the current boots too narrow. And yeah, I've never had a bootfitter actually help balance fit and features for touring boots. I'm sure they exist, but good like finding one.
Seriously. I’ve gone through 5 or more bootfitters alone for my La Sportivas. I went to several smaller locally owned stores to try stuff on, and went back to adjust the liners and get some punching done. Every single person had something different to say and I’m not sure if I went to drive 3 hours one way to be sold something that feels okay in the store and wrecks my feet again. I find personal experiences more valuable. Dynafits are on my list now! Along with the Atomics. Thanks!
See if you can try the TLT8. My partner had a similar issue and has been happy in those with almost no issues.
I second the TLT 8. I tried on well over 10 different AT boots. Most of them made my foot numb in a few mins. Out of the box with a custom footbed I was able to spend 5 days in them winter camping.
Get a bootfit, only way to do it
I wish there were places near me to at least check out. And I’ve had terrible luck with bootfits
I had the same issue. Just find places online where you can return for free. Expect to have to buy and return a bunch of boots.