“Renewed, refreshed, reinvigorated.” These are a few words we’d use to describe the Gea RS 4.0 coming back from her summer vacation. While overall the Gea RS is the same powerful and walkable boot as prior generations, the 4.0 features a slightly updated fit* and is composed of more sustainable materials, derived from castor oil. Similar to the tried and true buckle scheme of the 3..

Skiing serious lines calls for a stiff upper lip -- or a stiff upper cuff. Regardless of the objective, the Women's HEAD Crux Boot is certainly up to the challenge. With years of experience making boots that have performed at the highest levels, HEAD is quite familiar with the kind of performance skiers expect of their boots. Throughout the Crux, the LYT Dynamic Frame connects the ..

As many are figuring out, light and skiable is a winning combination. With the Kilo, La Sportiva has created a boot for the ski mountaineer who desires to access far-out lines while still having enough boot to confidently navigate through whatever conditions present themselves. Being constructed entirely of Grilamid Bio-Based LF Carbon, a light and rigid material, the Kilo has a re..

With its impressive combination of skiability and walkability, the La Sportiva Women's Kilo Boot is a versatile tool at home on steep objectives far from the trailhead or doing the occasional skimo race. Made of Grilamid Bio-Based LF Carbon, it offers a stiff and responsive flex without being unnecessarily weighed down. The WarmSole insert protects against cold feet on chilly winte..

If Dynafit made a Venn diagram of its (non-race) ski boot lineup, one circle would feature the beloved TLT8 Expedition boot, known for being lightweight, efficient, and capable of big days in the mountains. The other circle would be the Hoji Free 130 boot. These aggressive, huck-your-meat, stiff-as-a-2x4 boots have proven to be a delight for the freeriders who earn their turns (and..

Sometimes, it is necessary to let loose and get a little radical. While “radical” is an individualized term, Dynafit, with the introduction of the Radical Pro W, seems to think it means pillows, drops, and high-speed aprons in far out locations. To get there, the Hoji Pro W boasts an exceptional 60-degree range of motion, which certainly won’t hold you back while chugging uphill. O..

In the early days of ski touring, folks purchasing boots had to answer a most pressing question; “Do I want performance or mobility?” Thankfully, and much to the relief of our wallets, our sport has matured quite nicely, and we are now treated with many equipoised offerings. With the introduction of the Transalp Pro, Fischer has created a boot equally at home on far-out ski mountai..

Built with the same inspiration that guided Fischer in the development of the Transalp Pro, the Transalp Tour W is built for badass gals looking to put in big vertical days without too much compromise on the descent. Because “shrink it and pink it” just doesn’t cut it anymore, Fischer optimized the Transalp Tour W for narrower, low-volume feet. The mix of Pbax Rnew and TPU finds a ..

“Enjoy the way and celebrate the ride...” This summary by Dalbello does a great job of describing the purpose of their Quantum Evo boot. Designed to be mobile for big days yet stout enough to drive a low-fat ski confidently, the Quantum Pro is for those seeking to journey far from the trailhead and enjoy the journey. The narrowish fit with autofit tech foam in the heel helps protec..

It’s said that “Necessity is the mother of invention.” While we don’t claim skiing a gazillion vertical feet to be a necessity, it certainly inspired innovation in the form of Tecnica Zero G Peak Carbon! This boot enters a small but increasingly prominent market of truly lightweight touring boots that punch above their weight class when pushed in downhill ski mode. It all starts wi..

While the red, white, and blue coloring of the Quantum Free Pro may have you feeling like Captain America, there are in fact many countries representing this trio of action-packed colors. With a svelte weight, 65° range of motion, and innovative two-piece tongue, the Quantum Free Pro will allow you to ascend the skin track so quickly, your touring partner will have no choice but to..

Enhance! Electrify! These are the two things Dalbello did to the prior season's Quantum Free 105 when creating the improved Quantum Free boot. The liner has been enhanced with a more supportive memory foam tongue, providing greater comfort for those with bony shins. The new colorway is electrifying, featuring sharp colorways that are sure to draw compliments on the skin track. Keep..

While many boot manufacturers proudly stamp "130" on the side of their touring boots, it is no secret that many of these fall short of their alpine brethren that sport a similar number. With the Ridge Pro boot, Dynafit talks the talk and skins the skin track by providing a boot with exceptional walking mannerisms and burly downhill performance. At the heart of the Ridge Pro is the ..

If you've read any of our other Ridge boot descriptions, you know by now that we are quite excited about this platform. Not only does it walk exceedingly well, it skis exceptionally well, boasting a high performance-to-weight ratio. Unlike its smaller sister, the women's Ridge Pro boot uses carbon fiber in the cuff instead of fiberglass, reducing weight and increasing stiffness. As..

At long last, after years of whispers and rumors, SCARPA has unveiled the all-new TX Pro 2.0 Telemark Boot - and the wait was not in vain. Unlike its bulky forbear, the weight of the TX Pro 2.0 has been reduced such that it is comparable to modern freeride AT boots on the scale, helping your tired legs on an epic powder date. More impressively (and importantly), the TX Pro 2.0 boas..

Rejoice, for the revolution is upon us! After an inexpressible amount of anticipation, the redesigned SCARPA TX Pro 2.0 Women’s Telemark Boot has arrived! The first-ever telemark boot to match modern AT boots in terms of weight and cuff articulation, this boot is truly something to behold. The 62-degree range of motion is more than triple that of the previous TX Pro and the weight ..

The HEAD Crux Pro Boot might be having a bit of an identity crisis. Two buckles and a power strap on a stiff and supportive upper cuff are reminiscent of an alpine boot, but the tongueless construction and wave closure on the lower sit firmly in highly efficient touring boot territory. Drawing inspiration from various corners of the ski boot world, it's a very intentional design ch..

In every skier tourer's career, there comes a time to hang up the four-buckle boots and pursue the full experience of unhindered mountain movement. Whether it’s your first encounter with alpine-style speed or your thousandth, the Zero G Peak Women’s Boot is a worthy steed. An admixture of carbon and grilamid comprises the lower and cuff, providing lateral, torsional and forward/bac..

Atomic keeps refining the Backland series of boots, and the Backland Carbon still sits atop the list. Dropping the BOA system in favor of a Cross Lace instep buckle, the updated version is more reliable and can close tighter on your foot. The Backland Carbon is still one of the best walking boots in this class, with 74 degrees of motion around serviceable Frictionless Pivots. The l..

When Lange introduced the XT3 Tour Pro, their devoted fanbase wept tears of joy that finally, they could get the same "Lange" fit, but in a backcountry-specific boot. With the XT3 Tour 2.0 MV 130, Lange is keeping the same great performance and fit as its forbear but with slightly less weight. The strategic weight loss took place in a few ways: First, the XT3 Tour 2.0 uses a new Vi..

To the La Sportiva Vanguard, wide-open GS turns on a big face, and driving high-fat powder skis are in its nature. The rigid 130 flex will thrive on even your largest pow planks. However, it will surprise you on the way up with its generous 63 degrees of cuff rotation. Once you figure out the V-shape cuff and asymmetrical scissor closure system, booting up will be a breeze - even i..

At the same time and place every year, the boot wizards at SCARPA emerge from their R&D dungeons to see how their creations are being used. It was during such an emergence they noticed the F1 LT being pushed farther and harder than ever anticipated. With ideas in their heads for the next best thing, they retreated back from whence they emerged, spending the next year testing di..

While its predecessor redefined what was possible with a 4 buckle touring boot, the latest generation of the Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro aims to improve what was already an extremely impressive ratio of performance to weight. An overlapping shell design with Power Frame construction borrowed from Tecnica's lighter Zero G Peak series results in more direct lateral power transmission and..

The women's Zero G Pro Tour from Tecnica is for the badass ladies looking to cruise the skin track and crush descents, far from the trailhead. Unlike the older Scout, the range of motion has been increased to 60°, mostly in the forward plane, which allows easier articulation on steep skin tracks. Borrowing the Power Frame construction from the Zero G Peak series, Tecnica was able t..

With the Transalp Carbon Pro, Fischer's history of boot-making prowess is on full display. Billed simply as a “touring boot”, we find the Transalp Carbon Pro defies this simple categorization. Is it an uphill machine? Is it a powerful boot with impressive downhill capabilities? Is it...both? Using a Carbon infused cuff, Fischer builds upon their popular Transalp Pro, creating a boo..

Atomic heard the cry of 1000 aching souls, “I want a boot that walks like a Backland Carbon but skis like a Hawx XTD, why oh god am I left to suffer and teeter on this hideous precipice?!” And lo, they have provided an answer. Boasting both a 74-degree range of motion and a very skiable 120 flex, the Backland Carbon XTD 120 is as capable on the up as it is on the down. The laced lo..

Can’t decide if you want to optimize for the up or the down? Looking for a boot that does it all? Atomic has opted to make the decision easy for you in the form of the Backland XTD Carbon 115 W. Combining the best of the lightweight Backland and burly Hawx XTD series of boots, the Backland XTD Carbon 115 W provides a stable and powerful skiing platform while maintaining a relativel..

Say what you want, but the Tecnica Zero G Peak boot lives up to its name. Born of a carbon-infused grilamid shell, the Zero G Peak is built to be extremely efficient and light on the ascent while maintaining the polite downhill mannerisms you’ve come to expect from a Tecnica boot. Utilizing a semi-overlap shell design, the boot can better wrap the foot, increasing comfort and signi..

Last year, SCARPA sent shockwaves through the free-touring world with the 4-Quattro XT, their collaboration with Bode Miller, which offered alpine-like performance in an exceedingly tourable platform. With a year of feedback under their belts, SCARPA is back at it with the Quattro Pro, which features reinforced parts for even better skiing and a more durable platform. Compared t..

With the Alien 1.1 Women's boot, SCARPA took the time-tested unisex offering and subtly tweaked the shade of blue. As one might expect, the tried and true performance definitive of the unisex offering is on full display. Being equally at home on the local skimo race circuit as it is undertaking huge traverses in the spring, the Alien 1.1 Women's boot is a versatile boot that is har..

Whether used for training, demanding traverses, or far-out ski mountaineering objectives, the Stratos Hybrid from La Sportiva is up for the task. Borrowing the cuff from the ultra-high-end Stratos VI, the Stratos Hybrid sports an easy-to-use ski/walk mechanism that allows for refreshingly quick transitions and increased reliability when compared to La Sportiva legacy systems. Bushi..

A fixture at the head of any skimo race, the original Alien 1.0 established a higher performance-to-weight benchmark. It’s difficult to imagine improving on a winner like this, but no one is arguing the reformulation doesn’t do just that. We’re calling it the Alien 1.1 (SCARPA still calls it “1.0”, but hey, that’s confusing. Maybe the Alien 1.0 v2?). Keeping the full-carbon cuff..

While escargot, crème brulee, croissants, and creamy camembert are wonderful, no list of French delicacies would be complete without mentioning the Pierre Gignoux Black. Handcrafted deep in the French Alps, each and every boot is meticulously built, ensuring quality and performance. With its athletic weight, the Black will have you wondering if it's time to replace the batteries in..

Billed as the downhill-oriented pony in the Pierre Gignoux stable, the Mountain is all about committing descents, far off the beaten path. Being handmade by Pierre Gignoux in the heart of the French Alps, the Mountain is made with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring quality and performance. The asymmetrical cuffs feature two buckles, allowing the boot to be securely snugged ag..

What a partnership! Hand-crafted by the world-renowned Pierre Gignoux, the carbon DNA racing boot is distributed by world-renowned Dynafit. Long the most dominant player on the European racing scene, Pierre has taken weight and performance to a new extreme. Being the most dominant player on the North American backcountry scene, it only makes sense that Dynafit has embraced the extr..

Certain inventions are acknowledged as the peak of human innovation and excellence. Fire, democracy, the automobile, and now, with the addition of the SCARPA Alien 4.0, that list has grown. Coming off the legendary 3.0 platform, the Alien 4.0 has made minor improvements for those who like to go uphill fast while having a stiff and precise boot on their feet. With an updated free-fl..