Been abusing these for 2 seasons now.
Pros:
-Insane weight to performance ratio. The carbon cuff on these is significantly stiffer and more supportive than any other sub 900 gram boot I've ever tried.
-Fasteners. Most race boots have a BOA for the lower and some kind of single-throw cord system for the upper. I have very low volume feet, and this combo always results in a sloppy downhill fit for me. The raceborg's buckles allow for a cinched-down fit.
-Grilamid lower. Adds a couple hundred grams compared to carbon, but brings the price way down, the durability way up, and most importantly: rather than size up and use a bunch of foam to fill up volume, I was able to size down and get the shells punched.
-Bikini style liner. These walk and skin like a dream.
Cons:
-Cheap aluminum cuff pivots. When originally shopping, I went through a few pairs of these before I found one that didn't make a horrendous popping noise in the cuff pivot every time it was flexed. 2 seasons in, my pivots are already worn significantly. Huge black marks to any touring/skimo boot manufacturer who isn't using stainless steel cuff pivots - this has been a known durability issue for 12+ years across various manufacturers yet here we still are.
-Cavo bike lever. This is La Sportiva's answer to a single throw transition. Closing the upper buckle automatically tensions a cable that throws the rear locking arm. This would be cool except that it rarely works and I end up having to manually throw the rear arm regardless, rendering the whole system worthless. They need to either improve it or ditch it.
-Foam upper liner portion. Since these have a bikini liner, the upper is lined with foam to support your calves in ski mode. The foam is just cheaply glued to the cuff, and within 2 tours it was starting to peel off and work its way up onto my shins while skinning. I had to completely modify the whole system with velcro to make it usable.
Summary:
-I bought these on clearance. For the price I paid, I think they're a fantastic boot for spring mountaineering, training, and maybe casual racing, but La Sportiva needs to come out with a Gen 2 of this boot that addresses the various durability issues it is plagued with before I would ever give it more than 3 stars, and before I would ever pay full retail.
La Sportiva Raceborg Boot
The best of both! La Sportiva combined the lightness and stiffness of the Hi-Cube cuff with the easy-fitting, comfortable Sytron lower. This makes the Raceborg an excellent race boot that walks and skis like a dream. Since the lower shell is Grilamid, it can be punched and stretched to help with problem areas on the foot, unlike the Stratos. Unlike the Sytron, it doesn’t have a full liner to impede the flex of your ankle when taking a big stride. It uses a bikini liner, meaning a bootie in the lower shell and some disconnected padding around the shin. If you’ve always bent a liner when walking, you’ll be amazed at the difference in mobility. La Sportiva added the Pro version of their CavoBike Lever for quick, one-motion transitions into downhill mode. The carbon cuff will transmit all your effort directly to the ski for great skinning and skiing on edge. With the La Sportiva Raceborg, you’ll be half-human and half-racing-machine.
- CavorBike Lever Pro™ allows for one motion transitions under most pant cuffs.
- Spider cables over the top of the lower shell cradles the boot around your feet.
- Cord loop closure over the cuff can be quickly rerouted to change the closing tension.
- Carbon fiber cuff is light and stiff, transmitting energy efficiently.
- Four forward lean positions let you choose your attack angle.
- Raceborg Bikini boot liner is two-piece for maximum agility.
- Toe and heel welts work with most automatic crampon systems.
- Medium last fits a good number of forefeet comfortably.
- Race Grip™ sole offers good traction and durability.
| Specifications | |
|
Weight |
763g [27.0] 799g [27.5] |
| Weight (pair) | 1526g [27.0] 1598g [27.5] |
|
|
2 |
|
Boot Sole |
257mm [23.5/24] 267mm [24.5/25] 277mm [25.5/26] 287mm [26.5/27] 297mm [27.5/28] 307mm [28.5/29] 317mm [29.5/30] |
|
Binding |
Tech only |
|
Cuff |
75° |
|
Forward |
14°, 16°, 18°, 20° |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| Design | |
|
|
Carbon cuff, Grilamid lower |
|
|
Raceborg Bikini |
|
|
La Sportiva Race Grip™ |
| Skimo Co Says | |
| Usage | Racing, long-distance touring |
| Notes | Special toe inserts can step into Trab Titan bindings |
| Bottom Line | High performance, comfortable race boot |
| Compare to other Race Boots | |
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Questions & Reviews
Comment on this review:
9/3/2021
How does this compare to the alien RS? Stiffer? Wider?
9/3/2021
Hi Greg,
The Raceborg is in fact wider than the Alien RS, which is a rather narrow boot. On the other hand, the cuff on the Alien RS is notably stiffer than the Raceborg, so the RS is able to steer a wider range of bigger skis that the Raceborg would struggle to control.
The Raceborg is in fact wider than the Alien RS, which is a rather narrow boot. On the other hand, the cuff on the Alien RS is notably stiffer than the Raceborg, so the RS is able to steer a wider range of bigger skis that the Raceborg would struggle to control.
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2/1/2021
Hi - I am curious how you think the downhill performance of the Raceborg compares to the Racetron or Sytron? Also - any idea how the zipper on the gaiter holds up? I know there were issues with the zipper on the old Syborgs...
2/1/2021
Alex-The Raceborg has the best downhill performance out of the 3 Sportiva boot you mentioned. Zippers certainly can be weak point on a boot. With that said, if you treat the zipper nicely it should last for awhile.
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