Every so often a company will debut a category-shattering display of engineering that seems to break all kinds of rules, defy stereotypes, and spearhead a different generation of skiing. This ain't your grandpa's ski-day! Behold: the Alien RS. Holding true to the da Vinci mantra that "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication," the Alien RS is a delightfully simple boot. A stiff carbon-infused Grilamid cuff is mated to a stiff carbon-infused Grilamid lower by way of an unbelievably dexterous pivot that again, defies stereotypes. A Boa closure on the lower shell wraps around your foot to create a secure and precise fit. Racers, say hello to your everyday boot light enough to sneak in 40,000ft of dawn patrols per week; freeriders, mountaineers, and steep skiers, say hello to your beefy race boot capable of taking you further than ever before.
- Carbon Grilamid LFT Shell and Cuff blend industry-leading power-to-weight ratio with industry-leading price.
- Lower Shell is built around a 3D Lambda Torsion Frame to increase lateral stability and power transfer.
- Speed Cam Lock ski/walk mechanism is reliable, durable, and precise.
- A waterproof, zippered gaiter tempts snow to even try to get into this boot.
- Offset toe lugs promote a more natural walking motion to increase touring efficiency.
Specifications | |
Weight |
920g [27] 983g [28] |
Weight (pair) | 1840g [27] 1966g [28] |
|
1 + BOA, Single Throw Speed Cam Lock |
Boot Sole |
270mm [24] 278mm [25] 286mm [26] 294mm [27] 302mm [28] 310mm [29] 318mm [30] 327mm [31] |
Binding |
Tech only |
Cuff |
72° |
Forward |
7°, 9°, 11°, 13° |
Specs Verified | Yes |
Design | |
|
Carbon Grilamid LFT |
|
Intuition Cross Fit Tour |
|
Vibram UFO RS |
Skimo Co Says | |
Usage | Speed touring, high performance ski mountaineering, exceeding expectations |
Notes | Grilamid infused with long strands of carbon fiber increase torsional stability and precision. A zippered, waterproof gaiter invites you to use your imagination when accessing lines |
Bottom Line | If the Holy Grail was a ski boot |
Compare to other Race Boots |
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Questions & Reviews
Sizing is tighter and narrower than most Scarpa boots, I'm commonly a 27-27.5, I chose a 27 in these, they fit quite nicely but it's definitely a performance fit.
Gaiter is amzingly thought out, and I love that they added a clip for binding tethers. My only complaint is that the cam device used to adjust tightness of the upper eats at the dyneema cable, hasn't failed yet, but is visually core shot. A thought as to how Scarpa could make these better is by using a full carbon upper, retaining the carbon grilamid lower and lining it with weave as in the current 1.0, this would make the boot considerably stiffer and lighter without compromising durability of the lower for scrambling. Perhaps the new 1.0 will fill the ticket.
The boots are a little tight in the toe box, and fit a little bit short. I usually ski a 26.5 ("performance fit") boot, and my size 27 Alien RSs are barely big enough (I have a footbed in the boots to raise my arch and shorten my foot a bit).
Not an ideal boot for ice climbing. The offset toe welt does make the boot natural to walk in and tour in, but might require you to bend your crampons' toe bails to get a snug fit. The ski/walk mode arm interferes with the heel clip on most crampons, meaning you'll need to loosen your crampons to switch between walk/ski mode.
The boots are comfortable and dexterous enough that I have no difficulty driving my manual-transmission Subaru in the boots, and often find myself running errands in town on my way to/from skiing in the boots.
This is a perfect boot for ski mountaineering and any sort of long distance touring. If your objective is moving quickly and confidently on snow in the backcountry, I'd suggest that the Alien RS is a perfect boot.
Thanx for advice Peter.
Any ideas if this mod has been done before?
And is it just me, or is the forward lean accually not quite normal on these boots?
Best regards!
I have the Gea RS 2.0 in size 23.0. It is quite narrow for my foot, and I have punched it twice (one time very little, the other time quite a bit). I do have aftermarket foot beds in them. How do you think an Alien RS would fit in size 24.0 compared to the Gea RS 2.0 in size 23? Perhaps the heel hold would be a problem?
I have experimented a little bit with the Intuition Pro Tour MV liner in the Alien RS and have found that it could be a workable solution if a person is dealing with too much volume in the calf and heel. You might try that in a size 28. The other option that may work is the Palau Tour Lite Performance liner in a 28, it's a touch thinner than the Intution Pro Tour.
If you haven't already, I'd also suggest making sure you are pulling the string nice and snug before flipping the lever in to ski mode. I've noticed that getting the string tension tight helps to clamp down the lower over the instep just enough to eliminate some heel slop.
First of all, Norwegian Black Metal? How can I start listening to this? I like your style, I think new gear may cause a singularity to appear.
The Alien RS is a fantastic boot, but so is the Travers Carbon. I'd say if you're looking for a new boot in this sub-1000g range you'd be wise to start with the Alien RS based purely on fit, however Scarpa has announced that they officially only want to see the Alien RS skied on anything up to 85mm underfoot, so based on that guideline you'd likely have better success with the Travers Carbon. That being said 85mm underfoot is well within the Alien RS's limits and it's capable of driving a much, much larger ski than that. The Travers Carbon is an interesting boot that behaves fairly similarly to the Alien RS and with a bit of work you'd likely be able to get the width and volume to work for you.
i will go with alien rs when my tlt5 turn to microplastics. i think alien rs will be verry fine with skis wider than 85 mm, im light on my feet, in many ways!
thanks for your answer and happy skiing!
But - i have two questions:
1.The heel hold is not very good for my foot. Any ideas? Have a special foot bed, and a nice fitted liner. Was thinking of mounting a aftermarket heel buckle, but dont feel so good about doing modifications on a brand new boot...
2. They are a bit narrow in the mid foot area. Is this area possible to punch out easily? Have a bit of travel to get to my nearest boot fitter, so was hoping for some pointers here first..
Best regards.
1) Tough to pinpoint this issue exactly. Did these liners come from another boot? How many days do you have in the liners? L-Pads around the heel may be the only answer, but I'd only go there after a proper liner mold and then a footbed.
2) This is also a very subjective issue, especially with an aftermarket liner and footbed. If it's a thick footbed it'll lift your foot up higher into the shell and potentially make the boot a bit narrower than it actually should be.
I am wondering about getting a pair of these, and sizing up 1/2 size (28 shell is about right, but slightly too small; 29 shell is about right but slightly too big). Then putting in the Proflex G liner, size 28.5.
Would that work ok? Would the liner be too high? Is this just a bad idea since I'd lose things like the little Velcro tab on the stock Alien RS liners? Any advice would be most appreciated.
thank you very much. Jan
Can't tell you have long my foot as, because I'm traveling and don't have a good ruler handy! I will get back to you if I get a chance,
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