SCARPA F1 Boot
What do you get when you merge an Alien with a Maestrale, a race boot with a beef boot, an extraterrestrial with a cold northwesterly wind? You get an F1 race car, er, two-buckle touring boot! As Scarpa's signature backcountry touring boot, the F1 sits at the crossroads of out-of-this-world uphill speed and deep-powder charging on high-fat skis. The hinged Evo tongue on the F1 allows for excellent ankle range-of-motion on steeper skintracks and flatter slogs alike, while the high cuff and power-strap-based design means you'll blast down steep lines without reservation. To create that coveted power-to-weight ratio, the designers borrowed Alien technology by inserting carbon fiber into the lower shell in a splayed pattern that transfers power directly from your leg to the ski. A Grilamid cuff provides plentiful support when skiing in the front-seat and a scooped rear design means a turn in the back-seat won't end in a crash. The boot's lower is held together with a BOA system that cinches a generous 102mm last for just the right forefoot fit.
- Carbon Core Tech is fiber-reinforced nylon that makes the lower shell more rigid.
- Fast Buckle works in conjunction with a burly Velcro strap for simple and secure cuff.
- Alien style Boa® lacing system in the lower shell lets you dial in the perfect fit.
- SCARPA Intuition® liners (221g [27]) are heat moldable and preloaded with flex zones.
- Evo tongue is designed to flex with your leg and can be topped up with a power strap (+26g).
- UFO EVO soles are the latest in durable grip from the Vibram® family of overachievers.
- 62 degree range of motion is what your ankles would demand if they could talk.
- Dynafit Quick Insert fittings help make stepping into tech bindings a treat.
- Two forward lean settings let you tune your stance to match your style.
Update 2018/19: The iconic Scarpa F1 is still ahead of its time but in order to keep everyone happy with shiny boots, an updated paint job was brought to the table along with some Recco hardware in the power strap.
Update 2020/21: The Scarpa F1 has received a fabulous look for the 2021 year. Additionally, the F1 now has a small plastic extension on the lateral side of the lower shell to help guide the tongue over top, preventing it from occasionally snagging underneath when you don the boots.
Specifications | |
Weight |
1248g [27] 1316g [27.5] |
Weight (pair) | 2496g [27] 2632g [27.5] |
|
1 + BOA |
Boot Sole |
280mm [24.5/25] 289mm [25.5/26] 297mm [26.5/27] 305mm [27.5/28] 314mm [28.5/29] 322mm [29.5/30] 330mm [30.5/31] |
Binding |
Tech only |
Cuff |
62° |
Forward |
20°, 22° |
Specs Verified | Yes |
Design | |
|
Carbon infused nylon shell w/ Pebax tongue |
|
Intuition Pro Flex Evo |
|
Vibram UFO Evo |
Skimo Co Says | |
Usage | Light & fast touring |
Notes | Classic ski/walk mode mechanism |
Bottom Line | Alien-infused touring |
Compare to other Touring Boots |
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Questions & Reviews
In general, the original F1 sounds like the way to go. As you mentioned, wider and higher volume. The F1 GT is an option, but it will fit the same as the F1 LT out of the box so you'd need to punch it for sure. Fill out our boot fitter and we'll get back to you with personalized recommendations.
Only difference between the half sizes is that SCARPA pre-molds the liner slightly differently, which will go away after you heat mold them, or after a few ski days. We do carry half sizes, just out of a few at the moment.
Unfortunately I tried following the video but I cannot figure out how to remove that piece in the rear. On both boots, the screw loosened but just keeps turning without coming out. I tried prying the part off but it won't come out. Now I cannot even tighten the screws again (they just turn without seeming to catch onto any thread). Very frustrating.
These are the stiffest, most downhill-oriented of the F1 line. In powder, they will be just fine. In crud and variable snow, it depends on your skiing style. If you want, reach out to us at help@skimo.co and we can go more in-depth.
Reach out to us at help@skimo.co and we can go more in-depth!
In powder, you'd have no issues skiing a 110 with the F1, or XT and MTN Summit for that matter. In firmer/variable snow and/or high speeds, you might have more issues. The F1 would be fine for an all-around touring setup with the 110, but I wouldn't go much lighter than that unless it's a dedicated powder setup.
Obviously looking for a trouble free yet well skiing fit. Atm I tour in older 27.5 306BSL Dynafits.
27.5/28?
Generally, for a foot that's 270mm on the dot we would put you in the 26.5/27 shell. However, it does also depend on the overall volume of your foot and whether the F1 would be a good fit for you in the first place. To delve deeper into fit, we recommend filling out our online Boot Fitter!
LT/XT are listed as stiffer, but these are beefier + tongue so I'd imagine they inherently ski better
Some thoughts:
- The LT's (which I also have tried) give up a lot when comes to skiability. I would go with the classic F1's, personally.
- Some people seem to remove the top strap (liner focused). I find this to be a "must keep" as you can really get good purchase on the top of the cuff which helps when its bumpy.
- Think the boot skis best in the "+" position on the flip switch - personal preference but think the forward lean helps given the static nature of the walk mode lock mechanism (like all Scarpa's)
- Much easier on/off than the Maestrale
Recently spent a week living in these boots while skiing the Haute Route. I noticed that others (specifically in Maestrale's and other boots without a BOA) suffered from the issue of having the boot be too loose when in walk mode and therefore destroying the foot with blisters. The BOA system and top strap here are great to eliminate that issue as they allow you to get full ROM when in walk mode, but also keep the foot tight in the liner to avoid issues from rubbing.
The only thing I dislike (which is SO minor), is that when you take the liners out to dry you have to be careful not to push down the interior plastic protector/sealing around the walk lever when you put the liners back in. I accidentally have pushed it down a few times, and you quickly wonder why your heel is in pain. Luckily, an easy thing to be mindful of and does not hurt the boot. Just can add a minute of annoyance at the trail head.
Finally - and most importantly - these ski really well, especially when paired with an equally light and touring focused ski. I think when skied with a beefier ski, the boot struggles to keep up - but when the pairing is in the same weight class, it's a dream.
I wish you could replace the grip walk - as these boots beg you to keep them on to the point where the soles wear before you're ready to get new boots...
Great to hear from you! I would agree with you, a few years have passed since that boot hit the market and touring gear has seen some upgrades. My suggestion would be to check out our Bootfitter to see what boot may work best. I have not skied the Dynafit One myself, but I would venture a guess that the F1 would be a solid step in the right direction when it comes to downhill performance. Hope this helps!
We generally don't suggest sizing up your touring boots unless you opt for an extremely snug "performance fit" in your alpine boots. Unless you find your Lange XT3s to be exceptionally snug, a 24.5 will still likely be an appropriate size for you in touring boots as well. Feel free to email us at help@skimo.co if you'd like to get further into the details of sizing and fit!
Obviously the walk mode is much better than the Maestrale (even after replacing the liner with a thicker Intuition liner for the cold), and the weight loss isn't huge but is noticeable. Ski mode is a significant step down from the Maestrale RS, but the boots are still fairly stiff. I'd say the bigger difference in ski mode is that they have less of a progressive feel to the flex. I only skied these on lighter skis in more mountaineering settings, so it's hard to judge how they'd drive a heavier ski at higher speeds, but overall I was pleasantly surprised.
My only big complaint with these boots is the buckle - opening it up doesn't give you enough ROM to tour properly, so I have to undo the velcro each time I transition (and then refind the correct tightness after).
While I like the F1s, looking back, I probably should've gone for an F1 LT instead - it seems like you don't give up a ton in ski performance, but you gain a LOT in walk performance, which has become more and more important to me over time.
After a heat mold of the liner and or some skiing, the 25.5/26.0 sizes will be indiscernible. I would treat the half sizes within the same shell size as the same boot.
Do you think the F1 would be a good boot to use on a stiffer touring ski with good downhill performance, such as Salomon MTN 85 or Stöckli Edge 88?
Second question: My foot is 26 cm measured. After trying them in a shop, I ended up buying a 27, since the 26.5 was feeling too tight. Now I have the impression that my heel is able to move a bit too much while walking.
Do you think a 26.5 would have been better? Is there a way to solve this problem without changing boot?
Thanks a lot!
I think the F1 would be a great boot for either of those skis!
As far as sizing, for Scarpa boots, the shell size is exactly the same in the 26.5 and the 27.0. Any differences you felt initially would have just been differences in the liner that would eventually pack out the same. If you aren't experiencing blisters and your heel is locked in when you're skiing downhill the fit is probably fine, but if you do think there's too much room and you want to size down a shell size, you'll want to go with the 26.0. If you need any more information on boot sizing feel free to email us at help@skimo.co and we'd be happy to go more in-depth with you!
Thanks
There is more than a paint job this season .. The tongue and interface of it on the shell have been cleaned up and refined. But otherwise the same.
They are very stiff boot. Not quite as stiff as the Maestrale but for most of my type of riding it was plenty stiff (30 degrees or less for me most of the time). The range of motion is amazing. It feels like you are in a tennis shoe at times.
I really ended up liking the boa in the front.
My only complaint, and this isn't a real complaint, is that I have straps needed to get replaced after a couple seasons. Not a big deal but another cost to be aware of.
I also gave this boot a 4/5 out of 5 because after 2.5 seasons I upgraded to the F1 LT. If you can fit those I would go that direction. Otherwise, these are a great choice.
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