First Impressions First up, out of the box, I'm impressed by both the colourway, and the weight. As far as the colour goes, they do look “Italian�. The light blue and black colouring of the upper (synthetic/cordura), combined with the zebra like rubber rand, might not appeal to everyone but I like it. And let's face it: this isn't the sort of boot you are going to buy for uber steeze, you are going to buy because it is (awesomely) functional.
Weight wise, they feel good, Fitwell list the size 8 at 1270 grams per half pair (I guess that's a funny way of saying per boot...), my mondo 295/U.S. Mens 11.5 don't feel too much heavier, but I'm not a chronic weight weeny, and I haven't actually weighed them (yet). To me they feel slightly heavier, but favourably comparable to the Salomon boots I've been riding previously, which are a fairly light boot. Ultimately, I think the weight is good, especially considering how burly they are. Build quality seems to be fantastic. I spent freaking ages just looking at these suckers, and haven't spotted a stitch out of place or a stressed or stretched looking join anywhere. The Italians have long had a very good reputation for making good boots that last the distance in the mountains, and I can see no reason to expect any different from the Fitwell Backcountry. The rubber rand offers excellent protection all around the lower boot, and is solidly attached.
Fit If you are considering buying this, or any, boot to ride in, make sure you try it on well for fit first (in NZ I've no doubt Rich will help you out here!). While I can't claim to have ridden every style/model of boot under the sun, I've ridden enough, tried on enough, and mucked around tweaking the fit of the boots I have owned enough to have a fair idea of what I expect and where I am size wise...
At the end of the day, for any snowboard boot, fit is crucial. I was a little tentative trying these
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