G E A R THE NEW ALL- MOUNTAIN BOOTS M o re a n d m o re b o o t m a n u fa a r e lo o k in g t o d e liv e r t h e H o ly b o o t s : t h e a ll- m o u n t a in t o u r in g p e r f o r m s g o in g d o w n a s w e ll a s B y M a r k E llin g
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he true backcountry boot is an out-of-bounds animal—lightweight and built for ascending with a maximum range of motion in touring mode and comfortable for uphill travel. The boot, of course, has tech binding compatibility and a fully-rockered and aggressivelylugged outsole for walking and scrambling as needed, ostensibly on mountain ridges and rough terrain. Beyond that, there’s as wide a range of touring boots as there are skis. Increasingly, though, boot manufacturers are focusing on that sweet spot: the all-mountain touring boot that could be your quiver-of-one if, say, you spend more than half of your time on the mountain but also want to skin up to ski some backcountry. Even Lange, long the favorite of Eastern ski racers, has come out with a boot for this season that is its first true AT/All-Mountain boot. The 2021-22 “All-Mountain” boots continue to look and act more and more like alpine ski boots. They hold on the groomers yet have the range of motion, rockered sole and light weight that will get you up skinning up Brandon Gap or Tuckerman Ravine comfortably—and in time for first tracks. What makes this type of boot especially good for Vermont —or most anywhere in the East— is that here the uphills are often short and steep and your downhills are either technical scrambles through trees and puckerbrush or precise turns on the icy, rocky, technical terrain of Mt. Washington. These new touring boots – we call them All Mountain— have the classic stiffness of alpine boots that will let you ski trees like they were race gates. But they also boast the comfort, light weight and versatility of a touring boot. Shon Racicot, owner of The Boot Pro Ski Shop in Ludlow, has been fitting ski boots and selling ski equipment since
1987. His shop at the base of the Okemo Access Road is a go-to place for alpine touring gear and he’s seen a significant increase in sales of AT equipment in the last few years, especially in boots. “The new AT boots have come a long way and we are starting to see the downhill performance you might get with an alpine boot,” notes Racicot – who adds the disclaimer that he uses two boots: one for touring one for resort skiing, “because I’m at heart a racer and still like the precision of an alpine boot and being able to crank out the turns on the groomers,” he says. “But these new boots with liners and shells that can be molded are much easier to fit than the AT boots of the past. The use of new liner materials have also made boots warmer. And manufacturers have started producing boots in wider lasts which makes the fit more comfortable for a variety of foot shapes,” he says. He points to the Atomic Hawx Ultra Xtd 130 as one boot that even has a heat-moldable shell and a 98 mm last that can fit narrower feet. “Plus, with walk modes and rockered Vibram soles, if you’re walking around the lodge and you won’t skid out on your way to the bathroom,” Shon says with a laugh. The boots noted here are just some of the best of the new breed and represent the top line boot, but many come in a variety of flexes and also have similar women’s models. “You may not want or need a 130 flex,” says Racicot. “And what’s a 130 in one boot in this category definitely is not in another so it’s important to try them on. The best boot is the one you are comfortable in,” says Racicot. “Getting a good fit in an AT boot is even more important because on the uphill, you are pushing the boot away from you. You may not want the shell as tight as an alpine boot
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