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Do I need a 50/50 boot

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nicofoglia
Posts: 25 - Karma: 128
I’m going to a boot fitter next week, so my question it’s not which boot should I actually buy. My dilemma is if the downsides of a boot capable of touring are worth it, even when I’m gonna tour just a couple of times per season. Or should I stick with a more down hill focused boot and sort it out for those rare tours.
6 years ago
3 0
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Dilldoes
Posts: 761 - Karma: 5,852
nicofogliaI’m going to a boot fitter next week, so my question it’s not which boot should I actually buy. My dilemma is if the downsides of a boot capable of touring are worth it, even when I’m gonna tour just a couple of times per season. Or should I stick with a more down hill focused boot and sort it out for those rare tours.


I get to tour maybe once a season so I too just deal with it.
6 years ago
3 0
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
There are no real downsides these days to gettin boots which are tour capable, well at least if you are getting the more freeride side of touring boots.

Boots like the mindbender, xt, Lupo or hawk xtd are very capable and can happily be your only boot. I skied in the mindbender 130 all last season and did not tour once but rode everything else from park to even a race in them.

Like any boot fit is key but as long as you are not going for the ultra light rando boots they will be good for everything.

**This post was edited on Oct 31st 2019 at 11:18:07pm
6 years ago
4 0
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LukeTheWaffle
Posts: 1849 - Karma: 8,895
Peyben skis on ascendants, so they def can be used in park
6 years ago
3 0
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brogoldenhair
Posts: 177 - Karma: 695
tomPietrowskiThere are no real downsides these days to gettin boots which are tour capable, well at least if you are getting the more freeride side of touring boots.

Boots like the mindbender, xt, Lupo or hawk xtd are very capable and can happily be your only boot. I skied in the mindbender 130 all last season and did not tour once but rode everything else from park to even a race in them.

Like any boot fit is key but as long as you are not going for the ultra light rando boots they will be good for everything.

**This post was edited on Oct 31st 2019 at 11:18:07pm

This. Just make sure they fit into your bindings, gripwalk/wtr/din norms are heinous
6 years ago
1 0
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
brogoldenhairThis. Just make sure they fit into your bindings, gripwalk/wtr/din norms are heinous


These days actually soles are getting really good. Now that grip walk has become the norm it’s alot easier.

Grip walk requires no adjustment compared to alpine soles so most new bindings will automatically work with alpine or grip walk with no modification needed.

Touring soles are still sometimes tricky but you will see less of those moving forward I believe too. Grip walk will become the norm for all boots very soon I think.
6 years ago
2 0
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nicofoglia
Posts: 25 - Karma: 128
I should have stated that i am kind of an aggressive/big mountain skier, and my concern was about the flex. Anyway I think I’m going to trust you, I’ll see if any of those are gonna fit my foot properly. Thanks
6 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
nicofogliaI should have stated that i am kind of an aggressive/big mountain skier, and my concern was about the flex. Anyway I think I’m going to trust you, I’ll see if any of those are gonna fit my foot properly. Thanks


Flex wise I think so long as you go for a boot which can properly lock the flex, ie the mindbender or xtd you are good. 3 piece boots also work perfectly as you get the same flex as it’s all from the tongue anyway.

You can get plenty of stiffness from the newer freeride freeride boots and there are tricks to make them even stiffer still if need be.
6 years ago
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Turnfarmer
Posts: 63 - Karma: 80
tomPietrowskiThese days actually soles are getting really good. Now that grip walk has become the norm it’s alot easier.

Grip walk requires no adjustment compared to alpine soles so most new bindings will automatically work with alpine or grip walk with no modification needed.

Touring soles are still sometimes tricky but you will see less of those moving forward I believe too. Grip walk will become the norm for all boots very soon I think.


Can you expand on this? Are Delta angles still the same? If not how do they change with bindings that drop the AFD vs bindings that lift the toe piece up?
6 years ago
0 0
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
TurnfarmerCan you expand on this? Are Delta angles still the same? If not how do they change with bindings that drop the AFD vs bindings that lift the toe piece up?


So with grip walk the front of the toe lug is the same height as an alpine sole the difference comes further back on the toe. Because of this binding manufacturers only have to make a binding with a sloped afd, the front of the afd is flat and then the back angles down. This means a regular alpine sole will work and so will a grip walk sole without any adjustment.

You can still often adjust the afd height such as in the griffin or jester but you do not have to change the height just for the change of sole.
6 years ago
0 0
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
The referenced post has been removed.


Seriously? sure a pinned boot will still be slightly better but especially in soft snow you really will not be able to tell a difference. Personally having a boot which is 95% of an alpine boot but has all the advantages of a touring boot is well worth it.
6 years ago
0 0
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
The referenced post has been removed.


I’m not saying there is not a difference but honestly for most people the difference is so small that if you don’t want multiple sets of boots then you really are not sacrificing any thing. Do i have both pinned and touring boots, sure, but if I just had one set I would for sure go freeride as you get so much more in terms ofoptions for barely any downside. I literally only wore my recons once last season and that was only to test out the pulse stiffening thing, other then that it was mindbender all year for everything and I never thought, I wish I was in the recon.
6 years ago
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