LA SPORTIVA EZ TOUR MANUAL

It's worth noting that the buckle has a self-cleaning action where in snowy and icy conditions, pushing the Pegasus buckle down onto the post clears the buckle hole. Having said that, it didn't take much time to get used to them. I found the Pegasus buckles gimmicky and suspect they will be a pain in the ass handling them on cold days.

I liked the fact that the adjustment could be done while the boots are buckled, simplifying the fine-tuning of fit. Unlike the more common wire bail buckles, these slot onto closures on the boot shell with wire and micro-adjustment knurled knobs. The Pegasus buckles are, uh, interesting.

Of course, I loosened the buckles and powerstrap for long uphills, but it's worth noting that the Spectre offers an otherworldly walk mode. When the boot is switched from ski to walk mode, instantly you can feel the magic of the 60 degrees of cuff rotation. The only other boot I can compare this too which I have tried is the Dynafit TLT5 sans tongue. Speaking of cuff range of motion, the Spectre is outstanding. I cannot speak to longevity, as I only had 14 days on this boot but so far, its held up well. It's also built for cuff rotation, so complements the fantastic range of motion of the boot. It's actually comfortable, fairly warm and responds well to thermofitting (I needed some toe-box room). Of the 14 boots I've reviewed, this is the first non-Intuition liner that this Intuition fanboy has not binned and replaced. Included with the Spectre is a fairly light (260 grams) EZ Thermo liner. Some other features of La Sportiva's Spectre worth mentioning follow: I have no data on how the sole will last over time so check in on the Spectre discussion thread (referenced at the end of the article) for long term reports Other features The black compound is softer and offers more traction for snowy and icy conditions. The harder yellow compound at toe and heel is designed for durability and binding interface precision. The Spectre soles have 2 compounds in this sole unit both of which compounds are Vibram. The Spectre has canting adjustment to accommodate fit concerns. All the boots are close to the same height front and rear but are constructed very differently. Due to the flat bootboard, you can easily customize fit by removing the liner foam, or by adding shims to achieve the height you want.Ĭomparison pictures depict the Dynafit Vulcan (green), La Sportiva Spectre, and the Scarpa Maestrale RS (white). Forward lean can be adjusted from 10 to 14 to 18 degrees. The rear cuff spoiler can be adjusted or removed completely.

LA SPORTIVA EZ TOUR MANUAL

Manual from the product page for more information. The Spectre is exceptionally customizable see the The boot is made of Grilamid, a wonder plastic that tends to hold its shape once punched (unlike Pebax) but which does not change stiffness much as temperatures vary (like Pebax). The liners weigh 260 grams, which is about as light as liners of these types get (certainly comparable to the weight of a pair of Intuitions).Įssentially the Spectre is a tongue boot with the lower boot shell and upper joined by a metal bar walk mechanism a proven design. They weigh 1450 grams in stock form (5 grams more than claimed, which is in my opinion close enough). The La Sportiva Spectre demonstrates an enormous walk mode having an eye popping 60 degrees of free-floating motion. So if you have a question comparing the Spectre ask in the article comments and I will try to answer. Personally I own a pair ofĭynafit Vulcans and Scarpa Maestrale RS touring boots, but have had the opportunity to test a wide variety of boots that are now too numerous to count. Accordingly, my preference is for bigger skis and relatively stiff boots. My skiing is usually in high moisture-content snow. I've had 14 days on the Spectre in variable snow ranging from cold sastrugi to pow to hardpack to soft corn snow (unseasonably warm temperatures). I weigh 160 pounds and ski mainly in the Coast and Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. At a claimed flex of 110 (which is close to downhill boot stiff) coupled with a weight of 1445 grams and an eye-popping and gratifyingly reasonable price of $599, if it lives up to its claims, La Sportiva will have shaken up the market. The four buckle Spectre alpine touring ski boot represents La Sportiva's first foray into the beefier end of the market. Check out evo.com's entire lineup of alpine ski touring boots here.

La sportiva ez tour