Skiing, like most outdoor sports, has seen countless advancements in equipment during the last couple decades. Plenty of these new technologies are gimmicky and worthless– useful only for those who have to own the latest and greatest gadgetry (I’m thinking of the ski-wheel they sell in SkyMall). Then there are substantial changes like sidecut, twin geometry, and new durable materials.
Through all of this, the most begrudged of all equipment, boots have stayed largely the same. There are lace-up liners; two, three, or four buckles; shock-absorbers; adjustable flex; and other bells/whistles, but the core concept is the same. We’re still sliding in a hard-plastic shell with a soft liner stuffed into it. I don’t pretend to be an expert on ski boots, but I’m pretty sure I can get an “amen” from the congregation on this one.
The most memorable recent modifications on the standard model have been of the DIY variety. Allen Lam came up with a system for V-cutting SPK’s and possibly Full Tilts for more mobility. I’m sure many of you are familiar, but here’s a shot of the finished product:
Like most things Allen does, this has garnered its fair share of hate, but I think it’s promising. I’ll probably pay the $20 he asks and send my old SPK’s to him to try it out. Nonetheless, it’s still just a modification of the existing technology. DIY will never get us truly new technology.
Here is where I introduce you, maybe for the first time, to Apex ski boots. They’ve developed a relatively thin version of a BOA snowboard boot and a carbon casing that gives it rigidity like a normal boot.
After trying them on, I discovered a few points that would have to be altered if this boot were to work for street/park skiing. First, someone else would have to make them. We spoke with the owner and reps, and they were completely oblivious to freestyle skiing. They described their ideal customer in marketing speak as someone who drives a Mercedes and owns a second home in Aspen. It’s no surprise, because the price tag is the second thing they’d have to change: they’re asking $1295 for a pair. Insane, I know, but I can’t see a reason why the carbon couldn’t be replaced with hard plastic and the entire price tag be brought back to earth.
I obviously didn’t ride on them, but just strapping in revealed a couple other problems. The buckle across the instep would need to be wider and more thickly padded. This is a minor change, and the parts already exist in most snowboard bindings. Otherwise some thicker foam padding would solve most other issues. I’m sure flex is on your mind, so check out the photo below. The black band and colored spacers are supposed to adjust the degree of flex. I wasn’t able to test them out, but the boot flexed a bit like original SPK’s without any adjustments.
I would encourage you to write them to show that the freestyle movement represents a serious market share, but these guys are so oblivious that I doubt it’d do any good. Maybe someone can pool some of that trust fund money everybody’s dumping into tall-sweatshirt companies and make us some comfy boots!
yea good luck getting them to realize the freeride movement. denny hansen has been shortsighted his entire career, and a bunch of park skiers isn’t going to change that.
that being said, i honestly believe the apex boot is one of the worst ideas i’ve come across in a long time. the things i want out of a boot (lower profile, lighter weight, more comfort, more durability) aren’t going to be achieved by this design. it hits home on two points, lateral stiffness and forward flex, but does both poorly, and last time i checked, carbon catastrophically fails- the way the boot is laid up its severely prone to cracking for anything besides downhill skiing. even a plastic shell isn’t going to correct that.
and who the hell in the freeski scene needs an apres ski boot that comes out of their ski boot?
I could understand why this boot wouldn’t hold up as is, but conceptually it seemed like an interesting idea with potential. When we saw this at SIA it just seemed refreshing to see some boot innovation or at least something different. Every other aspect of ski equipment seems to have progressed but the best boots are designs that are a couple decades old. The Apex boots reminded me of Xsjado inline skates which was really innovative for skating and are still a top skate for five years or so.
I’m kind of rambling now but all I’ll say is it seems like ski boots are accepted as is just like straight 200 cm skis were 15 years ago. Let’s try some new boot designs that might fail and cause something down the road to work.
Now let’s come up with some suggestions or ideas for boots.
My idea more boots need ratch buckles!
Please post your ski boot ideas for these boot manufacturers to read.
The design is interesting. The carbon is there because it is rigid. A hard plastic may not have the rigidity needed to work with the beam they have up the back to provide the flex. But that hard plastic could negate the need for the beam, or work in conjunction with it.
That said, the marketing is screwed anyway and I doubt we will ever see these in any retail shops, besides those who still carry Bogner and Strolz.
Oh cute, it’s like a combination of step-ins and boas, arguably two of the worst “innovations” in snowboarding. Good work skiing!
I’ll still to my Full Tilts. They’re as comfy, efficient, and customizable as they come. Plus you don’t look like a total douche (just a semi douche) when you’re wearing and walking in them.
stick*
This would be sweet if BOA wasn’t the worst thing brought to snowboard boot technology.
These things are gay.
Those tics tacs with holes in them are supposed to adjust the flex of the whole boot?
Double gay.
You’re gay for writing an article about them.
Jon’s not gay. I was jus’ playin’. But on the real … Brooke is gay.
these boots have the most horrendous flex i have ever felt. at first I was concerned that they would be super soft, but then they gave me boot with the stiffest setting. I would not really call it flex. it leaned forward with almost no resistance at first, then just stopped. there was absolutely no progression to the flex. these, in any flex would result in some serious shin-bang
I did not ski them, just try them on
I came across their website last january and watched their little promo video which showed a guy skiing in a yellow dalbello. In order to alleviate some confusion I emailed them, stating that their boot was not in their video, explained the inherent problems with the design, and added some western humor…
Denny sent this prompt reply:
“You must have wasted a lot of time on the site to get all the way to the video. Don’t knock something you have not tried. Your not worthy of our boots anyway.”