looking for stiff softboots

hi all,
as my 01/02 salomon malamutes probably won't survive the coming season,
i'm looking for an appropriate replacement. does anybody have a direct
comparison between older models and the current/last season malamutes?
do salomon boots still pack out quickly? i've heard the burton drivers
are pretty nice too... any other suggestions for stiff freeriding
softboots?
i love salomon's convenient lacing system, so i'd appreciate having
that again, or maybe something similar (BOA system perhaps - though
i'd have to check whether that works with flow bindings).
i'll check the shops for special offers during the next weeks, so any
comments/suggestions about last-season models are much appreciated, too.

thanks
m
--
np: United Space - Spanish Riviera
ICQ: #8140105 public gpg key: http://markus.dolic.com/pubkey.asc

Markus Dolic wrote:
hi all,
as my 01/02 salomon malamutes probably won't survive the coming season,
i'm looking for an appropriate replacement. does anybody have a direct
comparison between older models and the current/last season malamutes?
do salomon boots still pack out quickly? i've heard the burton drivers
are pretty nice too... any other suggestions for stiff freeriding
softboots?

I previously had a pair of probably 00/01 Drivers, and am currently using
04/05 Malamutes. The Drivers have far more forward lean, and are shorter
heel to toe for the same size. Stiffness appears to be about the same,
although my Drivers were well past worn out by the time I made my comparison.
The Drivers used pretty much standard boot laces, while the Malamutes use
skinny laces with a handle. The Driver X from 05/06 uses a skinny
lace with the inside and outside ends each controlling a separate portion
of the boot, so no standard replacement for either.

I liked both, although the Malamute forced (drove?) me to use a steeper
binding angle to make up for the more upright position. The Driver likely
had greater flex laterally.

The final decision came down to price, with the Burton commanding a
premium even when considering leftovers from the previous season.

As far as packing out, I've read that the thermoliners currently in style
pack out faster, but can be renewed a few times by reheating.

i love salomon's convenient lacing system, so i'd appreciate having
that again, or maybe something similar (BOA system perhaps - though
i'd have to check whether that works with flow bindings).
i'll check the shops for special offers during the next weeks, so any
comments/suggestions about last-season models are much appreciated, too.

I used FL-11s with the Drivers, and 04/05 CFRs with both boots, without major
difficulty. The Drivers did end up a bit chewed up, heel and toe.

Jeremy wrote:

I previously had a pair of probably 00/01 Drivers, and am currently using
04/05 Malamutes. [...]

cool, thanks a lot for the comparison. i'll definitely try the drivers
if i see them somewhere.

As far as packing out, I've read that the thermoliners currently in style
pack out faster, but can be renewed a few times by reheating.

the thermoliners might indeed be the reason... my old malamutes also
have those. while reheating does make them fit a little better again,
in my experience it doesn't really "fill up" the packed out space.

--
np: -
ICQ: #8140105 public gpg key: http://markus.dolic.com/pubkey.asc

the thermoliners might indeed be the reason... my old malamutes also
have those. while reheating does make them fit a little better again,
in my experience it doesn't really "fill up" the packed out space.

With the thermo liners, you may be able to get a smaller shell than without.
For example here are the sizes I would wear in various footwear:

Size 10 Vans snowboard boots
Size 9.5 Nike running shoes
Size 9 Circa skate shoes
Size 9 Burton snowboard boots
Size 8 Salomon snowboard boots with Salomon moldable liner
Size 8 (Mondo 26.0) Head ski boots with partially moldable liner
Size 7 (Mondo 25.0) Deeluxe hard boots with Thermoflex liner and a good
bootfitter

Mike T







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Mike T wrote:

Size 10 Vans snowboard boots
[...]
Size 7 (Mondo 25.0) Deeluxe hard boots with Thermoflex liner and a good
bootfitter

wow, that's a pretty huge difference there.
anyway, i visited a couple of shops today and finally settled for a pair
of 05/06 Nitro Darkseid boots.
didn't find last season Malamutes and wasn't too impressed with the
current ones in terms of fit and lacing system (plus, they're simply too
expensive). then i directly compared Burton Driver to the aforementioned
Nitro boots the shop guy recommended, and the Nitro just seemed to fit
slightly better (also they were even a bit stiffer than the Drivers).
besides, i like the way it's possible to tighten up the lower and upper
boot parts separately (both Driver and Darkseid have that feature).
now just a couple more weeks till i can evaluate their real-life
performance... oh well...


--
np: The Gray Kid - $$$Clip
ICQ# 8140105
public GnuPG/PGP key available @ http://dolic.com/pubkey.asc

I have the Vans Contra's which are stiff soft boots. They also feature
the BOA lacing system, which I've used for 2 years now and would never
go back to regular laces. Not sure if Vans still makes the Contra;s
but I would check out their offerings. I'm extremely happy with them.

Also, I had a difficult time finding the boots I was interested in
locally. I would always prefer to buy them locally where I can try
them on. But, I bought the Contra's online. Most places offer easy
returns. Considering what your time is worth, the cost of driving
around, etc, ordering boots online is a definite option.