Atomic

Backland Carbon Alpine Touring Boot

While some companies dip a toe into the shallow end of the ski-touring pool to see how they like the temperature, Atomic's gone and tossed a giant diving-board cannonball into the deep end with the Backland Carbon Alpine Touring Boot. This is no alpine boot outfitted with tech fittings; it's a seriously lightweight (under three pounds per boot), seriously mobile (74 staggering degrees of cuff rotation), and seriously comfortable (with a heat-moldable shell and liner) touring boot that can more than hold its own against the skimo grandfathers from more traditional backcountry companies.

Starting from the inside out, Atomic designed the Backland to be fully customizable to reduce blisters and irritation, offer a more precise fit, and make long days easier and more enjoyable. The Backland Platinum heat-moldable liner weighs just eight ounces, courtesy of warm Ultralon foam, and has support zones in the calf, ankle, and tongue to improve downhill performance. It also employs a flex zone by the Achilles tendon for a smoother uphill stride and has a lace-up closure so you can unbuckle your boots without slopping around in the liner. Outside of the liner, Atomic integrated a Quick Click interchangeable tongue system, (the Backland comes with the stiffer tongue, but a softer one is available), so you can easily snap the tongue off for the ascent and back on for more support when it's time to ski.

Like the liner, the stiff and light carbon-reinforced Grilamid Memory Fit shell is heat-moldable, so you can dial up a precise, comfortable fit that increases comfort on the way up and confidence on the way down. The shell and cuff are joined on the sides with Atomic's Frictionless Pivot system for smooth rotation (the pivot is also threaded for easy replacement and service), and in the back with the carbon spine, which locks into rocks-solid place with the Free/Lock 2.0 ski.hike lever to eliminte fore and aft movement. When your foot's in the boot, lock down the two aluminum buckles and cinch up the toe Cross Lace for a snug and secure fit and tighten the 30mm Super Light power strap to close the cuff tightly around your leg. Finally, Atomic topped the Backland off with a rockered Skywalk rubber sole for a smooth stride and grip when you're hiking up rocky and icy ridges on the way to that line you've been eyeing up for years.