Scarpa

F1 Alpine Touring Boot

You've seen one lightweight touring boot, you've seen 'em all, right? Right? Err, wrong. That used to be pretty much the case—maybe a little extra carbon here or some added stiffness there—but Scarpa's F1 Alpine Touring Boot, while still recognizably a ski boot, has some tech wizardry that's not so ordinary. The cuff closes via a powerful FBC fast-buckle closure powerstrap, letting you get every ounce of power out of the 95 flex, and a Carbon Core insert and X-Cage EVO cuff structure make the F1 ski more like the burlier Maestrale while keeping the weight in Alien territory. Add in the 62 degrees of cuff rotation for buttery smooth skinning, and you've got one fly pair of backcountry kicks.

A smooth-flexing Pebax tongue and HPA cuff and shell cinch around your foot with the same BOA ratchet-closure system found in the ultralight Alien, giving you a smooth, pinch-free fit without the need for heavy buckles. What's more, you can fine-tune to the F1 to your stance thanks to the 20-22 degree adjustable forward lean. The stock Intuition liner (which has a skinning-ready flex zone over the Achilles) and roomy 102mm last serve up a tasty blend of performance and all-day comfort during dawn-to-dusk missions. To top it all off, there's a Vibram UFO Evo Scarpa sole for serious traction on rocks and hard snow, and an extra removable power strap over the liner.