A soft snowboard boot with a mountaineering sole.

russman · **Posted:** Sun Nov 29, 2009 10:59 pm

Banana Split wrote:

Well with over 3000 views to this topic I think there are some people out there who would be happy to see such a hybrid boot on the market.

We need to keep asking and pushing for improvements in splitboarding.
I think such a boot would change everything. Waterproof for multi-day trips,
crampon compatible, good tread , shank, and stiff toe box all with the support you would get from a Burton Driver X.
:drool:

To those who will with no doubt be telling me to go to hard boots I have a few words on that subject....
1. Just go to skiing it will be easier on you
2. The Volie plate is Dangerous and you have to carry it in your pack on the way up. (read broken about broken slider plates in the bindings forum.)
3. Methods, tail grabs, indys, backside 180's, fs 360 indy .... you get my point. That stuff is snowboarding and it isn't the same in hard boots.

We can do it we just need to keep on breaking trail to get there and it's not easy to buy what's not yet made. Write letters to companies like burton,scarpa,garmont ect.. let them know what you want to be able to buy from them. Someone might listen.

These are the best boots I've ever ridden:

http://www.the-house.com/tt230508bw7zz- ... boots.html

If only they had the heel lip for my semi-automatic crampons, and a tad bit more toe stiffness.... All would be solved.

I've found that 32's fit my feet better than anything. The heat moldable foam liner is absolutely fabulous...

Jake the Brit · **Joined:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:10 pm **Posts:** 26

Boreal Kangri.

Highest boot I've found that won't fill up with a puddle of sweat in the spring.
...and you can climb in it.

96avs01 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:59 pm

Haven't got many days in this year (my back needs a tune-up), but do have a few on my Spantiks. Not quite as high a cut as a snowboard boot, but very similar flex to a Malamute or Driver X. Crazy warm, climb well (haven't done any ice in them yet, but they can handle far above my abilities), lighter than my previous (ICE 9000s), and no complaints yet. I went ahead and replaced the factory laces, which had some durability issues, with Sierra Laces without any performance loss. Sold a couple of pairs of boots this winter as I am sure these will handle my splitboarding, ice climbing and lower 48 winter mountaineering objectives for the next few years. Pricey, but look around and you should be able to find a deal if you are patient.

HikeforTurns · **Posted:** Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:54 pm

Are you able to get them pulled tight in the cold temps? Ive alwas had issues with that with my PMBs, allthough they have a plastic shell. How about toe hang?

96avs01 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:31 pm

HikeforTurns wrote:

Are you able to get them pulled tight in the cold temps? Ive alwas had issues with that with my PMBs, allthough they have a plastic shell. How about toe hang?

No problem tightening them in cold temps. (they were still flexible and easily tightened on Marcy in Jan. in -5F temps), though not with a single hand as 'designed'. Usually put them on in the parking lot and re-tighten after walking around a few minutes before strapping in to skin. I have noticed that the hybrid shells tend to be far more form fitting and easier to fit to desired tension than their pure plastic predecessors. No hanging issues, though I do ride a wider board (26 cm) due to size 11.5 footprint.

Rider.Steve · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:07 pm

I've had very good results putting a tall thermo telemark boot liner (Scarpa T1) into my Nuptse mountaineering boot shell - provides extra calf cushion and support compared to a low liner.

Scooby2 · **Joined:** Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:32 pm **Posts:** 307

Anyone remember these babies? The 1993-94 Nordica SBS snowboard boot. I sold them at a shop for one season and remember trying them on and they actually felt really good. The plastic was really flexy and drew around your feet from pulling the laces more so than on a Koflach arctis or the red one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NORDICA-SOFT-PLASTI ... 0640749941

b0ardski · **Posted:** Mon Nov 01, 2010 12:20 pm

I still have a pair of SBS & SBH. The SBH is the same as the TR9 ATboot but have shorter tongue & lateral flex adjustment on the cuff.
The lower shell of the SBS is from the same mold (i.e. long sole length) but a way softer more flexible plastic. They will work with automatic crampons and plate binders but are too flexy to trust ice climbing or toe pointing hard vertical snow and could twist out of the bails in sketchy or rough steeps.
That said they are softer flexing in all directions than a modern parkboot, especially to the heelside depending completely on the highback. This makes them great for noboarding or powsurfing an old woody.
These old Nordicas prove that a plate binding interface can be used with a boot created for any kind of flex you can dream of.
I'll get some pic's today of both boots on an old sims ace freestyle board with emery surfs (think breakable model A sidewinders) to illustrate the extremes of flex possible with plates.

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A soft snowboard boot with a mountaineering sole.

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