Just picked up new Spark Deeluxe XVs, first impressions…

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In general, I’m curious and I think they look over-engineered. I could easily be swayed though into liking them.

Smaller footprint – I hope so. I know I don’t like the 1st gen clown shoes Deeluxe came out with. Keep in mind, Jer is a tiny dude and I’m positive those boots are custom tailored for him with his small feet.
Walk mode – Meh. We’ll see. I want to read reviews before I stake a position. It feels like a ‘solution in search of a problem’ or —at best—a marginal improvement to touring and possibly not worth the price, weight, faff, etc. . . I know I have an anti-BOA bias.
Trad lacing – I am interested in his tweaks to the traditional lacing harness which “wrap the whole boot.” Is it different and how? What is the product of that really hard work?
Protected laces – IDK… I got gaiters built into all my snow pants. Do I need this? I’ve never had laces get wet and freeze. Then again, I’ve never skinned and camped for days on end. I can see how frozen laces can really screw the pooch in Svalbard. All top-line mountaineering boots got’em. Maybe the covers protect the hooks in the full wrap lacing. We’ll see.

I mean 8 years ago, I first saw an iPhone and asked, “Why would I want that?” and now it’s hard to imagine life as a musician, teacher, and backcountry dude without one. I am genuinely curious about these boots but not enough to be an early-adopter.
However, bashing companies and people for innovation, no matter how wacky, is totally uncalled for. It’s not like Jones/thirtytwo is MTN Approach or anything.
I too am totally stoked manufacturers are coming up with solutions to split-specific boot problems. Love it!

How do they compare to last years leather model? I love having outer leather splitboard boots!

This thread isn’t nearly active enough, so thanks for the review! I just ordered some 2016 Northwave Domain SL’s after scouring the internet and the splitboardmag.com review from a few days ago. I’ll post up a thread on my findings after I get them and my fractured rib heals… I’m over Burton Driver X’s – they can’t handle even half a season of splitting and sledding.

I have been on the Deeluxe independent BC all year and absolutely love them! They don’t have anything but single lace system and I thought I would miss having Boa but now I am stoked on the laces. The Vibram sole makes all the difference in the world too. They seam to take a lot of foot pain away for me when riding because they don’t flex as much as the crappy RIde Insanos I had. The skinning performance is much improved over anything I have ridden other than the Phantom/TLT combo I also have. The only thing missing is a walk mode, otherwise these are the best boots I have ever ridden in 30 years of riding! I have about 2 dozen tours on them and they are still like new. Concidering these are the cheaper version of the Deeluxe XV, which from this thread sounds like they have problems, I highly suggest the Ind BC’s instead.

Shred on