Scarpa F1
Best ski boot for long tours from the Fall/Winter 2018 Gear Guide.
Brand: Scarpa
Model: F1
The F1 is the lightest boot in our ski test this year. But it can also drive mid-fat skis—that’s a contradiction that we can get behind. Weight savings come from a design that employs just one buckle (on the upper) and a Boa closure system (on the lower). Strength? That’s from the carbon-fiber frame, which gives the F1 torsional stiffness without adding grams, and the new welded power-strap, which enhances power transfer. (SCARPA says flex is 95.) “I felt in control on 100mm- waisted skis in a moderately steep gully,” reports one aggressive skier.
THE DETAILS
As with the earlier F1s, this year’s version offers 62 degrees of ankle articulation in walk mode. That, combined with the light weight, make it dreamy on long tours and big climbs. New this year: The F1 comes equipped with Recco reflectors.
TRAIL CRED
“You can transition without taking off your gloves,” one tester says. “I adjusted the buckle tightness at the trail- head, then opened everything
up for the 4-mile skin up to Dragon’s Tail Couloir in Rocky Mountain National Park. At the top, all I had to do was cinch the powerstrap, flip the buckle, and ratchet the Boa.”
Weight: 5 lbs. 6 oz. (m’s 27);
Sizes: m’s 24.5-31, w’s 21.5-27
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See more of the Skis for Winter 2018
See the entire Winter Gear Guide
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