SCARPA F1 LT

This boot laughs in the face of compromise. The F1 LT is light enough for high-mileage tours yet stable enough to rip turns on the descent, which made it the perfect boot for a 12-mile, 4,000-foot-vert day to ski a line on the north face of Colorado’s 13,294-foot James Peak. A BOA closure and two cuff straps—one thick, one thin—lock everything in place, while the carbon-reinforced Grilamid shell keeps weight down without losing stiffness and responsiveness. (Cuff articulation is a respectable 72 degrees.) “It made for smooth striding on the way up, and the huge lever mechanism at the back made it easy to go from ski to tour mode,” one tester says. “And on the way down, the F1 LT drove my skis through firm, windblown snow and felt just as burly as my usual three-buckle boot.” $799; 4 lbs. 4 oz. (27); 24-31