SCARPA Maestrale XT

Our take This is a boot made for big lines. The Maestrale XT’s 130+ flex makes it one of the beefiest touring boots ever made. But even though it feels like a resort boot on the downhill, the XT still has 56 degrees of ankle articulation, admirable for a boot this supportive. It easily handled one tester’s 4-mile approach to Turkey Chute in the Tetons, and then gave him confidence all the way down. Note: Lighter skiers might have a tough time getting the most out of the XT.

The details Three buckles —including a lower buckle connected to a Z-shaped cable—help dial in stability without making the Maestrale XT seem overbuilt for the skin track.

Trail cred “You can’t overflex these boots,” one 200-pound tester declares. “Even when I bombed through a mogul field on the Blackcomb side of Whistler at the end of a tour, they stayed solid.”

6 lbs. 9 oz. (27); unisex 24.5-32