Help me find a 75mm boot!

[JohnSKepler]

You all have pulled me over to the dark light old side. I've got those brand new Rossi Super Tele bindings that, after working with, believe they're just too heavy to pair with an Xplore. So, I'm looking for a pair of 75mm boots to fit that binding. I hear a lot of good about the T1 and T4 but I don't know anything about them. There's also a T2 and I might have seen a T3. Also ran across a Terminator. Probably the same thing. Use case is long approach and low to medium slope angle on a V6.

They seem to be a lot more abundant than the F1 so the biggest hurdle will be fit. I wear about 7.5. My TXP are Mondo 25. My AlaskaXP are 39 as are my Alfa Free. What should I be looking for in a T1/T4/etc...

Thanks!

[Nick BC]

I believe the T3 and T4 are basically identical, except the T3 has a removable power strap. The T3 was discontinued in 2008 when I snapped up a pair. I’m still skiing it, but I don’t bother with the power strap (doesn’t do anything as far as I can tell) and I’ve stripped off the hokey tour mode attachment. Makes a nice light boot with good control for moderate skiing. The Terminator is a museum piece, buy it if it’s cheap enough but the plastic may have degraded after all this time.

The other boots I’ve skied and would recommend are the red T2X and the black/grey T1, both have three buckles.

Hope that helps.

[spopepro]

I think if you're 75mm NN curious you'd do well to grab any of the flavors of T2. Yes, it's a bit of a boat anchor, but it seems to fit nearly everyone's foot well somehow, has enough control, and a pleasing flex to it. Not great for long flat tours... but there's way better gear for that out there anyway and I think you already have it.

[fisheater]

What ski John? I remember you were talking about that new ski from Voile, 86 mm underfoot, but beefier than Objective?
If that’s the case, the T-4 should be fine. I ski an Asnes Tindan 86 with a T-4. Actually for my Michigan chairs that combo is okay, but I wanted a damper, and heavier ski. A T-4 or a T-2 would both be fine with the Endeavor, I believe.
I really like the Rottefella Super Telemark with cable for my leather boots. For plastic boots and touring in your mountains I would go Voile Switchback or Switchback X2, for the free pivot option. For me in Michigan, I have a 3-pin Hardwire. It works good for me as I kick and glide for a couple miles plus to get to my short downhill runs.

[Lo-Fi]

The Terminator class of boot was positioned as the heaviest duty, highest performance downhill oriented plastic telemark boot. The T2 and it's variants are lighter and softer flexing, to support solid downhill performance but a little more comfort for covering distance and climbing.

The Scarpa T3/T4 and Garmont/Scott Excursion boots are in a category designed to be the lightest & easiest flexing, and might be ideal for what @JohnSKepler describes as "Use case is long approach and low to medium slope angle on a V6."

Nicely paired with a simple cable, 3-pin-cable or switchback(free pivot) type binding.

Many would say they are warmer, drier, comfier, and better downhill performing than almost any leather tele boot.

Still, an order of magnitude greater downhill performance than anything Xplore.

(@JohnSKepler I sent you a PM with a link to a good deal for a T3)

[JB TELE]

The T4 is an amazing class of boot. It's touring to downhill performance ratio is great. It's the only low cut soft plastic tele boot still made. It tours so much better than the T2. The T2 feels miserable and clunky on flat or mellow terrain. The T4 doesn't XC tour like a leather, but it has good range of motion, the toe flexes easier, and it's easier/more comfortable on your feet with the flexible plastic. The T4 fills a niche somewhere between Backcountry Cross Country and Backcountry Downhill.
I've used a T4 with a 93mm waist ski on wind blown hardpack and I struggled to hold an edge. A T2 can handle a ski of that width on hardpack without issue. So you still need to be mindful of ski width vs snow conditions with the T4, but not as much as with a leather boot.
It's a shame that the soft plastic boot has lost popularity. But telemark sKiing is niche and backcountry telemark skiing with a focus on wilderness travel in mountainous terrain is super niche compared to the earn your turns type of backcountry skiing.

Scarpa Plastic telemark boots, however, are not great for those with high insteps and heat molding seems to be less effective when it comes to making more instep room for some reason (in my experience). Some people, like myself, also struggle with pain with plastic ski boots but the T4 is much better than the T2 in that.

[CIMA]

I'd give thumbs-up to the T4, too.
The boot makes you more comfortable during skiing and walking than other high-cut boots do.
The higher the boot height becomes, the quicker your legs kill you.

However, in my case, the built-in inner boots of the T4 were too tight for me. So, I replaced them with thermo-mold ones of my old T3.