This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
Real reviews by real skiers. What a concept! Add your own today. Reviews only please, questions can be posted as replies but new threads looking for opinions should be posted to the main Telemark Talk Forum.
More thoughts for Nitram, in the hopes he can be a hero and abstain from compulsive shopping!
Although I cannot stand cables (3-pin traverse) with a softish leather boot, several friends with very big feet swear by 'em. This surely has to do with the mechanics of the system. I think the 3-pin traverse with cables on and your 47EU Alaskas just might be a very interesting match for your Rabbs. Check it out.
One of the serious issues with the Ski March is the fit. My guess is the fit is great for like 1 in 3 or 4 people. For many, its just so way off there is nothing to do with them. If you cannot get the fit right, that super stiff sole is going to promote blister-galore. You might be able to shape 'em with time, but a lot of time and extra investment (boot wideners) might be required. Keep in mind you are taking your chances buying a pair. Plus, it can be hard to know if you will receive a R (normal), W (wide) or L (???).
I live for the Telemark arc....The feeeeeeel.....I ski miles to get to a place where there is guaranteed snow to do the deal....TM
Ben,
You are absolutely correct, no need to keep buying gear. Ben it is also true that many people have experienced fit problems with the Ski March. The stiff leather of the upper, and stiff sole would be instruments of torture if the boot didn’t fit.
If you guys in Quebec keep dry powder all winter would be another reason to get by with a lighter boot. Wind, and sun crust do funny things to a ski, as does crud, and wet mashed potatoes snow.
As far as the Ski March, you need to be a 12 US / 11 UK to purchase new. The two sizes smaller are unavailable. Another thing to think about with the Ski March is break in. My dog walks are 2-3 miles. I was walking the dog 3-4 nights, and I walked the dog for a month before I skied in them.
I have my doubts about non-Norwegian welt 75 mm boots, but if you own them, you should try to ski them. I am looking forward to a review of another molded sole 75 mm boot that should be coming to the review section this winter.
I just noticed that my both pairs of Alico Ski Marches are defective. I have a pair of size 10 boots, where the other boot has a slightly wonky sole. It is twisted along it's longitudal axis.
I also have a pair of size 9 boots, where the soles are not of equal length. I believe the actual boot is the same size, as they feel equal on my feet, but the other one has maybe 5mm shorter sole.
The wonky sole of the larger pair is something that slightly affects skiing, as it is turning the ski ever so slighty to the outside edge when the ski ia unweighted, but I have never noticed the different length soles on the smaller pair, as I have adjusted the cable length of my bindings according to the lever feel (resulting in different lengths but equal tension). Today I just put the boots base to base and to my surprise, they were different length.
I'm going to continue skiing the smaller pair happily, as it is not affecting my skiing in any way, but I have begun to wonder if all the military surplus Alico boots are actually defective in one way or another?
How are your boots, dear TTalkers? Are they fine?
Hi Everyone! I’ve been lurking a while and joined up to ask about breaking in the Alico march boots. Just got mine yesterday, UK size 9, on the bottom of the white inserts they say 43. That’s the size of my Alpina 1575s that I’m done with after 2 years now that the right boot has decided to deform and pinch my toes. I’ve been going through this thread and it looks like the best conditioner is Hydrolock. So the question is does a leather conditioner help with break in on a stiff boot like the March? Any other recommendations?
Thanks,
Jay
Free Heeler - As in Free Spirit and Free Beer. No $700 pass! No plastic boots! And No Fkn Merlot!
Jay,
Welcome, there a lot of good men and a lot of good advice here.
I believe the most important factor for successful break in of these boots is they need to fit from the start. If you have extra volume (space) at the flex point of the boot, the leather will form a crease at that point because it has room to form that crease. You need to use those insoles to make sure you don’t have extra volume to create those pinch points. It’s easy to bend a piece of sheet metal around a bend smoothly, you can’t bend corrugated sheet like that.
Now we know if the boot is too tight it cuts off circulation, and is uncomfortable. However it should be snug. I followed a suggestion from Lilcliffy. I make surgeon knots as I lace up my boots at points where I want to “lock in” my lacing. Just to be clear a surgeon knot is basically a square knot, except when you make the first overhand knot you cross the laces a second time. If you were really making a surgeon knot you would follow with a second overhand knot above the first. I am only suggesting the bottom part of the knot.
Okay, so now the boots are on and firmly laced. I then walked my dog 2-3 miles for a month wearing my Ski March boots before I got snow and my boots were broken in nicely. It really was totally out of my control, I would have went skiing the first night out if I had snow.
I did get occasional dustings of snow, which I took advantage of to get water on the surface of the leather so I could give the boots a good dose of Zamberlain when I got home. I do not believe that product softened the leather.
I do believe walking, was an effective way to help the leather conform to my foot rather than skiing out of the box.
Good luck and good skiing
Been using my Alico boot every other weeks since the begining of the winter. Got very bad blisters. Needed to size them a bit bigger than i prefer. The smaller size was too small. I tried several setup. A not too bad one was tightening my hockey lace tight enough to keep my feet from moving. It was uncomfortable and after 2 hours i was getting blisters.
Take a look at the picture. My best setup yet. Hypafix on the skin where i get blisters (preventive). 2 socks. Sidas winter insole AND a trick from friends in Montreal; plastic from a yogourt jar to make a heel slider/protector. Hockey laces.
With the plastic heel slider/protector, i don't tighten my lace tight. My heel move a little bit BUT since the socks move onto plastic, no friction and i don't get blisters. It is a winning solution as for now.
OK, you've gone off the deep end now! cutting up plastic parts - you've become a cobbler!
this reminds me of the early snowboarding days - 80s - where people used Sorel pack boots and most companies didn't make snowboard boots. I remember cutting up a recycling bin into various shims & supports I duct-taped into my Sorel boots.
The truth is that cobblers performed a critical role in society for people with oddly-shaped foot issues. We've lost 99% of the cobblers in the US and the few that are left, I'm sorry to say, are mostly unskilled when it comes to crafting & modifiying shoes and boots.
Other useful materials I've used for boot mods are the thicker Molefoam product - excellent, the adhesive holds up for long-term inside my boots. Nearly all my boots have Molefoam tongue pads in them. And I bought a couple different thickness of cork sheets or pads I found somewhere, that is another good material to cut & glue into boots. I like it better than most synthetic foams.
"All wisdom is to be gained through suffering"
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)
Just tried the Alico with my Rabbs this morning and it’s like I have a new pair of skis Although like almost everyone I am going through some fitting issues, minor for me, the Alico are a big improvement over the Alaska for DH. I can ski tighter turns and overall I feel more stable and secure. Of course they are not as comfy as the Alaska’s and they would not be my first choice if I had to ski many km to get to the hill.
If Ben’s has any concern over my GAS, I want to assure him that I bought the boots for my son so that we both have decent boots when we ski together . Of course it is a very cool ‘coincidence’ that we now wear the same size BTW, I wish happy birthday to my son that turned 14 today!
Nitram, I have many 10-15 plus mile days on my Ski March boots. They’re much heavier than my Alaska’s, in the same class as my T-4. I enjoy putting miles on the Ski March compared to the T-4. I love my Ski March/ FT combo.
I hope they work out for you and the Rabb. Hopefully you can just buy your son another pair.
Best wishes
. Of course it is a very cool ‘coincidence’ that we now wear the same size