Crispi Svartisen BC

[MikeK]

First impressions of these boots:

They are as the 75mm Alaska is to the NNN Alaska, but in fact the 75 Svartisen is a tad stiffer, so it's a bit less.

Needless to say, they have almost the THE EXACT same sole flex as the Alaska NNN. They are, to my feeling so far (without skiing yet mind you) almost identical from the heel to the toe. They don't have the external rubber rand (they look the same as the 75mm GTX) but they have the same internal stiffeners near the toe and heel, or so it feels.

Flex by hand it feels the same. Boots on the ground it feels remarkably similar.

BUT there is still a huge difference. I can take the cuff/upper on the Alaska and flop it over with two fingers. The Crispi, just like the upper on the 75mm is stiff. You cannot flop it over by hand.

The fit is pretty close. I ordered a 43, same as the other but it actually feels a touch more snug with my inserts. Not tight, but actually more like the Alaska fits. My 75mm version might have fit like that when I first got it and broke in a tiny bit, so I don't know for sure, but I suspect the BC version isn't going to budge because it's got plastic reinforcement in all those areas except it cuts down closer to the sole where the boot flexes. The Alaska does the same thing.

It's what I had hoped for. Basically the sole stiffness of the Alaska with more upper support. I don't think this boot will replace the Alaska, but it will surely be a good option for when I want do be able to drive the skis more from my knees.

It works on the 75mm version when I switched from the Alaska, so I expect the results to be similar.

I'll give some impressions after I get a few skis on them, but I don't expect to be surprised in any way.

[lilcliffy]

Cool- I want a pair!

Yeah- UTE Magazine's test found the Svartisen NNNBC to be more powerful and offer greater stability than the 75mm version.

Awesome boot.

[MikeK]

I did find a difference in the soles between the Alaska and the Svartisen NNN-BC. It has more reinforcement than even the Alaska.

I made 3 videos. I'll post them as soon as they load so you can see the difference in flex between the 3 boots. It's a big difference in how much I can twist the 75mm version vs the NNN version.

[athabascae]

Good to have the comparison to the Alaska. Interesting to see that they are quite similar yet different enough to merit keeping both. Turning performance is a bit of a given, compared to the the Alaska, but I'll be most curious about how they tour with that cuff.

Tom

[MikeK]

That's something you might have to assess yourself.

I've done some relatively long tours with the 75mm version, doesn't bother me a bit. If I have the choice, which I do, I'll choose the Alaska for mileage. I have had zero foot issues with that boot except a little cramping if I tie them too tight.

My wife does the same stuff I do with the Alaska with the 75mm Svartisen. She loves it. It seems she may have some plantar fasciitis because it seems any boot she's in after about 3 or 4 hours she says the bottom of her foot starts hurting pretty bad. She seems to go the longest in the Svartisen before she starts complaining about it. She's had a pair of Alaska 75mm and she has a pair of Excursions.

[lilcliffy]

That's something you might have to assess yourself.

I've done some relatively long tours with the 75mm version, doesn't bother me a bit. If I have the choice, which I do, I'll choose the Alaska for mileage. I have had zero foot issues with that boot except a little cramping if I tie them too tight.

My wife does the same stuff I do with the Alaska with the 75mm Svartisen. She loves it. It seems she may have some plantar fasciitis because it seems any boot she's in after about 3 or 4 hours she says the bottom of her foot starts hurting pretty bad. She seems to go the longest in the Svartisen before she starts complaining about it. She's had a pair of Alaska 75mm and she has a pair of Excursions.

My friend has plantar fasciitis in her left foot. She has had to give up any serious downhill skiing on Nordic tech because of the pressure it put on the ball of her foot. She was at the point of deciding to stop even BC-XC skiing but then tried NNNBC (she was on 75mm). She XC skis on NNN on track with little problems.

She has switched to NNNBC and found that it has relieved a lot of pressure on the ball of her foot by allowing her to extend her foot flex more completely. She says that although a soft flexing 3pin boot allows her to fully extend her kick- she finds that the bail/duckbill puts a ton of pressure on the ball of her foot. She finds on NNNBC the flex pattern is more similar to natural walking/running, and puts less stress on the ball of her foot. And she finds that it relieves enough pressure to allow her to use her ball of foot in a telemark when she needs to...

Just a thought- but you have a number of skis set up with NNNBC- your wife might try an NNNBC boot and see if it relieves some pressure/pain...

[MikeK]

Thanks for the info. That might be her case but I'd have a hard time convincing her to switch.

[lilcliffy]

Yeah- and the problem is there is nothing available in NNNBC as supportive as her Excursions...

But- if her pain gets worse- her skiing may come to grinding halt...

I have mild plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I have to be really careful with sneakers/shoes and even light-duty hiking boots- anything with a midsole that is prone to breakdown.

I have a pair of light-duty Scarpa hiking boots that have a very poor/weak midsole that broke down long before the outsole did- wearing them produced so much pain in my left foot, that it took months to full recover...

Those Excursions may be the problem- at least the Svartisen 75mm may not be as bad...XC-skiing in plastic telemark boot puts a lot of pressure on the BOF/metatarsus. As much as I like my T4s for heavy-duty "touring"- if I did any serious long-distance XC-skiing in them, it would be murder on my left foot.

Did she ever try the Alaska 75mm? Don't you think an Alaska NNNBC is going to give her more support/stability than a 75mm?

[MikeK]

Did she ever try the Alaska 75mm? Don't you think an Alaska NNNBC is going to give her more support/stability than a 75mm?

She had the 75mm Alaska and switched to the Svartisen. I think the NNN-BC Svartisen would be best for her, but she doesn't like NNN...

I get it, she's not there yet. If feels different than pins and she feels comfortable with them. I won't force her.

I think she does OK with the Excursion. She can make it a few hours and it's not like we are skiing those things 10-20 miles.

I think she just needs a custom foot bed. I have one that I switch and use in all my boots and it helps a lot. I've been pestering her to get one molded to her foot. I think that will buy her more time although it may not fix the problem.

[MikeK]

First ski with these boots today. Put them in pretty much the toughest conditions, deep mash. It's about 50 out right now and we still have over a foot of snow in the woods. I took these for a tour with my S78s.

First off, they are a little tight like my 75mm version was when I first skied them. I had some minor cramping. These boots must stretch a little because I recall this with the 75mm's and they're actually a little loose in the toe box now. I also had some cramping with my NNN Alaska the first few times I used them. Might have actually been the sole stiffness.

Anyway, these feel REALLY stiff. I wouldn't want a sole any stiffer than this for K+G. I actually hope they loosen up just a touch. Support on the uppers is the same as the 75mm, but the arch support is better on the NNN. I have no arch issue, only a little bit of pain on my outer metatarsal, which happens to me sometimes with new shoes that are right on the verge of width. No worries, they should be as comfy as the 75mm with a couple more skis.

As far as powering the skis. Better than anything I've skied on for XCD. That mash is about the worst crap to be in, and really it had no support... I was sinking like a stone in it, so even worse from the boots perspective.

I skied on some steep ridges and gullies today, I tried to do turns back and forth in the open and it just wasn't fast enough snow or the right ski to do that. I skied down through and made my lines where I needed. A couple scared me a little bit, not much room for error and I didn't trust the snow much, but I shot in with speed, rode the skis and turned them on the line I needed to get through. Some I was pretty proud of, they weren't easy by any means.

I still had some minor rear foot boot wobbles, but not anything like the Alaska in heavy stuff. It's more of a technique thing too I'm sure, but these boots are a lot more stable.

I skied in some tracks on flats too for a little bit, I was able to get up to a good pace with the boots and didn't feel like I was restricted. I still like the Alaska better for K+G, but the NNN version of the Svartisen is closer in feel.

Filled in the gap I was hoping for. Don't know how many more skis I'll get on it this season but I suspect it'll age like Alaska, which maybe loosens up in the sole a tad from new (I don't think very much). The little it does had no effect on turning power IMO.