Alfa Vista Boot Review

[Tom M]

The Alfa Vista is a full grain leather XC boot for the Xplore binding. It is very similar to Alfa's Guard NNNBC boot and the pair that I have weighs 1522 grams (3.36 lbs) in size 42. I have not skied the Alfa Guard, but I've put lots of miles on the Skarvet NNNBC and the Greenland 75 mm, boots. Alfa boots are pricey. I paid $539 USD and purchased the boots from REI. Alfa lists the price as $475. The NNNBC Guard is listed as $454. The NNNBC Skarvet is listed as $422. Alfa no longer sells the Greenland and it makes me wonder if other manufacturers will follow suit. Of the three, the Vista is my new favorite. There are two features that really stand out for me. First and foremost is the crease point on the toe of the boot. I have a bit of hammer toe and if the boot crease hits the top of my toes, it is painful, especially in the telemark position. On this set of boots, the crease point is behind my toe curl. As much as I liked skiing the Greenland 75 mm boots, the crease point on those boots would hit the top of my toe curl. I have a similar issue with the Alfa Free boots but the sole on the Frees has less flex, so I tend to ski it more in the "tippy toe" position on turns, similar to the way I ski my plastic telemark boots. The second-best feature is that the boot is well insulated. While I haven't tested the boot in extreme cold conditions, I expect that it will be much warmer than the Free or the Skarvet. I don't really suffer from cold feet while skiing, but having warm boots is nice for on the trail lunch stops or for overnight winter camping. So how does the boot perform? For an off-trail boot, it hits the sweet spot for good flex for kick and glide and ample ankle support to help control the skis when turning. So, what are the downsides? The big one is the price. There are other boots in this category that offer similar performance. The other issue has to do with the heel pocket and heel blisters. All three of the Alfa leather boots I've skied have similar heel pockets. I've been taping my heels on these boots as I break them in. I do get some heel slippage if I'm very aggressive on the kick and glide. Yesterday, I did not tape my heels and I did get a small blister on my left heel. The boots now have over 50 miles on them, and it was a test to see if the boots were starting to conform to my feet. Alfa also sells these boots in a version designed for Women, and I wonder if the Women's version has a narrower last and heel pocket. If you are thinking about buying this boot, it might be a good idea to try on both versions to see which one feels better. It is something I need to check into. At any rate, here is a link to my video review. I've included bonus footage at the end of the video, so be sure to watch to the end. My next video is scheduled to be released on December 16, and it is a 360-degree video that I shot while testing the downhill control of this boot up on Black Mountain, so be sure to tune in next week if you would like to see more footage of this boot in action.

[lilcliffy]

Just watched your video over my early morning coffee break!
Thank you Tom!
Looks like a fantastic BC Nordic touring boot (just like the Guard BC is) but with a more stable sole + the rigid boot-binding interface of Xplore!

[Tom M]

Here is a photo showing the toe crease comparison of the Alfa Free and the Alfa Vista (left foot)

Both boots are size 42. My bare foot measured length is 267 mm left and 266 mm right

[lilcliffy]

@Tom M
That is an excellent photo comparison-

I may not be able to make the Free work with my foot with that crease.
It doesn't look as bad as the foot-hatchet Fischer Transnordic BC- but, it clearly looks like a potential toe-foot pinching issue.

[snow-mark]

Thanks for the video. Seems like a very good boot and will be on my shortlist when I decide to try Xplore bindings.

[afeinland]

Thank you for this review, @Tom M !

I'm just getting in to backcountry nordic, and I picked up the Alfa Vistas and S-Bound 98's. I took them out for the first time last weekend (4.4 mile trip, mostly flat, lots of K&G), and was a bit bummed to get a tiny blister on my left heel. I did think to myself that I should tape my heels next time. I'm also thinking I'll try double socking. The boots didn't seem to have much heel rub when I wore them around my house for an hour, but I guess your foot just moves differently in the boot when skiing vs. walking. But overall, I'm very happy with these boots.

I also thought that the boot is very warm. It was 30F and sunny on our outing and my feet were nearly sweating, even in just a thin wool sock.

I also tried on the Skagets, but went with the Vistas since they're supposed to be a bit warmer, and the boot height and overall fit was comparable between the two. I do also think the Vistas look a bit slicker in all black & full grain leather.

[Tom M]

@afeinland Thanks for posting your experience with your new setup. I'm sure others will find it useful. Sorry to hear about your small blister. I'm hoping that you won't have that problem after your feet and the boots have had some time to adjust to each other. I will continue to tape my heels with 3M micropore tape as a precaution for a while longer. I also bought a set of the Ezeefitsports Ultrathin Blister Prevention Ankle Socks that others have recommended as an alternative to taping, but I have not tried them yet. I'm pretty sure there is a combination of socks and lacing strategies that will work for my feet once the boots break in. I've found that the skin softens up when the socks get sweaty, so if you are skiing on warm day, it might be worth the time to change your socks part way through your tour, especially if it is a long tour. That should help reduce the chance of blisters. I used to have to do this all the time when I skied the Scarpa T4's, even when it was cold. I always carry a sit pad and would stand on it to change my socks.

[afeinland]

@afeinland Thanks for posting your experience with your new setup. I'm sure others will find it useful. Sorry to hear about your small blister. I'm hoping that you won't have that problem after your feet and the boots have had some time to adjust to each other. I will continue to tape my heels with 3M micropore tape as a precaution for a while longer. I also bought a set of the Ezeefitsports Ultrathin Blister Prevention Ankle Socks that others have recommended as an alternative to taping, but I have not tried them yet. I'm pretty sure that I'll figure out a combination of socks and lacing strategies that will work with these boots and my feet. I've found with my feet that the skin softens up quite a lot if the socks get sweaty, so if you are skiing on warm day, it might be worth your time to change your socks part way through your tour, especially if it is a long tour, and that really helps reduce the change of blisters.

I have some micropore tape lying around so will try that next time. In the past I have used Leukotape for blister prevention, which seems to work very well. I had some rubbing on my right heel as well (no blister, but it was close), so I might try leukotape on one heel and micropore on the other. I'll try out those Ezeefitsports Ultrathin Blister Prevention Ankle Socks if I can't figure out a sock/lacing combination that works. It might take a few outings to get things dialed in.

The moist sock issue is something I had not considered! Next time I will definitely try switching socks part way through. Thanks for the tip @Tom M!

[GrimSurfer]

Great review, @Tom M

All of your YouTube videos are clear and well produced. Massively helpful.

[voilenerd]

Howdy I got some time on my Vistas. So far great boot. But I did get blisters on a wierd part of my heels. They are the right size and next size up would be too much heel lift and next size down my toes would curl. I’m thinking about taking the boots to a shoe store and having them stretched. Good or bad idea?