Alpina NNN-BC Cuffed Boots

[MikeK]

What are these things???

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALPINA-BC-NNN-B ... SwnLdWr5SO

NNN-BC. Really high cuff. Power strap. Two buckles. It seems to go against everything I thought was right

I've seen these ones before too:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alpina-NNN-BC-T ... Sw--1WtWtZ

Laced plastic cuff.

[athabascae]

Those really tall ones are nuts!

[Johnny]

Ahahahah! Funny you mention these boots here this morning...
I have them in my Ebay Watch List since last week...!

Of course its not DXC, but they sure look fun to me...!

But I'll never pay 125$... Are we bidding against each other on this one too?

[MikeK]

I'd give 'em $5. I think 42 is too small for me though.

[lilcliffy]

I have seen these before (and other boots like them)- have never tried them....

These boots are powerful enough that one might break the NNNBC binding mechanism?

[Karhuii]

I have the top boots - bought off of e-bay. Paired with Alpina NNN BC on K2 Piste Stinx of some sort . They're a lot of fun and I think they are great for xcd if you have soft or fresh snow. If you've got good technique, no worries breaking the bar.

[Lo-Fi]

I'm not sure, but let's call the green ones the bc2500 and the blue ones bc 2250:



Both comfy, well contoured boots inside. For all the support the respective cuffs deliver, the weak point is the lack of torsional rigidity down through to the end of the boots and ultimately the ski. This is where a boot like the plastic 75mm Garmont/Scott Excursions or Scarpa t4s are so strong - great flex at the bellows, and fantastic torsional rigidity.



Also, fit is pretty important. The higher 2500s that I have are slightly large on my foot, so the break point, above the ball of my foot, is nice and far back. I can almost leverage the extra length like a 75mm duckbilled boot and I can really keep the ball of my foot flat on the rear ski. The blue 2250s are a size and a half down, and they break too close to the end of my foot and consequently I'm up on my toes more, making for a squirrely back foot experience, as discussed in the NNN BC Technique thread.
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[athabascae]

That's a nice collection of boots you have there. I'd be keen to try those green alpinas.

What is the all leather nnn bc boot with blue laces?

Tom

[bgregoire]

That's a nice collection of boots you have there. I'd be keen to try those green alpinas.

What is the all leather nnn bc boot with blue laces?

Tom

Looks like a Merell Legend to me. Now that is a boot I would love to have!

I had a pair of those Karhu 3pinners with blue thermomoldable trak liners. The same shell as the Andrew (Arkos) Double. Unfortunately, the liner is a wrap, no tongue, and just did not feel right to me while touring (stiff ankle as well). The Excursions are lighter, more comfy, and of similar flex.

[Lo-Fi]

The Merrell boots are called the NNN BC "Backcountry" boot, I think. They do look just like the Legends.



I haven't even broken them in yet. They feel very similar to the Alpina Alaska BC - the same sort of all around support and flex, because of the full leather upper.

Tom, the Alpina 2500s are cool boots, but like I mentioned, all that support up in the cuff doesn't seem to transfer through to the lower part of the boot. I find that they don't power my 10th Mountain skis much better than the Rossi BCX-6. I was really excited to get a hold of them, but I think they kind of reveal the limitations of the NNN BC boot binding system. Also, as someone alluded to in another thread, they seem to be spontaneously desintegrating (if you look carefully, you can see the welt cracking and the sole is delaminating:



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