Alico Ski March Boot

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.
User avatar
Verskis
Posts: 179
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2017 2:14 am
Location: Tampere, Finland
Ski style: XCD touring on small hills. Heavy tele at resort
Favorite Skis: Åsnes Rabb 68
Favorite boots: Alico Ski March
Occupation: Hydraulics engineer

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by Verskis » Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:38 am

montrealer wrote:
Wed Jan 27, 2021 6:33 pm


2) Bindings:
Am I right to assume that these won't work with 75mm bindings meant for plastic boots, like the Targas or the Voile Switchbacks?

I guess I'd need something like the Voile 3pin or Rottefella Super Telemark?
thanks!
Should work just fine with all the 75mm bindings. The duckbill is slightly less thick than on Scott Excursions, but not so much it would lead to very sloppy feeling in non-3 pin bindings.
I have been skiing the Ski Marches with Rottefella Chili bindings without issues.

User avatar
lilcliffy
Posts: 4156
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 6:20 pm
Location: Stanley, New Brunswick, Canada
Ski style: backcountry Nordic ski touring
Favorite Skis: Asnes Ingstad, Combat Nato, Amundsen, Rabb 68; Altai Kom
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska BC; Lundhags Expedition; Alfa Skaget XP; Scarpa T4
Occupation: Forestry Professional
Instructor at Maritime College of Forest Technology
Husband, father, farmer and logger

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by lilcliffy » Thu Jan 28, 2021 11:00 am

I typically "have" to wear a size 42EU ski boot because siz3 43EU is often just too large volume (my favourite hiking/backpacking/mountaineering boots are all size 42.5EU).

I have size 43EU Alaskas and am able to get a custom fit.
I need size 42EU in Alfa and Crispi boots- otherwise, I cannot get my heel-ankle seated- they are a little short on my longer left foot.
I have tried on a 42EU Alaska and the length of the footbed was the same as the Alfa/Crispi.

I have the Ski March in size 8UK- the footbed "seems" a tad shorter than the footbed in my size 42EU boots...
I say "seems" because I have a very thick insole in the Ski March to take up its enormous volume and that may be reducing the length of the useable footbed. I will take the insoles out and see if there is still a noticeable difference between the 42EU and size 8UK in terms of length.

I have not yet managed to get the Ski March to work for- I was unable to order a medium or width.
I am considering selling my pair- barely used really.

Beautifully made boots.
Low-cut.
VERY stiff sole.
Stiff upper leather.
Minimalist and kinda poor lacing.
Heavy.

If they fit- these are awesome tour-oriented Telemark boots.
Cross-country AND down-hill skiing in the backcountry.
Unashamed to be a "cross-country type" and love skiing down-hill.



User avatar
fgd135
Posts: 473
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:55 pm
Location: Colorado
Ski style: Yes, sometimes.
Favorite Skis: Most of them
Favorite boots: Boots that fit
Occupation: Yes

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by fgd135 » Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:48 am

Fwiw, my Alico Ski March boots are size "8L" on the tongue. Does this mean "8 wide"? Maybe. English sizing, not US sizing.
The heavy duty Spenco insoles(their size "3") I use in the boots also fit perfectly in my size 42 1/2 Scarpa full grain leather backpacking boots and in a pair of Alico hiking boots in US size 8 1/2.
One of my ski buddies wears a "9L" in the ski march, and his normal foot size is US 9 1/2. He has what I would call a low-volume foot and needs both the Alico thick insole and a thin Spenco insole on top of that.
Good boots, well made, if you can get a good fit. I was so impressed by them I bought a second pair!
"To me, gracefulness on skis should be the end-all of the sport" --Stein Eriksen



User avatar
Bohemian
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 3:26 pm
Location: Czech Republic
Ski style: AT, telemark, BC, XC, snowboard (alpine)
Occupation: messing around in boats

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by Bohemian » Wed Oct 13, 2021 3:59 pm

Hello!
Newly registered here, but I've been reading here for a while.
My home base now is Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic but originally I'm form Belgium.
We have hills of up to 1350m nearby along the Austrian and German borders with starting points / parkings around 700-800m above sea. You could stick to flats & rolling hills but there are also enough fun bits of downhill here & there.

Question (on topic) :
Could any of you who have this boot in size UK 7 please tell me the outside sole length in mm ?
Needed for an order of a set of BC skis with the Voile 3-pin cable traverse mounted.

Thanks!


P.S. FYI considering to order a set of new s-bound 98 with Voile 3-pin cable traverse, for use here in the Bohemian forest (only when there is a nice base: I'm not going to destroy these skis on too little snow!) and likely also for less steep routes in the Alps and maybe Norway some day. When there's not enough snow for nice skis I'll use up whatever old muck I have + for mostly unprepared flats I'll use old skinny strait skis with plenty camber. Got an old set of E109 waiting for me at a friend in Oslo :D
Werner Munter: "What is the most dangerous group in the mountains? A group of avalanche experts! The avalanche doesn't know you're an expert" ;)



User avatar
Krakus
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:14 am
Location: Southern Poland
Ski style: many falls
Favorite Skis: Tua Grande Neige :), Asnes Nansen, Salomon XADV89
Favorite boots: Alfa Guard, Fischer BCX675

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by Krakus » Wed Dec 29, 2021 4:11 pm

Please tell me that the (dis)comfort of wearing these Ski March boot will improve after each use :(
My feet are slightly more than 26 cm, so I bought 8 wide - the size seems OK. I applied full wet treatment with Hydrobloc, as prescribed by Lilcliffy, walked them at home, wore double socks: thin liner and thick merino, and after today's excursion (about 15 kms,400-500 m vertical) I've got plum-sized blisters (well, maybe smaller plums). The soles are VERY stiff.



User avatar
fisheater
Posts: 2617
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by fisheater » Wed Dec 29, 2021 5:53 pm

@Krakus 15 kilometers isn’t a small bite for you first time out! When I broke mine in I wore them on dog walks for a month. My average walk was 3 miles, by 4 times a week. So before skiing I had close to 50 miles on those boots. There was adjustment to lacing methods during that time. Utilizing a surgeon knot (an extra pass on the standard overhead knot) at the instep locked my heel in well.
I think if you are rubbing in a place where the boot doesn’t hold you in well enough, you have a problem that can be remedied. If you have a fold in the leather pushing into you foot, you need to figure out a remedy immediately or you will be left with a torture device.
I hope you just have some rubbing. There have been posts for felt liners that can take up volume, as well as contoured ankle inserts that effectively fill in extra volume at the ankle.
Please let us know how things progress for you.



User avatar
Krakus
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:14 am
Location: Southern Poland
Ski style: many falls
Favorite Skis: Tua Grande Neige :), Asnes Nansen, Salomon XADV89
Favorite boots: Alfa Guard, Fischer BCX675

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by Krakus » Wed Dec 29, 2021 6:22 pm

I cannot say now what the problem is. There is nothing wrong in the boots, like wrong seams or folds in these places (apart from this damn stiffness...). I also tied them according to the manner described on Madshus page (https://madshus.com/en-pl/support/technical-guides Lilcliffy linked some time ago, with surgeon knot over the instep and Marathon lacing over two top loops. But I felt it very tight, even pushing my foot backward and pressed it against the heel niche quite uncomfortably, so I adjusted it several times.



User avatar
fisheater
Posts: 2617
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by fisheater » Wed Dec 29, 2021 7:57 pm

@Krakus that Madshus tech page was really good. It took a lot of questions here to glean that much knowledge. I think it just takes time. Walking 3 miles, a little less than 5 kilometers is a much smaller bite than 15 Kilometers on skis.
Do you have another boot to ski with until the Ski March is broken in better? Broken in the Ski March is a much more natural striding boot than my T-4, and while the SM isn’t as powerful as the plastic boot it is very powerful. The price for that is the break in period.
Best wishes and good luck!



User avatar
bark-eater
Posts: 46
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2022 5:57 am

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by bark-eater » Sat Jan 15, 2022 10:25 am

Got a sizing question. I have size 12 eeee duck feet can wear any shoe aslong as its a New Balance cross trainer. I will use size 13 boots if I cant get wide sizes but with heal lift, I wear right through my socks.

Any thoughts as to what size Ski March to order? The plan is to pair then with a set of 210 USGI Asnes. Thanks, Woody



User avatar
John Dee
Posts: 274
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2021 8:15 pm

Re: Alico Ski March Boot

Post by John Dee » Sat Jan 15, 2022 12:19 pm

Krakus wrote:
Wed Dec 29, 2021 4:11 pm
Please tell me that the (dis)comfort of wearing these Ski March boot will improve after each use :(
My feet are slightly more than 26 cm, so I bought 8 wide - the size seems OK.
I have the same size feet as you and I'm a 9.5-10 or a 43. The 9M are a tad long, but I think they are the best for me.

The ski march was very comfortable to wear right out of the box. They're like a masterfully crafted hiking boot. I haven't got blisters or anything. Dealing with the stiffness is another thing. I'm sure it will take 100s of miles.



Post Reply