Post
by telerat » Mon Oct 25, 2021 9:50 am
I'd put Xplore on both skis, but it depends on your use (and possibly what other equipment you have already). A light rando boot and binding would also suit the Rabb and give more control on hard snow, so again it depends on your preference.
I'll put Xplore on a pair of Åsnes Ouslands even if the binding is a bit wide, so I can use the same boot for that ski in groomed tracks, on my E109 for skiing in loose snow, and also on my touring ice skates. I currently use 75mm on my E109, but the boots (Asolo Morgedal) are old, worn, soft and leak when the snow is wet, and 75mm is too wide for use on the skates, so I want/need new boots and plan on buying the Alfa Skaget. I was contemplating NNN-BC earlier, but was not sold on it with the metal bar in front and the space packing with snow. Xplore looks very promising, with excellent walking comfort both with and without skis/skates, ease of entry and exit and hopefully no icing and good reliability, but the verdict on skiing performance on the down is a bit uncertain I think.
The rubber rand on Alfa Skaget, Vista Advance and Alpina Alaska also looks very nice, as my Morgedal are worn from snow crust and the Norwegian welt has always been a transport of water into the boot even when new and treatment didn't help. The 75mm boots with cast rubber sole looked promising, but are soft so I haven't gone that route. I'm not too sold on the Free A/P/S for my use, but the ankle support sounds nice, so I'll see if better boots emerge later and possibly buy wider skis then, but Falketind, Rabb and similar should be good on everything but steep and hard snow. I'd like a bit more more power than the current boots show and might go for a wider ski then, but I also have NTN equipment for steeper tours and wider skis so it depends on what gear is released in the future.