Alfa vs Alfa

[randoskier]

I picked up a pair of Alfa Skarvets on eBay a year and a half ago in basically unused condition. I typically wear 10.5/44 in most shoes and boots and have a fairly wide foot and long toes.I got a 44. They are great boots, roomy in the toe box and fit well except they give me a terrible blister on one heel. I have tried taping my heel and typically wear a thin polypro sock under a thick wool sock. I’m going to try some ezefit blister protection socks this season. I’d like to make them work but we’ll see.
I have another pair of similar Alfa boots , not sure which model, size 43 that I can only wear with really thin socks. They don’t have the heel issue but are really too small for me.

Can you wear the 44s with a super-thick wool sock with a thin liner sock under it?

[randoskier]

Ordered size 45 Alfa-Outbacks APS2 BC. Betting they will fit and save me a trip to Finland for boot shopping. If Lundhags made the Guide with the same volume and roominess as the Guide Expe I would have bought those instead, the Expediton Guide uppers are way too high for a long-distance touring boot in my estimation, this is also a heavy boot. The Outback sounds like a no break-in boot and reportedly the new heel design eliminated the Alfa-Heel-Blister-Syndrome. It gets overwhelmingly good reviews from verified buyers on Varuste, and mostly very good reviews on the Norwegian Fjellforum. We will see....

[randoskier]

Ordered size 45 Alfa-Outbacks APS2 BC. Betting they will fit and save me a trip to Finland for boot shopping. If Lundhags made the Guide with the same volume and roominess as the Guide Expe I would have bought those instead, the Expediton Guide uppers are way too high for a long-distance touring boot in my estimation, this is also a heavy boot. The Outback sounds like a no break-in boot and reportedly the new heel design eliminated the Alfa-Heel-Blister-Syndrome. It gets overwhelmingly good reviews from verified buyers on Varuste, and mostly very good reviews on the Norwegian Fjellforum. We will see....

Perfect Fit!!! This boot seems perfect for what it is designed for- long tours. My size 10.5 feet (27,8 cm) fir perfect in this boot with a thin liner sock and my thick wool touring sock.

Just add snow.

My wife was in Innsbruck yesterday, it was raining, but snow in the Brenner pass at the top of it, but it was wet mush.

Thanks Shell and Exxon!!

[sjniles]

I picked up a pair of Alfa Skarvets on eBay a year and a half ago in basically unused condition. I typically wear 10.5/44 in most shoes and boots and have a fairly wide foot and long toes.I got a 44. They are great boots, roomy in the toe box and fit well except they give me a terrible blister on one heel. I have tried taping my heel and typically wear a thin polypro sock under a thick wool sock. I’m going to try some ezefit blister protection socks this season. I’d like to make them work but we’ll see.
I have another pair of similar Alfa boots , not sure which model, size 43 that I can only wear with really thin socks. They don’t have the heel issue but are really too small for me.

Can you wear the 44s with a super-thick wool sock with a thin liner sock under it?

I typically wear the Skarvets with a thin liner sock and medium weight wool sock but the last time I tried them with a thicker wool sock over the liner sock and micropore tape. It seemed better.
I also just found a basically new pair of 44 Alfa Guards on FB Marketplace for a good price and picked them up. Haven’t skied them yet but my general impression is they feel lighter than the Skarvets with a similar amount of room in the toe but looser in the heel which could be problem.

[Severianin]

I had the old kikut and killed it in 3 seasons of HEAVY use. I have the updated version and I really like it. I have 100 miles on it now and my feet haven't blistered. I especially like the improved torsional rigidity with the good kick and glide action now that they're broken in. I am skiing and skijoring on diverse terrain in interior Alaska.

The toe box on the kikuts felt sloppy on my feet at first but I have grown to love them especially in the cold.

[randoskier]

I had the old kikut and killed it in 3 seasons of HEAVY use. I have the updated version and I really like it. I have 100 miles on it now and my feet haven't blistered. I especially like the improved torsional rigidity with the good kick and glide action now that they're broken in. I am skiing and skijoring on diverse terrain in interior Alaska.

The toe box on the kikuts felt sloppy on my feet at first but I have grown to love them especially in the cold.

Are they supportive enough in descents? What about the warmth?

[daniell]

I had the old kikut and killed it in 3 seasons of HEAVY use. I have the updated version and I really like it. I have 100 miles on it now and my feet haven't blistered. I especially like the improved torsional rigidity with the good kick and glide action now that they're broken in. I am skiing and skijoring on diverse terrain in interior Alaska.

The toe box on the kikuts felt sloppy on my feet at first but I have grown to love them especially in the cold.

Could you please provide more insights about the differences between the "old Kikut" and the "updated version" ?
I assume that what you refer to as the updated version is the "2.0" version, as written on the side of the boot. Correct ?
And I assume from what you wrote that the updated version is an improvement over the old one: correct ? (Sometimes, newer versions of products are not necessarily improvements, alas... - not specifically referring to Alfa boots.)

Thanks in advance for your insights!

[Severianin]

I had the old kikut and killed it in 3 seasons of HEAVY use. I have the updated version and I really like it. I have 100 miles on it now and my feet haven't blistered. I especially like the improved torsional rigidity with the good kick and glide action now that they're broken in. I am skiing and skijoring on diverse terrain in interior Alaska.

The toe box on the kikuts felt sloppy on my feet at first but I have grown to love them especially in the cold.

Are they supportive enough in descents? What about the warmth?

Hey! The trails I’ve been running have some rather steep descents (especially for skijoring without metal edges). However, I am not trying to tele ski. I typically tour and skijor with two huskies in these boots. I have not wished for a stiffer boot. In terms of warmth, they’re warm enough for -25F with no special insole and a full cushion Darn Tough wool sock. I have used wool inserts if it gets colder.

[Severianin]

I had the old kikut and killed it in 3 seasons of HEAVY use. I have the updated version and I really like it. I have 100 miles on it now and my feet haven't blistered. I especially like the improved torsional rigidity with the good kick and glide action now that they're broken in. I am skiing and skijoring on diverse terrain in interior Alaska.

The toe box on the kikuts felt sloppy on my feet at first but I have grown to love them especially in the cold.

Could you please provide more insights about the differences between the "old Kikut" and the "updated version" ?
I assume that what you refer to as the updated version is the "2.0" version, as written on the side of the boot. Correct ?
And I assume from what you wrote that the updated version is an improvement over the old one: correct ? (Sometimes, newer versions of products are not necessarily improvements, alas... - not specifically referring to Alfa boots.)

Thanks in advance for your insights!

The primary differences - it seems - are the stiffer sole and improved lacing system. The old Kikuts gave me wicked blisters but weren’t nearly as stiff. I really love the new boots. I will say that I went up a full size in the new boot. I put 150 miles on them in December and they’re still
great.