Alfa Vista Advance GTX XCD Ski Boot Review
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- The Alfa Vista XCD boot is a warm and sturdy backcountry XCD ski boot in full grain leather. My boots weigh 3.36 lbs (1.52 kg) for the pair in a size 42. The boot is very comfortable, has great kick and glide and downhill stability. I'm not sponsored by Alfa and I purchased the boots from REI.
Alfa Free Boot Review • Alfa Free X/P/S GTX XC...
0:00 Intro
0:49 Boot Description
2:26 Alfa Free Comparison
03:30 Bonus Boot Squeak
04:28 Downhill Support
Thanks Tom. I love your channel. Its the only channel I've found for Nordic touring and Tele style turns. trying to avoid the ski resorts, you know. Take care and stay awesome.
I appreciate the feedback and thanks for tuning in. I hope you are having a great ski season.
For the time being I'm just researching because I'm not buying anything until the next winter. As I've watched your other reviews of the same system, I feel that these boots is more up my alley. I'm only going for casual and slow trips so comfort and more warmth is a higher priority.
As for ankle slip, you can always combat that by investing in good innersoles. I opted for a Superfeet Trailblazer that I use in my Alfa Bever pro Advance trail boots, and it is night and day difference. We all got different feet, so I believe most manufacturers only provide a cheap generic one so each individual will have to do their own research for their own body.
On top of that socks is also important to get right, and yet that is also very overlooked by many. For any outdoorsy events I'd say taking care of one's own feet is crucial to the enjoyment.
Great advice and insight. I've been skiing the Vistas quite a bit this winter and I'm very happy with them. I've skied and worn out many different leather ski boots over the years and these are my favorites for off trail XC use. I know that the fit won't work for everyone, but if they do, they are certainly worth consideration.
Tom you are on fire this winter!!! Fantastic reviews
Glad you are enjoying the channel. More to come, so stay tuned.
Hi Tom, thanks for all the time and effort spent making your videos, so I’ve been skiing for the last 6 seasons on the old Fischer 78s and the 75mm bcx 875 boot, voile hardwire binding, which I’ve had a lot of great skiing on, I’m looking to upgrade my skies to the Fischer xtralite 78s maybe 88s, boots and bindings to the Rotterfella Explore bindings and the Alfa boot, I’m steering towards the Alfa free boot, I ski Norway and Swedish trails, hut to hut touring so generally it’s between 20-30km a day, mountain terrain, there can be a lot of steep uphills and downhills.
So now you’ve tested the Alfa Vista boots I am now stuck between the two Alfa boots, I know see that Fischer have a new boot BCX traverse that clips in to the Rotterfella bindings.
I really like my old setup, but looking for something lighter and explore system I think is the answer, I like that the adjustment on the Alfa free boot is so easy, any suggestions that may sway towards my decision,
Keep up the good work
Regards
Gary from Kent, the once called “Garden of England” UK
I skied and wore out a couple sets of Fischer BCX 675's over the years. I skied them with S-Bound 98's and S-Bound 125's and Voile 3 pin bindings. The Alfa Free's offer a lot of support for downhill control, but the setup does not have active resistance like you get with the hardwire. If you really like the feeling of skiing the hardwires, it would take some adjustment to your skiing technique, but the Free / Xplore system is very capable on the downhill. The big advantage of the Xplore system is that it offers great kick and glide in comparison to most 75 mm setups. If I was skiing 30 km hut to hut, I'd probably pick the Vista over the Free, especially if it was paired with the Traverse 78. The 78 is more of a kick and glide ski than it is a downhill ski and if that ski is adequate for the type of terrain you are skiing, then the Vista boot would be the right choice. On the other hand if you were using a more downhill focused ski for your tours, then I think the Free would be the right choice. They are both great boots, but for different reasons. I'm betting you will really like the Xplore setup for your hut to hut tours.
Thanks Tom, I also love my vistas. I had the same problem with a narrow forefoot on the Alaskas (made for a very uncomfortable multiday trip around crater lake!) . I’ve used the vistas twice with my Asnes Faltekinds- great match.
Tried the Alfa Free at REI… didn’t care for the way the boot flexed across my toes as others have noticed. Also do more flats so those wouldn’t have been a good match
Thanks for your reviews!
Chris
That sounds like a great setup. I hope that Alfa can solve the flex issue on the Frees in their next redesign, but only time will tell. Thanks for posting. Have fun and be safe.
Awesome! Thank you Tom for this nice review
If I cannot make the Alpina Pioneer Pro work, definitely considering the Vista. That weight of 760g per boot in sz 42 surprised me, as they are listed at 815g. I would use a 41, so possibly even lighter. As light as the Alaska XP. The light boots would be for my very long distances. Glad to hear there is an Alfa alternative!
But as soon as they come out with the Outback in Xplore (which Alfa is inteding to do) I will be getting those for deep winter tours and expeditions. Love the gaiter system, but sadly the BC version does not have that good of a support for much turns. Hope they have more control and about the same weight, and will fix some durability issues.
Until then, I now know which boot to consider if all else fails. Thanks again!
The Pioneer Pro looks like it will be a great alternative. I know lots of people are waiting for its release later this month. Thanks for tuning in. Have fun and be safe on your expeditions.
I just received my Asnes Rabb 68 with the explore binding. Really excited to give them a Tur this weekend with my Skaget boots.
Have a great ski and report back with your experience on your new setup. So many great skis and boot combinations out there right now. What a good time to be an off trail XC skier. :)
Thanks Tom! That's a great review. Timing is perfect too-my wife's looking for another pair of boots to augment her BC-10's, and has wide feet! Maybe a trip to the nearest REI might be in order, but she'll need to decide which pair of boards to change the bindings on-her S-Bounds, or her M-78 Madshus (so hard to decide🙂)
Alfa has the Vista in a Women's version. I've been curious if the Women's version is built on a narrower last. Be sure to have her try on both versions to see which one fits her best. I like the roomy toe box in mine, but it is not the best fit in the heel. I would love to have a boot where I don't have to tape my heels for blisters. Post back with the results of your wife's experience as I'm sure others would appreciate her perspective.
@@tomm9850 We shall, but given the weather, it'll take a while-we're getting hit right now!
Tom I am assuming that the firmness and fit of those uppers would be similar to your older Alfa Skarvet Advance 3N-BC and the Alfa Guard Advance GTX 3N-BC.
The Vista is similar to the Guard, same upper for the most part. I skied both the Greenland and Skarvet in the past. All three are great boots with similar ski performance, but I like the Vista the best, mainly because of the Xplore sole. I hope they are durable, but only time will tell.
Hi Tom, thanks very much for your thoughtful videos. Do you consider the Vista a good all around boot for someone who is likely to spend most of their time breaking trail up hill, so that they can telemark back down the hill/mountain? What are your thoughts on the best skis for this boot and binding? Thanks for any thoughts you might have to offer.
The Vista is a great off trail XC boot. I pair it with the Fischer Traverse 78 and the SBound 98 in my quiver. It works great for cross country uphill and downhill on moderate slopes in good snow conditions. When cross country downhill is my main focus, I'll ski my Alfa Free boot as it offers a slightly stiffer sole and stiffer upper, which offers a bit more stability and control on the downhill run. The Vista is a better boot for kick and glide tours, but if I'm on a tour that is mostly uphill trail breaking followed by downhill runs, then the kick and glide advantage of the Vista is of lesser importance, and I'd ski the Frees, even on a long tour. If you are curious about the skis in my quiver, check out this video from last year. ua-cam.com/video/6ThgXnPONms/v-deo.html
Many thanks for the helpful reply Tom. I will be making a purchase in the next few days as both these boots are on sale and discontinued. Your channel really fills a need. @@tomm9850
Great review. I'm going to spend the extra dollars to get these boots over the Alpina. Although my 75mm Alaska are nice boots. And my NNN Alpina Classic and Skate serve me well for groomed skiing.
Did you mention the need to go down what appears to be two EU sizes - I was wondering why you said that you got EU 42. The REI sizing chart also includes foot length. Per the REI size chart with these boots one needs to go down two EU sizes. If you wear EU 43 get an EU 41. Foot length confirms this. I'm 26.5 (cm) hard shell so ~10.55".
Alfa and Alpina sizes are very different. My fully weighted bare foot length is 276 mm left and 266 mm right. The Alfa Vista boots at size 42 are larger than most boots in the same size. I'm wearing a very thick sock at the moment and I'm sure I could easily wear a liner sock and a medium weight sock with plenty of room to spare. I skied the Alpina Alaska XP in two sizes, size 43 and size 44. Alpina size 44 was too long. The 43 seemed about the right length and very comfortable for one foot, but not the other, so I decided to give the Alfa Vista's a shot. For me, the REI size chart seems about right (US 10 @ 42) for the Alfa boots. Just for reference, my Madshus Hyper Skate boots are size 44, my Scarpa T2's are Mondo size 27.5 (I like a loose fit). If I recall, most of the Fischer and Rossignol ski boots I've owned were in size 43, and my hiking boots are US size 10.
@@tomm9850 Thanks for the info. I thought I had it bad with 26.5 (cm) feet that are 29.5 cm across the arch.
I have a pair of the vista waiting for me when I get home but I'm planning to pair it with a Fischer 112 do you think its enough boot for the wider ski?
The Vista will work fine with the S-Bound 112 for off trail XC skiing. It has about the perfect ratio of flex for comfortable kick and glide and enough lateral support for downhill control on moderate slopes, especially in soft snow conditions. You should have a great time with that combination. Post back when you have had a chance to ski them. I'm curious as to how they compare to what you are used to skiing.
How is the sizing on the Alfas? I run a 44 in the Alpina Alaska. Should I size down or keep same size?
Hi Curtl1694. For my foot, the sizing chart shown on REI's webpage worked well. www.rei.com/product/203279/alfa-vista-advance-gtx-cross-country-ski-boots I'm skiing the Vista in a size 42. I usually wear a US Men's size 10 hiking boot, and my weighted bare foot length is 267 mm (10.5 in). The Alpina Alaska boots that I owned were size 43, so one size larger than my Alfa boots. I wear just one pair of medium weight hiking socks and have plenty of room in the boots.
Thanks Tom
My morning coffee and update…
😊. Fischer s bound 98 crown dual skin/extra lite….your thoughts on them?
Andrew
New Brunswick Canada 🇨🇦
I've owned 3 generations of the 98's. It is my favorite off trail ski for soft snow when there are some fun hills involved in the tour. The new 98's have the same sidecut as my previous version, they are just a little bit lighter. They do seem to ski better, but it is hard to know if the difference is in the design or if my older skis had just lost some of their liveliness over time and use. The new skis are also mounted with the new Xplore system, and my other two versions were mounted with 3 pins so that even makes it harder to tell if there has been any significant improvement in the ski itself. The Asnes fans are pretty critical of the 98, the Falketind 62 Xplore often touted as a much better ski. It would be fun to try the Falketind, but I do like the utility of having a traction patterned ski. ua-cam.com/video/yvYbYp-u2UE/v-deo.html
Would you be comfortable skiing these at a resort on occasion?
I think that it is probably best to ski downhill skis with downhill oriented boots and bindings when skiing at a downhill resort. Skiing cross country gear at the resort is a good way to work on the skillset for off trail downhill skiing, but for most people, that means skiing easy and gentle runs on good snow (not ice). Not all resorts will allow cross country gear on their lift served runs, but many will providing that you have a leash to prevent ski runaway. The Alfa Vista boot is a great off trail cross-country boot and I think they hit the mark for good kick and glide, and have ample ankle support and stiffness for Cross Country downhill control for moderate terrain.
Do you prefer 75mm 3 pin or these?
The Xplore system is great for off trail cross country and I do prefer it over the traditional 3 pin with soft leather boots. Here is a link to a video with a discussion of my decision to switch from NNNBC and 3 pin soft leather setups to the new Xplore system. ua-cam.com/video/Ovx48kCVtzM/v-deo.html