If you like a challenge on more than just one part of the mountain, touring skis let you push yourself on the uphills as well as the downhills. Having touring boots be as light as possible is a real advantage in the mountains. On demanding routes, you’ll feel every gram. A boot must also be solid and stable enough for safe, enjoyable skiing on the descents.
Ski touring boots
Touring boots are easy to hike in, whether on the ski or- on a steep ascent- off the ski. They have good outsole traction and a less bulky shape for a more natural feel when walking in snow.
A key component of a touring boot is a walk/ski mechanism that lets you free up the cuff from its locked-in skiing position for a greater range of motion forward and rearward.
There are pure touring boots, which have a focus on light weight for fast, aggressive ascents. However, some tourers make the trek to get to hard-to-reach slope backcountry snow, so their boots have a focus on downhill stability, and will be slightly heavier.
A typical Alpine boot will easily weigh 2kg (5.1 lbs), while a touring boot typically weighs 1.5 kg (3.8 lbs) or less. Our Travers is an impressively light 1080g (2.4 lbs).
Different boots offer different amounts of ankle movement of the cuff. A higher number means a greater fore-and-aft range of motion. The Travers Carbon, with its 80° range would be an excellent choice on a steep ascent.
Touring binding systems are not entirely standardized. Be aware of the various systems before you commit to specific boots or skis. You’ll need to do a bit more research, or speak to a specialty ski retailer, to make a fully informed decision. Fischer skis always have a specific recommended boot and binding.
Touring boot fit
The modern method for boot fitting is through the use of Fischer’s Scan-Fit app.
The other effective way is to reference the Mondopoint System, which is an industry-wide effort to simplify and standardize sizes across all brands. It is based simply on the length of your foot in centimeters from your big toe to your heel. Ski stores will have a measuring device, and you can reference the table below.
|
Mondopoint (cm)
|
European shoe size
|
|
22.0
|
35.5
|
|
22.5
|
36.0
|
|
23.0
|
36.5
|
|
23.5
|
37.0
|
|
24.0
|
37.5
|
|
24.5
|
38.0
|
|
25.0
|
38.5
|
|
25.5
|
39.0
|
|
26.0
|
39.5
|
|
26.5
|
40.0
|
|
27.0
|
40.5
|
|
27.5
|
41.0
|
|
28.0
|
41.5
|
|
28.5
|
42.0
|
|
29.0
|
42.5
|
|
29.5
|
43.0
|
|
30.0
|
43.5
|
|
30.5
|
44.0
|
|
31.0
|
44.5
|
|
31.5
|
45.0
|
Sole length is not a factor in choosing boots or sizing, but it is a term you should be aware of. It is the measure of the outside bottom of the boot used to adjust the binding.
Ski boots will gradually become less stiff and more broken-in over time. Therefore, if the smaller of two sizes is a realistic fit for you now, we recommend choosing that size. Ski specialists are used to customers walking around the store in their boots for 20 minutes, or even considerably longer, to be sure the fit is right. Wear your actual ski socks, and try on boots later in the day, if possible, since your feet will be slightly expanded then.
A good guideline is that your toes should make minimal contact with the inside front of the boot when standing upright. With knees bent in a simulated ski position, and your shins applying pressure to front of the boot cuff, you should no longer have any contact with the inside toe of the boot.
Women’s vs. men’s boots
The key difference we have found from our research and testing is in the relative shape and size of the calf muscle in men and women.
Therefore, our women’s boots have a slightly lower cuff, allowing for that anatomical difference. From a technology and performance standpoint, all our boots are identical.
Beyond the boots
At Fischer we wholeheartedly recommend a full avalanche preparedness kit every time you’re on the mountain, especially in backcountry. An avalanche transceiver, a snow probe, and a shovel should be in the pack of each member of your group.
