La Sportiva Spectre just might be the coolest ski boot ever made in the more beefy persuasion. They call it the “lightest 4 buckle.” This unboxed retail pair of 2013/14 version weighs 1,439 grams (50.7 ounces) per size 27 boot — 6 grams less than the catalog weight! Amazing considering that one of the top 3-buckle boots on the market weighs in at 1,300 grams, and another brand’s top 4-buckle offering comes in at more than 1,500 grams. Check out some photos. We’ll be testing these boots and filing a true review after we’ve had them on snow for awhile.
The object at hand. Lots of Grilamid plastic, carbon reinforced, super stiff. Beef aside, we particularly like the elegant buckles. They're light and fold in a way that'll prevent catching on terrain features or your other boot.
Tongue is Grilamid but has a flex zone for serious walking action. Beef boot fanatics could replace this with a stiffer tongue and thus create an amazingly light but stiff boot.
No buckles to catch on things. Interior ramp angle claimed to be low, boot board appears fairly flat.
It appears La Sportiva has attempted to build a 'real' alpine boot, only one that not only tours well but addresses the weight issue. For example, Spectre has cuff alignment 'canting,' a flat boot board, reduced ramp angle, and of course a DIN compatible sole that works in any frame type backcountry skiing binding -- as well as tech bindings but of course. The liner also looks skiable, reinforced in the right places but still with a nod to weight savings.
Lean lock is the conventional 'steel rod' type, but with a few improvements we'll detail once we field test. Big thing to know is that forward lean is configurable to three positions, 10,14,18 degrees.
Good view of the exoskel cuff, plenty of walking motion range.
I’m excited about the Spectre. Along with the sea change in ski weights, a shoe such as this shows that the lightweight revolution we’ve emphasized in our ski reviews is soon coming to a ski boot near you.
Thanks Cripple Creek Backcountry for help with detailing these boots.
(Last year, we opined that these boots were not up to the stiffness standard most people would expect with a 4-buckle. This version appears to be much improved, mainly with a stiffer scaffo that battles the bulge.)
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
