Boots

ATOMIC

Backland Carbon

$950

Flex: 110

Last: 98mm

Atomic’s Backland Carbon is an absolute dream to tour in. Its 72 degrees of motion and super light 1,094 gram weight felt like slippers on the up. While the Backland Carbon has a fairly anatomical shell fit and decent Memory Fit 3D Washable liner, its Ski-Mo heritage comes out when skiing. The boot relies on a BOA closure system for the instep and forefoot, so while the upper buckle prevents the boot from folding over—with a decent flex and support—the rest of my foot felt as if it was in sneaker. Smoother surfaces are best, and anything consequential would be downright scary if you don’t have a solid fit.

ATOMIC

Hawx Ultra XTD 130

$950

Flex: 130

Last: 98mm

This year the Hawx XTD 130 received several updates: new buckles with sliders for ski touring ease, a slightly more robust liner, wider powerstrap, and Grip Walk soles for compatibility within alpine and backcountry setups. Out of the box, the XTD was extremely tight and a bit painful on the instep. Once I heat molded the shell the discomfort quickly disappeared, and I was left with an impressive, locked in feel—much like an alpine boot, except it weighs a mere 1,430 grams. It’s