• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

20/20 Vision: GripWalk

GripWalk very well may be the unsung hero of the upcoming ski season. There will be no fanfare or ticker tape parades but that's okay with GripWalk. It is a modest … sole. So, why will GripWalk be near the center of the ski world’s needs this coming season? With social distancing and base lodges limiting skier access, people will be booting up in the parking lots and areas distant from the lifts and slopes. There will be a lot of walking.

Screen Shot 2020-10-05 at 11.44.32 AM.png

GripWalk (rear); DIN (front)​

GripWalk, one of the newer evolutions in ski boot designs, is a rounded sole that allows for a much easier and smoother stride when walking. The soles are a softer and grippier design along the lines of a knobbier tire on your vehicle. I have to admit, I was skeptical of GripWalk when it was introduced a few years back, and even though I have gone two seasons with them on my boots, I am still not fully sold. Don’t get me wrong, GripWalk works 100% as advertised. It makes walking a lot easier and safer on slippery surfaces, no question. But, is it that much better than a traditional ISO 5355 sole that has a textured toe and heels? Of that I am not completely sure, but that is a discussion to be had elsewhere. What we are talking about now is that it is GripWalk’s time to shine in the sun and say to the ski world: “I got this.”

Screen Shot 2020-10-05 at 11.43.03 AM.png

DIN (top); GripWalk (bottom)​

Other than a full backcountry boot with an AT sole, a GW-soled boot will be your safest and easiest way to trek from the parking lot to the lift. GripWalk is not the only safe method, however, so we will also discuss your other sole options.

Tecnica, Nordica and K2 Gripwalk soles
Other options depend a lot on your boots. If your current boot has replaceable toes and heels, you are better off than most. Replaceable soles will give you a good amount of grip, but think of them as all-season tires. They perform equally well or poorly, depending on your perspective, in most conditions. They are better than a solid-soled boot, to be discussed next, but most are not as good a GripWalk sole. If your boot is less than a few seasons old, you may be able to upgrade to GripWalk for about $50 and the use of a screwdriver. For this, all you need to do is check with your local shop or your boot manufacturer's website.

The least safe way to access the lifts in your boots is if you have solid-lugged (soled) race boots. These are the slipperiest of all the boots to walk in, like a giraffe on ice skates. These boots tend to be the preferred choice of racers and instructors, but fear not, they also can be upgraded to GripWalk or even a textured sole by a qualified bootfitter who has the vision, knowledge, proper tools, and skill.

Now, if you do not want to go GripWalk or upgrade your current soles, there are Cat Tracks (the Kleenex or Xerox of ski boot walking devices), Skiskootys, or Yaktrax. These devices work as advertised, but they can be messy and inconvenient because you have to store or hide them somewhere while you are skiing. There is also always the risk of losing them at some point on your trek from the parking lot.

Last, and most important, if you are going to upgrade to a GripWalk sole, make sure your binding is GripWalk-compatible. It will have either the GripWalk logo, an AT designation (some Tyrolia-based bindings), or WTR (Walk to Ride). Also, most race-specific bindings are not GW-compatible, but that should not limit your ability to put a grippier sole on, just not a GripWalk.
About author
Philpug
I started skiing in the mid-70s in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania; from then on, I found myself entrenched in the industry. I have worked in various ski shops from suburban to ski town to resort, giving me a well-rounded perspective on what skiers want from their gear. That experience was parlayed into my time as a Gear Review Editor and also consulting with manufacturers as a product tester. Along with being a Masterfit-trained bootfitter I am a fully certified self proclaimed Gear Guru. Not only do I keep up with the cutting edge of ski gear technology, but I am an avid gear collector and have an extensive array of bindings as well as many vintage skis.

Replies

I love my decades old Cat Traks!
 
I got GW with my Nordica Pro Machine boots last season. Used about 40 days with about 800m of walking to/from slopes from car.
For general walking they are better with a more rounded natural feel but I find them much worse on ice, especially ice on a hard/concreted slope. I'm considering getting changing back to DIN sole just because of this.
I would not choose one boot over the other just because of GW. The danger because of being so bad on ice outweighs the additional comfort.

I tried to analyse why they are bad on ice. I have the feeling that with DIN soles ( which I still have on my AT boots) as the foot stride moves to the front, the straight flat toe, immediately digs into the ice and provides immediate traction, like a crampon spike. Whereas the GW being more curved, relies on the grip for much longer before the sharp toe provides traction. This extra period relying on the grip of the GW is when they slip in an unpredictable way.
 
My two most dangerous falls were on icy concrete around the base area. Landed hard on the back of my head twice. Luckily I had on a helmet. I hope I can update my two year old FullTilts.
 
Long time reader, first time (in a very long time) caller......from an engineering prospective what would prohibit DIN and Grip Walk from being able to use the same binding configuration? Is it in the way that the AFD and the toe piece interface as it relates to the distance and thickness of the sole?
 
I used GW for 40 days last season on an an alpine boot with about 800m from car to ski station to walking both directions. It's more comfortable for normal walking but found it much more dangerous on ice over hard surfaces. Also for climbing in snow with skis it was much worse than standard DIN soles. The curved sole means that the tip engages much later on iced over surfaces and is less effective when planting the toe into a snow wall for climbing and could slip out easier compared to the stable flat platform of the DIN.
I would not prioritise this feature in buying new boots. The +ve and -ve's are both quite strong in my opinion. Best is to get a boot that comes with both soles.
 
Long time reader, first time (in a very long time) caller......from an engineering prospective what would prohibit DIN and Grip Walk from being able to use the same binding configuration? Is it in the way that the AFD and the toe piece interface as it relates to the distance and thickness of the sole?
Yes, the GripWalk sole is not only thicker but also angled different.
 
Hey Phil I have 2018 Rossignol all speed elite 130 boots, I just received my new Rossi React 10 and the SPX12 Konect binding and it says Grip Walk on the toe piece, I don’t have grip walk on my boots do I have to do anything.
Thanks.
 
Hey Phil I have 2018 Rossignol all speed elite 130 boots, I just received my new Rossi React 10 and the SPX12 Konect binding and it says Grip Walk on the toe piece, I don’t have grip walk on my boots do I have to do anything.
Thanks.
Nope. Step in and ski.
 
Try telling someone with some late model Look bindings that their gear is no good.
Hello! That's me! I knew I could find some advice here on SkiTalk. I was a bit blind-sided at the ski shop today. Not a terrible experience, but maybe you can help me recover.

I've been saving my pennies and have been dead set on a pair of FullTilt boots. First Chair 120 or 130 was my goal. I found a shop in Breck who had them in stock. I was sold and willing to pay retail price. This is highly unusual for me. I brought in my Look Pivot 14s and Rossi Black Ops 98s (the panther ones) and got - "we can't certify the bindings". For the next 5 minutes I was educated on the evolution of GripWalk and de-evolution of WTR. I was informed "it would probably work" (clicking the GripWalk souls in the Look 14 WTR) but wouldn't be certified. I don't mess around with bad juju in the boot/binding area - it'd be in my head the whole time. Besides, I have two other pairs of skis in the same boat. The "fatties" and "hard chargers" have Look WTR bindings as well.

Any thoughts or recommendations on Gripwalk soles functionality on the WTR binding? The store tech showed me how to crank back the WTR setting to fit the Gripwalk sole.

Other options:
FullTilt First Chair 10 or 12 - Last year's model doesn't seem to have GripWallk soles
FullTilt First Chair 120 or 130 - Swap the soles out on this year's model. FTS outsoles available on FullTilts site for $35.95

Thanks!
 
Hello! That's me! I knew I could find some advice here on SkiTalk. I was a bit blind-sided at the ski shop today. Not a terrible experience, but maybe you can help me recover.

I've been saving my pennies and have been dead set on a pair of FullTilt boots. First Chair 120 or 130 was my goal. I found a shop in Breck who had them in stock. I was sold and willing to pay retail price. This is highly unusual for me. I brought in my Look Pivot 14s and Rossi Black Ops 98s (the panther ones) and got - "we can't certify the bindings". For the next 5 minutes I was educated on the evolution of GripWalk and de-evolution of WTR. I was informed "it would probably work" (clicking the GripWalk souls in the Look 14 WTR) but wouldn't be certified. I don't mess around with bad juju in the boot/binding area - it'd be in my head the whole time. Besides, I have two other pairs of skis in the same boat. The "fatties" and "hard chargers" have Look WTR bindings as well.

Any thoughts or recommendations on Gripwalk soles functionality on the WTR binding? The store tech showed me how to crank back the WTR setting to fit the Gripwalk sole.

Other options:
FullTilt First Chair 10 or 12 - Last year's model doesn't seem to have GripWallk soles
FullTilt First Chair 120 or 130 - Swap the soles out on this year's model. FTS outsoles available on FullTilts site for $35.95

Thanks!
GripWalk DOES work with WTR bindings. Whikle they were initially NOT certified (when Look was in the WTR camp), they were forward thinking to make the AFD GW compatible. Set the binding to "Alpine" mode and you are good to go.
 

Article information

Author
Philpug
Views
11,921
Comments
31
Last update

More in Gear

More from Philpug

Top