Full Tilt ski boots thoughts, critics and impressions needed

[FreddieG]

Hello.
I have been skiing in Fisher RC4 120 for the last 4 years. Full vacuum set up. Need a new pair. I jhave wide short feet with high arches. Fisher vacuum system was a blessing!
I am getting older/65/ and I do not ski as fast as I use to.
I have been reading a few articles about Full Tilt boots , namely that they are: easier to get in/out, lighter, but very responsive and precise, and let the skier really bend the front more evenly .
I teach skiing in the Midwest(part-Time) , and sometimes spend 8 hours a day in ski boots.
Any comments or insights are welcome!
thank you for reading.

 

[Philpug]

Full Tilt is a brand with a collection of boots. The most common ones are the Classic (with a narrower 99mm last) which are based on the old Raichle Flexon. As far as comfort, the most comfortable boot is the one that fits your foot. Will a FT be an option? Maybe...maybe not. Either way, it is not an answer you are going to find here but in front of someone who is assessing your foot.

 

[Uncle-A]

Full Tilt is a brand with a collection of boots. The most common ones are the Classic (with a narrower 99mm last) which are based on the old Raichle Flexon. As far as comfort, the most comfortable boot is the one that fits your foot. Will a FT be an option? Maybe...maybe not. Either way, it is not an answer you are going to find here but in front of someone who is assessing your foot.

It is true that a good boot fitter is the best option, but couldn't you list boots with a wide last and a high volume fit just to help shorten the process.

 

[Philpug]

It is true that a good boot fitter is the best option, but couldn't you list boots with a wide last and a high volume fit just to help shorten the process.

Every brand has a wide offering. To just start listing every brands wide 100mm plus boots is not doing the OP any favors and just can cause confusion and without knowing his foot would be irresponsible.

 

[Scrundy]

I have been reading a few articles about Full Tilt boots , namely that they are: easier to get in/out, lighter, but very responsive and precise, and let the skier really bend the front more evenly


Easier to get into for sure, precise…. Not bad. With the intuition liner you lose a little but gain comfort. And yes, I feel as though you can bend front more.

Kinda really cut my teeth and became a better skier in a pair. I’d go back tomorrow if in your position. I’m sure at some point I will… in time.

 

[Spam16v]

I’m on my second set of evolution shell full tilts. I’m in Descendent 10’s which are a mid 100 flex. They’re no race boot but I’ve worked and trained in them 8-10 hours on the hill and wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world. I’ve done a little home heat Gun work on the shells, nothing serious, just a few hand “punches”/adjustments on a few hot spots where I’ve got plates and bones sticking out I’ve broken and a cool towel to quench after doing so. The previous set of liners by intuition were nicer than the latest set I got, but that’s not on the people who made the shell.

 

[Uncle-A]

No one would be able to say this is a wide boot or good for a high instep. I have had it on my foot it is like my Flexon Comp boots just not as stiff.

 

[Mark1975]

Full Tilts, despite being a 40 year old design from Raichle, still can work very well. The lower shell is actually laterally stiff for a non-plug boot, and it is easy to increase the flex by just buying a new tongue set. I think the liners that come with them are too soft, but you can always upgrade to a performance liner from Intuition or others. The best part is they are easy to get in/off no matter how cold it is. They will keep a ski up on edge on anything short of true ice. They are not modern race plugs, so if you want that level of performance on hard pack look elsewhere. But with the right tongue and liner, they can hold their own against more modern performance boots for all around skiing. That is if they fit or can be made to fit the shape of your foot (like any other boot). I had an old Raichle Flexon for years. It was just as fast in beer league courses as new consumer race boots. Of course, it was game over when compared to my Lange ZC, however with the Flexon I could then ski the entire mountain, not so easy with the Lange which reacted to every non-groomed patch of snow like an F1 car going off road. The Flexon's plastic was final looking really worn last year, so I replaced it with the Full-Tilt Classic, which is exactly the same boot. So far so good, skis exactly the same as the Flexon after I put the 12 flex tongues on it. Feels around 130+ flex now. I was also impressed with the new wide track buckles. The old Flexon buckles where a PITA when they got clogged with snow. So, far no problems with the Classic. I got the Classic at a huge discount since it was from the previous year, and even after spending the $49 for the 12 flex tongues, it was still a screaming good deal for a new boot.

 

[Ecimmortal]

IMO the Full Tilt Evolution shell is an absolute bucket. I feel like they could have done a lot better with a higher volume offering than they did. It's pretty dissapointing, and the cuff was super low. Probably the worst skiing I have done in years was in those boots.

 

[Philpug]

I too am fairly familiar with the FullTilt going back to when it was the Flexon. I was in a Flexon Comp from 1985 till about 2002 when Dalbello released the first Krypton, in fact my name on another ski site is still Flexon Phil. I jokingly say I was in the same pair of Flexons that whole time, I replaced the liners five times and the sheels six times, but they were the same boots.

With all of that said, will they work for the OP? Who knows. What he deems as a short wide high instep foot could range anywhere from somewhat normal to a horse hoof. Since he is an Instructor, I would suggest asking the fellow instructors at his hill where they get their boot work done and start there.

 

[bbbradley]

I skied/raced Flexon Comps back in the day...I loved the boots! The tongue design did make for easier ingress/egress, and the various components could be swapped out for a VW Harlequin edition boot if you so desired. What I didn't like was how the buckles/cables seemed to break often. The 1st buckle was not up to the task of SL gates, it was routinely bent after a day or two of training. Then, once bent, cranking it down put more pressure on it...until the mechanism broke...typically in the starting gate of a race. I had the piano wire cable break on my multiple times, I learned to carry a spare cable or 4 for in-lodge repairs. Those red Raichles above, without the 1st buckle gate deflector would have been a nightmare!

I was a lighter skier back then, so the flex was never an issue, however, even as a HS racer I did "upgrade" to a stiffer set of tongues on guidance and assistance from my coach and a Raichle rep. Looks like the original tongue in these, though with some "sharpie modification." I do spy 2 replaced buckles on the right boot, and a purple ankle disc on the left boot.

 

[JPL]

Big fan of the Full Tilt Classics, I'm on my second pair and skied Raichles before that. Love the intuition liner, I prefer the wrap around model. I would say my foot is a D width and I have a low instep. I have skied the different consumer Fischer race boots, they fit my foot well and so do the Tilts. I can stay in these for the morning coaching work and go right into the adult race league no problem, my feet are warm and comfortable.

 

[cem]

back in the Raichle days that boot won more downhills than any other, when it went to full tilt they tried to attract a young "freestyle" market and for a few years all you could buy were "versions" that nobody over the age of 25 would consider.... i think they had a long look at themselves and realized there was definitely a market for the classic fit in more "sensible" colour options the design is now over 40 years old, so it is difficult to knock it as it has endured the flip to rear entry and back to 4 buckle overlap boots, crazy thing is the classic mold as it is was a bit of a mistake, it was meant to have more of an asymmetrical shape over the instep

 

[MattSmith]

2x for everything that's been communicated about finding a good boot fitter if you feel like you need one (and from the description of your foot, it sounds like you do).

The buying experience
Last season was my first in Full Tilt boots. I'd been in Lange RX 130s since 2014 (2 pair). When I was fitted for the Lange boots I was told I have a very normal foot so a 99mm last works well for me. That put me in the "First Chair" line of boots. I also have a very normal stance (no pronation/supination) so I didn't require much in the way of fitting. I couldn't find the FC 130 in any of the local shops. I found a FC 120, and tried it on. The fit was fine. ...and I bought them online from Full Tilt (gasp!). I would have purchased from the shop, but they didn't seem to be positioned to order new stock. In retrospect, I believe I *could* have purchased the 120s and swapped out the tongue for a stiffer flex. I also purchased flat plates to replace the GripWalk soles. Only 1 of 3 pairs of skis had even WTR rated bindings so I was more comfortable going with the flat plates.
One additional note, I moved away from the Langes and traditional 4 buckle boots for convenience and perhaps necessity. I tore the bottom cuff on the last two pair of boots taking the boots off.

The skiing experience
Easy, fun, different... In researching the Full Tilts, the overwhelming criticism is that they are a "soft" boot. Maybe? I'm not sure I have the vocabulary to describe it. The difference in feel was immediately noticeable. I'd say the flex pattern is different. Not "soft", just different. Less forward lean. More upright and centered over the ski. The FC seems to take a little more "touch" over just railing on the front of the boot to carve a turn on harder pack snow. If I were skiing a lot of hard pack and firm conditions, I'm not sure I'd love the FC as much as I do. I think the boot really shines in softer snow and powder where you don't want to apply a ton of forward pressure. It likes smaller moves and nudges over strong consistent pressure. Like I said, I probably don't have the vocabulary for it.

The comfort and convenience
At the end of the day is why I decided to try Full Tilt. It 100% delivers on easy on and off capabilities. The buckle adjustments take a little getting used to. I found they are not nearly as consistent as a 4 buckle boot because I'm sliding the buckles forward for the initial latch and then back to tighten them down a bit. Once I knew where the buckle needs to land for a good fit, it was fine.
Once you are in, I'm not sure Full Tilt offers more comfort or room than any other well-fit boot. As previous posters point out, FT offers a range of boots for different foot types and sizes just like all the other boot makers. Tight = restricted blood flow = cold feet. No getting around that. That said, I find I set it and forget it, unlike 4 buckle boots where I'm occasionally unbuckling the top two buckles before riding the lift.
I mentioned I removed the GripWalk soles. I found the FTs more difficult to walk in than my old boots. 2 things at work here. The new soles were pristine where my old boots had become somewhat rockered as a result of considerable wear. A few days of use and they were fine to walk in. ALSO, I kinda miss unbuckling the top buckles to walk/hike. I've been releasing the top buckle, leaving it "looped" to walk. It's fine, and may break in a little more, and I'll eventually put the GripWalk soles back on as I phase out the non-GripWalk compatible bindings.

About me:

• Advanced athletic skier. I ski everything on the mountain.
• Colorado based. 50 - 100 days depending on the year.
• 6 ft, 185lbs
• 11.5 shoe size
• Ski: Rossi Exp 100s (190) Rossi Back Ops 98 (192), Line Supernatural 115 (186)
• Look Pivot bindings

Happy Shopping!

 

[Scrundy]

I assume but not sure but are there some models that can canted on soles? I would think First Chair looks like it’s possible, any idea?

 

[MattSmith]

I assume but not sure but are there some models that can canted on soles? I would think First Chair looks like it’s possible, any idea?

"Canting" referencing lateral adjustment (as opposed to forward adjustment) of the boot to account for pronation/supination?

Curiously, only the FC 130 reference forward and lateral lean adjustment.

...but the entire First Chair line is built on the "Soul" (FTS) shell. They all more or less look the same, so I'm not sure why there no adjustment advertised on the 120 and 100 flex. Better to ask an expert.

 

[dbostedo]

"Canting" referencing lateral adjustment (as opposed to forward adjustment) of the boot to account for pronation/supination?

Yes, but not just movement of the cuff versus the lower boot.... instead it's changing the bottom of the boot to tip the whole thing left or right. Either shaving a solid soled boot, or putting in shims onto replaceable soles.

Here's a bit of a guide from Cantology, which makes shims to be put into replaceable soles: https://www.cantology.com/how.htm

 

[cem]

I assume but not sure but are there some models that can canted on soles? I would think First Chair looks like it’s possible, any idea?

yes, Cantology make shims for the models with a replaceable heel and toe

 

[Uncle-A]

"Canting" referencing lateral adjustment (as opposed to forward adjustment) of the boot to account for pronation/supination?

Curiously, only the FC 130 reference forward and lateral lean adjustment.
View attachment 140176

...but the entire First Chair line is built on the "Soul" (FTS) shell. They all more or less look the same, so I'm not sure why there no adjustment advertised on the 120 and 100 flex. Better to ask an expert.

Raichle Parts Bag

• Uncle-A
• May 6, 2016

Raichle Canting Parts

• Uncle-A
• May 6, 2016

Raichle Canting Instructions

• Uncle-A
• May 6, 2016

These are from my Flexon Comp's a Canting instruction sheet and hinge plate and screw and some Canting Washers number 1, 2, & 3 size.

These are posted in the All Things Raichle thread and it is how to cant or should I say Cuff Alignment the Flexon Comp. I was working in a shop that was an authorized Raichle dealer when I purchased mine, a Raichle representative had stopped in and I had him set up my boots when I had my feet in them.

 

[James]

^ interesting! I take it Full Tilt doesn’t do that anymore?

OP, try them on. I couldn’t stand them in the store. I’ve never been able to fit in them, and I hate the boot board. The whole feel of the slush buckets. But that’s me. Given enough time and tries and mods, maybe i could make one work. It’s not like I’m over the moon with any boot I’ve ever had.

No one can really say online if they work for you. I’ve wanted to like them since they came back, but can’t.
Fwiw, not much, I know someone who’s supposed to be skiing in a Full Tilt. He skis a Lange RS race boot with FT stickers on it in a half hearted attempt. And he’s a freestylist, even has a pair of those skis with no edges for rails.