GripWalk Discussion

[Noodler]

My first experience with GripWalk boot soles convinced me that they are simply not a great solution for improving walking performance and can create challenges with binding compatibility and binding delta angles.

Personally, I really hated the feel of walking on GripWalk soles. Having the "hump" of the toe plate under the ball of the foot just doesn't feel natural to me. Maybe it's because I have a fairly short BSL, but the GW soles didn't make walking in boots easier. You're still dealing with having to "get over" the front toe edge of the boot. The GW sole doesn't eliminate that part of the challenge of walking in ski boots.

They also are screwing up my binding delta angles. I assumed that the adjustable AFD, once adjusted correctly for the GW sole, would yield the same delta angle as my standard alpine soles when used in the same binding. Unfortunately I've found that actually isn't the case. Since I'm sensitive to the binding delta this results in a hassle to fix. Without any benefit in the walking mode, I don't want to deal with a double whammy from the binding delta too.

So what to do? I still wanted the extra grip provided by the replacement GripWalk soles for my Fischer The Curv 130 boots. Unfortunately there aren't other replacement soles for these boots that use the grippier rubber, but are not GripWalk. Time for the benchtop belt sander and the planer/jointer...

Before:

After:

I was able to clean up the grind to the sole piece afterward by using flame polishing. So now it looks more like there never was any sanding/grinding even done (too lazy to take a new pic ).

Walking on the boots after this mod feels much better to me. It didn't completely eliminate the delta challenge, but it did fix a problem I was having with the stability of the boots in my new Daymakers Touring Adapters. So it's much better now.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Agree 100% my solution for my Ranger Frees is GW heel, DIN toe.

 

[Philpug]

I agree they are an answer to a question that wasn't asked and 80% of the grip needed for walking could have been accomplished with a 5355 sole and not the need to make some bindings incompatible and obsolete. If the top of the toe piece coupling is static, how are they changing the delta? The only binding that this is the case is Warden and Sth's and that change is ever so slight.

 

[Lauren]

The only binding that this is the case is Warden and Sth's and that change is ever so slight.

Warden 13s are the only binding that I’ve tried in the recent past (since I started skiing with GripWalk soles) that I have not gotten along with. Could be a coincidence (or possible ski issue), but I have a suspicion that the delta has something to do with it.

 

[Tom K.]

Switching back and forth between the two soles, I actually like the walking feel of the GW sole, though it was odd at first.

But as Phil said, a solution to a problem that wasn't really there, or could have been more easily addressed.

Stoked that my 21/22 Hawx have a DIN sole (not sure if that's the proper term?). It's good to have friends in medium-high places, and now I can ski my AJ Kitt signature Head Titans again.

But slippery parking lot walking is a bit more exciting. I just think of it as my pre-ski warm up!

 

[Philpug]

One of the counter points here that has not been addressed is that because if it's inherent design, the part of the boot that interfaces with the AFD of the binding is protected on the GripWalk because it is recessed. This will allow for a much better interface between the boot and the binding over a traditional 5355 sole where the pad is exposed and susseptable to rocks, dirt, other elements that can contamine the bottom of the boot.

Yes, devices like CatTracks or Skootys help and protect the sole but they take dicipline to use all the time and then the need to store them.

 

[ejj]

I've been using GW for a bit now and enjoy it. I can blow past anyone in the food court.

I haven't blind tested between boots, however, so I don't know that I can state that I notice a huge difference while free-skiing in variable conditions.

Related: any thoughts on which bindings are better suited than others? I'm skiing the Warden MNC.

 

[Scrundy]

I've been using GW for a bit now and enjoy it. I can blow past anyone in the food court

 

[cantunamunch]

I've been using GW for a bit now and enjoy it. I can blow past anyone in the food court.

Tile or carpet ?

*smells a YouTube-worthy challenge*

 

[Green08]

Yes, devices like CatTracks or Skootys help and protect the sole but they take dicipline to use all the time and then the need to store them.

I rather like my cataracts. I ski with a pack so the "need to store them" is simple enough. And I have found the improvement in walking gait and massive improvement in grip well worth the minute it takes to put them on and off. They have proved especially helpful this season during covid, with more walking in ski boots in the parking lot.

 

[Noodler]

I really don't get it. I don't find the GW sole to improve the walking gait enough to warrant the expense and aggravation that the ski industry has gone through. If you were going to make this change and knew that it would take design changes in the bindings to be compatible, then is this the best they could do? I would have "rockered" the entire boot sole. This would require a change to the binding heels similar to what they did for the toes (probably just a ski brake interface change) and would have truly made a difference.

 

[crgildart]

Have you tried snowboard boots?

 

[bbbradley]

GW may suck, but slick plastic boot lifters are dodgy! I've acquired new boot skiing techniques to accommodate.

 

[Tom K.]

Tile or carpet ?

*smells a YouTube-worthy challenge*

Agreed, but there better be a statistically significant sample populationl

None of this anecdotal N=1 nonsense.

 

[James]

The irony is that vibram type plates were available for solid lug boots. I had various pairs. They weren’t great, but better for walking. Certainly less slippery. Maybe they were sketchy for release or something as they disappeared before grip walk.

 

[SkiVt]

They work really well, feels like your walking on rubber mat
makes driving easier to avoid the booting up in parking lot bs

 

[markojp]

GW may suck, but slick plastic boot lifters are dodgy! I've acquired new boot skiing techniques to accommodate.

Head makes a vibram sole you can use on your Raptors... a bit $$$ though.

 

[Steve]

A friend bought Dalbello Lupo's with GW soles and is using them in his skis which do not have GW compatible bindings.

What is the risk here? Too easy release? Not release easily enough?

 

[François Pugh]

Its a marketing plot to get you to replace you perfectly serviceable old metal bindings with new ones that will fit your new boots.

 

[Philpug]

My only knock against my K2 Recon Pro's and their GripWalk is that it is almost too grippy, there is too much texture and snow does clump under the boot. The Nordica/Tecnica soles have less texture but are just as soft so they don't collect snow as much.