GripWalk Soles ... worth it?

[jo3st3]

I purchased a pair of Lange RX 120 boots this year. I don't hike for my runs, so they seemed very solid choice.

I see that the new XT3 boots are really popular and well advertised this year. I feel like most people ski groomers at resorts, but are GripWalk soles so much better that people go for those boots? Or add them to their existing boots?

I have a pair of Nordica Enforcer 93 skis with bindings that don't support GripWalk soles. Is it worth the upgrade?

 

[Philpug]

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...

www.pugski.com

I have a pair of Nordica Enforcer 93 skis with bindings that don't support GripWalk soles. Is it worth the upgrade?

Are the worth swapping bindings out too? No, I cannot say they are. But your next ski, make sure the binding is GW compatible...which at that point it probably will be.

 

[Ken_R]

I purchased a pair of Lange RX 120 boots this year. I don't hike for my runs, so they seemed very solid choice.

I see that the new XT3 boots are really popular and well advertised this year. I feel like most people ski groomers at resorts, but are GripWalk soles so much better that people go for those boots? Or add them to their existing boots?

I have a pair of Nordica Enforcer 93 skis with bindings that don't support GripWalk soles. Is it worth the upgrade?

Not really. Just be careful when walking.

 

[Philpug]

Not really. Just be careful when walking.

I agree, less heel to toe and more "Bigfoot".

 

[onenerdykid]

In general, I would say yes with the caveat that not all GW soles are made of the same material nor do they have the same tread pattern. It's just like choosing tires for your mtn bike- lots of different options out there and they all don't do the job equally well.

If you look at what comes on a Hawx Ultra XTD or Prime XTD, you will get a GW sole with lots of deeply defined tread with carefully thought out grooves for shedding snow and braking surfaces while walking. But, if you look at what comes on some other notable boots, they have the same rockered profile but the tread pattern doesn't look all that much different from a regular ISO 5355. You won't see a big difference with those.

 

[Slim]

@jo3st3 ,
So to be clear: you don’t skin or do bootpacks? So the only benefit of a boot with walk mode and Gripwalk soles would be better walking from the car and to the bathroom, and more comfortable standing lift lines maybe.

Those can certainly be benefits, but e ought to warrant buying another ~$900 pair of boots and new bindings? That seems like a lot of money for minimal benefit. You could buy a whole new pair of skis and bindings for that price!
It would seem, like @Philpug said, the economical thing to do, is just wait until it is time to replace bindings/skis, and make sure they are GW compatible.

 

[locknload]

@jo3st3 ,
So to be clear: you don’t skin or do bootpacks? So the only benefit of a boot with walk mode and Gripwalk soles would be better walking from the car and to the bathroom, and more comfortable standing lift lines maybe.

Those can certainly be benefits, but e ought to warrant buying another ~$900 pair of boots and new bindings? That seems like a lot of money for minimal benefit. You could buy a whole new pair of skis and bindings for that price!
It would seem, like @Philpug said, the economical thing to do, is just wait until it is time to replace bindings/skis, and make sure they are GW compatible.

This. You primarily want them for scrambling around on your hike-to terrain in bounds or if you are BC skier. Too expensive just to have a safer walk from the car.

 

[Scruffy]

It really depends on how comfortable you are walking on snowy/icy surfaces in Alpine DIN ISO 5355 soles.
Me? I practically run in them. My wife? not so much; she's kinda a klutz. So when I mounted up a new pair of skis for her I put GripWalk compat bindings on knowing she was due for new boots soon. I encouraged her to get GW boot soles when she did get new boots. She got Fischer. She loves them. Makes all the differnce in the world for her. So there's that data point for ya.

 

[Scruffy]

This. You primarily want them for scrambling around on your hike-to terrain in bounds or if you are BC skier. Too expensive just to have a safer walk from the car.

My wife tore her hip labrum skiing steep icy moguls a few years back. That tear resulted in a hip replacement. The whole ordeal set her back physically for a long while. We get a lot of ice around the base areas her in the NE. Money did not come into the equation when I wanted her to get GW. It's worth it for the xtra walkability she gets; she's more secure about her footing.

 

[Slim]

My wife tore her hip labrum skiing steep icy moguls a few years back. That tear resulted in a hip replacement. The whole ordeal set her back physically for a long while. We get a lot of ice around the base areas her in the NE. Money did not come into the equation when I wanted her to get GW. It's worth it for the xtra walkability she gets; she's more secure about her footing.

But even you (a pretty Specific case) waited until you were mounting new bindings and she was due for new boots soon.

@jo3st3 said he just got brand new boots, and does NOT have GW compatible bindings.

You knowPugski, we will always recommend upgraded gear , but in this case, it doesn’t seem like te cost benefit ratio is even remotelydecent.

In his case, The rubber covers over boots seem a better option, if he wants better walk

 

[Scruffy]

But even you (a pretty Specific case) waited until you were mounting new bindings and she was due for new boots soon.

@jo3st3 said he just got brand new boots, and does NOT have GW compatible bindings.

You knowPugski, we will always recommend upgraded gear , but in this case, it doesn’t seem like te cost benefit ratio is even remotelydecent.

In his case, The rubber covers over boots seem a better option, if he wants better walk

Right, it is a specific case, and I wasn't really addressing the OP , just adding to the conversation so any reader would have another point of reference. And there wasn't much of a wait, sorry I wasn't clearer. When she got back into skiing after her hip surgery I pushed her into new skis and boots with grip walk in mind; I didn't want her falling on her new hip walking around the base area--I trust her skiing more than her walking. The skis did come first however, as she is penurious to a fault sometimes. I eventually prevailed and she got new boots with GW. My point was, it was worth every penny; she loves the way GW allows her to have a more natural gate. And the added grip over the barely there tread of DIN boot soles is big deal. The natural gate is a big deal for some; no more Frankenstein clop.

The cat tracks are a fine inexpensive option, but a pain to deal with.

 

[ScottB]

I assumed the OP was talking about getting new soles, which are a $50-100 option on a lot of new boots. Then he would have to change his bindings and he is good. Still not worth it in my opinion, but I would agree it depends on your physical condition. If you really want to walk well in ski boots get a releasable cuff, that makes a huge difference comparted to the sole. (the rubber tread is a huge deal, just not the rocker of a grip walk sole is that much better}

 

[Philpug]

I assumed the OP was talking about getting new soles, which are a $50-100 option on a lot of new boots. Then he would have to change his bindings and he is good. Still not worth it in my opinion, but I would agree it depends on your physical condition. If you really want to walk well in ski boots get a releasable cuff, that makes a huge difference comparted to the sole. (the rubber tread is a huge deal, just not the rocker of a grip walk sole is that much better}

I agree. I think a DIN sole that was grippier could have done 75% (plus?) of GripWalk without having to redesign all bindings and make a good percentage of the bindings on the hill incompatible and unsafe when knowingly and in most cases unknowingly paired with a GripWalk sole.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I walk a couple blocks to the bus, a block to the gondola and a bit around the base area. I have GW bindings, so GW is a no brainer for the boots, plus they are my anything but race boots. I find walking in my race boots not bad, but not as nice as GW. More than the actual grip, it's the slight rocker that I miss in the race boots.

 

[ejj]

I never had a problem with DIN boots. A few years ago I went to the Grippy Din on the Lange RX boots. Then Last year I went with a GW sole on the Nordica ProMachine.

I don't need it at all. But it's pretty nice. The rocker helps your stride become a bit more normal/quicker gait. In a walking-race to the chili I will win every time now.

 

[Slim]

I assumed the OP was talking about getting new soles, which are a $50-100 option on a lot of new boots. Then he would have to change his bindings and he is good. Still not worth it in my opinion, but I would agree it depends on your physical condition. If you really want to walk well in ski boots get a releasable cuff, that makes a huge difference comparted to the sole. (the rubber tread is a huge deal, just not the rocker of a grip walk sole is that much better}

Haha, no he was talking about new, ~$750 boots (XT3 120)

 

[David Chaus]

I have Tecnica boots that came with standard soles, though replaceable. So I put Gripwalk soles on them last year. Much easier to walk around in, and for any in-bounds boot packing. I thought about going back to the standard soles, but this season I am anticipating booting up at the car rather than in a lodge, so I'm keeping the Gripwalk soles for now. If it's a short walk from the parking lot I'll just use the boots as they are, if it's a longer walk I'll probably clamp on the YakTrax SkiTrax, which I didn't really use the last couple of years.

I would not invest in a new pair of boots when I didn't really need them.
If I needed new bindings, I would make sure they were GripWalk compatible.

 

[ScottB]

I see that the new XT3 boots are really popular and well advertised this year. I feel like most people ski groomers at resorts, but are GripWalk soles so much better that people go for those boots? Or add them to their existing boots?

I have a pair of Nordica Enforcer 93 skis with bindings that don't support GripWalk soles. Is it worth the upgrade?

Your right Slim.

My response would be that people aren't buying them for the grip walk sole, they are a hybrid resort/backcountry boot (AT) and have pin inserts and a releasable cuff, and grip walk soles. Lange is promoting them as a do it all boot, inbounds and skinning. They are getting good reviews and probably are a very good boot. If you got those and released the cuff, they would really be easy to walk in. But still, don't make all the expensive changes just to walk from the car to the slopes. Although, since its not my $$, I shouldn't be telling you what to do. Hopefully, OP, I have helped you to be able to make an informed decision.

 

[DanoT]

I don't have GW boots but I made sure that my last two ski purchases had GW compatible bindings because I don't want GW/non-GW to be a decision factor in my next boot purchase.

 

[François Pugh]

In a word, no.