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Noodler

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I was trying to remember the "line of succession" when it comes to the boot brands we know today. What happened to the San Marco and Caber boots of yesteryear? I seem to remember that a few of these brands were scooped up by the larger ski/binding manufacturers when we were in the era of the major push from the brands to become "complete" single brand equipment lines.

So does anyone remember the lines of lineage for each our current boot brands?
 
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Noodler

Noodler

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Dolomite?
Hanson?
Did Dynafit just drop their alpine models?
Are Lange and Nordica the only original boot companies that still remain?
Did Salomon's boots come from in-house development only or did they buy another brand?

Like I said, I've forgotten much of the ski boot history.
 

Philpug

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Dolomite?
Hanson?
Did Dynafit just drop their alpine models?
Are Lange and Nordica the only original boot companies that still remain?
Did Salomon's boots come from in-house development only or did they buy another brand?

Like I said, I've forgotten much of the ski boot history.
Salomon was in house other than the Evolution collection that came from Heirling.
 

cantunamunch

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Alpina is still going.

Raichle stopped making alpine boots and their mountain footwear brand got rolled into Mammut.

Dolomite went to Tecnica and then to Scott and stopped making alpine boots.
 
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Andy Mink

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Raichle? I know Full Tilt is making a current version of the Flexon series but what happened to the brand? I have a pair of REI branded Raichle hiking boots but don't know how old they are.
 

David Chaus

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Raichle? I know Full Tilt is making a current version of the Flexon series but what happened to the brand? I have a pair of REI branded Raichle hiking boots but don't know how old they are.

I had a pair of Raichle leather hiking boots I bought in 1981, IIRC.

From Wikipedia:

In 1983, the company was sold to Peter Werhan, grandson of Konrad Adenauer, the chancellor of Germany. Werhan was an avid skier, and saw the purchase as an opportunity to mix work and play. During the 1980s, sales of the Flexon line grew dramatically. Even a newly-opened factory was hard pressed to keep up with demand, which reached 400,000 pairs a year.[8]

In the late 1980s, Werhan fell asleep while driving and was killed. Werhan's wife Beatris took over, but by 1996, the business was on the verge of bankruptcy. The company was then purchased by Kneissl & Friends and operated as before. However, in 1999, the owner of Kneissl & Friends undertook a re-branding exercise, creating Kneissl-Raichle. This change, combined with a move to produce the boot under license at Roces, failed, and sales slowed.[8]

Kneissl & Friends was sold to Roces in 2001, and boot production under the Raichle brand ended. Many freestyle and mogul skiers considered the Flexon essential. When Flexon sales ended, Ebay became a major source for parts to keep Flexon boots working. Skiers like Seth Morrison built up large stocks of spare parts to keep their boots on the hill.[9]

After Flexon
In 2004, K2 Sports bought the original Flexon moulds, planning to enter the boot business.[N 1] However, they initially did nothing with the design. In 2006, K2 purchased Line Skis, and Line decided to immediately re-launch the Flexon under the new brand-name, Full Tilt. Immediate turned out to be a relative term, and the new boots did not reach the market until early 2006 in Japan, Canada at the end of that year, and a full launch in 2008 in the US. Their first products were simple re-creations of the original Flexons, but the lineup has since seen several changes.
 

jmeb

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Dynafit made alpine boots? I was aware of swappable sole models but never straight alpine boots.
 
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Noodler

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Dynafit made alpine boots? I was aware of swappable sole models but never straight alpine boots.

Yes, I owned a pair of Dynafit alpine boots when I was somewhere between 12-14. Its unique feature was that the forward flex was controlled by a spring (or rubber block depending on the model) rather than the boot plastic. This made the boots' stiffness much more predictable in different temperatures. I'll see if I can find any pics.

The Internet to the rescue...

e355d76b65ccd47883a6b90675d95f93.jpg


This boot was way ahead of its time. Adjustable forward lean, forward flex, and cuff alignment (canting). It even had a pseudo walk mechanism to allow the cuff to be more upright with the flip of a lever.
 
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Philpug

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Dynafit made alpine boots? I was aware of swappable sole models but never straight alpine boots.
We have a whole forum dedicated to the hystorical aspect of gear, you should check it out...here is Dynafit. My first new boots were Dynafit, i bought the at Sugarman's Eynon Drug...for those with a remembrance of Scranton and NEPA.
 
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Noodler

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We have a whole forum dedicated to the hystorical aspect of gear, you should check it out...here is Dynafit. My first new boots were Dynafit, i bought the at Sugarman's Eynon Drug...for those with a remembrance of Scranton and NEPA.

Our ancient equipment history intersects again... you're like my brotha from anotha motha. ;)
 
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Noodler

Noodler

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Alpina is still going.

Raichle stopped making alpine boots and their mountain footwear brand got rolled into Mammut.

Dolomite went to Tecnica and then to Scott and stopped making alpine boots.

Looks like I missed Tecnica as a long standing boot brand, but I didn't realize Dolomite was bought by them.
 

CalG

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I was trying to remember the "line of succession" when it comes to the boot brands we know today. What happened to the San Marco and Caber boots of yesteryear? I seem to remember that a few of these brands were scooped up by the larger ski/binding manufacturers when we were in the era of the major push from the brands to become "complete" single brand equipment lines.

So does anyone remember the lines of lineage for each our current boot brands?

When I purchased a pair of Head World Cup boots from The Starting Gate near Stratton, considered the San Marco boot as well. I sort of liked the lower buckles closing inward. The San Marco was red, the Head was yellow. The red ones would have been faster, but they didn't have any in my size. Heads went out the door under my arm. ;-)

That was a pivotal purchase for me, for when I asked about fit , the tech replied "If we go through the process, and you don't like the result, we start over with a different pair". That is when I realized you don't buy boots, you select a boot fitter.

An Aside:
I have a pair of leather ski boots that serve me well when snow shoeing. They are double boots, with inner and outer lacing. Talk about comfortable to wear!
The only markings are on the soles. A stylized S within a circle, and the name Kitzbuhel. Any ideas?
I really should get them resoled with Vibram and wear them hiking. Yes, they are that comfortable. Fit I suppose.
 

oldschoolskier

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San Marco -> Head

Caber -> Rossignol

Koflach -> Atomic

Garmont -> Scott

Dolomite?
Hanson?
Did Dynafit just drop their alpine models?
Are Lange and Nordica the only original boot companies that still remain?
Did Salomon's boots come from in-house development only or did they buy another brand?

Like I said, I've forgotten much of the ski boot history.

Aren’t the Rossi boot and Lange boot the same at the upper end except for color as they have the same parent.
 

skipress

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Aren’t the Rossi boot and Lange boot the same at the upper end except for color as they have the same parent.

Essentially yes, there might be some minor liner differences.

Colour can also make a small difference. I do recall a meeting at the Lange factory way back when, discussing the changes in a new model. I think it was when the pink XRI became a newer blue model [first time they were blue] and the discussion was about the new model. One difference was the flex - 'this year's a bit stiffer'. I enthusiastically asked [I was young].. how do you engineer that, how do you pick different hardnesses of materials? The reply, deadpan, 'the blue plastic chips were harder when they arrived....'

In addition to Caber the Rossi group also purchased and closed Trappeur. I suspect it has probably changed, but early on after the purchase and the Rossi boot launch I think Lange made the Lange and Rossi shells and the liners came out of Caber. These days the liners probably come out of eastern Europe.

Salomon was in house other than the Evolution collection that came from Heirling.

It was slightly more nuanced. I think Heierling was the brains and designer but their boots were made in Italy by San Giorgio, and in most of the European markets they were sold as San Giorgio. The Evos were out of the Italian factory. Stand to be corrected on this but I think the sliding block flex adjuster [or possibly the double one] was a Heierling patent.
 

markojp

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Aren’t the Rossi boot and Lange boot the same at the upper end except for color as they have the same parent.

Only the race boots. The recreational boots are very different creatures even if in the same corporate group.
 

James

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In addition to Caber the Rossi group also purchased and closed Trappeur. I suspect it has probably changed, but early on after the purchase and the Rossi boot launch I think Lange made the Lange and Rossi shells and the liners came out of Caber. These days the liners probably come out of eastern Europe.
I was going to ask about Trappeur. God, I had a pair in the late 70's. Incredibly heavy. Probably 1-2 sizes too big. As a teenager, wth did I know?
Eventually replaced with Lange Tii, which felt much, much lighter.
It was this one. That metal rod was like 5/16 thick. They don't even look lime they fit Killy in the calf.
I think eventually they were trashed boot hitching behind a car at at nearly 50mph. Wore the soles down.

IMG_6355.JPG

I talked to someone who was at the Lange factory not that long ago. They considered Lange an Italian boot. The origins of Bob Lange totally gone.
 

dbostedo

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Colour can also make a small difference. I do recall a meeting at the Lange factory way back when, discussing the changes in a new model. I think it was when the pink XRI became a newer blue model [first time they were blue] and the discussion was about the new model. One difference was the flex - 'this year's a bit stiffer'. I enthusiastically asked [I was young].. how do you engineer that, how do you pick different hardnesses of materials? The reply, deadpan, 'the blue plastic chips were harder when they arrived....'

@Noodler ... did you notice any difference in your boots after you dyed them black? ogsmile
 

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