Selecting Telemark Boots

We have Black Diamond and Scarpa to thank for today's modern tele boot. They started the plastic revolution in 1992 with the Terminator and nobody has really looked back since. [BTW: the Alpineer, our parent company here in Crested Butte, was also on the leading edge of that revolution, selling more Terminators in those first couple years than any other dealer in the country.] Garmont and Crispi soon joined the fray and added much needed competition that has driven telemark boot technology to its current state-of-the-art; warm, powerful, durable, low-maintenance, lightweight plastic boots with (almost exclusively) thermo-moldable custom liners. At Telemarkski.com we carry an array of tele boots from all the major manufacturers, so we've provided this article with lots of links to help narrow your tele boot choices.

While driving each other to new heights of performance and better features, Scarpa, Garmont and Crispi have managed to retain many of the features that make them distinct from one another, both in terms of fit and purpose. This is a really great thing and allows each of us to pick a tele boot that suits our needs without undue compromise.

Perhaps the most important thing with any footwear is fit. Although the trend toward thermo-moldable liners has begun to blur the lines some, fit has traditionally been one of the real difference between brands. Skiers with narrow feet have always fit best in Scarpa and those with wider feet have always gravitated to the Garmont or Crispi fit. Of course, those of you lucky enough to have perfectly medium volume feet can take advantage of the heat moldable liners that now come standard on most boots and have your pick of the litter. You lucky few will base your decision almost exclusively on your performance needs.

Touring Boots

For those of you who avoid lift lines like the plague, these tele boots are suited to climbing and touring in the backcountry. They are first and foremost -- lighter weight. They have lower cuffs for more freedom of movement, generally less buckles and are made of a softer, easier flexing plastic. The Scarpa T-3 and Garmont Excursion are good examples of these boots. Although we may not see many of these in the West these days, they are great options for touring rolling terrain and will give enough support to make some turns on low angle hills. Even if we do not have all of these in stock, we can special order anything that our manufacturers carry.Give us a call to check availability.

All Mountain Boots

Many of us here in Crested Butte split our time between the lifts and the backcountry, because both are so fantastic. So we are always looking for that perfect all-purpose-does-everything-well telemark boot. We don't really want a tele boot as light as the T-3 or Excursion because they don't allow us to put the power into our bigger skis, but since we are often skinning up to the peak for our turns, we don't want to carry the big monsters either. Just about any telemark boot could be forced into this category, but we think there are some clear choices. Namely, the Garmont SynerG, the Garmont Venus (for her), the Crispi XP or the Scarpa T2X or T2X Women's. Each of these tele boots has three buckles, higher cuffs and stiffer plastic than their touring cousins, but lack the power, weight and stiffness of their bigger brothers and sisters. Also great for intermediate or beginner skiers who are learning how to flex that tele turn.

Freeride Boots

For those who value performance, stiffness and control over all else. It's a gross generalization we know, but the skier in this category generally skis lift served terrain and isn't so concerned about weight and touring ability. That said, we will be the first to acknowledge that more and more people are taking these things into the backcountry because they are willing and able to sacrifice weight for control. These boots have substantially higher cuffs, three or four buckles, are made of a much stiffer plastic and could be used to anchor a small boat. (Well, ok, that's an exaggeration). The king of this mountain has always been the Scarpa T-Race, a niche boot. The more versatile and useful boots in this category include the Scarpa T-1, the Garmont Ener-G, Garmont Elektra, Scarpa T1 Lady , and the Crispi X-R, which are all excellent choices for skiers that are primarily in bounds, but enjoy venturing off-piste occasionally.

So, once again, we've loaded you up with information that we hope will help you make the right choice for your equipment. There's also a lot more out there about boots including our extensive reviews of each individual boot, a boot size guide and a page about thermo-moldable liners. Also see our Staff Picks page for what ski, boot and binding packages we prefer.

Check out our Gear Finder T to get a personalized recommendation from our staff.

P.S. Some skiers still lament the death of leather tele boots, with their lighter weight, softer flex and more sensitive feel at the ball of the foot. We tried to stock leather boots as long as we could find them. Those days, sad to say are now gone. We don't know anybody of substantial size and quality still making leather boots, and that's why we don't stock them.