re: [at-l] Gear & trip report

["Stewart Holt" <Stewart_Holt@csi.com>]

On Fri, 25 Sep 1998 16:46:26 -0400 (EDT), Valerie Henderson
<vlh1@acpub.duke.edu> wrote:

I have recently gotten a pair of Salomon X-Mountain boots too. I am
extremely pleased with them. Salomon has been in the ski boot business, I am
told. The boot has a rubber part that attaches from the sole, that the
middle lace eyelets are attached to. This gives a very effective grip on the
middle part of the foot which keeps it from slipping. I had been using a
light hiking boot and the difference in stability with these is great. The
lace eyelets work so easily that you can tighten them with very little
effort. The laces move through each eyelet with nearly no friction when
pulled so you tighten all the way from the bottom to the top. I have never
seen laces and eyelets like this. (I don't ski.)

As Val said, you can easily over tighten them. I have used these boots on
one 10 mile day hike and 1 day of trail maintenance, so far. For me, at
least, they were a perfect fit straight from the box. My old boots were my
nominal shoe size (9.5, recently upped to 10) and had been killing my toes
on downhills, even using every lacing trick I knew. The new ones are size
11. When fitting boots, be sure that none of your toes hit the end on steep
down grades. This is a combination of length and how well the boot holds the
foot in position.

>The boots:
>My feet are the one place I refuse to skimp.  If my feet aren't happy, 
>I'm not happy.  So, I took a deep breath and bought a pair of Salomon 
>X-Mountain Mids.  Overall these boots are fantastic!  They're a little 
>bit heavier than I'd like, but they offer great ankle support which is 
>essential for me.  They have what my outfitter friend calls "speed laces" 
>which makes them really easy.  Only problem is it's also really easy to 
>lace them too tight.  I had some problems when I laced the boots too 
>tight and cut off circulation to my toes.  But not a single blister.  
>Overall grade: B+


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