scarpa f-1 boot review

Scarpa F-1 boot review

• Weight: 1230g; 2lbs 11oz (1/2 pair size 27)

The past season I’ve been skiing/testing a few new iterations of the Scarpa F-1 backcountry ski boot.  I’ve been getting a bunch of questions about them so I thought I’d post a little review.

A brief history and disclaimer: This is not a fair and balanced review, I’ve been a huge fan of Scarpa boots since the Terminator days, before I worked with the company. I’ve been skiing with Scarpa for the past 10 years or so with Powderwhore and as an athlete. Their boots fit my feet incredibly well. I usually don’t even get them therma-fit. I haven’t used any other boots from other manufacturer’s so I don’t have much to offer in the way of comparison with other brands and models. I’m 6’ 3” and 200 lbs and I ski blue squares quite aggressively if they’re well groomed.

My quiver of skis range from race skis (63mm) to powder board (120mm) and everything in between at about 10mm increments. I’ve loved the Maestrale as my daily workhorse for powder and ski mountaineering and the Alien is great for huge days and racing. Scarpa had one big hole in the line-up between the Maestrale and the Alien. Two years ago they released the F-1 to fill this void. Unfortunately the tectronic (auto lock tour mode) had some failures and the boot was recalled. I almost held on to mine anyway because I didn’t have those issues and they filled that much needed mid-light category I’d been looking for. The boot has been available in Europe, but N.A. wanted more testing before they invested in it again and distributed it here.

(Top of the Waldo Couloir, photo-Adam Clark)

The two big changes for the new F-1 are the return to a standard and SIMPLE ski/tour lever made of metal and they used a more durable rubber for the sole. I put in over 40 backcountry days on two versions of this boot in the Wasatch and Alaska last winter and I’m really impressed. I used the F-1 on deep powder days with a fat ski and loved it as long as the snow was blower. But the boot excels for me when paired with an 85mm ski on the short side, 180cm or under. I took this set-up to Alaska and it was the perfect expedition set-up. I really enjoyed it on the steeps in powder and mixed conditions.

(Booting one of the Memorial Couloirs, photo- Adam Clark)

Fit:

I’m a 28 and these fit a bit more snug then the Maestrale 28. I had to get them cooked and now they fit well.

Function:

I think folks who are lighter, shorter, and weigh less than 170lb are really going to love this boot. It’s a great mid-weight option for skis in the 75-90mm (and larger in good conditions). Not a hard charger, but excellent for mellow pow, ski mountaineering, expeditions and long link-ups. The tour mechanism can ice up on rare occasion, but it’s very easy to clear the snow/ice and get it to engage. I like the boa system and how quick and easy it is to adjust tension in the lower shell. I’ve never had any issues with it. The boot flex is very smooth, maybe on the soft side.

Durability:

I would say the biggest improvement beside the new tour mechanism is the sole durability. I really tore up my first generation boot and even some of the later models, but the final version is much more rugged. The plastic in the cuff does tend to soften up a bit and the boot skis softer over time.

Improvements:

-Always seeking perfection and wanting more; I would love to see an incresed range of motion (like the Alien) for touring and a stiffer (maybe carbon, maybe taller) cuff.

-The cuff’s overlap is a little annoying getting in and out can be annoying.

-Maybe a better one strap system for the upper cuff? The two straps seems redundant.

(Whipple Couloir, photo-Adam Clark)

There have been huge leaps in tech for the BC skier over the past few years. I really feel like this is the “golden age” of backcountry. For the first time I have all the perfect combinations of skis, boots and bindings for whatever the outing requires.

Happy to help with any questions, just hit me up in the comments.