Ultimate alpine TOURING boot?

I think I understand what Bill G was getting at. If the inner boot is snug to the foot and ankle (and with the outer loosened alot), it can "float" a bit within the outer boot, somewhat negating the apparent stiffness of the outer boot.<br><br>I prefer sneakers walking too, but even on relatively short hikes on rough terrain, my feet ache too much in sneakers. With added weight on the back I just can't use light shoes or light hikers.<br><br>Alan

I think lacing on inner boots is overrated. My stock Denali liners had laces, but after a while I pulled them out and it made no difference whatsoever in either how they hiked or how they skied. If the laces make a difference, then the boot isn't holding your foot well in the first place.  

<br><br>I was told once that the laces in the liners of that category of boot are *only* there so they can better be used as camp booties . . .<br><br><br>Edit to add:<br>Hmm, on second thought: the notion that the laces in liners hold you feet in the liner better while skinning and all buckles are loose, doesn't sound unreasonable. But it'll not make a significant performance difference when the boot is buckled for the descent.<br>

If you didn't want the flexible bellows there is the Dynafit TLT 4 Races which no one has and no one knows much about.<br> . <br><br>Of course these don't have flexible bellows. I always thought bellows where a great idea until I read Lou Dawson's F1 review , "In a word it adds comfort, though how much energy it saves over a stiff soled rando boot is open to debate -- and I'm pretty certain it is minimal or even zilch. Why? Because even if the more natural stride saves a smidgen of energy, when you engage the Dynafit binding heel lift, the F1 sags at the ball of the foot every time you start a stride (as telemark boots do when using a climbing lift), thus using up a small amount of umpf."<br><br>Do bellows really not improve skinning economy?<br>

The bellows sure would improve walking and scrambling economy. Some ski tours (especially around here, and especially in low snow years) involve a lot of walking. If I remember correctly, Lou only tested the F1s at a groomed ski area where he didn't do anything except skin up and ski down. His opinion might have changed a bit if he had walked a few miles each way to the snow?<br><br>I'm shopping for a pair of Dynafit compatible boots for a light-weight touring setup. What would you folks recommend? F1's? MLT4's? something larger? What do you ski on?

Also, considering the bellows on shorter trips: what about efficiency of kicking steps into hard snow and holding a grip upon climbing? And what about compatibility with crampons?

Also, considering the bellows on shorter trips:  what about efficiency of kicking steps into hard snow and holding a grip upon climbing?  And what about compatibility with crampons?

<br><br>I'm pretty sure that the boot review in either this fall's Couloir or Backcountry review (can't review which) remarked upon a noticeable inefficiency when kicking steps into hard snow with the F1. (But it didn't say anything about crampon compatibility problems, nor would I expect that, since the problem with tele boot crampon compatability is the duck toe, not the bellows.)<br>