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Boot liners to decrease stiffness.

DrG

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So I purchased a new pair of Atomic Ultra Hawx XTD 120’s last ski season....I really like the way they fit and perform. But I’m thinking I might want to play with decreasing the stiffness a bit for some touring/mogul skiing. I guess the first question is, is changing the liner the easiest way to non permanently decrease the flex of a boot? If so what liners do y’all think would work best for this? I realize it’s a subjective choice, but I need y’all’s expertise here. Hope everyone is well.
 

Uncle-A

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A picture of the shell might help make a recommendation. Some shells have revets that you can remove and if it softens the shell too much you could replace them.
 

Wendy

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So I purchased a new pair of Atomic Ultra Hawx XTD 120’s last ski season....I really like the way they fit and perform. But I’m thinking I might want to play with decreasing the stiffness a bit for some touring/mogul skiing. I guess the first question is, is changing the liner the easiest way to non permanently decrease the flex of a boot? If so what liners do y’all think would work best for this? I realize it’s a subjective choice, but I need y’all’s expertise here. Hope everyone is well.
My experience with aftermarket liners is they increase the boot stiffness. The other way to permanently soften the boot is to make U-shaped cuts in the shell, 2 on either lateral side of the cuff. Best to let a boot fitter do this. But check if there’s a bolt in the back you can remove first. That’s not a permanent change. Don’t know if the XTD has the bolts.
 

Slim

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The XTD’s have a walk mode, so won’t have any bolts.

@DrG , are you talking about flex in ski mode, or range of motion/resistance to forward flexion in walking mode?

For the latter, you might try some AT liners with more flex in the front and back of the ankles than the stock liners.
Sierra trading post often has the Scarpa liners for sale cheap, if you want to try that out.
They would also make the boots flex a bit softer, but not very much.


If it was for skiing stiffness, you are down to cutting out the lower like @Wendy said, or grinding down the spine in the back of the cuff, to make it thinner and less stiff, so all permanent.
 

cem

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My experience with aftermarket liners is they increase the boot stiffness. The other way to permanently soften the boot is to make U-shaped cuts in the shell, 2 on either lateral side of the cuff. Best to let a boot fitter do this. But check if there’s a bolt in the back you can remove first. That’s not a permanent change. Don’t know if the XTD has the bolts.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME and to be honest it wont work on the XTD, there are no bolts which can be removed and as the boot is a thin wall construction there is a thickened strengthening web at the top edge of the lower shell, if you cut that to make the U shaped cuts you will weaken the shell massively

no really effective way to soften that boot, booster strap and possibly have the cuff buckles looser or you can remover A LITTLE material from the slower straps of the cuff where buckle 3 is attached and they overlap the lower shell, but have a boot fitter do it for you
 

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