Gear How do you buckle your boots?

[Lauren]

Seems like it should be an easy question...

Asking for specifics on how you buckle your boots when you hike. Tight bottom/loose top? Vice versa? Snug all around? Similar to how you ski, or looser?

I'm still really new to the whole AT setup, stick to short hikes at this point (under 2-3 hours) and have a new pair of Dalbello Lupos. Skied them probably 1/2 dozen days this year, but only hiked with them 3 times (other days were just on the resort). I've tried to play with the buckles a bit, but I find when they're too loose my toes jam against the end when walking. When they're too tight, they're uncomfortable to hike in. When skiing...they are amazing. Just trying to find a happy medium for hiking. Not sure if I should have gone up a 1/2 size...but too late for that. So if anyone could comment on that front as well. Do you wear the same size in your regular alpine boots vs. AT boots?

 

[nemesis256]

I have them loose, so much so that some often become unbuckled from the movement. At one time I had problems with heel blisters and having the bottom one buckled helped a bit with that. Same size as alpine boots.

Not sure what to suggest other than keep experimenting. Something works eventually.

 

[Philpug]

Bottom buckles finger tight, top buckles, palm tight.I buckle in the morning and unbuckle at the end of the day and do not need to adjust during the course of the day.

 

[jmeb]

Bottom buckles finger tight, top buckles, palm tight.I buckle in the morning and unbuckle at the end of the day and do not need to adjust during the course of the day.

For touring? No adjustments on way up or down?

I've struggled w/ similar. I think it varies a good bit boot to boot and how well it happens to fit you all the way around.

In my TLT5s, I am completely undone on the way up. No lacing of the liners. Very nice last for my foot.

In my Salomon Mtn labs, I have powerstrap undone (not completely, but not any pressure), very lightly closed top buckle and lower buckle. And most importantly my liners laced to a medium tightness to keep them from moving too much. I have some problems with my heel moving in the mtn labs but otherwise like the last.

My boots sizes are a bit all over the place. My most natural size is 27. TLT5s (very skinny last) are 28.5. Mtn Labs are 27.5 (skinny forefoot, higher volume ankle). My inbounds boots are 26.5 previous gen Tecnica Cochise with highly modded liners and a punch in the big-toe area.

YMMV with lacing liners if applicable. I found I could only lace up once I had liners with a flex zone like the intuition pro tours or similar scarpa liners.

 

[Lauren]

YMMV with lacing liners if applicable. I found I could only lace up once I had liners with a flex zone like the intuition pro tours or similar scarpa liners.

Good thought, I do have lacing liners...and honestly haven't really thought about playing with that as well. They only lace from the ankle bend up, but it's definitely another variable.

 

[Philpug]

For touring? No adjustments on way up or down?

Sorry, but all I read was the title, I really didn't read the whole post and that it was about hiking mode. For as little hiking as I do, yes. I do not like my foot moving around in the boot at all.

 

[Willy]

For hiking, I just use my alpine boots and wear them on the loosest buckle setting on the way up, tighten up top for skiing down. I don't have any problems with them and have hiked for as much as six hours in a day. I have a pair of Rossignol All-Trak 120 that I sometimes use, with a walk release and a newer pair of Lange RX 120 (no walk release) that I use most at my home area. Neither pair hurt my feet hiking or skiing, although that's after having some punch work done.

I would add that I've boot-packed up Mt. St. Helens in a pair of Tecnica Diablos before without any difficulty. I think I just have bulletproof feet.

 

[Lauren]

Neither pair hurt my feet hiking or skiing, although that's after having some punch work done.

Doing some punch work might be the end result after I do some more experimenting with loose/tight buckled, since my larger foot seems to be a bit worse than the small one...though, they’re not THAT much different in size.

 

[crgildart]

Awhile back I started a discussion asking whether walking in unbuckled boots was harder on the liners and shells than walking in them tightly buckled. i.e. do they wear out faster with your feet swimming around in them or is it harder on them to be flexing them when buckled down as intended? Didn't get much traction on that pondering..

 

[Lauren]

Awhile back I started a discussion asking whether walking in unbuckled boots was harder on the liners and shells than walking in them tightly buckled. i.e. do they wear out faster with your feet swimming around in them or is it harder on them to be flexing them when buckled down as intended? Didn't get much traction on that pondering..

Interesting thought...I wouldn't think it would have that much of an impact on the longevity of either the boot nor the liner. Maybe if your feet were completely swimming, they'd wear from the rubbing. But I would think your feet would get tired of the rubbing far before it had an impact on the boot. I remember a lesson taught to me when I was pretty young, was to have hiking boots loose on the way up (but not swimming-ly loose), and tight on the way down...this is how I've been wearing my AT boots as well, and it's worked for the most part, except my big toe issue I described above.

 

[tromano]

I have everything on the outer boot loose for touring to let the ankle have easy range of mention. The laces on my liners are tight all the time because I don’t want to mess with them.

My touring boots are one shell size larger than my resort boots. But that’s not a strategy for anything afaik.

 

[Mike Rogers]

I'm on Maestrale RS's.

I should probably remove the lower toe buckle, as I don't use it up or down...just sort of lactch it with enough pressure for it to stay hooked and out of the way.

Upper Toe buckle is closed on it's loosest rung. I adjust to 2nd rung when skiing down.

Ankle strap and cuff buckle are closed about 1/3 of potential tightness. I adjust almost to tightest setting on the way down (the touring boots are lower cut and close on a skinny part of my calf).

So, I like it looser on the way up. I don't have issues with blisters from the looser setting, but they are the shell isn't upsized much from my alpine set up.

I find downhill level buckling is pretty uncomfortable when I am asking my feet to do anything more than ski.

 

[cantunamunch]

Good thought, I do have lacing liners...and honestly haven't really thought about playing with that as well. They only lace from the ankle bend up, but it's definitely another variable.

If you want YET ANOTHER variable, switch out footbeds. On hiking days use something that gives you more forefoot space.

 

[Lauren]

If you want YET ANOTHER variable, switch out footbeds. On hiking days use something that gives you more forefoot space.

I’ll take every variable I can get at this point; And will be needing some new footbeds soon anyways, so definitely going to entertain this option.

 

[Ken_R]

Seems like it should be an easy question...

Asking for specifics on how you buckle your boots when you hike. Tight bottom/loose top? Vice versa? Snug all around? Similar to how you ski, or looser?

I'm still really new to the whole AT setup, stick to short hikes at this point (under 2-3 hours) and have a new pair of Dalbello Lupos. Skied them probably 1/2 dozen days this year, but only hiked with them 3 times (other days were just on the resort). I've tried to play with the buckles a bit, but I find when they're too loose my toes jam against the end when walking. When they're too tight, they're uncomfortable to hike in. When skiing...they are amazing. Just trying to find a happy medium for hiking. Not sure if I should have gone up a 1/2 size...but too late for that. So if anyone could comment on that front as well. Do you wear the same size in your regular alpine boots vs. AT boots?

Hi, my touring boots are Hawx Ultra XTD's which are a pretty traditional 4 buckle 2 piece overlap design, just with light materials, hardware, WTR sole and dynafit pin fittings and of course a walk mode. The second buckle from the top is the one that really limits fore / aft cuff movement so I tend to leave that loose and the others just barely tight. I tried keeping the buckles loose but then got a bit too much foot movement while walking. The boots fits me pretty tight which is awesome while skiing. My tours are not super long so I like them that way. I also keep the liners laced tight and let them flex while walking.

 

[Primoz]

I guess this depends very much on boot you are using. On my current Dynafit TLT6, there's no other way then have top buckle completely undone (walk mode is "switched" on/off with top buckle), but bottom buckle is tight from moment I put boots on, as well as liner is laced. For me this works best, as it keeps foot still inside of shell, preventing too much of boot moving and therefore it's less chances for blisters, especially on long ski touring days.

 

[Pequenita]

Do you literally mean "hiking" as in boot packing, or do you mean skinning? I do think they are two different motions in the foot/leg, which could affect how tight you'd want your boots.

My boots for the skin up are at the loosest untightened setting. I once tried tightening the cuffs on the uphill for a faster transition, but that wound up killing my calves. As far as fit goes, it's not as tight as my resort boot. There's a lot more wiggle room in the toes, but the heel still is snug.

 

[Lauren]

Do you literally mean "hiking" as in boot packing, or do you mean skinning? I do think they are two different motions in the foot/leg, which could affect how tight you'd want your boots.

I do mean skinning, but I suppose all information that I can get and things to try could be helpful.

 

[cantunamunch]

I do mean skinning, but I supposed all information that I can get and things to try could be helpful.

There is a 3/4 length Instaprint designed for forefoot-bendy sports, I think it's called the X-Sport.

 

[Michael Kane]

One, two buckle my shoe ...