Black Diamond

Quadrant Alpine Touring Boot

Having a featherweight touring boot is awesome, but what's the point if you get to the top and find yourself paralyzed with fear because you're afraid your 32-flex tin-foil boots will collapse if you have the audacity to try and make a turn? If you're looking for a little more beef, check out Black Diamond's Quadrant Men's Alpine Touring Boot, which is light—under four pounds per boot—but boasts a burly 120 flex that'll have you ripping big lines even faster than you hiked up them. The liner's been totally redesigned to be warmer, with fully taped seams, and more efficient, with anatomic flex zones for the climb and a smooth-flexing plastic tongue for stiffness on the descent. It's also fully heat moldable, so you can kiss hot spots, pinching, and rubbing goodbye.

The Quadrant skis like a burly boot, but it also climbs like a mountain goat. Black Diamond's Triax Pivot frame gives you 40° of cuff rotation for a smooth, natural stride, and the 103mm V-shaped locks gives your foot plenty of room but locks your heel ankle in place for comfortable blister-free touring. Black Diamond finished the Quadrant off with a rockered rubber sole and integrated tech fittings for easy hiking and skinning, and tossed in a beefy power strap for improved downhill performance.