Scott

Cosmos II Alpine Touring Boot - Men's

If you'd rather not spend your days in the backcountry with your feet crammed into an unforgiving race boot or floating around in a floppy-noodle rando offering, check out the Scott Cosmos II Men's Alpine Touring Boot. If you didn't know Scott made A/T boots, well, that's because they didn't, until they bought Garmont and gave the Italian company's touring boots a small, but significant, redesign. 

Made of marvelously stiff and light Grilamid plastic, the Cosmos II is a fairly aggressive boot, with a burly flex of 125 and a lean angle of 13 degrees. It also weighs just over three pounds, making it seriously competitive in the poundage department. But it's a more powerful boot than many of the A/T offerings out there, including Scott's slightly lighter Orbit II, thanks to the Grilamid and Scott's PowerLite reinforcing ribs that are placed through the shell and cuff. If you're a serious skier who spends serious time getting to serious lines, the Cosmos is one you don't want to miss.

Don't get the impression that it's a one-dimensional downhill boot, either. It has 60 degrees of cuff rotation for a easy ankle articulation, a rugged ski/walk switch, and an aluminum lean/lock bar that allows both the shell and the cuff to move freely for a more natural touring motion. Scott's also redesigned the tech fittings, giving them a friction-free coating that allows for exceptional pivoting and toe retention. We'd also be remiss to not mention the PWR Lite liner, which is seamless, fully thermo-moldable, has a reinforced tongue for plenty of smooth-flexing power. Scott may be relatively new to the boot game, but they've certainly started off on the right (and left) foot.