For years, the stiffest and most resort oriented boot in the Scarpa line was the Freedom RS. It offered powerful downhill performance, but at the expense of a heavy construction and limited walk mode. It was great for shorter tours and resort accessed backcountry, but lacked the capability for bigger days. Enter the all new Maestrale XT from Scarpa. Filling the 130 flex void, the new beefiest boot in the Maestrale line achieves the same stiffness as its predecessor while adding much greater uphill capability. Weighing in at a slender 1510 grams (size 27), and boasting 56 degrees of cuff articulation, this boot is a legitimate ski touring boot. Scarpa achieves this impressive weight to stiffness ratio by utilizing a Carbon Injected Web Framed Shell. If you’re looking to push a bigger ski or simply like to ski aggressively in the backcountry, the Maestrale XT gives you the power to do that.
While the XT was modeled after the Maestrale RS, it contains key upgrades that give it added stiffness and durability. For the cuff, Scarpa added a second buckle in place of the ankle strap and the redesign resembles an alpine overlap cuff. The strap also received a significant upgrade in the form of a booster style strap which in combination with the modified buckles, will give the XT a stiff yet progressive feel. Additionally, Zeppa XT technology modifies the ramp angle of the boot by two degrees for better downhill performance. For transitions, the buckle strays from the Maestrale Walk Mechanism in favor of the original Freedom Design. This walk mechanism provides a sleeker transition from walk to ski mode, and offers added durability for resort skiing.
The upgrades in the XT boot are fantastic, but we are equally excited about the things Scarpa kept consistent with their other Maestrale boots. An Intuition designed fully thermo moldable liner, wave closure buckle system, Grilamid Plastic, and Vibram soles are some of our favorite features from Scarpa, and we are stoked to see them make their way into the XT boot. If you’re looking for a boot that is capable of driving any ski after a long tour in the backcountry, then look no further.
