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A Hardboot Boot Review for Splitboarding: We Have Options

By

Alex Palombo

Tom Chingas testing the limits of Tyvek tape gaiters in Hatcher Pass, AK.

Tom Chingas testing the limits of Tyvek tape gaiters in Hatcher Pass, AK. Yes, Tyvek tape. It plays a part in this review.

  Is this the Golden Age of hardboot options for splitboarding? Does is even matter? For those willing among us, there are some excellent hardboots worth a try.    When I was initially piecing together my first hardboot setup in 2017, boots were a big question mark. Back then, Phantom Snow Industries had a guide…

Responses

  1. John Berry

    Ohhh yeahhh baby, high quality splitboard gear content.

  2. Slim

    I have successfully added a Pulse Labs stiffer tongue to my Backland Carbons. That might be worth a shot for your buddy.

    1. Alex Palombo

      Hey thanks for this Slim! I’ll pass this along.

  3. Liam Gannon

    For what it’s worth, Dynafit Speeds/Speedfits are a slightly wider copy of the old TLT6’s. I currently use Speedfits with only a few of the TLT6 mods and they ride admirably. They are also pretty easy to find for cheap. The fact that Link Levers fit Scarpa boots is an exciting confirmation, I am also stoked to see more splitboard content!

    1. Alex Palombo

      Hey Liam thanks for the kind words, what mods did you do to the speed fits??

      1. Liam Gannon

        I’ve filed the ski lockout plate and drilled some holes in the upper cuff to improve lateral flex. The ski lockout mod is a must in my opinion but the holes in the cuff made minimal difference in the rideability of the boot. I haven’t been motivated to slit the lower cuff but might consider it in the future. I also haven’t found a need to move the lower buckle, but that’s likely due to boot fit. Speedfits are pretty soft to begin with which helps.

        1. Alex Palombo

          Ah yes the classic modifications, always a bit terrifying drilling and sawing into a brand new boot. Glad to hear that is working for you!

  4. Daniel Crist

    Great write up!

  5. Vince Arena

    Keep the splitboard content coming! I love that THR seems to be diving into this, while other websites seem to either totally ignore it, or at best only publish a handful of articles

  6. Robertson Pearce

    I’ve owned a pair of the Phantom Slipper HDs for 3 seasons and just got a pair of the new Key Equipment (Kopala special edition) disruptives to replace them. I’ve only had the Keys out 3 times but so far results are promising. Touring they feel no different than the Phantom/Backlands but I’ve found the ride down to be much, much better. The flex pattern to me feels more slowly progressive like a softboot/highback whereas the Phantoms were really stiff and felt quite on/off. I also was pretty dissapointed in the durability of the Phantoms; I put maybe 80 days on them (admittedly mostly longer days) but both gaiters are torn to shreds, the tread on the soles (especially the toes and heels) are basically gone, and the lower straps are mostly worn through. Hopefully the Keys hold up better!

    1. Alex Palombo

      Hey Robertson, this is excellent feedback on the Key Equipment boots, thank you for sharing. I’ve only read a couple reviews online about them, how have you found the fit to be? I’m curious from a sizing, and width standpoint since the sizing is 28.5-29 instead of the fairly typical 28-28.5. I’m hoping to get my hands on a pair to test, and there is no where for me to try them on in AK. As for the Phantoms, i think they served as an excellent stepping stone for figuring out what worked, and what is to come for the hardboot world. Durability wise, they are basically a skimo race boot, and i had a similar experience to you with both pairs i owned.

      1. Robertson Pearce

        My foot is a mondo 28 on the dot and the phantom 28/28.5 was pretty big; I ended up having to run a thicker liner to take out some of the slop which made the ride feel even worse. The 27.5/28 disruptives had a good 2 finger shell length fit out of the box but have required a decent amount of shell work/punching to get the width just right.

  7. Aaron Peterson

    I am three seasons in to using the Key Disruptives as a mechanized and backcountry guide as well as CBAC outreach director based in Crested Butte. Overall, I’ve been very happy with them. They are certainly showing some wear and tear but I haven’t had any significant failures. I did replace the upper cuffs, liners, and tongues this fall. My original set had an older version of both the tongue and cuff. The new ones are a little lighter and a little softer flexing. I appreciate that Key offer replacements for almost every piece of the boot at what seem to be reasonable prices. I think the tongues were around $30 and the cuffs around $70. In the world of specialized outdoor gear I feel that’s on the low end. Buckles, straps, and hardware (nuts/bots) are all also available.

    Regarding sizing- The mondo sizing does feel a little off from most other brands. I wear a 27.5/28 in an old pair of scarpa tx pros (ntn tele boots). I purchased the Keys sight unseen in a 28 and they are notably smaller than the scarpas. It looks like Key has a new sizing chart on their website. The EU or US shoe size comparison is probably a better reference point than the Mondo sizing. However, I have low volume feet and after some moderate shell work by a couple pro bootfitters, I’ve landed at a good place with boots that feel as comfortable as any of my soft boots ever did. I also ended up with a shorter BSL (299) and little to no toe/heel drag even with lower stance angles. I think the lower portion of the boot is based on a Roxa brand mold, but I haven’t confirmed. Based on mondo sizing it is certainly closer to a snug climbing shoe fit than a typical soft-boot or skate shoe fit.

    Regarding performance- I’m not an alpine skier, but these feel like how I perceived the Scarpa Maestrale was for alpine touring a few years back. They do everything really well but are maybe not the best at any one thing. I previously used a highly modified set of TLT6s that never fit my foot very well. They toured fine but I frequently broke things and never liked the ride downhill – too on/off in their flex. I also briefly experimented with some old Scarpa F1s (the old yellow ones with bellows on the toes). Again the ride wasn’t right. Side-note: if the link levers work on the old design, soft flexing, F1s then they could be a really good option. The stiff ski/walk lever was the main problem I had. I’ve never ridden the Phantoms or other Backland derivatives but I have worn them around indoors. The Phantoms certainly felt lighter and I imagine they tour a little better but to me they felt like modified skimo boots, not like snowboard boots. The flex was there with the link lever but overall the rest of the boot didn’t feel very progressive to me. For me the Keys have a forward flex that very closely matches a soft boot in a highback binding. The lateral flex is stiffer than many soft boots but a notable improvement from the TLT 6 or other ski boots I’ve tried. I think this is an often overlooked piece of the boot flex that is important for a natural feel when driving your hind knee in turns. At least it is for me. YMMV. I don’t spend much to any time in soft boots anymore so my perspective may have shifted. However, I don’t feel like there are any significant losses riding the Keys, even in lower angled surfy terrain that is typical of our mid-winter Colorado snowpack.

    Imperfections-
    I quickly burned through the back of the heel in the original liners and needed to do some diy repairs to keep them running. I’m not sure if that’s the boot, the liner, my foot, or the dynamics of using a hard shell boot with straps oriented to hold your heel back. With the new liners, I’ve intentionally left them unbaked to maintain a bit more structure in that area.
    The velcro straps are looking pretty tattered, especially where they attach at the inside of the ankle. They also build up a lot of snow and ice. They’re still holding strong though.
    The lean-lock (or whatever the lever at the back is called) ices up frequently and requires substantial picking with my pole end to get it to flip down for ride mode. This slows down transitions.
    Orientation of the liner tongue, shell tongue, and straps can get misaligned and create pressure points for medial flex. I’ve had this with nearly every boot ever though.

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