Salomon X-ADV Boots

New Salomon rugged touring boots arrived today. I was planning to take the day off skis, but I had to try them out, right? First impresssion was very pleasing. The SNS xa system has performed exceptionally well for me over the past 15 years with zero failures in hundreds of outings, some extremely demanding for a cross-country system. The newest addition to the boot quiver is the Salomon X-ADV 8, a replacement for my 15-year old plus Salomon Greenland boots. This system is overkill for track skiing, but it is the perfect system for the rolling and steeply tilted terrain of Chugach State Park just east of Anchorage.

The Greenland boots still work great, but I really wanted to try the new model with a stiffer-appearing cuff. The new cuff appears to be very similar to the Salomon skate ski boot cuff. And it took just a few turns for the new cuff to prove a greater level of control. The skate boot style upper strap with a closing lever is a nice feature, as is the built in gaiter. The Salomon X-ADV 8 weight on our postage scale was 1067 grams, slighlty lighter than the Greenland at 1077 grams. With the gaiter I normally wear with the Greenland, it would be several grams heavier.

I'll update this report after a more significant trip.