JP from United States, MA Public Profile

The liner was baked which helped open up the throat and allowed the reinstallation of the laces. That said, it is a bit of a process to remove your foot from the liner without pulling the liner out of the boot. Care should be taken to completely slacken the laces and open up the liner, tongue and cuff. I suspect the soft liner aids performance while in hike mode.

Moving on to the cuff lock mechanism and buckles. The lock is easy to activate and the bale clasps on the buckles worked well keeping loosened bales in place while in hike mode. All buckles are micro adjustable and the tooth plates on the cuff may be moved to shorten or lengthen the cuff straps.

Due to the lack of early season snow, my first tour in these boots was limited to low angle slopes for six miles out and back. Fit was solid on the up and no foot movement or toe jamming was experienced. Coming down, I did not know what to expect making turns in softer flexing boot than I have been using. No problem.

Overall, my feet were warm, the boots were comfortable and they performed well. +++

As we get deeper into the season and more terrain is accessible, I will update this review.

Lets start with my uncorrected foot dimensions.

Length 28 centimeters
Instep 26 centimeters
Heel 36 centimeters
Ball 111 millimeters

Boot Size 28.5 Boot sole length 316 millimeters

The boot is the first lighter, less beef more AT boot to power the fleet. They weight approximately 489 grams per boot less than the current pair of boots.

Socks used were mid and lightweight, no stitching, no cushion.

Determining factors; new hinge/lean lock mechanism, last width and instep volume.

During the first try on, the Scott issued footbeds were left in the liners. The fit was loose and the buckles could not be tightened to provide heel and forefoot retention without causing pressure points over the instep and forefoot. The stock footbeds were removed and a pair of custom DFP insoles installed. This corrected foot alignment and vastly improved comfort and heel/forefoot fit. Additionally, to facilitate entry of my foot into the boot, I removed the laces. However, in time they may be reinstalled.
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The liners have not been cooked and sock weight will be determined after some use.

I will update this review after hiking and skiing in the boot.

I gave them only 4 stars because they have not yet been hiked or skied.

The Scarpa Freedom SL boot was purchased for AT day trips and resort riding on and off piste. The quiver of skis used includes waists ranging from 78 mm (resort) to 115 mm (AT). The soon to be retired AT skis are mounted with Marker Barons and have been replaced with G3 Onyx on K2 Annex 108. My first tech system.

The Scarpas performed well for both disciplines and were relatively comfortable out of the box. A custom foot bed was fabricated and installed to help correct my stance and narrow up my duck feet shaped forefoot. That being done, skiing all day without removing the boot or loosening buckles is the norm.

The boot performed as expected with regards to manufacturers literature and did so well, a second pair has been purchased. The newer boot is one shell size smaller and fit smaller specifically for resort use. I had considered other freeride boots but decided to stay with Scarpa Freedom SL. I knew what to expect with regards to fit and performance and the ability to change boot soles from DIN to tech.

The product is well designed, constructed and hits the bulls eye for the types of skiing I am engaged in. I would recommend skiers looking for a freeride/AT boot take a good look at Scarpa Freedom SL.