Black Diamond Method Alpine Touring Boot - Men's - 2008 BCS

I, as many other skiing fans out there, had a tight budget and needed a pair of boots that would please me on tour and serve as a moderate resort boot as well. These are not the stiffest boots on the market (the Factor might fit your high pain threshold a little better), but I had no complaints while in the backcountry on the methods. In fact, they were quite comfy and the range of flexibility makes steep climbing bliss. As for the resorts, they did much better than any rental/friends boot and were only noticeably soft when I was pushing them in my fat skis. Now just to make myself clear I bought these with 75% touring in mind and the rest in the resort when I could catch a lift in between shifts. I demoed Garmonts but found they pinched the top of my foot. Overall, this boot has treated me very well in the back country and although it wont be the most impressive skiing you have ever done, they are more than reliable on groomers.

I used my Methods twice. The second time, the shell split in the back. Very strange.

I found the boot frustrating because it was difficult to adjust the forward lean. The only way to adjust the forward lean is to take the rear locking mechanism off with a hex wrench and replace the spacer with one of the others that comes with the boot. Then the forward lean was too much for me. Why can't Black Diamond just make an easily adjustable forward lean mechanism?

I've used these for about 60% inbounds and 40% backcountry. The idea is solid and well implemented. The BOA is awesome to get things nice and tight, but the toebox like others have mentioned is a bit tiny. I have bad circulation in my feet, but these can make for some miserable days out there without warmers. They can be a bit tight getting on and off, which is frustrating after a long day. All that being said, I feel that they are very responsive and my favorite boot ever for skiing. For comfort, they are a C+.

These just plain fit my feet very well. They're warm and responsive as well. I've gotten both soles and have felt good in my Dynafit AT bindings as well as my Look alpine bindings. They're definitely going through a lot of different conditions as well this year and have held up nicely.

I skied these all last season and I'm just now getting around to writing about them. Loves... the funny smell when you first get them, (sort of like a barn with hay), the BOA system, (I've never had a boot fit as well), they're sized accurately, the swappable AT/Alpine soles, the fantastic ski/walk mechanism, (a solid confidence building click when going to ski mode), the adjustable forward lean, (I tried all 3 positions and the most upright worked best for my skiing style, your results may vary), again, the BOA system, the natural walk mode, a beautiful liner, (although the Factor's liner is burlier), the boot is cosmetically low key and, best for last, the BD customer service department. You have a problem, those guys are right on it. Not so loves... the AT sole could be more durable, mine got pretty chewed up. A lot of people have reported hassles with the BOA liner or cold feet or the durability of the walk/ski switch, I experienced none of these issues. I did remove the Velcro strap and replace it with a Scarpa "booster" strap, the great people at BD walked me through the swap. Not as easy as one would expect. I also ran a pair of Factors this season; I cooked the liners on them and found they packed out too quickly afterwards, so I avoided this step with the Method's liners and was much happier with the results. In addition, at the risk of insulting my manhood, I found the Factor's to be too much boot for me. I always ended up reaching for the Method's. A little lighter, just that much less stiffness. I've heard there's no changes to either boot for the '09-'10 season so feel free to buy now. Cheers.

Had a big season on these, 75% resort and 25% backcountry. Would be a 4 star except the toebox is too narrow for my feet which are wider. Really wanted these and was hoping they wouldn't be too narrow.
Otherwise.....these boots held up really well to a full season of abuse. They were super solid for anything at the resorts, and were adequate for the backcountry, as they are not the lightest, but appreciated having a solid boot in nastier snow conditions. I'm not completely sold on the boa system yet, sometimes more of pain then I feel any benefit. I'll know more when I try a boot without them in the future. Really wished these fit my feet better as I have been really happy with them.

I been skiing in method 110 boots for about the last month. they were new when i purchased them. a month later, a buckle is broken and the plastic shell is flexing more than i feel is acceptable. over all the boot is extremely comfortable and light, but feels cheaply made. After one month I expect these boots to preform like new, but thats far from reality. they are not by any stretch of the imagination a "high performance" boot. they lack the forward cant that an aggressive should offer, and over all they are soft and sloppy. I will not be buying Black Diamond boots again. If you decide to use this boot in any situation where a failure like a broken buckle would leave you in a tough spot, i would recommend bringing spare buckles. over all they are not durable and not an aggressive boot.

I purchased these boots this season and I've had about 15 backcountry days in the PNW on a Wailer 112/Dynafit setup. I'm about 5'8" 150 lbs. While they are really comfortable to skin in with BOA cinched tight and shells loose, when the skiing gets serious I had to resort fully cranking BOA and the buckles and power strap (to the point circulation is cut off in my feet) to drive my skis with any precision. I experimented with a set of Atomic T2 liners from my downhill boots in these shells and problem solved. My feet felt connected to my skis again. The downhill liners are slightly thicker foam and had stiff plastic on the tongue and around the sides and back. They are heavier but this was not noticeable on the tour. The Method liners lack stiffness and support and they feel like thick socks as compared to real ski boot liners. For what these boots retail for, I feel Black Diamond could deliver better liners.

The toe box is quite small. I feel I have a normal to small forefoot and these boots are tight up front. The heel is also very tight, but in a nice snug way. Don't downsize in these. I usually find most boots have extra room and have to go down a size. Not true in the Black Diamonds. I tried both the Methods and Factors and they both fit the same.

I think the construction seems very good. Some comments noted the construction seems 2nd rate and I don't agree. They look as nice as any other ski boot.

I've gone through Garmonts and Scarpas, and had pretty much resigned myself to pain in the backcountry. So, when I tried the Methods, I fell in love with them. Each person's feet are different, so your experience my vary, but I liked 'em a lot.

Sadly, I'm looking for a stiffer boot, so I'm on to the Factor. I'm 5'8", 150lb, and ski aggressively and was really able to push these around. So be aware.

Also be aware about a strange thing about these: they smell like hay when they're new. Weird.

I have only had these for a couple months, but so far so good in the comfort department. Can't vouch for their durability yet. They are pretty warm, almost to warm when touring. The walk mode functions great. I have also done half a day of walking across a scree field and the rubber soles hold their own on granite. I do kind of wish I would have waited a year for the new efficiency line that they are coming out with though. They look/sound pretty dang sweet.

i was skeptical that BD could build a better boot than the competition. all the rave is not just hype. these boots wrap snugly and evenly around my foot.My foot is firmly seated in the heel pockets like a good pair of mountianeering boots. Lots of nice touchs to make fitting easy. On the downside they look sort of cheap (china),they should drop the price 100 bucks.But I think they are supperior performers to anything garmont has on the market. These boots roll skis up on edge effortlessly. Deffinately worth a try.

I used these boots for both in area and backcountry in 2009 and they were great. They have the right balance of stiffness and forgiveness so that they turn the ski and are comfortable all day long.

When I first tried these on they felt like butter & so I could ignore the cheap looking finish on these boots. After about 40 days on them between backcountry & resort they became the bane of my feet. They needed to be punched out & remolded & the canting adjustment allan screw& washer replaced. They just Felt like butter when I first bought them but became the bane of my feet after about 40 days split between back country and resort skiing.
Had them punched out & remolded & they were better but never as good as the first 10-15 days. Also the cant screw & washer fell out.
Then the screw fell out again & the cuff lost any hold on my shin.
The Boa system was nice for touring as I could secure my foot in & then loosen the rest of the boot & avoid heel slippage. But the plastic guys that hold the Boa wire to the tongue of the liner actually broke within the first week of use. Not a deal breaker, nor did it affect performance, but for over $600 I expect better.
I could not find another replacement piece for the missing cant adjuster ( something I never even touched) so the store took them back & I bought apair of Scarpa Skkokums instead. Have yet to try them still.

I ended up getting a pair of these after the touring latch broke on a pair of Tecnica Agent AT boots I had recently bought. This was possibly the best accident that ever happened to me considering I ended up with much better boots! To start,the methods are incredibly comfortable, I never had them heat molded at a shop because they simple molded to my foot on my first day out. They are fantastically water-proof, even on the soggiest of days my feet have remained dry while the rest of me hasn't. the only thing i might recommend is getting the alternate soles that are DIN standard, so you can use them on non-touring bindings if you have a multi-ski quiver. I havent tried them, but i assume that the BD Factors are even better on top of being stiffer.

Yeah so there a little tight in the toes, but only when i crank down the straps. When touring all the buckles are open and the blood is flowin'. Little narrow, fits like a LANG, but was the easist on the shins of all the boots tried on, and that was all of them. Its got loads of features and the BOA straps are FANDABLOUIS!

In an odd development, my Methods shipped without a footbed. I threw in a pair of superfeet liners, and it all worked out. But, is this a BD choice or just a BD/Backcountry.com mistake?

I actually purchased these boots to use at the resort, i was a little hesitant, being a strong skier and weighing in at 225, to ski a boot that had a "softer" flex than my Tecnica Icons. But let me tell you these things kill it! I had no problems skiing these with my Line Ep Pros, actually the methods drove the ski better than my tecnicas.... and the major plus... my shins didn't kill me at the end of the day! Love em. Leave the stiff boots for the racers... Only bummer is after spending 700 bones you have to drop another 40 on Alpine soles, but hey, i had to seal the seams on my 600 dollar black diamond tent, guess black diamond can get away with it because they make the sexiest gear on the planet.......

Great boot to ski, both on and off piste. Nice and rigid, easily steer my Zealots in all conditions. Work well in both Fritschi bindings and Dynafit. With a little adjustment, the forward lean is good and aggressive. On the down side, the buckles have not stood up well to the wear and tear I've put them through catskiing and ski mountaineering so far. The outsoles are very soft (should have gone with Vibram), and the toeboxes are quite tight. Overall, I'm glad I bought these boots but I'm looking forward to seeing some improvements for next season's boots.
Miles.

Like others initially my toes were so cold it was hard to believe. I remoulded them with thicker toe moulds and presto, warm feet!
I have now skied in my Methods about 50 days, and find they'll do anything I'd expect from an alpine boot, and tour like a dream.
They make my Garmont Endorphins look like toys.
$ buckle tourers definately rule.

I had the same problem as the first review with these boots. My toes freeze in them after just one or 2 runs because they are too tight on the top of my foot. I strongly dislike these boots with a passion. I'm goin to exchange them for sure.

Very,very nice boots. Extremly comfortable. I have it thanks to backcountry. I'm fan of BD product, Method didn't disappoint me. Backcountry.com forever.

I was able to score a really good deal on a pair of these so I snagged them. I currently am not into AT, so I got some off the Alpine din plates and I've been using these for resort skiing. The Boa system is choice. It cinches the liner right up to your foot. I were a 10.5 in normal shoes and I went with the equivalent 28.5. At first they seemed pretty tight on my feet but after a few days of skiing, they packed out a little bit and now they are perfect.
They are very lightweight which would make them a perfect touring boot.

I like the soft/flex options for the walking. You can crank them down for the downhill portion. I also had trouble w/ them being too tight over the top of my foot--it improved as I adjusted the boot. It took me a couple of days but I'm quite pleased at this point.

Two weeks after I spent four days in the Method boots, I am just beginning to get the feeling back in the tips of my big toes. My toes froze big time in these boots. Plus, the inner fabric of the liner came free from the underlying foam and it ate my heel raw. The boot stiffness was nice though.