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The Black Diamond Men’s Custom Telemark Boot caters to aggressive freeheel skiers who push the limits, in bounds and out. The 130 flex index and RidStiff bellows make the Custom Black Diamond’s stiffest Tele boot. The alpine overlap style Pebax shell features a mechanically integrated ski/walk modefor excellent tourability. The shell also boasts adjustable forward lean with three settings covering an eight degree range, providing maximum adjustability for your preferred skiing style. The Boa lacing system adds to the thermoformable liner’s glove-like fit and provides for easy, on-the-go adjustments.
Bottom Line: The Black Diamond Custom craves steep, hairball lines at face-melting speeds.
What's up with the listed weight? Obviously 380 grams is a mistake, but it was my understanding that these are lighter than Scarpa's T-Race (listed at 8lbs, 14oz). Anybody know the correct weights of these two boots?
I have about 25 days on these boots, about 50/50 as far as resort/touring days. I have been skiing the Scarpa T-race for years before this boot came out. In contrast to the T-race I think the Custom is slightly stiffer in the bellows. One big advantage over the current T-race is the Custom has a tour mode and a great one at that. The Custom when in tour mode has a ton of freedom of movement. Compared to similarly big and stiff boots the Custom is lightyears ahead as far as ability to tour. As far fit goes, I was a 28 in Scarpa and I am also a 28 in the BD Custom (I have a 10.5 street shoe). The Custom's heel cup is large and comfortable. There is no need to even snug these boots up for the hike up, I leave all the buckles on the loosest setting for hiking. The boa lacing system in the liner and big heel cup keep my foot right in place. One of my first days touring with this boot we skinned 7,000' and no blisters or even hot spots! So far my only major complaint is with one of the buckles. I buckle my boots TIGHT and sometimes have problems unbuckling the higher of the two lower buckles, especially with gloves on. My solution is to tie on a very small scrap of 3mm cord to the end of each buckle so I can grab that with a gloved hand.
I am looking to make the move to tele from alpine but have a super super wide foot (EEE) & need a high volume boot (will need to be custom fit as well)..does anyone have any boot reccomendations? (ie brand / model)
Scarpa = narrow. Garmont = wide. BD = somewhere in between. For very wide feet, I recommend buying from a very good boot fitter. You could buy the widest shell available, move up a shell size (to garner more width) and pad the liner (plus add posting material) to take away volume where you don't need it. You are someone who should not buy boots online and should find a great bootfitter!
I disagree....in my fitting experiences, the Scarpas, at least the T1, T2 are much better for narrower feet and don't really fit normal-wide feet. That's why I ended up getting Garmont Ener-Gs...but I'm not sure about the BDs relative to Garmont or Scarpa.
So I have two days on the Customs so far, paired with O1 bindings (RidStiff). I am coming from the black and silver T1's, and I chose these over the Push & new T1's because there is pretty minimal weight difference. I'm 6'1",180 lbs and I ski about 80% in the backcountry, including long tours. First day was a 30" pow day (pre-heat mold). These boots performed incredibly well once I realized I can't screw around in them- they do demand aggressive action. The skiing was phenomenal but my feet hurt at the end of the day. So, I heat molded the liners and skied the second day in manky wind crust/heavy snow conditions. These boots rocked and my feet were very comfortable after molding. My initial reaction is very positive and I'm looking forward to beating the crap out of these boots like all the rest. P.S. - I agree with Andy about the one buckle that is a pain in the ass to release. I'll have to rig up something, too.
This is my 2nd season on tele gear, 1st season with my own gear. I have BD Kilowatts and I'm looking at these boots and the BD O2 binding with a Rid-stiff cartridge. I'm 6'1'' and 260 and I've been told even though I'm not an extremely aggressive skier (yet), that I should go as stiff as I can just for my size. I skied last year with garmont ener-g's in a g3 targa binding mounted on an older pair of (definitely not tele specific) carving skis...is it a good idea to go with this setup or should I go another way?
Sounds like a great setup. The Custom is a crazy stiff boot, but I agree that you have a lot of weight to throw around and should probably use stiff gear. That whole setup you described complements each other fantastically, nothing will overpower any other aspect. If you've got the $1500, go for it.
Since there aren't many reviews here, I'll write one, but please note that my experience with these boots at this point are limited. I'll retract my review when more people start to write in. (Experience so far: two resort days). I'm an ex-alpine ski racer, started to tele ~15yrs ago. This is relevant because I'm used to stiff alpine boots. These boots are buttery compared to alpine race boots, so I was a skeptic when I heard how "stiff" they were. I still concur there; they're not as "extreme" in the stiffness range as people will have you believe. Also, in the store (BD in SLC) I tried the Customs & the Pushes on back and forth a bunch of times and didn't see a ton of flex difference (note: hard to really tell without being locked into a tele binding, and boots were at room temperature). Existing setup: old T1's (like 3rd gen), G3 bindings, tried multiple pairs of skis. Skiing: What I did notice right away was that this boot is far more laterally stiff than my old boot. That apparently makes a huge difference, as I was in far more control over the ski edge than I ever have been on teles before. It felt awesome to be able to carve so easily, where it was such a difficult rarity with my old setup. The bad-news/good-news for me: getting these boots was like mixing single malt with Sunny D, or putting catchup on a prime fillet. They make you quickly realize that you need a much stiffer binding (like the BD 01 or the Hammerhead) to get the benefit out of them. With my G3's, I can lift the heel maybe 2" before I notice the binding providing any resistance. So reader beware, these expensive boots will make you want (or you could say, they require) new bindings and of course some new stiff skis to really reap their benefit. I'm in line to follow through with the above plan, so when I do (and when I have enough on/off-piste days under my belt), I'll let you know more.
I have skied on TRaces since their inception. I still ski tour on my original TRaces since the newer ones have too much forward lean even in walk mode and they weigh a significant bit more than the old ones. My question is: Will the BD Customs provide the walk mode I'm looking(i.e. straight up anatomical walking stance) for along with the torsional and forward lack of flex for downhill mode?
I skied these boots and loved the stiffness and control (almost too much for my 150 pounds). The two middle buckles, however, caught on one another, which is a huge pain. I have a 27.5 mondo.
Anyone switch from the older red Scarpa T-races to this boot. I'm curious if the flex is the same or similar and if you went with the same shell size. I'm 6'3",230 and ski H-heads maxed out usually with the stiffer springs. I think it would be a good upgrade for me?
The Custom has a very stiff forward flex and superb lateral rigidity. Many testers report this boot to be even stiffer than the T-Race, making them a perfect match for your maxed out Hammerheads.
These boots provide great control. I ski the G3 Reverend with Hammerhead bindings. Last year I had Garmont Syner-Gs; I could control the ski, but I had to do more foot steering than I like and thought it was almost more ski than the boot could handle. The Custom drives the ski really easily. The boot has excellent lateral stiffness, and transfers power to the ski beautifully. I was a little concerned that it would be too stiff for me (I'm 5'10", 155lb), but once on the snow, I found the flex to be smooth and easy. This boot is a huge performance upgrade from the Syner-G. The Boa lacing system is easy to use and provides a snug and comfortable fit. The walk mode does a good job relaxing the cuff of the boot, and the ski mode provides aggressive forward lean. I have not yet toured in them, but they are very comfortable at the resort. If you are an aggressive skier looking for a powerful boot, you will be very happy with the Custom.
How does the width of the BD boots compare to Garmonts and Scarpas? I have a somewhat narrow foot that fits in scarpas pretty well. I'd heard that BD was somewhere in between, just a few millimeters wider than the scarpas.
I ordered these boots thinking they'd be great for me paired with the rid stiff O2 bindings since I'm a big guy...but I have a wide foot, these boots KILLED me. I wore them one day this season and I was too scared to put them back on, even to walk around the house. I can't write an accurate gear review on these boots but just a warning for guys with wide feet, be aware of the narrow, non-forgiving Customs. Any suggestions for a super wide boot would be much appreciated!
Custom stifness? I heard a lot of different comment on the stiffness of the custom boots, I just sold my ener-g for a stiffer boots. Some people tell me to go with the push other with custom. (I ride 186 sick bird with hammer head bindings. 180lbs.) What would you say?
I'm 6'2", 165 lbs. I was looking for a burlier, stiffer boot than my Crispi CXRs, and this one is the ticket. The stiffness of the shell demands and aggressive stance and style (it'll make you a better skier), and the bellows are very stiff, forcing you to weight your dropped ski a little more. However, the stiff bellows provide a nice, progressive flex that tames big powder boards and provides carving stability in a variety of snow conditions. The fit in the heel of the boot is better than any I've skied before, no slippage, and the Boa system on the liner make the boot feel very snug and solid. You might want another pair of shoes to put on at the bar after skiing, but it's a small price to pay for the performance.
Customs or Pushs? If you want something at least as stiff as Ener-gs and plan to use on and off piste in the Cascades on BD 01 bindings . . . and happen to be 5' 4" on a good day and 150lbs driving 171 - 176 Sickbirds or the like?
I'd match the boots to your cartridges. Since they're the same company, they'll pair up well. Pushs if you're rocking Mid-stiffs, Customs with Rid-stiffs. Of course, given that you're already on Ener-gs (very aggressive boot) and you seem to want to stick with that level of performance, I'd say Customs regardless.P.S. You must be throwing down like crazy on a setup like that. Excellent taste, and these are a fine addition.
Go for the Black Diamond O2. BD has been testing this boot for over a year and I can guarantee you that it is tuned and designed to fit the underfoot cartridge style of the BD O2 and O1 bindings. Not only that, but those are amazing bindings to begin with. I'd recommend them for any tele skier, especially one aggressive enough to ride this boot, but the fact that they're the same company and therefore literally made for each other clinches it.
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