Scarpa

Freedom Alpine Touring Boot - Women's

There's a lot to be said for a pure touring set-up, but it doesn't come cheap. If striking a balance between uphill and downhill performance without breaking the bank on new boots and bindings is more your style, the Scarpa Freedom Women's Alpine Touring Boot is probably something you'll be into. The Freedom has Vibram Mountain Piste rubber soles, which are designed to function with traditional alpine DIN bindings, but can be switched out for tech-compatible soles if you decide you need improved uphill performance, or your grandma sends you an unexpected pair of tech bindings for your b-day. Your hiking will be golden even without super-light tech bindings, though, since the Freedom leads the women's A/T boot category with a 27-degree range of cuff movement; simply switch the Ride Power Block into hike mode to disengage the cuff, or lock it down to drive the 110-flex Freedom down whatever line you've been eyeing.

Once you're locked in, shredding the downhill is as easy as crushing the skin track. The Freedom is built with Carbon Core Technology, which molds the lower PU shell around a carbon-fiber frame, yielding a boot that's strong and stiff without carrying any unnecessary weight, so you can drive even chubby freeride skis without worrying that they'll overwhelm your boots. The upper cuff, also made of PU, is designed to accommodate women's feet and legs, with a narrower heel, lower calf, and a higher instep that work with the FR Women's liner and adjustable spoiler to create an excellent fit right out of the box.