Scarpa Spirit 4 Alpine Touring Boot - 2008 BCS

As my first touring boot, I was blown away by how different these felt than my previous alpine boots. They're very comfortable and light when compared to their beefier counterparts and make a great touring boot for short to moderate length tours.
I've been using these for over two years now and they've performed well in the situations I've thrown at them. On the up they articulate well and have a good range of motion for a easier stride. Also, having the toe tech fittings mounted a bit rearward than "normal" does make a difference and feels nicer and more natural in stride. The articulated green tongue aids in comfort when touring and is sufficiently stiff on the down. For resort/sidecountry days I'll slip the black, stiffer tongue in for added support and running the groomers.
The Intuition liners are top notch and very comfortable. Once mine were dialed in, I haven't had a problem with the fit on these in the two years I've abused them. The liners are also very warm! Often my boots end up like saunas in these boots while touring, but the liners do a good job of keeping moisture at a reasonable level inside as to not make your feet freeze when you stop moving and keep you pretty toasty when sitting around camp. The plastic grippy coating on the bottom of the liners is a nice touch and lets you wear them around camp as booties after you're done touring for the day.
All in all I've been happy with the spirit 4s and I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a touring boot that doesn't compromise much on the downhill but still comes in lighter than other beef AT boots out there.

Midway through my second season in these, now, skiing them all over Western Canada, and in Switzerland, France, and Italy. I use them for everything - hut trips, camping, working races, ski mountaineering. They're good all around, fit well (roomy), tighten up and lock down efficiently, and are reasonably comfortable on long or involved uptracks. I like their shape and flex, and the fact that they're higher in the larger sizes (some boots seem to be sized such that they only become larger in the length of the sole as the size goes up, rather than sized in a truly scalar fashion). I put duct tape on one of the liners for the first time the other week, to cover stitching torn stomping them into the shell in dark boot rooms. The canting bolts/collars seem to drift with use and flex, but they're easy enough to tighten back to their original position with the key provided. That's about it - a step above what was available even a couple of years ago. Nice.

Great features and adaptability. This boot has been great for cold and mild tours. The cant and lean adjustments are great for those of us with not-so-perfect feet. I've fiddled with them a bit to try to get the perfect fit and am almost there. I regretted not opting for the three buckle Spirit 3, but the 4 is proving plenty light enough and with the black tongue, it's plenty stiff. These boots made me forget how tough my alpine boots were to put on.

Love the feel, love the liners, love the stability, love the leisure when walking. Put some superfeet RedHot liners in and these are AWESOME!Best boot for the money!

FYI: I usually take a 10.5 mens, and the Scarpa 27 fits well.

Got these at the end of last year, and have loved the fit ever since. The liner is both comfortable and warm, and the boot is lightweight and supportive. I have been using them at the resort with the black tongues, and they ski great (just a little less responsive than my alpine boots). With the interchangable tongues, th 4 buckles, and the power strap, I can make them as flexible or almost as stiff as I would like. Great boot all around!

As a recent convert to AT, I am more than pleasantly surprised by these boots. So light and responsive, while being super comfy. The magazine reviews complain of the buckles, but I think the reviewers need some occupational therapy. I think the buckles are perfectly fine. They are extremely easy to switch from the ski/walk modes. I am 5'7" 175 lbs, and ski aggressively. After alpine skiing my entire life, I would recommend these boots to anyone - veteran and beginner alike. I have a very wide foot and high instep, usually struggle with heel slippage. These almost feel custom fit, before the heat molding. If you weigh more than 175, and are more aggressive, you might want a beefier boot. A few times they felt a little soft. 100% satisfied with my purchase.

First run first day and the plastic cracked on the toe, causing the female metal fitting for dynafit binding to break. Sent back to Scarpa over two weeks ago and still cannot get an answer from them VERY DISAPPOINTED. Should have bought from Backcountry, they stand behing their product even in front of companies!

I love Scarpa boots but not how they do their sizing.
On the Scarpa box it says size 28.0 / USA Mens size 9
This is not even close and to further complicate matters Scarpa mondo sizing is different than other manufacturers mondo sizing - Scarpa catalog says a 28.0 is a US MENS size 11; but if you goolge ski boot mondo sizing other published charts will show a 28.0 as a US Mens size 10.
Very confusing to say the least ... I found out the hard way. Scarpa catalog is correct as far as I'm concerned.

I got my scarpa spirit 4 last season. I just love these boots. Their great for touring the wasatch range!! They kick ass!! I've got over 70 days on them now! And their still helping me killing those powder turns

These boots are the bomb. They are warm comfortable and good for anything. I used to ski in a race boot, so initially they were a little soft, but with the stiffer tongue it only took half a day to get over the novelty and another half a day to fall in love. No more bruised shins, although I did get some nice blisters on my back country trip (note: avoid jacuzzis with open blisters unless you enjoy penecilin).
Otherwise a great boot and in my opinion a great looking one as well.

Ok, these boots are awesome, but, they DO take some teaking to get them right where you need them in terms of fit. First, measure your foots length in terms of centimeters. Place a piece of paper against a wall, then, place your heel against the same wall and slowly put your foot down on the piece of paper. You want to BE SURE that the paper is flush with the wall, or else, your sizing could be off. Then, mark the end of your longest toe and measure the length in centimeters. This is nowhere near as accurate as shell fitting, but, if you are looking here at Backcountry, you can't shell fit, now can you. The volume can be tricky to take care of. Once I got mine, I saw a professional boot fitter and got custom footbeds made and that was that. Great boots, great touring mode...top notch all around.

Bought these boots for use with dynafit, so incredible. Lightweight yet durable enough to use with dynafits for resort groomers the past few weeks. Wouldn't necessarily pay full price though because I did buy them used at the UAC sale but still an incredible boot. Also works very well with regular alpine bindings. Downside though is I would put their flex at somewhere around 80 or 90. I do not have the other cuff that comes with it, but if you are used to racing, and having superior ski control, I would consider a little bit more burly boot