Scott

Cosmos II Alpine Touring Boot

If you'd rather not spend your days in the backcountry with your feet crammed into an unforgiving race boot or floating around in a floppy-noodle rando boot, then get yourself the Scott Cosmos II Men's Alpine Touring Boot. Made of a marvelously stiff and light Grilamid plastic, the Cosmos II is a fairly aggressive boot, with a burly flex of 125 and a lean angle of 11.5 degrees. It also weighs just over three pounds, making it seriously competitive in the poundage department. But it's a more powerful boot than many of the other AT offerings out there, including Scott's slightly lighter Orbit II, thanks to the Grilamid and Scott's PowerLite reinforcing ribs that are placed through the shell and cuff. If you're a serious skier who spends serious time getting to serious lines, the Cosmos is one you don't want to miss.

Don't get the impression that it's a one-dimensional downhill boot, either. It has 60 degrees of cuff rotation for easy ankle articulation, a rugged ski/walk switch, and an aluminum lean/lock bar that allows both the shell and the cuff to move freely for a more natural touring motion. Scott's also redesigned the tech fittings, making them Dynafit certified for an easy and solid connection with Dynafit tech bindings.. We'd also be remiss to not mention the PWR Lite liner, which is seamless, fully thermo-moldable, and it has a reinforced tongue for plenty of smooth-flexing power.