Right around this time two years ago, we posted an announcement that Full Stack Supply Co, the parent company of Faction Skis and United Shapes, would be launching a new ski boot brand. Details were slim at the time, but given that new boot brands don’t come around all that often, it was exciting news.
Since then, there have been bits of info dropped here and there, including the name of the brand: phaenom footwear.
Today, they’ve released their first (limited) collection of ski boots, with boots available to purchase on phaenom’s website and via select retailers in Europe. The brand will launch their full collection in the fall of 2024.
On offer in this limited drop are the fs 01 120 and fr 01 130, two boots with names that I’m almost certainly going to mess up every time I attempt to type them.
The fs series is the “freestyle” collection in phaenom’s lineup, whereas the fr boots are the “freeride” models and have shells with walk mechanisms. All of phaenom’s boots are made in Montebelluna, Italy, which is basically the epicenter of ski boot manufacturing.
Walk mechanism aside, the two boots look like they share a lot in common. The most notable element is arguably their shell layout. It’s a 3-piece “cabrio” design, with a lower shell, upper cuff, and tongue. However, its tongue is fairly short and the cuff portion features notably more overlap than 3-piece boots like those from K2 (aka, Full Tilt) and Dalbello. The phaenom design looks more similar to boots like the Scarpa 4-Quattro series and the well-loved but long-discontinued Salomon Ghost and SPK series.
The brand also makes a point of highlighting the fact that the boots are “designed for disassembly” with “fully removable and replaceable parts.” The liner uses 50% recycled fabrics and a 50% bio-based EVA sole. In addition to vibration damping, that sole is meant to increase durability and potentially allow you to use the liner like a hut slipper.
The boots feature an unusual-looking power strap. Here’s what phaenom says about it: “The innovative phaenom strap provides superior shock absorption and flex control from a single recyclable material. Working in combination with the hybrid cabrio design creates a unique linear-flex pattern, providing a consistent feel and rebound throughout the turn which translates to more comfort and stability.”
Some other miscellaneous highlights: 102 mm last width across all models, adjustable forward lean (13° / 15° / 17°), GripWalk soles, and stated weights of around 2100 grams for both models.
In fall of 2024, there will be fs models with flex ratings ranging from 90 to 120; the fr models will span from 100 to 130. Currently, only sizes 25/25.5 and 26/26.5 are available; come fall, certain models will be available from size 23.5 to 28.5. Sizes 22/22.5 and 29/29.5 will be added in the 25/26 season.
Below is the whole press release from phaenom:
Innsbruck, Austria | November 22, 2023:
phaenom footwear—the new, premium footwear brand from Full StackSupply Co, parent of Faction Skis and United Shapes—has unveiled a limited drop of its first-ever product collection. Following four years of research & development, the limited drop signals the market arrival of the hotly-anticipated brand, ahead of its global launch in fall 2024.
The initial range offers two product lines: the fs (Freestyle) and fr(Freeride) ski boots. Emphasizing new, original boot molds, patent-pending technology and a design- and circularity-based ethos, phaenom’s debut represents the most notable entry to the ski boot market in recent memory.
Crafted in Montebelluna, Italy and engineered for style, simplicity,comfort and freeski performance, phaenom’s most distinctive differentiators include:
•The all-black design supports restoration and reuse of the boot and its parts.
•Each element of this product — from panels to buckles to straps and screws — is designed to be repairable and recyclable.
•The patent-pending phaenom strap provides rebound, shock absorption and flex control from a single recyclable material.
The fs collection includes four models designed to achieve flex perfection and shock absorption whether buttering rollers or stomping landings in the park. The fr family features another four models, nearly identical to the fs models yet differentiated primarily by the walk mode and tech inserts. The fr models are engineered to be efficient on the way up and dependable at full speed going down.
The limited drop features exclusively the fs 01 120 freestyle boot and the fr 01 130 freeride boot; the former is available at phaenom-footwear.com and via select retail partners, and the latter is available solely via select retail partners. The limited drop is offered only in Europe and features sizes 25/.5 and 26/.5. Sizes ranging from 23/.5 to28/.5 will be available in fall 2024 and the addition of sizes 22/.5 and29/.5 will launch for season 2025-26.
“We believe technical footwear should be simple and modern,” says Daniel Tanzer, Full Stack Supply Co. Head of Hardgoods. “Our team, a cohort of footwear experts in Innsbruck, Paris, Asia and Montebelluna, combined deep experience with new development techniques and materials to bring a fresh approach to ski footwear. We share a mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable processes, materials and circularity within the outdoor footwear industry, without ever sacrificing performance and style. We are a Certified B Corp and proud 1% for the Planet partner from day one. Sustainability is at our core.”
“We’re proud to bring a technical, comfortable, sustainably-minded boot to the market. We have worked closely with athletes and engineers alike to resolve a range of performance issues, ensuring phaenom is truly different to any ski boot on the market today,” explains Full Stack Supply Co. CEO, Alex Hoye. “After intense engagement with our 650-strong retail network, we have been thrilled by the feedback for everything from the performance—including an FIS World Cup gold—to the recycled and recyclable materials, to the clean style. But the strongest feedback has been around the comfort the cabrio design and phaenom strap deliver. With our limited drop this year we wanted to give the riders in the most-worn sizes of the distribution curve in Europe a taste of what we have been developing. We already have strong support from retailers and riders around the world for our full launch in 2024.”
I think I felt my eyes twitch in reflexive anger when I saw the product names. I get that marketing wants a unique look for their branding and all, but I cannot feel anything but dumbfounded exasperation when they decided all lowercase was the move. It makes it harder to read, and frankly, it’s not even original at this point (Season doesn’t really get a pass on the all lowercase either, but at least they have actual pronounceable names, as opposed to a jumble of letters that supposedly constitutes an initialism).
Thanks for not making me say it…
Not gonna lie, a lot of things about this make me cringe and I feel like it’s gonna result in a lot of uneducated consumers spending too much money on boots that don’t fit them.
The “hypebeast” / “streetwear” style marketing, the limited size/last/flex options, the online store… I dunno. It just doesn’t seem like a recipe for bootfitting success.
I’m curious to know if product models of these boots actually physically exist yet and if they do what their real-world production quality is, because most if not all of these images are renderings of 3D models rather than photographs of actual, physical product. While using renderings is not an immediate red flag – most of the shoes you see on Nike.com, for example, are renderings – I am always skeptical of startups pre-selling product without real photography. Sometimes renderings are used in lieu of photography because it can actually be easier to get the quality and cleanliness of images you need that way, but just as often – particularly in the case of startups – it’s because a final “golden sample” product worthy of high-quality photography doesn’t exist yet.
FWIW regardless of the reason these are insanely high quality models and renderings that took an enormous amount of time, money, and effort to produce. The designers that produced them deserve a ton of credit.
Ha, I thought the same exact thing regarding the quality of the renderings — it’s seriously impressive.
FWIW, the boots are made in Montebelluna, Italy (phaenom doesn’t specify a particular factory), but that area is where the vast majority of ski boots are made these days.
I’ll take a guess. Rocca/Roxa?
Pretty interesting comments about the renderings. I learn something new on this site every time, even if it’s not about skiing.
TPU shell parts will make or break their success! Perhaps that necessitated their “circularity” marketing of replaceable parts! TPU won’t last 30 months of aging at cold temperatures. You HAVE to replace the lower shell.
But all World Cup race boots are TPU, aka PU, aka polyurethane. Using “TPU” on its own doesn’t necessitate a risk, but there are many kinds of TPU/PU, so simply saying “TPU” in-and-of-itself does not tell you a lot about what to expect. It’s kind of like saying a ski has a “wood core”. Great starting point, but more details are always appreciated.
102 last, eh…. I’m out. I’ll be over here hoarding Lange RX 120/130 LV’s.
OK, for those of you concerned about product and brand names, please know that the reason you have been seeing so many company and brand names that are weirdly spelled or nonsensical words is not because of a dysfunctional trend but because trademarking legalities have hit a wall where it is extremely difficult to use actual english words in trademarking a name…. the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) religously denies trademark applications using real english words and vigorously encourages and recommends making up nonexistent words to use for branding and company names. Trying to create a brand name that can be used in the global market on multiple continents is a super headache…. simply out of finding acceptance with government restrictions… then through in owners and decsion maker interests,,,, welcome to 2024.
Having gone through it a number of times before, brand and product naming is really hard if you’re looking for robust trademark protection…or to simply not get sued. While the rules that give advantage to branding with nonsense words might seem like unnecessary red tape, it is all in an effort to try to avoid the disgusting situations we’ve seen from the likes of Backcountry.com and Caterpillar attempting to use the legal system to bully their way into owning the words “backcountry” and “cat,” respectively. Does it make for goofy sounding brands? Sure. But it’s also kind of the only option in a world where large corporations have the money and power to put the screws on you if you don’t.
Totally understand — the folks naming these things do not have it easy. Purely because I’m someone who ends up typing / formatting these things all the time, I just can’t help but grimace when I see things like lowercase first letters of proper nouns, punctuation in names (looking at you, Commencal T.E.M.P.O. and RAAW Yalla!), etc., mostly because I know I’m going to mess it up at some point. But especially for brands who sell in multiple countries, I can’t imagine the difficulties when it comes to creating names that work across the board for all the variables you mentioned.
Really disappointed by the comments here. I was hoping the blister crowd would be more open to performance and design changes than they are proving to be. Phaenom are doing something different, and if it’s not for you that is fine. I, for what it’s worth find that the current products on offer in the boot world are pretty abysmal. This one may not be for me when I try it but im glad to see changes and design moving forward. in 2023, the best designed boot, IMHO is the k2 flx/fulltilt/raichley and it is literally 50 years old. That boot has some serious flaws, and requires serious modification to make it acceptable performance wise. Every variation of ski boot on the market today falls short in some way, and it is largely because the old school community won’t accept forward thinking design. There really just are not that many examples of new, viable ideas in ski boots and this represents one, so it annoys me that people who theoretically should be excited about new gear ideas are poo-pooing a product they have never even seen because of marketing copy or whatever and completely missing the point. This boot is trying to provide another option. If you want a 90’s plug boot with an ego-stroking, flex rating, Lange is still in business.