Boot: 2022-2023 Salomon S/Pro Alpha 130
Stated Flex: 130
Available Sizes: 22.0-30.5
Stated Last (size 26.5): 98 mm
Size Tested: 26.5
Stated Boot Sole Length (size 26.5): 304 mm
Blister’s Measured Weight (size 26.5):
- Shells, no Liners: L: 1408 & R: 1417 g
- Liners, no Footbeds: L: 399 & R: 400 g
- Shells + Liners = L: 1807 & R: 1817 g
- Stock Insoles: 22 & 22 g
- Removable Spoilers: 24 g & 24 g
Buckles: 4 Screwed Aluminum
Power Strap: 50 mm “Energyzer Claw” (cam style)
Shell Material:
- Cuff: Polyurethane (heat moldable)
- Lower Shell / Shoe: Polyurethane (heat moldable)
Soles: Alpine ISO 5355 (premounted) + GripWalk soles in the box
Binding Compatibility:
- With Alpine soles: Alpine Stamped Bindings, MNC Stamped Bindings
- With GripWalk soles: GripWalk Stamped Bindings, MNC Stamped Bindings
Intro
The Salomon S/Max series of low-volume alpine boots had many very enthusiastic fans, but that boot was also a bit polarizing, particularly when it came to fit. For 22/23, Salomon is replacing it with the new S/Pro Alpha series, which features a whole bunch of new features designed to make the boots more adaptable to more skiers. We started spending time in the new S/Pro Alpha 130 this past season and will have more to say in the future, but in the meantime, here’s a closer look at the design of the new S/Pro Alpha boots.
What Salomon Says about the S/Pro Alpha Series:
“Introducing the S/Pro Alpha, a high-performance, low volume boot that tackles the final frontier of fit; the instep. The instep area is the hardest to customize and workaround but is a key area of the foot that can make or break skiers. Salomon’s new S/Pro Alpha, incorporates thinner plastic and strategic positioning of the second lower shell buckle, putting less pressure on the top of the foot. The wider space between the two forefront buckles creates a stronger heel lock and foothold while enhancing step-in and step-out. More room makes it easier to customize the boot for each skier with the My Custom Fit 4D liner, customizable tongue and Custom Shell HD.
‘We have always looked to evolve our fit expertise and the new S/Pro Alpha is a huge step forward in both initial fit impression and expanding on the bootfitter’s arsenal of customization options,’ says Chris McKearin, North American alpine category manager. ‘Not only is the new Alpha the dream boot for the high-performance skier but it is also the boot fitter’s best friend.’”
Here’s a quick list of all the S/Pro Alpha boots:
S/Pro Alpha Expert Line:
- S/Pro Alpha 130: $799
- S/Pro Alpha 120 GW: $699
S/Pro Alpha Men Line:
- S/Pro Alpha 120: $649
- S/Pro Alpha 110: $599
- S/Pro Alpha 100: $499
S/Pro Alpha Women Expert Model:
- S/Pro Alpha 110 W: $699
S/Pro Alpha Women Line:
- S/Pro Alpha 100: $599
- S/Pro Alpha 90 W: $499
- S/Pro Alpha 80 W: $399
It’s worth noting that for 22/23, Salomon took a unisex approach to all of their top-end (i.e., stiffest) boot models by providing them down to a true mondo size 22, which is great to see.
Shell
In 2008, Salomon released the first “Custom Shell HD” boot, which allowed for heat molding around the metatarsal area. Ten years later, they produced their first fully heat-moldable shells in the form of the S/Max and S/Pro boots, which are now well known for their moldability. The 22/23 S/Pro Alpha boots continue this trend; they are built with what Salomon calls “Custom Shell 4D,” which is a fully heat moldable polyurethane shell and cuff. The process takes about 10 minutes and can be managed by most bootfitting shops.
The major fit problem that Salomon was looking to account for in their new S/Pro Alpha models was the instep; maybe not so coincidentally, the predecessor boot, the S/Max, featured one of the lowest-volume fits across the instep for its category. They accomplished this in several ways in the new S/Pro Alpha mold, including making the gap between the forefoot buckles wider, placing the upper forefoot buckle at a 45° angle, reinforcing the foot hold through the ankle to prevent forward motion, and easing the on-and-off process by making the plastic over the instep thinner and making the hinge point wider, by a stated 10%. Salomon calls the combination of these several adaptations “3D Instep Shell.”
The S/Pro Alpha series is also built with Salomon’s “Power Spine,” which features a screw on the outside of the spine that you can turn a metal bar to switch between a “Direct” or “Progressive” position (see above photos). The Direct position orients a piece of metal vertically so that it connects the cuff to the shell, whereas the Progressive position orients it horizontally so it’s not directly connecting the shell and cuff.
Liner
The Custom Fit 4D Liner featured in the S/Pro Alpha is pretty firm and dense-feeling overall. It incorporates Talyn fabric on the outside and is fully heat-moldable material throughout. Talyn is a material intended to provide a comfortable initial fit, along with the potential for further customization through precisely heat molding the ankle area of the liner.
Exciting for the S/Pro Alpha liners is Salomon’s “Custom Tongue,” which can reportedly be adjusted by as much as 8 mm for people with extremely high insteps or prominent cuneiforms. The tongue is removable from the liner, which makes liner adjustment much easier on a bootfitter. With the ability to fully dismantle the plastic part of the tongue from the foam, the tongue becomes an easily adjustable part of the boot to help fix instep issues.
Forward Lean
We’re waiting to hear back regarding the stated stock forward lean of the S/Pro Alpha and will report back when we have more info. The boot does ship with a 10 mm spoiler to adjust forward lean.
Buckles
Salomon utilizes their micro-adjustable Aluminum 3D buckles on the S/Pro Alpha, all of which are attached with screws and can easily be replaced. The upper forefoot buckle over the instep can be mounted in three different positions based on the needs of the foot, which allows for slightly different tensioning pressure, angle, and location over the instep.
Power Strap
The S/Pro Alpha 130 comes with Salomon’s “Energyzer Claw” power strap, a cam-style, elastic strap. The Energyzer Claw strap is not as stretchy as a Booster strap or Atomic’s Professional Dual Strap, but it is more elastic than most stock power straps, which is a welcome feature.
Soles
The S/Pro Alpha 130 comes stock with a traditional ISO 5355 Alpine sole, but with GripWalk soles in the box. However, all the other S/Pro Alpha models come premounted with GripWalk Soles.
The stock plastic alpine sole on the S/Pro Alpha is similar to what the S/Max lineup has been built with for some time. For someone wanting more grip or an easier time walking, the GripWalk soles are a better option and can be easily swapped with a screwdriver.
Cuff Adjustment
The S/Pro Alpha has dual cuff alignment adjustments at the pivot points of the boot, which can be tweaked by a bootfitter. This cuff adjustment system mirrors what has been featured in the Atomic Hawx Ultra and Prime for several years. It’s worth noting that Salomon has a Bootfitting Basics and Canting Box for their dealers, which will feature canting shims for the S/Pro Alpha series, if further stance balancing is required beyond cuff alignment.
Weight & Comparisons
Like the S/Max 130 it replaces, the S/Pro Alpha 130 is still pretty light for a rigid-cuff alpine boot, with the new boot falling right between the S/Max 130 and S/Max 130 Carbon when it comes to weight. The S/Pro Alpha 130’s weight is in line with a few other boots in its class, like the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 and Nordica Promachine 130, but notably lighter than some of the more traditional boots like the Lange RX 130 and Head Formula RS 130.
For reference, here are our measured weights of several relevant alpine boots. Weights listed are for each shell, then each liner, then the combined weight of each shell and liner.
Head Nexo LYT 130 (26.5): 1082 & 1089 + 427 & 436 = 1509 & 1525 g
K2 Recon 130 LV (26.5): 1276 & 1277 + 369 & 374 = 1645 & 1651 g
Salomon S/Max 130 Carbon (26.5): 1291 & 1292 + 445 & 446 = 1736 & 1738 g
Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 S GW (26.5): 1375 & 1376 + 410 & 413 = 1785 & 1789 g
Salomon S/Pro Alpha (26.5): 1408 & 1417 + 399 & 400 = 1807 & 1817
Salomon S/Max 130 (26.5): 1389 & 1407 + 433 & 429 = 1822 & 1836 g
Nordica Promachine 130 (26.5): 1428 & 1428 + 444 & 445 = 1890 & 1891 g
Tecnica Mach1 130 LV TD (26.5): 1518 & 1518 + 447 & 450 = 1965 & 1968
Head Formula 130 (26.5): 1557 & 1558 + 468 & 470 = 2027 g & 2029 g
Head Formula RS 130 (26.5): 1587 & 1588 + 466 & 466 = 2052 g & 2053 g
Lange RX 130 LV (26.5): 1676 & 1678 + 430 & 430 = 2106 & 2108
Lange RS 130 LV (26.5): 1634 & 1634 + 481 & 489 = 2115 & 2123 g
Atomic Redster CS 130 (26.5): 1773 & 1778 + 435 & 434 = 2208 & 2212
Head Raptor 140 RS (26.5): 1892 & 1899 + 547 & 548 = 2439 & 2447 g
Fit
As always, our “Fit” sections will never replace the usefulness of the advice of an experienced bootfitter, nor are they designed to do so. The fit of any boot is the deciding factor and everyone’s feet are different, so we highly, highly recommend visiting a bootfitter before settling on a boot.
With that said, the main difference between the fit of the S/Max and S/Pro Alpha comes down to the instep. Salomon says that the “Heel-Instep Perimeter” is the same between the two boots, but the S/Pro Alpha’s interior last extends 3 mm higher near the toe, at the end of the overlapping section above the forefoot, creating a less aggressive downward angle of the shell and consequently creating more space above the instep.
Overall, the S/Pro Alpha still feels like a pretty low-volume boot; the instep height is far and away the most noticeable difference between it and the S/Max. The S/Pro Alpha also doesn’t feel quite as low-volume through the ankle, forefoot, or toe box, but those differences are much more subtle. Another noteworthy difference is that the S/Pro Alpha is considerably easier to get on / off, vs. the S/Max, especially if you’ve got a higher instep. Compared to the Tecnica Mach1 LV, the S/Pro Alpha feels roomier above the instep and through the midfoot, though fairly similar around the toe box and ankle. Compared to the Atomic Hawx Ultra, the S/Pro Alpha again has a slightly higher instep and is a touch higher-volume throughout, but otherwise feels fairly similar / in the same class.
Of course, a trusted bootfitter is the only way to figure out if the S/Pro Alpha will fit your feet. What we’ll say for now is that we expect that a wider range of skiers / foot types will be able to potentially get a good fit in the S/Pro Alpha than the S/Max, due to the less restrictive instep height, but the folks with very low-instep, “L-shaped” feet who loved the S/Max because of its low instep may need to have some work done by a bootfitter to achieve a similarly locked-down fit in the S/Pro Alpha.
Bottom Line (For Now)
The Salomon S/Pro Alpha series’ potential ability to address difficult fit issues, numerous options for customization, unique performance-focused features, and potentially versatile fit all make it an exciting new boot in the low-volume category. Stay tuned for updates, including in our 22/23 Winter Buyer’s Guide.
I wanna comment here to bitch that Salomon’s customer service is horrific. Like…the worst I’ve seen in any company in recent memory. “Hey can I buy this replacement part for my boot?” and I couldn’t get them to give me a straight answer before they eventually just stopped replying. My impression was their reps have zero clue what boots are in their catalog and they don’t have parts diagrams either, so if they can’t find the part you need in a giant pile on the floor of random bits then you’re not getting service. And this was a 2 year old boot that was barely out of production, not some 10 year old model.
So never again will I buy a Salomon boot.
Hello,
I’m really sorry to hear about the issue here and the customer experience received. Salomon is the brand from my hometown in France and I am now lucky to work for them in the US. I am definitely sorry to hear about the bad experience as I am always proud to promote my hometown brand! Could you please reach out to me: thomas.lecerf@salomon.com or 801.564.4001. I’d love to hear what happened and how we can make it right. Short term with your specific issue and also long term to make sure this experience doesn’t happen again. Would really appreciate if you could reach out to give us a chance to make it right!
Thank you,
Thomas
Which Boot manufacturer/model would you recommend for long narrow flat feet for “advanced intermediate” athletic 66yr old male 6′ 185lbs? Ski 80% of time on groomers.
So they added volume around the instep?
Was looking at a salomon boot for inbounds skiing for my skinny ankles low instep and narrow feet.
Any thoughts on how the fit of this boot compares to the older X-Max? I loved that boot, but couldn’t make the S-Max work, just too low in the instep.
I skied these all winter, roomier fit for sure. Jason, there’s definitely more instep room than the Max, plus the new instep buckle position further addresses your problem.
S/PRO ALPHA 130 EL:
Forward Lean Angle: 14.5°
Ramp Angle: 4°
S/PRO ALPHA 120 EL:
Forward Lean Angle: 13.5°
Ramp Angle: 4°