2nd Look: Salomon MTN Explore AT Boot

Durability

This is really my only question with the MTN Explore. The shell is getting chewed up a little faster than I’d expect after only around 20 days of total use, but so far, nothing that actually affects performance has occurred. I’ll be putting a lot more time in these boots this winter and will report back with any issues.

Comparisons: Locating the MTN Explore

The MTN Explore fills an interesting niche, especially when you look at its competitors. For example, you might expect Tecnica’s Zero G Guide Pro and Cochise to line up roughly with the Salomon MTN Lab and Explore, but that’s not the case. The Zero G Guide Pro is very comparable to the MTN Lab in both flex and weight, while the Cochise is heavier and stiffer. The Fischer TransAlp is comparable weight-wise to the MTN Lab, but softer than the MTN Explore. The Lange XT Freetour is heavier and more downhill oriented than any of those options, while boots like the Atomic Backland Carbon, Scarpa F1, Dynafit TLT series, Arc’teryx Procline, and Fischer Travers Carbon are all much lighter and uphill oriented.

In terms of weight, the MTN Explore sits between the more all-round touring boots like the Zero G and MTN Lab on the one side, and the uphill-oriented boots for the skinny pants crowd. There aren’t a lot of other boots out there like it.

So for skiers like myself who (1) prefer a softer boot, (2) want something that eats up long days on the skin track but is still capable in bigger terrain, or (3) works for hitting jumps and jibbing, the MTN Explore is the top option. It’s very rare that I review a piece of gear that fits my needs as well as the MTN Explore has, and I think a lot of other skiers will benefit from this boot, too.

Bottom Line

Last year we sang (loudly) the praises of the MTN Lab, and it is a great boot. But we think that the MTN Explore will be the better choice for a broader range of skiers. Many (and perhaps “most”) skiers don’t need a 1500 gram, 130-ish flex boot in the backcountry, and for that demographic, the MTN Explore is the best option we’ve found. It tours very, very well, yet somehow manages to ski much better than its weight should allow it to. So think hard about how much boot you really need: while the MTN Lab or Tecnica Zero G are much-touted options, the Salomon MTN Explore fills a more accessible and versatile niche.

 Update — 3.4.17

After publishing this Second Look, I continued to use MTN Explore as my go-to touring boot for 25 days or so, and I have a few updates.

The power straps fell all the way apart soon after publishing my initial review, and I replaced them with Booster Straps. Unfortunately, Salomon riveted the old straps on, so I had to drill them out (which was a pain), especially since nearly every other boot I’ve used bolts the power strap on. The Booster Straps do stiffen up the flex just a touch and helped cinch the cuff down on my skinny calves. It’s too bad the weak stock straps are riveted on since I think they’re the weakest part of the boot for sure.

The sole and lower shell have continued to get scratched up more than any other touring boot I’ve used. I haven’t had any structural issues, and the sole is doing a good job staying stuck to the shell. But they are both soft and get chewed up pretty easily by tech pins and rocks.

I ran into some trouble with the walk mode failing to lock every once in a while, until a friend noticed that the screws holding the switch lever into the shell had loosened. Once tightened, I had no more issues. So if your walk mode is giving you trouble, I recommend checking and using Loctite on those screws.

Other than my frustration with the power strap’s rivets and my temporary problem with walk mode, the Salomon MTN Explore has held up well and after around 15 more days in the MTN Explore I stand by my previous statements about its performance.

I recently reviewed the La Sportiva Spectre 2.o which falls into a very similar category as the MTN Explore, so check out that review for comparisons.