Ski boot flex ratings are not standardized, so one “110 flex” boot might feel softer or stiffer than another boot with a 110 flex rating. This makes it hard to get super specific about where the Spectre sits in terms of it’s flex, but I’ll try and give the best sense I can of how stiff/soft it is relative to other boots.
In terms of forward flex, the Spectre seems significantly softer than the Dynafit Vulcan, and slightly softer than my old Dynafit TLT5 Performance with the tongue in place.
Compared to other alpine boots with a 130 flex, I’d say the Salomon X-Max 130 is a pretty “soft” 130. The Vulcan feels about 10-15% softer than my X-Max 130s, and has a less progressive flex than the X-Max. So relative to the X-Max, the Spectre’s stated 110 flex seems about right, and I’m inclined to say that it even feels a little softer, closer to a flex rating of 100.
To me, the Dynafit Vulcan seems to flex through a shorter range than the Spectre, and the Vulcan’s flex ramps up relatively quickly as the boot is flexed. The Spectre’s flex profile feels more linear in that it maintains the same moderate stiffness throughout the forward flex until it stiffens a bit towards the end of its range of motion.
One of the things I notice when I transition between my Salomon X-Max 130 alpine boots and either the Dynafit Vulcan or the La Sportiva Spectre is the lack of rearward, backseat support the touring boots provide. While the Vulcan’s forward flex is closer to that of a stiffer 130-flex alpine boot than the Spectre, the two are very similar in their lack of rearward support, with the Vulcan feeling only slightly stiffer in this respect. When snow conditions get weird and I’m wearing a heavy pack, it’s nice to have a cuff that provides some real rigidity to lean on if needed, but neither the Spectre nor the Vulcan really do compared to a regular alpine boot. As I’ll get to below, this wasn’t so much of a problem as long as I stayed strong, precise, and deliberate with my turns in the Spectre, but it’s definitely a factor in how the boot performs.
Soft, Consistent Snow
Laterally, the Spectre’s flex is stiff enough for skiing comfortably on any kind of snow surface I encounter in the backcountry. When driving the skinnier Praxis Backcountry (106mm underfoot) at higher edge angles on firm snow, I noticed the Spectre’s lateral stiffness didn’t feel as substantial as that of my Salomon X-max 130s or Dynafit Vulcans. However, even when on bigger skis like the DPS Lotus 120 or 138, the Spectre provided enough lateral power to pivot and smear the skis in soft, consistent conditions, and I didn’t feel like I needed the overall stiffer flex of the Vulcan, and certainly not that of my X-Max 130s.
For those reasons, in the kind of soft, consistent conditions we’re all seeking out when we tour, the Spectre is a great choice even when driving big, fat skis at high speeds.
Firmer, Variable Conditions
Throughout this unusual ski season in Alaska, I’ve encountered a variety of weird, grabby snow in the backcountry. In those challenging conditions, I didn’t feel like the Spectre’s flex provided the support I needed. Especially at high speeds below bigger faces or chutes where the lower elevation snow is firm from refrozen slough, I wished I had a stiffer flex to lean into. The Spectre’s tongue felt like it was just folding forward, not helping me control the ski. Of all the AT boots I’ve tested, the Vulcan performs best in these conditions. Though they don’t feel quite as dependable as my alpine boots, I rarely feel limited by the flex of the Vulcans, even in tricky, variable conditions.
As long as I stayed relatively balanced and light on my feet, however, and didn’t need to drive the front of the boot too hard, the Spectre was still able to handle big terrain, on big skis, at speed, in more demanding conditions. And skiers that weigh less than I do will likely find the Spectre’s flex less limiting and more capable as the snow turns from soft to variable.
As I spend more time on models from this newer generation of lightweight touring boots like the Spectre and the Dynafit TLT 5 & 6, I become increasingly convinced that technically solid skiers can use them in almost any circumstance. As mentioned above, so long as I stay balanced and strong over my skis, I can do almost anything I want in the Spectre on the descent, though the Vulcan let’s me do so a bit more confidently and comfortably.
Bottom Line
All in all, when considering how good the Spectre is on the ascent and how capable it is on the way down, I don’t think there’s a better deal in ski touring boots.
The Spectre costs about 40% less than boots like the Dynafit TLT 6 or Vulcan, and weighs more than half a pound less per pair than most other comparable, 4-buckle touring boots. With those factors in mind, I think the Spectre is likely to suit the needs of many skiers in the majority of touring situations so long as the boot fits them well.
Paul, what do you think about such a set-up like Katana V-Werks 191, Marker Kingpin and Spectre? Will La Sportiva be able to handle prety stiff ski?
Thank you for brilliant reviews!
Andrey, have you tried the setup you described yet? I am asking, since I have been thinking about the exact same setup (just the Katanas in 184 cm). I would also like to test it with the Dynafit Vulcans, but I can’t find them in size 31 anywhwere (any suggestions here would be appreciated too). Today, I have tried the Scarpa Maestrale and Maestrale RS (in size 31) and the Vulcans (in 30.5). The La Sportiva provided a much better fit than the Scarpas whereas the Vulcans were too small. Thanks!
Hi Paul,
I tried Carbon Katana with Marker Jesters in 191 and alpine boots (Dalbello Krypton Pro) and they performed fantastic.
BMT 109 186 cm. seemed more playful compared to V-Werks Katana. It is also lighter and is touch softer. Hope that will help and thanks for reply!
Hi Andrey,
I haven’t skied V-werks Katana yet although I am really looking forward to skiing the V-werks and BMT skis as soon as I can get my hands on them. That said, I think the set-up you describe will work well. As I said above, the Spectre was enough for me most of the time even using big, stiffish skis like the DPS Lotus 120 spoon. Given the choice, however, I prefer the extra power of the Vulcan for my style and size.
As far as my somewhat high instep feet are concerned, the higher volume Spectre shells still have a major problem. When buckled tightly for skiing, the shell deforms inward and downward, crushing my medial malleolus when the ski is rolled up on edge. Multiple aggressive punches from two different very careful and experienced fitters barely helped. Ultimately they ground off all the lower shell plastic overlapped by the tongue, which completely solved the problem. Another shop in town did this fix on almost all the Spectres they sold, as did a VDBS guide working in Canada this winter.
The lower shell has a very loose heel pocket and the inner has seams right across the ankle, but those issues are more straightforward to solve.
Josh – “Ultimately they ground off all the lower shell plastic overlapped by the tongue, which completely solved the problem.”
Could you post a photo showing where & how much lower shell plastic was actually removed? Am considering similar fix, but want to avoid causing water-leakage problems.
Hey Josh,
I know exactly what you are talking about! There boots kill in the inner ankle! I thought about doing the same thing, but another part of the boots just started to fall apart, so I think I’m just moving onto the next the next set of boots. Hopefully it works out better than the Spectre did. Do you know if they resolved this issue with later models?
cheer,
Clay D
I noticed you’re no longer on the Cochises, but instead the X-Maxs. How would you compare the two boots?