Lange Replacing the RL12 Next Season?

Hi everyone, first post.

I've been looking for a high performance new boot for next season, and found a pair of the new Lange RL12 shell SuperComps at a local shop for an *incredible* price. Almost too low to be true. I mentioned this to a friend I ski with, and he told me his bootfitter told him that Lange was replacing the new RL12 next season with another design. He said he was told the current sharknose desgn simply did not work as expected, and the new Lange was a round toe shell design that was a virtual copy of the current Atomic race boot. Anyone else hear about this? The boots I found seem to fit my foot well, but I don't want to spend the money if Lange is replacing them with a better design.

Welcome.  If the boot fits you, keep it.  There is really no better or worse design in boots (at least as far a toe shape goes), different designs may just fit a wider slice of the population. While this is a legitimate concern to a boot manufacturer, you should not give a hoot about that as long as the boot fits YOUR FOOT.  Sounds like the boot fits you and the price is right, so keep it and enjoy using it.

The way it was explained to me, it is not the toe shape. Apparently the whole shell is designed wrong. My friend said his bootfitter (an ex-world cup boot tech) said the shell is too thick in places, and the stance is too upright and aggressive. I was told the Lange World Cup members refused to ski on the current "sharknose"  design and either ski on the older RL11 design or on next years design (which is a copy of the current Atomic race boot design).

I'm worried about the performance of this design out on the snow regardless on how it fits my foot or the sale price. I just did a quick internet search and it seems like every shop is selling these new boots at clearance prices. Very, very strange from a boot design that is only one season old. The problem is that I have no way to demo these boots on the snow. I was just asking this question here if any other individuals have knowledge of this issue.

At this point I leaning not getting the boots regardless of the good sale price because something doesn't seem right with shops dumping these boots off at the end of the season. Maybe I'll take my friend up on his advice to go see his bootfitter next season.

In that case, maybe caution is a prudent approach- boots are probably the only item that needs to be 100%+ personalized, so a good bootfitter's help is almost priceless (and I say that with full knowledge that people who fit my family's ski boots read this board).  Maybe this thread needs to go to the bootfitting forum, there you may actually hear from professionals who may actually know the details.

Looks like the Boot forum is on summer vacation--no new post allowed until the fall. Unless I hear something else, I think you are right and the prudent thing to do is wait. No reason to get stuck with a boot that I may not like even though the price is right. Thanks.

FWIW : I think they are replacing & if you look at this years WC skiers, none were in 'shark boot'.  All were in 08 versions or the new model.

Get a pair of Raptor 150''s and call it a day!!!

FWIW, found this press release on the 2010 Langes.

http://www.ispo-mediaservices.com/media/150/1/F_1121_1/F_1121_1_2_N_ELM_1704_2_1.pdf

Comp-Shark boots on page 4.

Accurate?

CaptainKirk--

I skied the Supercomp in the WC Fit (92mm last) all year this year, and I can say unequivocally, it is by far the best boot -- for me -- I have ever skied. I have very low volume feet, and it is a VERY low volume last with a very anatomical shape and it just fit me very very well. I can't imagine how anyone with much width or instep to his foot could possible get in them though.

Additionally, the responsiveness and precision went way beyond anything else I had ever skied. I am a former racer and have skied various plugs and "detuned" plugs...nothing compared to the Supercomp for me.

I noticed the new Comp, which IS shark nosed btw, is a 97mm last...so whatever other changes might have been made, they also dropped the super narrow WC last. Perhaps they dropped it b/c there were so few skiers needing a last that narrow or instep that low.