How old are your boots? - Page 4

Okay, here's my ancient-boot story:

 

27 years ago, in December 1984 (I remember which ski trip, and what date), I replaced my Caber boots with a new pair of Tecnica something-or-others.  (I think they were black?).  But apparently Tecnica had a manufacturing defect that year, and pieces of the toe and heel plastic kept chipping out.  The factory filled the cracked-out bits a couple times (with urethane, I think?) over a span of a few years.  Eventually, they admitted to the manufacturing defect, and gave me a replacement pair of orange TX boots.  I'm guessing that was around 1989? But I'm not sure.  I've been skiing that pair of orange TX boots ever since, for around 20 years, always waiting for them to fail so I could justify buying new boots.  They've always fit me perfectly. I buckle them tight in the morning, and then keep 'em cinched up all day.

 

Well, 2 days ago, they *finally* failed.  You can perhaps see the crack in the right boot, starting just to the right of the "A" in TECNICA, going up almost to the cuff.  So yesterday I tried on a *ton* of boots, then demoed a pair of Head Vector 120's. I loved 'em, so I bought a brand new pair.

 

So, can anyone tell me the year of my beloved Tecnica TX's, shown below?  (And perhaps some sort of display case that I can enshrine them in?)

 

Thanks,

 

- Ken

 

It's almost time to bring back a top performance rear entry boot.    A few more seasons to weed the last rear entry models from the rental fleets and BAM! Someone will release one that's cool again..  I'm guessing it will have a wider footprint and they will also launch matching wider clawed bindings.  Then, everyone else with skinny boots and skinny bindings on 90+ skis will suddenly feel obsolete.

I think i am on my 7th year with my salomon X-wave 9's, love these boots, new intuition liners put in last year,they are warm and comfortable so I'll ski them a couple of more years. 

Some of you really scare me with how old your boots are. Plastic doesn't last forever and gets fatigued with a lot of freeze/thaw, then they get packed out and don't perform for sh*t.

After about 100 days, more or less, it's time for new boots for me.

 

That's about every 2-3 yrs.

 

BTW- there was never a performance rear entry boot.

 

I wish I could just buy off the shelf and be done but I have to have them tweaked pretty severely. Fortunately I have a great boot fitter in Breck.

 

YMMV,  bla, bla bla......

hey, that's me. I used to count the layers of chord showing, then look at the side to see how many ply the tire was rated and then go: It's 4 ply, we've got two left; that means we're good. steel belted can cut your hands so don't touch when you count.

 

and not to mention non-flat soles.

Hi,

 

You don't win any prizes from me for being sentimental about how old your boots are, When you finally get a new properly fitted pair you will not believe what a difference it makes.

 

I thought I hung onto my last pair too long, around 150 days. When I got the new ones I couldn't believe the immediate and dramatic effect it had on my skiing.

 

Boots pack out and the plastic ages really badly. This happens gradually, so day by day you don't realise it is happening. It is only when you put on a new decent boot you realise you have been skiing around in a pair of slippers for the last 10 years!

 

Robbo

 

PS : Post back on this thread when you have your new boots

 

Robbo

 

 

Robbo,

 

Well, first: Look at the title of this discussion thread. I was simply following orders.

 

Second: I don't care what anyone says -- I loved my ancient Tecnica TX boots. Up until they broke this week, they still fit great, were warm and comfortable, provided great support, were rock-solid and snug everywhere from the tip of my big toe up to the top of the cuff, without any hot spots anywhere, and they let me ski at (or close enough to) the top of my form.

 

Third: I *do* already have new boots. After my Tecnica's broke on Friday, I spent about an hour and a half to two hours that evening at Footloose in Mammoth (same place where I bought my Tecnicas), with their expert boot fitters, eventually choosing Head Vector 120.  I spent New Years Eve day skiing on their basically-brand-new demo pair.  They were the first boots in 20 years that I liked as much as my Tecnicas, so that afternoon I returned their demos and purchased a brand new pair in the box.  I haven't yet skied on the pair I bought, but they're the same as the pair I demoed.

 

Fourth -- and this is was brought me to this discussion thread in the first place -- I'm still looking for someone to look at the picture I posted and tell me what year model my Tecnica TX boots are.  I think I got them around 1990, but I'm not sure.

 

Note that conditions at Mammoth currently *suck* -- the worst conditions I've seen in my 38 years of skiing there.  So I'll concede to you that I'll have to wait 'til I try my new Head Vector 120 boots on a decent day, and then I can really judge how much better they are than my beloved old Tecnica TX's.

 

Thanks,

 

- Ken

Have 2 pair of late 90's Tecnica TNT Explosion 8's the single most perfect pc of ski gear I have ever owned. Custom beds installed neutral stance perfection for me!

 

Had 4 pair (disclosure pro formed multiple pair while I was an instructor to stock up) but 2 pair have blown up in each of the last 2 seasons.

 

Bought 2010/11 Salomon Impact 10's but will hold those in reserve until the last 2 pair spontaneously explode.....the 2 pair that broke had the orange AVS inserts and I have researched that those earlier versions always explode or crack eventually. The 2 remaining pair have the black AVS inserts are are not as notorious for cracking....hopefully they won't.

 

If I can find a pair of copper colored final version of Explosion 8 or 10's NOS (they never crack) I would sell the ski'd once Salomons immediately.....I remain mystified why nobody still produces this boot they were perfection!

Oh and I would guess 88, I got my first pair of TNT's with the same lime green buckles in 89.....I believe the TNT replaced the TX? I've been skiing the TNT in one form or another since then////

 

Thanks hrstrat57.  Yeah, maybe they are from '88. I know Technica gave them to me a few years after I bought my original pair in December '84, because the 12/84 ones had a mfg defect.

 

If your feet are shaped like mine, and if you are ever looking for something to replace your old Technicas, I just tried tons of boots this week, and the Head Vector 120 was like the magic glass slipper for me.  Maybe it'll work for you too...

 

Thanks,

 

- Ken

 

 

Hey thanks I'll keep it in mind......I only ski'd the Salomons for about 2 hrs in April and I was disappointed but didn't in fairness give them much of a chance/ they have huge shoes to fill competing with perfection. 

 

I finally think I have a bead on some NOS copper colored Explosion 8's with the 304 bsl!!

 

If I score them I will live in eternal ski bliss for ever more. 

 

Carry on with old boot talk....
 

 

Hi Cagey and Hrstrat57, I am new to the forum, and probably it's late to make a comment in 5 months since the thread was started, but I am myself obsessed

with Tecnica ski boots. The Explosion 8, Alu Hot Form, Explosion 8 again adore them, especially the orange vivid ones that don't explode (made in 1997-2000).

 

But decided to drop this line with the offer I accidentally have come across today. Perhaps, it would get Cagey interested ( if,on the top, his boots' size is the same).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tecnica-Womens-Pink-Ski-Boots-9-1-2-44-BOX-/190586313582?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5fd45b6e#ht_4844wt_800

For sure,  the seller's price is insane, but the interesting thing is that the boots are in a brand new condition. 24 years later, just amazing!!

 

Cheers.

 

You've been reading my posts!   I've been calling for this for years. 

 

I did the score a pair of brand new final generation explosion 8's......ski "em last time out past season and they were as expected amazing.

 

My Salomon Impact 10's are on ebay.

 

Very, very excited for next season!

Congrats on the new pair then!!

It's good when a long cherished dream comes true. How did you find them (eBay or via smth else). I wish I could also grab a brand new pair of Exlplosion 8, but a chance is next to nothing indeed. It's also a boot straight from the shelf for me.  Even Alu Hot Form, that's in my tool shed  as well  is a different case, let along those pervs with diabolic names and symbols on them.  I don't understand what was the point from Tecnica Marketing Team to swap their image into such an extremity and loose a part of long-time audience, like myself, who are Christians?! 

1997 Salomon Racing boots. They were ground-out at Snowbird in 2005 and fit and perform wonderfully. One of these years, I'll get a new pair, complete with custom liners and the bells and whistles, but for now, my trusty red boots are fantastic!

I use 2 season old Nordica Speedmachine 8s.  (Those are NOS used only for the shells.) But I've had the Conformable foam inners inside them since around 1993.

 

The Conformables have now been in 3 different pairs of Nordica shells, all of which have had a near-enough identical internal last for the inner to grip like the day it was foamed.

 

What is the expected lifespan for a shell?  Does variation in temperature or exposure to UV matter?  (I believe with car tyres the lifespan 6 years max if they've been used and 10 years max even if unused and stored in the dark.)

 

The shells these Speedmachines replaced were 12 years old and appeared fine, but we don't get much temp variation in Scotland :-)

Up until this year, I skied on Rossi Course E boots bought in BC (gave them to my nephew who needed something better for a short period while he's still growing) as  Bought new Lange WC 130 WC Fit boots of eBay, perfect fit. Slightly softer than the Rossi.  Mind you I don't ski more than 5 to 10 days a year if I'm lucky.

 

The Plastic on the Rossi's is getting old in tooth and going to fail sooner or later.

Glencoe, different brand names behave themselves differently in terms of aging caused embrittlement.  But the rule of thumb is to store the boots in ozon absent place (not next to electric motors or a fire source). Hence, get them off from proximity to air-conditioner, gas range, etc let alone the garage even if the latter is protected frm UV and summer heat exposure). The generator of your vehicle will do its harmful job gradually on the engine warm-up cycles every morning. Ozon is the chief plastic killer! The eBay from time to time offers cracking prone Tecnica Explosion 8 boots (manufactured prior to 1996)  which are way worn out now but have got no cracks at all after extensive wear and passage of 15 years time. It seems it's thanks to a proper storage 1st of all. 

I meant ozone, (not ozon). 

2010 Salomon Falcon CS Pro boots, custom foot beds and skied in them about 120 days so far