Comments on: Garmont (Radium) Backcountry Skiing Boots — Parker’s Beta

By: PatS

PatS — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 13:44:57 +0000

Paul,

I own a pair of size 28 Endorphin, which are very comfortable, but a bit loose due to normal packing). Since I’m switching to a dynafit setup, I just got myself a new pair of Radium`s, size 27. They fit quite tight at the toes. What would be your suggestion: try to heat up the shell and liners to get a decent fit on those 27, or go directly to a size 28?

Tks,

By: Ed

Ed — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:46:43 +0000

I know this is an older post but I am looking at the Radium and had some fit questions. I’m switching over from Tele to AT and the boots I’m coming out of are Garmont Syner-G in 28. They are too big for me. I’m a 10.5 street shoe and I have a little wider than normal fore foot , narrow heel, and oh yeah … flat feet.

I picked up a pair of Garmont Mega-Rides 27.5 (sizing a bit down because of my too big Syner-G 28′s) but they are WAY too small. Too narrow in the fore foot and to small in the toe box. I was thinking of having them punched out but I really don’t think it will cut it. I’m wondering if the Radium might be a little better in terms of a starting point. It looks like it has a little more room than the Mega-Ride so that it might be easier to get a good fit after punching out.

I’ve used Scarpas before (only Tele) but found that their high arch hump really bothered my feet so I’m hesitant to try them in AT. I also tried on a pair of Black Diamond Factors in a 28 yesterday and found that they fit pretty good. I’m holding off on buying them because I’ve heard as a brand they don’t hold up and typically when I buy a boot and get it to fit I like to run them into the ground before replacing them.

I’m also thinking about the Dalbello Virus but that’s only assuming I can find a pair in my size and not have to pay full retail for them… doubtful.

I’m looking for boots that will see 95% BC use and only a little in bounds. I’m willing to trade a little DH stiffness for something that tours and climbs better.

By: Mark Worley

Mark Worley — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:55:23 +0000

Geoff,
People do like the real thermoformables, and I’d be pretty surprised if Spirit 4 or Radium normally come with anything else. 25 mm gap from heel to shell is too much, as far as I am concerned. Both are great boots, by the way.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:40:15 +0000

Hi all,

after spending 4 frustrating hours trying on boots today and getting very contradictory info from 2 salesmen (including “shell fit doesn’t tell you a single thing about a boot”!), I am turning to the collective wisdom of Wildsnow for help.

My situation: I am looking for a “beefier” boot to complement my Scarpa Lasers, but need something warm as I have had bad frostbite in the past. I have six toes (not figuratively, I actually have 6 on each foot), but otherwise a narrow heel.

My questions:

– Radiums fit me, but I only get enough width with the 27.0 shell, which has 25 mm of space in the “shell test”. Even though the fit is snug with the liner, will this be way too big after the liner is cooked and packs out?

- Spirit 4s fit well at 26.5 and 27.0, but my big toe touches the front slightly. I was told that punching it out even a little would ruin the shell, but I recall reading here that this should be possible?

- Both the Spirits and the Radiums were shown with non-thermoformable liners (eg., Padlock from Garmont), and when asked I was told that “no one likes the real thermoformables,” and therefore they only offer them on demand. Does anyone really agree with this?

Sorry for such a long post, but if anyone can make any suggestions the beer’s on me next time you’re in SW Germany.

Geoff

By: Paul Parker

Paul Parker — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:53:37 +0000

Hi folks,
Sorry that I didn’t get to your questions sooner. I haven’t been on the blog for some time. Thanks for your interest in Radiums.
Dustin: to adjust the cuff alignment: loosen the center bolt with a 4mm hex. Rotate the outer ring using something sharp-ish that fits into the ring’s indent. When the indent is on the bottom, the cuff is alighted to its outward maximum, the most common position. When the indent is at the top, it is tipped to the inside to its minimum. Choose your position and tighten the center bolt securely.
Olive, re: liners, this season we added a thinner, softer, stretch toe cap to the Radium liner, which is probably the difference that you see. It makes the toe area a bit easier to thermoform. We also simplified the cuff area a bit to standardize our liner models. There isn’t any performance difference in the 2008 and 2009 liners. Regarding forward lean, to get the most out of the shell, be sure that the lower cuff buckle, the second buckle down, is buckled tightly. This positions the overlap against your lower leg to get the most forward lean.
Dan, regarding thermoforming, we say three times but that isn’t a hard and fast rule. You can cook the liners up to 6 times as long as you do it properly with a convection oven and don’t burn them. Regarding cooking before buying, it’s the dealer’s call and we can only give advice here. That said, my advice is that if you really aren’t sure, cooking first is a good idea. It won’t hurt the liner and will certainly make you feel better about your purchase.

Olive also asked about sizing: Scarpa’s and Garmont’s shell sizes break differently. All bootmakers build shells in full sizes and use a thicker footbed or liner in the in-between sizes. Scarpa’s 26.5 and 27.0 are out of the same mold, while our 27.0 and 27.5 are out of the same mold, as you’ve observed. You are right, there isn’t as much difference in a 27.0 and 27.5 because the shells are the same. Comparing your Spirits and Radiums, because of the shell break, if you were to choose a 27.0 Radium it would be approximately 5mm longer than your 27.0 Spirits.
I hope this is helpful.
Paul