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Garmont Axon & Endorphin Comparo — Paul Parker Speaks

Bookmark and Share            By Lou

You guys asked for it, so I got in touch with Paul Parker of Garmont and he shared some beta.

Hi Lou,

Thanks for writing up the Axon, we’re excited about bringing that boot out and it’s good to see the interest. Here are some main points of comparison between Axon and Endorphin:

– The question of the Axon just being an “Endorphin with Dynafit fittings” is one I can clear up. In ski boots, there is rarely such a thing as “just.” Certainly the concept was born from the Endorphin, and the excellent walkability as well as skiing performance are Endorphine trait. But the two boots are are entirely different molds since the sole configuration, zeppa (footboard), fit, and Dynafit fittings are all unique to the Axon.

– Regarding having swappable soles AND Dynafit compatibility. This would be great in a perfect world and was something that we indeed researched. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room to have both and stay within DIN norm. The plastic sole that is part of the interchangeable-soled shell would have to be thicker to accept the Dynafit fittings, which would take it out of norm.

– The big benefit of the Axon is the “package” when it’s combined with a Dynafit binding. Great skiing, great touring. It is stiff, its plastic is the same same stiffness as the Endorphin. In a traditional step-in AT binding the Axon will ski similarly to an Endorphin. In a Dynafit binding, which holds the boot especially securely (as Lou has pointed out many times here on WildSnow), it skis with the precise feel of a full-on alpine setup. (For that precise alpine feel, the Endorphin does have the option of using the ISO Alpine sole, which is compatible with an alpine step-in and doesn’t compress like a rubber touring sole does.)

– New liner in the Axon is significantly improved. It uses a new design with a separately-sewn sole that sits flatter in the boot, your footbed sits flatter in the liner, and the liner gets the most width out of the shell without increasing volume. It has a low-profile lacing system which is especially nice for touring. It has an improved fit before thermoforming, a plus for trying on boots and evaluating fit before molding (though of course they should ALWAYS be thermoformed before use).

– Axon has a removable micropore footbed (zeppa) like an alpine boot, adding insulation, and easily modified by a bootfitter.

Cheers,
Paul

Previous Axon post.

Posted by Lou on November 14, 2007 | Filed Under Boot Reviews 

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Comments

7 Responses to “Garmont Axon & Endorphin Comparo — Paul Parker Speaks”

  1. John Rosendahl November 14th, 2007 11:05 am

    The boots look great – now where are my high DIN dynafits?

  2. Eyesack November 14th, 2007 12:07 pm

    That’s right John I got the Beef in the boots and the Phat wood, Titanium, carbon core skis now where’s the dynafit binding beef. Maybe I am being hypocritical I guess if you are going to be using all this other Beefy stuff maybe you just use the Dukes ? No no, we should demand light weight beefy gear for everything.

    When I look at new equipment in the alpine world I notice it goes skis boots bindings. That is, the skis are the first with the new technology than they boots to go with the skis, and finally they are coming out with bindings with wider platforms for the wide skis.

  3. Lou November 14th, 2007 1:32 pm

    I’d imagine Dynafit has something in the works, knowing those guys…

  4. Samo December 9th, 2007 5:53 am

    I hope so! Stiff dynafit binding with din at least 13.

  5. Colin December 23rd, 2007 12:34 am

    Skied my Garmont Axons out of the box last night @ Snowking. I guess I was hoping that a boot costing $650 (Thanks TP!) would not need absurd amounts of customization just to be skiable. The cost of my mods will be on the order of $350 retail – meaning a total price tag of ~$1200USD for the person trying to put together a skiable boot off the shelf. I mean heck, is Garmont really that out to lunch?

    Temps were around -10F and I hiked/skied 1 lap on firm groomers. Initial impressions include a tongue that is way too soft and cut too low, a total POS liner, and insufficient forward stifness. Lateral stiffness is good, and so is ankle/heel retention. However, these boots ski worse overall out of the box than do my modded Spirit 3’s.

    Tomorrow the boots will receive: Booster straps, Intuition Power wrap liners, custom footbeds, and a tongue from either Kryptons or Tornados. I will report back Monday eve with secondary impressions.

  6. Lou December 23rd, 2007 7:34 am

    Colin, thanks for your take. Keep us informed on how it goes.

  7. rather b skiing February 13th, 2008 2:23 am

    Last i checked the fit of the spirit 3’s is like throwing a bag of golf clubs in the back of a cargo van vs the trunk of a mazda miata…i can’t see the logic in comparing an out of box, non molded liner garmont axon with a decked out spirit 3…..I really wonder who’s “out to lunch” on this one.

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Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.

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