Best NNN touring boot

[wabene]

Welp it is time to give up on the Holy Grail of a leather NNN touring boot. I will rant for a sec. We started with comfy, stylish leather 3 pins, then the sport was taken over by the needs of Nordic racers. Light. Plastic. Ugly spandex and graphics. Noooooo. I will always enjoy track skiing about 20 or 30% of the time, but why can't we do it in comfort and style? Gaaah!
Acceptance is coming grudgingly, but I will now switch course. In your opinion, what is the best NNN touring boot out there? The things I would look for are torsional rigidity in the forefoot, a wide straight toe box, warmth and comfort. (No garish graphics is a plus). The boot I have does pretty well, but I'm not satisfied with it. It is the Fisher X5 OT. Maybe a combi or straight up skate boot? I'm open to suggestion.

[Transplantskier]

Combi boots are probably the answer here. I've been pleasantly surprised by how stiff the Madshus Endurace U combi boot is. Using it with the Madshus Fjelltech M44, I feel like I can ask a lot of it and it hasn't disappointed me yet. Great boot. Not too garish either as far as NNN boots go...

The one question is the wide toe box. I don't have particularly wide feet and find this boot perfect, so it might be narrower than you're looking for.

[Woodserson]

I'm partial to the older Alpina T20 which has since been replaced by something almost identical, the T30. Beware, last year at least, they put rubber grippers (lots of little rubber dots) in the heel pocket which I found to be incredibly chafing. Returned. Maybe that's gone now. I've owned some version of this boot since 2007. I use these on my MR48s and crank turns on them.

Rossignol has/had pretty much the exact same boot without the grips, called the XC-5 Tour. There's an X-6 SC which is a level up and billed as the Combi version. Maybe torsionally stiffer sole? Prob the best bet.

I bet all the "5"s are similar across brands.

The only reason people are in spandex and Lycra is the same reason people think you need an aero helmet and clip peddles to send grandma to get groceries on bikes: "Racing ruins the breed." It's poison... and there's no money in telling someone, "you don't need all these special clothes to go XC ski." $$$

I wear Carhartts 90% of my days skiing.

[Transplantskier]

Oops, apparently I don't know the name of my own boot. It's actually the Madshus Race Speed Combi. Googling it now, I see that Ute gave it 'Best in Test' last year.

[mca80]

The only reason people are in spandex and Lycra is the same reason people think you need an aero helmet and clip peddles to send grandma to get groceries on bikes: "Racing ruins the breed." It's poison... and there's no money in telling someone, "you don't need all these special clothes to go XC ski." $$$

I wear Carhartts 90% of my days skiing.

Grant Petersen of Rivendell Bicycle Works, formerly the designer of bikes for Bridgestone back in the day, has written a whole lot about this issue and the move toward carbon and hideous clothes and other things unnecessary for non-racing cyclists--primarily marketing and increased sales. Always makes me shake my head when I see an old dude bike up on a $6,000 carbon bike and full spandex yet traveling at an average, non-racing, speed. I ride a steel bike, wearing wool shorts and a button down shirt and it's comfortable for long distances (max in a single day was 110miles; max camping tour was 820mi). I do, however, have pedals with clipless on one side and regular platform on the other, and the least ugly bike shoes I could find--helps with efficiency for longer tours.

[corlay]

I ride a steel bike, wearing wool shorts and a button down shirt and it's comfortable for long distances (max in a single day was 110miles; max camping tour was 820mi). I do, however, have pedals with clipless on one side and regular platform on the other, and the least ugly bike shoes I could find--helps with efficiency for longer tours.

same.

I ride a steel Lemond bike from 2001.
One-sided SPD pedals/shoes
I do own paddded cycling shorts, but dont wear a “cycling jersey” and opt for a tight-fitting dry-fit t-shirt instead. (I do have a few cycling-specific jackets for cool/cold weather) Normal bike helmet with good ventilation. No gloves.

I do approximately 1k miles each season

[エイダン.シダル]

I ride a steel bike, wearing wool shorts and a button down shirt and it's comfortable for long distances (max in a single day was 110miles; max camping tour was 820mi). I do, however, have pedals with clipless on one side and regular platform on the other, and the least ugly bike shoes I could find--helps with efficiency for longer tours.

same.

I ride a steel Lemond bike from 2001.
One-sided SPD pedals/shoes
I do own paddded cycling shorts, but dont wear a “cycling jersey” and opt for a tight-fitting dry-fit t-shirt instead. (I do have a few cycling-specific jackets for cool/cold weather) Normal bike helmet with good ventilation. No gloves.

I do approximately 1k miles each season

Weren't those Lemonds great? My main bike is still an '06 Croix de Fer; however, I've made it more rideable with a Titanium Brooks Swallow (50% sale, still expensive), steel fork, 28mm tires, and best of all, a Sugino OX801 crank with much more useful gearing.

That said, I'd get a bike with more tire clearance now, but I'd probably have to go boutique on the frame, so 'more tire clearance' doesn't mean, 'overbuilt for cyclocross/touring'.

Anyway, Rivendell goes further retrogrouch than me, but all of these sports need to retain the old technologies that work, for where they work: yes carbon fibre and synthetic clothing is better for elite racing; but when you're at a modest pace, for all day comfort, Merino beats Lycra, thin-diameter steel tubing beats carbon, and maybe there's still a place for the wooden ski sometimes.

[corlay]

Weren't those Lemonds great?

Yep!

I didn't buy this bike new, and only got into road cycling about 4 years ago.
But I researched a bunch, and decided a semi-vintage steel bike was the proper gear for my purposes (and wallet!)

a Sugino OX801 crank with much more useful gearing.

i did do a full Groupset upgrade prior to last season.
All Shimano 105 series stuff.
*BUT* I sort of pieced it together buying deals on separates,
and I did a custom Cassette from Miche (Italy) which allowed me to customize the rear gearing to my tastes. (52-36T/12T-29T)

It was interesting to transition from the OEM 3x9 to the new 2x11.

[エイダン.シダル]

Weren't those Lemonds great?

Yep!

I didn't buy this bike new, and only got into road cycling about 4 years ago.
But I researched a bunch, and decided a semi-vintage steel bike was the proper gear for my purposes (and wallet!)

a Sugino OX801 crank with much more useful gearing.

i did do a full Groupset upgrade prior to last season.
All Shimano 105 series stuff.
*BUT* I sort of pieced it together buying deals on separates,
and I did a custom Cassette from Miche (Italy) which allowed me to customize the rear gearing to my tastes. (52-36T/12T-29T)

It was interesting to transition from the OEM 3x9 to the new 2x11.

BTW, which Lemond? 3x8/9/10 has died the death it deserved. I'd build a 1x11 now.

Oh, and a pro-tip: Shimano components cost half in Japan if you find yourself out that way. Marrying Japanese, though: marriage is just as expensive.

[neekovt]

I am far from an expert on this stuff but I have been loving the Fischer Transnordic BCX on my NNN set up. I find them super comfortable for flat and rolling terrain, and they especially shine on downhills with all the support they provide.