Alfa FREE A/P/S GTX XPLORE Boot Review 2022

[Tom M]

Part 2 of Alfa Free A/P/S Boot review

[Johnny]

My take on it below...

[Johnny]

Woaaah, this is such an amazing time to be a telemark skier! SO MANY exciting things going on in the free-heel world! As you can see, I'm having a hard time trying to conceal my excitement about the Alfa FREE too! According to Alfa, the FREE A/P/S is an "Innovative boot with BOA, integrated ankle support and the new Xplore system for optimal ski handling." Once again, when I received the box in the mail, I couldn't believe there was a pair of Alfa boots inside. The box was SO light, I thought they made a mistake and sent me some other stuff. I immediately put the made-in-Italy FREE A/P/S boots on the scale: 845g each! Incredible!!!

"New developed BC boot for the Xplore System with increased comfort, stability and ski handling. ALFA's integrated ankle support system, AISS, improves the stability and control in demanding terrains. The Xplore binding system provides great stability in downhills and allows a natural skiing technique with a flex in the sole. Winter insulated lining with GORE-TEX and thermal midsole keeps the feet warm and comfortable in all conditions. The upper material is treated to repel snow and dirt and the Boa Closing System simplifies the step in and allows for individual fit. The boots are also equiped with Recco Rescue System if the accident should happen. The fit in the shoes is spacious so that you have room for thick socks and get good blood circulation. "

I was skeptical when I read earlier reviews saying that the FREE felt like a plastic boot. Well, this is exactly how I felt the first time I wore them! It's hard to explain. They really have the stiffness of a plastic boot, but with the feeling of good old leathers. Only, they are super-freaking-light!!! Definitely something totally new here again! (No, they do NOT feel like SuperComps at all!) It feels almost unreal to stand inside such a stiff boot while at the same time having the feeling that you are only wearing a pair of socks. Wow, wow and WOW!!!! Super impressed once again! Even when walking around, it almost feels like if you were walking in a plastic ski boot... Loosening one of the Boa knobs then puts you into walk mode!

Yes, I had some doubts about the whole BOA thing too. But let me clear this right here, it's brilliant! It's just SUPER easy to tighten and/or loosen. I was about to say that the lacing system is great, but it's even better: there is no lacing system! It's the first XCD boot that you do NOT need to lace! Just turn the dials and you're ready to go in half a second. Half a second to get the perfect fit, and POUF!, half a second to release the tension and get out of the boots instantly. Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! When I first put the FREE boots on, I just couldn't help myself: tightening, releasing, tightening, releasing, tightening, releasing... It's really fantastic to have the Boa lacing system on a pair of ski boots. (As a bonus, every time I turn the knobs on the snow fields, I feel like dialing frequencies coming from outer space!) And oh, I'm not sure what kind of material the Boa fit system is made of... It wasn't mentioned before, but those BEAUTIFUL big red knobs seem to act like chick magnets on the trails...







It feels so futuristic to turn some dials and hear the clicks instead of tying shoelaces. It actually feels really, really good! (I had the same feeling when I got my first pair of rear-entry boots in the early 80's, with the dial in the back and another dial knob on the side for width adjustment...) Ok this is it. THIS is the future, we are living in the future, right now! Remember Marty's new self-lacing shoes in Back to the Future II? This is pretty much how the Alfa Free feels! Really, "lacing" the Alfa Free is just awesome. I really wish we could see the Boa system integrated into other boots as well.


The soles are super stiff. Like freaking stiff. And despite of this, it somehow flexes quite properly like it should at the bellow. A very important point here is WHERE it flexes. Very differently than on the Alaska XP. And also quite different from NNN-BC and 75mm. While the flex point on the Alaska XP has been pushed back a little, the flex point on the Alfa FREE has been moved forward. (See pictures). A totally different concept and design here! Better? Worse? No, just different beasts to meet your own personal preferences. The sole is even stiffer than the Alaska XP sole. Remember how I said that the Alaska XP required a huge amount of force to crush the ball of foot on the ski? Well, it's even harder on the Alfa FREE. The fact that the flex point on the Free is moved forward, and because of its mega-stiffness, it's pretty easy to get that tippy toes syndrome and feeling. And you sure will get it on your first descents. It does require some acclimatization from any skier new to the XPLORE system, especially with the Alfa FREE and its level of stiffness.






With a different flex point than the Alaska XP, it sure does not ski the same, and it doesn't turn the same. You will have to make slight adjustments to your new XPLORE ski technique if you are using both boots. I had no problem at all adapting to both flex points and switching from one to the other. But you might need a few days to adapt and understand the DNA of each of your new XPLORE boots. Once your master this Rottefella inverted 2-pin system, which I admit is something totally different and which took me sometime to fully grasp (something which some last year's reviewers didn't get at all), it's easy to understand its real potential and mostly to appreciate the differences between the various XP boots on the market. Again, it does take some time to understand what can be done with each tool and how to get there.







Did someone ask for support? Because Alfa's AISS™ ankle support is really, really sturdy! We are talking about extreme class boots support here. I have never seen such a stiff leather boot since the extreme class craze in the 80's. Only this time, at a super light weight and much more comfortable than any Asolo Extremes or Merrell SuperComps! Lateral control and edging couldn't be better unless you switch to the T4/Excursion plastic class. Amazing, truly amazing!

Of course, a sturdy boot with that much ankle support and such a stiff upper cuff will never reach the level of comfort of the Alaska XP or the Alfa Guard. And that is quite normal. One should not expect to have a super stiff boot that feels like a pair of old slippers. The FREE is almost like a plastic boot with an outer leather lining. This is pretty much what the AISS thing is. It's brilliant, it really is! But it also means that the general feeling of the ski experience is also tending towards the plastic boot feeling. You all know how I much I hate the robotic plastic boot feeling. Well, honestly, the Alfa FREE is a very, very nice compromise. The best compromise we can get! Almost the same level of control of a plastic boot, with a feeling really not so light-years-away from your old pair of leathers. That said, the FREE is surprisingly comfortable for its class. In fact, I could say that despite its stiffness, it's probably the most comfortable of all the extreme class boots so far. And with such great support, it also makes a VERY nice skating boot, no matter if you're skiing groomers or open fields, or even if you're skating with Nordic blades. Without a doubt my new all-time favorite skating boot!

For all of you chart junkies out there, here is one particularly relevant. It seems quite simple at first sight, but there is actually A LOT of technical information packed in there. It took me quite some time to come up with all the details and to objectively analyze each boot, but I think it makes a great guide to evaluate what you need at a glance. I didn't add a "warmth" row because that would be hard to fairly compare and most of these boots have quite similar insulation. Lateral control = edging and steering power. Hiking = walking, boot packing, everything that doesn't imply actual skiing with the boot. And feeling is... Well, you know. It's the feeeeel man. The actual level of blissful sensations that run through your whole body when you go downhill. The actual level of dopamine and adrenaline running in your blood and up to your brain. A number indicating how freely the telemark quintessence embedded in every snowflake is able to run through your boots and be transferred from the skis directly to your spine. In other words, it means the essence of telemark... The spirit of telemark.





Once again, Alfa delivered another masterpiece of boot design. They pushed the XPLORE system to the limits with the avant-gardist FREE APS boot. A perfect blend of traditional Norwegian shoemaking mixed with modern design and futuristic features like the Boa fit system and the Recco avalanche rescue technology. A HUGE improvement in support and lateral control over any other NNN-BC or 75mm leather boot on the market. Whether it's for nordic skiing, skating, telemark or cross-country downhill, the FREE A/P/S offers more power than you will ever need. Much more comfortable than your favorite extreme class XCD boot, and most importantly, probably more than 50% lighter! Never before in the history of skiing have nordic and telemark skiers been able to have that much control in a leather boot while feeling so light as the same time. Hats off to you Alfa for coming up with such a fantastic and advanced piece of gear! Thank you SO MUCH!

FREE yourself of everything. Turn the red dials, tune into the power and dance your way downhill!
(For very serious skiers only... and obsessive control freaks!)

Johnny, February 2022

ALFA FREE A/P/S GTX M
845g (43 EU)
€599,00 (680$ USD, 865$ CAD)

[KDog]

The Alfa Free sounds like the perfect boot for me to finally ditch the Excursions and return to the lightweight and soul surf telemark style of leather boots! But alas...

I don't think these will fit in that boot which is why I'm using plastic. It can be melted/molded to fit six-toed Cro Magnon feet.

They look narrow compared to the Alaskas and Guards and I'm not sure I could even fit the Alaskas.

[Stephen]

Hey, I resemble those feet!

Your bump-out is a bit bigger than mine, though.
I tried the Alaska BC and the Guard.
The Alaska felt like a nice boot, but too narrow in the ball of foot.
The Guards are pretty nice.
After maybe 6 miles, I start to feel toe 4, 5 contact, but not too bad.

The Free is marked as Fit = Regular
The Vista is marked as Fit = Wide

Has anyone tried both, side by side, to confirm that the Free is a narrower boot, than the Vista?
The Vista looks like the XP version of the Guard?

Nice write-up by @Johnny.

[Johnny]

Has anyone tried both, side by side, to confirm that the Free is a narrower boot, than the Vista?
The Vista looks like the XP version of the Guard?

Nice write-up by @Johnny.

Thanks Stephen!

The FREE definitely feels narrower than the Guard to me. I doubt it has to be with the difference in size of my boots... But you can clearly see the width difference in the pic on my review even tough the free is one point smaller: (This is one single picture taken from the top, not different pictures pasted together...)

(Left to right: Alaska XP 43, Alfa Free 42, Alfa Guard 43, Alaska 75 43)

[Stephen]

Thanks @Johnny!
Yeah, now that I look more closely, the Free definitely looks more restrictive in the BoF and toe box.
Maybe not a good fit for me.

[KDog]

Hey, I resemble those feet!

Your bump-out is a bit bigger than mine, though.

Yeah the sixth toe bumps are from decades of ill fitting ski boots, and now my styloid process is getting more prominent and causing fit problems further back towards my heel. This is what my master boot fitter had to do to my new alpine boots!

I've resisted going back to leather boots for a long time but it sounds like the Vista's or Skagets might work if I size up a little. Would be nice to be able to try on a pair first! Am I right in assuming that the Vista is the stiffer skiing boot even though it is lower than the Skaget? It appears to have a plastic heel cup and some re-enforcement that the Skaget doesn't. I also wonder if the Vista is the XP version of the Guard because I might be able to try that boot on somewhere. I wish I could fit the Free!

[satanas]

Narrower is good news for some of us - I absolutely cannot wear Alpina boots due to excessive width and volume everywhere. The Alfa Free might work, however a Fischer or Salomon equivalent would also be very welcome; I've heard rumours locally that Fischer and others might come on board eventually, but we shall have to wait and see. If I could scrap the plastic boots but still get sufficient edging power on firm snow/ice with XP that should give a massive improvement in comfort and boot + binding weight reduction.

[telerat]

I absolutely cannot wear Alpina boots due to excessive width and volume everywhere.

My friend and others have complained that the Alpina Alaska is too narrow and I also felt it was snug but comfortable, so your feet sounds quite low volume/narrow. If Fischer fits better, there is hope as a picture of an Xplore Fischer Transnordic has emerged (see below).

I think the Alfa Free looks interesting. I was skeptical of BOA earlier, but I definitely see the advantage on the cuff for quick adjustment. Perhaps the wires/laces could have gone all around the shaft and also tightened up the rear? I do wish a boot like this was slightly higher, had thicker materials for more support and warmth, and that the flex point was more aft and did not bear down on the toes like the Free. After trying the Xplore hard flex with my Alfa Skaget, I think that it is required to bring out the potential in higher and stiffer boots like the Free.

With possibly three and possibly four high and supportive boots it looks promising for Xplore next year:
Alfa Free: https://www.alfaoutdoor.com/products/fr ... tx-m-black
Fischer Transnordic: https://www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic. ... 802#p48543
Alpina Pioneer: https://www.telemarktalk.com/viewtopic. ... 497#p48616
Crispi is rumored to on board, and Svartisen is a nnn-bc boot that could be adapted to Xplore: https://www.crispi.it/en/shop-online/pr ... 246--/9900
I am also curious on how tall and stiff a boot the Xplore binding/system can accept.

I still think the materials from Alfa Free, minus AISS and with lighter BOA closures would fit a lower, softer and faster xc oriented boot.