When K2 waltzed into the boot market six years ago, part of the story heralding its arrival was that its team required only 18 months to create a better boot line. There was a whiff of hubris to the claim, as if the marketing juggernaut was predestined to seize a...
One twist in Alpine product development that I did not see coming – notice how I subtly suggest an otherwise spotless record – is the direct impact backcountry boots might have on Alpine boot design. Over the last 20 years, the paradigm of high-performance...
Full Tilt has a habit of re-purposing existing components to create new models. It applied this method to cock up the Drop Kick out of a Classic shell and spiral liner, and went to the same playbook last year with the B&E Pro, mixing a Descendant 6 shell and...
Fischer had a long and illustrious history as a ski maker before they decided to jump into the boot pool, despite said pool already being awash with brands. The focus of their debut models was an abducted (toes-out) stance, a clever idea it slightly overcooked,...
Blizzard’s fortunes began to turn around several years ago when the Tecnica Group acquired the brand and factory in Mittersill, Austria, and pumped a few million euros into an overhaul. It’s often the case in the world of industry that he who builds the last factory...
