Scarpa, maker of high-performance footwear for mountain sports, is releasing a re-tooled Maestrale and Gea alpine-touring ski boot collection for Fall 2023/24. The new models continue the category of its AT boots, offering high performance for the climb up and the ski down, paired with sustainably sourced plant-based construction. 

In addition, in the lightweight ski-touring category, Scarpa is releasing the F1 XT in North America, a boot offering “powerful downhill performance given its feathery weight.” 

Redesigned for Fall 2023, the Scarpa Maestrale and women’s Gea alpine-touring boots offer more power for downhill skiing while improving fit and features. For Fall 2023, innovations include Carbon Core inserts in the upper cuff of the RS versions, which offer Scarpa’s Carbon Core construction (uses U-shaped carbon inserts co-molded into the shells that surround the lower foot and the upper ankle) in the lower shell. This design “optimizes torsional stiffness, directing power to the skis while still allowing for the progressive forward flex that’s so important to the movements in skiing.”

 Third-party testing “validates that Scarpa’s Carbon Core design results in less sidewall boot deformation than competitors, instead translating that power to the ski edge and facilitating the ability to drive wider skis.”

 The regular Maestrale and Gea also have a Carbon Core insert in the lower shell while “shedding 60 grams per boot (size 27).” Other improvements on the Fall 2023 new models include: 

  • More precise fit. Compared to their predecessors, the new Maestrale and Gea are slightly wider in the forefoot at 102mm, slightly narrower in the back part of the boot, and feature reduced volume in the instep, providing “a more precise fit for the majority of skiers’ feet”;
  • Lower stand height, putting skiers’ feet closer to their skis and the ground for “improved skiing precision”;
  • Improved lower boot construction from Scarpa’s Alpine Axial Hybrid construction, which employs a boot tongue that is fixed on the medial side of the lower boot shell but floats over the other for volume control, providing the “power of an alpine boot in a much lighter-weight design.” A new floating strap increases the closing force over the instep; 
  • An extra layer of insulation underfoot for added warmth; 
  • Vibram’s Traction Lug Technology features “25 percent better traction and increased surface area compared to the previous sole”;
  • A new Wave Lite closure system on the lower boot shell, which is “lighter and more adjustable, and provides better adjustment for a wider range of foot shapes”; 
  • An integrated, “more powerful” Booster strap on the stiffer RS models; 
  • An updated Heel Retention Strap design that is field-replaceable; 
  • A wider, beefier Speed LTM ski/walk mechanism that “doesn’t increase weight and has 61 degrees of cuff range (16 degrees forward lean +/- 2 degrees)”; and  
  • Updated Intuition thermoformable liners provide “the warmest, most durable inner boot option on the market.”

Scarpa also continues to build these “market-leading boots” using plant-based plastics, helping reduce its carbon footprint. 

The Maestrale and women’s Gea come in four models: Maestrale RS, 125 flex, 1460 grams (27); Gea RS, 120 flex, 1300 grams (25); Maestrale, 110 flex, 1380 grams (27); Gea, 100 flex, 1220 grams (25).

 In the ultralight AT-boot category, the 1145-gram F1 XT offers the “ultimate combination of touring efficiency and downhill performance.” The 95-flex boot uses a Carbon Grilamid LFT cuff paired with a Cam Buckle Power Strap for power transmission. Scarpa’s Overlap Shield Tech gaiter underneath the buckles allows “easy entry and excellent protection from the elements.” 

On the lower boot, a Grilamid Fiberglass shell features a full-length Lambda Frame for torsional rigidity and power to the skis without excess weight. The buckle on the lower shell engages Scarpa’s Wave Lite Closure system for a “secure uniform fit over the entire instep without pressure points.” The Speed Light LT ski/walk mechanism is “time-tested” and provides a “72-degree range of motion in walk mode.” Inside, the Intuition liner is “thermoformable and guarantees a warm, precise, comfortable fit.” 

Photo courtesy Scarpa