First Look: Rossi All Track AT boots

 

To say that Rossi’s new All Track boot line is designed with alpine touring in mind is only accurate if you’re a neophyte AT skier, not one who has actually logged more than 10-thousand vert involving physical labor and sweat. That’s not to say that you can’t hang with the gang if you’re wearing a pair, you certainly can. Just don’t plan on doing the High Route with All Tracks on your feet.

To be sure there are more budding BC skiers than those experiened enough to be dreaming of trudging across the Sierra for a week with all the essentials on their back. Thus, for the true backcountry snob Rossi’s All Track is an easy option to cross off the list. For the guy who still prefers to get his kicks with lifts, but is willing to invest a bit of sweat to respond to the lure of untracked snow out of bounds the All Track makes a lot of sense.
 


 
Goin’ Down
In downhill mode it skis just like a solid, alpine boot without a tour mode. At a 130 flex rating the All Track was stiff, with an even forward flex, but not one that yielded without requiring extra effort. For aggressive skiing in-bounds, that’s a good thing.

The buckles are curved, yielding a smooth cinching of the shell around your foot. There aren’t any touring teeth for keeping the buckles in the ladders when loosened, but they didn’t seem prone to flopping around either while skinning. Nothing special about the power strap other than it exists and works well.

Goin’ Up
Walk mode derives from XT’s patented V-Lock system that relies on interlocking plastic parts to complete the shape of the cuff when locked, delivering excellent downhill control with a progressive flex. Rossi calls it Posi-Block to denote the squarish parts that mate together when “locked.”

However in walk mode the All Track delivers noticeably less range of motion than the XT and many other AT boots on the market. A significant portion of that isn’t the range of motion of the cuff, but the height at the back of the cuff, limiting backward leg motion. If you’re only freeing the cuff for a walk across the parking lot, or a relatively short ascent on skis with skins the range of motion is plenty enough. An extended walk on a dry trail would be an improvement over a classic alpine boot without walk mode, but not compared to All Track’s cousin the Lange XT, let alone competitors AT boots.

Liner
The liner is heat moldable, with different densities of foam in strategic locations around the ankle, heel, and instep, with particular attention paid to a self shaping tongue. Out of the box the boot fit well enough to not need heat molding, nor would it have been a waste to put ’em on a stack heater before heading out.

Swappable Soles
The soles can be swapped between an alpine DIN for use with resort bindings, or a WTR sole for use with AT bindings (but not Dynafit). These are not sole blocks like some boots use, but different rubber soles that merely screw into the bottom of the shell. Between the toe and heel grippy rubber adorns the underside of the boot, something patrolers will appreciate if they need to climb a ladder.

Fit
Fit wise the All Track will come in two shell widths, 102mm for the AllTrack, or 100mm for the AllTrack Pro. As expected, it felt a bit roomier than the 97mm lasted XT, but the liner took up the extra room well without heating. If it feels tight out of the box, cook the liner and use the room Rossi provides to stretch your toes out a bit.

Conclusion
Overall the AllTrack looks like a great boot for those who spend the majority of ski time under the lifts and aren’t ready to make long forays into the backcountry, but want their boot to be more comfortable on quick out-of-bounds laps or even a mid-sized day tour far from the lifts.

Rossignol
All Track Pro 130
MSRP: $800
Weight:
Sizes available:

All Track Pro 110 Womens
MSRP: $700
Weight:
Sizes available

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