Comments on: 2008 Garmont Endorphin Alpine Touring Ski Boot Review

By: Jason Mitchell

Jason Mitchell — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:32:07 +0000

Hey Will… for me, the answer is simple. The Garmont’s simply fit my foot better and perform nearly on-par with the best alpine boots I’ve used. You do sacrifice a bit in forward flex, however, they are great all-around inbounds/backcountry boots.

You need to try them on for yourself and see how they fit your feet. The Garmont’s true anatomical fit–which suits low to mid-volume feet–should provide a more high-performance and better feeling boot overall. I’d go with the Endorphin’s or the Adrenalin’s at this point.

By: wportervt

wportervt — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:18:46 +0000

So now that you have skied these and the Scarpa Tornado Pro’s back to back is there one that you would recommend over the other and why? Thanks, Will

By: Jason Mitchell

Jason Mitchell — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:16:30 +0000

Actually… after spending some time with the Garmont rep, they developed the Shaman from scratch. It may look a lot like the old Grand Prix boots, but I’m pretty sure Garmont developed it from the ground-up themselves.

By: Brig Graff

Brig Graff — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 03:22:04 +0000

The new Shaman is basically the old Nordica Grand Prix race mold for the exterior shell — down to the shell bolts & everything. So expect them to be burly.

By: Jason Mitchell

Jason Mitchell — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 06:03:42 +0000

As far as stiffness goes, I haven’t skied the Garmont Adrenalin, Shaman or Axon. Kendall has a pair of Axon’s right now and seems to like them overall. He’ll post a review shortly.

On the Garmont Shaman… that boot is a burly, no-nonsense race-fit alpine boot with a hikeable sole. I really want a pair for my alpine boots, but don’t see much use for them touring. Yeah, they’ll hike well, but they won’t flex at all while skinning, so I might as well just use my current alpine boots.

That’s sweet you got your Adrenalin’s foamed at Surefoot… those guys do wonders. If you got your Adrenalin’s foamed, I’m guessing their stiffness is at least on par now with the Endorphin, but that’s just a guess.

From what I’ve either skied or been told by the Garmont folks, this is how I’d rank ‘em from soft to stiff: Adrenalin, Endorphin, Axon then Shaman. The Axon’s have a different liner than the Garmont Endorphin’s, thus stiffening them just a tad.

They are all great boots for backcountry touring and will provide the best overall fit… period.

By: sharpm72

sharpm72 — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:28:34 +0000

What’s your opinion on the difference between the Adrenalin, Endorphin, Shaman, and Axon? Since I got my Adrenalines, which are still the stiffest boots I’ve ever owned, it seemed like Garmont has come out with something stiffer every year. Despite a couple obvious features (Dynafit compatibility, etc.), it’s hard to really differentiate between them as far as stiffness.

Also, for the record I got my Adrenaline’s foamed at Surefoot. Seems unheard of, but I love the fit and the extra stiffness.

By: Brig Graff

Brig Graff — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:25:18 +0000

I couldn’t agree more on Garmont’s fit philosophy. I have skied several different AT boots, tele boots, and alpine race boots, and Garmonts fit my feet better than any other boot out there. Even better than the 3 different pairs of Raichle flexons I have owned in my lifetime. I have a medium-volume instep, and Scarpas are waaaay too roomy in the lower foot area. I have been riding a Garmont G-ride and am reluctant to upgrade to the Endorphins because of the metal lugs under the toes and heels (that are needed for the replaceable soles). I have had some minor frostbite on my toes before, so they get cold/numb extremely easily…I am worried that the metal lugs under the toes would conduct the cold from the ground & snow directly up through the outer sole to your toes. Do you know if there are any boot heaters that operate off of standard batteries (instead of a charger) so you can carry spare batts in your pack for an extended tour?