Rossi Soft Light 3 Boots Suck?

[Noah]

I just went to my local ski shop here in Chicago. They basically told me that these boots suck. Realize that these are not my comments but theirs. I don't know enough about boots to know if what they said is correct or not. I would appreciate everybody's input...

1. They're no longer being made. Either 2005 or 2006 was the last model year.

2. The boots were a miserable failure for Rossignal. He said that everybody selling these is just trying to get rid of old inventory.

3. The soft foam inside the boot is meant to be heated and formed to your foot (by the ski shop) when you buy the boot. That's why ebay sellers sell these boots for so cheap -- they don't heat the foam and mold the boots to your feet.

4. The sizing recommended by most people is not correct (ie. ebay advertises size 10 US shoe = size 28 boot). I wear size 10 shoes and he was able to fit me comfortably into size 26 Tecnica boots. The proper way to do a boot fitting is to lean forward and back into the normal position a few times. Evidently this moves your heal back into the boot.

I'd like to know if these 4 points are true or false and why.

Thanks!

[ScottieD256]

i bought some and was riding all day long on them yesterday and they felt just fine. nothing spectacular, but i also got them for dirt cheap. i didnt even have them molded to my foot yet. there definately is a huge difference between hard and soft boots when it comes to feedback from your boards and control, but i like them.

you can get them molded at any ski shop. i talked to a person at my local shop and they said they can do it in 20 to 30 minutes.

For how cheap i got them..i am definately happy. being on them all day my feet didnt hurt. im sure when i get them molded they will be even better. size wise.. i read in another thread that they run small because of all the padding. when i bought mine i got a 28.. i wear a sixe 9 to 9.5 in street shoes. they are snug, but not too tight at all.

in my humble opinion i think they are great. i also cant believe that greco would stock anything that wasnt worth the price...

i hope that helps you out some... -scott

[Noah]

I fully agree regarding Greco's reputation for quality products. Just wanted to see what people had to say. Thanks for the feedback.

[SkaFreak]

I do not doubt that these boots were a miserable failure in the ski circuit. The problem is that what works well in skiboarding is not what works well in skiing. The top of the line ski boots are generally stiff and have a very aggressive forward lean. From what I've heard, the soft lights would not be good ski boots for the simple fact that are somewhat flexible, so would not give quite the support needed for full length skis. They are also a bit more upright. They are good for skiboarding from everything I have heard. It is true that when fitting you want to lean forward and back a bit, and that the only true way to get a good idea of what size of boots you need is to try them on. It is the same reason that even some brands of shoes do not fit the same despite the fact they are different sizes. The people in the shop sound like they were knowledgeable about ski boots, but they do not realize that boots for skiboarding are different.

[BrklynCarver]

Couple of things:

The ski shop is correct, the last season for the Soft Light line was 2004/2005. The 2005/2006 season, they were replaced with a new line.

The ski shop is wrong about the boots, the Soft Light 3 boots are not heat molded liners, the Soft Light 1's are, hence why the Light 3's are cheaper than the Light 1's.

I found Rossi boots are narrow for me, so I always need to have them be a size bigger or have the sides expanded.

[adrian]

Originally posted by Noah
I just went to my local ski shop here in Chicago. They basically told me that these boots suck. Realize that these are not my comments but theirs. I don't know enough about boots to know if what they said is correct or not. I would appreciate everybody's input...

1. They're no longer being made. Either 2005 or 2006 was the last model year.

Soft boots are fairly new in the ski industry and the manufacturers are continually tweaking their designs. I believe the 06-07 Open X boots are pretty much the same as the 05-06 Soft boots. I don't think Rossi made anything quite like the Soft Light this year though. They probably decided the two-buckle design was not stiff enough for long skis. Nonetheless, the Rossi Soft boots were award winning boots (Ski Mag Gold Medal) and the new versions have a different color and name; but that's probably about it.



2. The boots were a miserable failure for Rossignal. He said that everybody selling these is just trying to get rid of old inventory.

I very much doubt this. The problem with ski shop salesmen is that they think that if they didn't sell the boots, than no one was able to sell them. Also, if they don't know about a product, they will be very negative about it. In this case, I'm not surprised they didn't sell the boots. If they tell everyone what they told you, the boots are going to sit on their shelf forever.

NOTE: (I'm still curious as to whether the shop you went to actually stocks these boots. If they don't, than you have your answer right away. If they do, which I doubt, then they are just bad salesmen.)



3. The soft foam inside the boot is meant to be heated and formed to your foot (by the ski shop) when you buy the boot. That's why ebay sellers sell these boots for so cheap -- they don't heat the foam and mold the boots to your feet.

Almost all good boots nowadays come with moldable liners. This is a good thing. You can buy your boots off of SBOL or ebay and take them to a local shop to get them molded (usually very cheap or free). Also, you can just wear the boots and they will slowly mold to your feet over time. The Rossignol Soft Light 3 does not have a moldable liner. However, the Soft Light LTD, is a Soft Light 3 plus the moldable liner from the Soft Light 1. Look for those if you can find them.



4. The sizing recommended by most people is not correct (ie. ebay advertises size 10 US shoe = size 28 boot). I wear size 10 shoes and he was able to fit me comfortably into size 26 Tecnica boots. The proper way to do a boot fitting is to lean forward and back into the normal position a few times. Evidently this moves your heal back into the boot.

I'd like to know if these 4 points are true or false and why.

Thanks!

I can assure you that eBay was completely right as far as sizing for my Soft Light LTDs. I wear size 11, and ebay recommended the 29.5 Rossi Soft Light. I received them, put them on, and immediately though they were too SMALL. Of course I was wrong. After leaning forward, and tightening them correctly, the boots fit perfectly. I have been walking around my house in them for a few hours every day in order to break them in (also, I have no other choice because Ohio doesn't have snow at the moment). After about 10 minutes the boots will loosen up a bit and you will need to tighten them a little more. If you buy boots that are smaller than recommended, you're going to have to cut a hole in the front for your toes :)

One thing I did that I recommend to EVERYONE, is that I purchased new insoles for my boots. For around $10, I purchased these from Wal-Mart: http://www.drscholls.com/product.aspx?prodid=81

The difference is incredible. Once you take out the Rossi insoles, you will see what I mean. You wouldn't pay 50 cents for those pieces of crap in the store. I'm kind of disappointed that they cheapened out on such an important part, but the problem is solved.

ONE LAST NOTE: You are not going to see any World Cup Skiers using these soft boots in the near future. But please be honest with yourself and admit that you are NOT a World Cup Skier; ergo you don't need to use the same boots as them. This is something that most skiers just can't seem to comprehend. No matter how uncomfortable, they always recommend stiff racing type boots. If you don't believe me, just go to some of the online ski forums and read for yourself. I'd be willing to bet a good sum of money that the guys at the ski shop never tried these boots themselves. But when they saw the words "soft" and "comfortable" they immediately realized that these boots are just not "hard core" enough for their "skillz".

And Finally, here's what Ski Magazine had to say about the Soft Light:
-------------------------------------------------
"Soft boots are a taste yet to be acquired by some testers. But if it's comfort you seek, look no further: The Soft Light is as easy to wear as any street shoe. Newcomers to skiing won't miss any performance, but seasoned skiers should know that comfort comes at the expense of control. The Soft Light is arguably the first new take on soft boots since the trend began three years ago, and it's good to see lower pricing. There are just two buckles, plus self-cinching laces that are easy to use. It'll make someone looking for comfort happy, without giving up too much performance, says Denis. Not for ripping, Pelletier agrees, but it's a comfy ride for mellow cruising."

ENJOY YOUR NEW SOFT LIGHT BOOTS!!!


(If you're still not interested though, I've got some Line Transfer boots on eBay. Feel free to bid on them.)

[Noah]

Adrian,

I appreciate your input. After trying on the Tecnica 26s last night, I decided to purchase some size 26.5 Soft Light 3 boots on ebay for $110. I'm a size 10 street shoe, so I'm a little worried that they may be too small. We'll see when they come in. I'll post onto the forum if they are, in fact, small.

[Mark]

you can mold the boots at home man, its easy.

greco doesn't sell crap.

[ScottieD256]

correction on my first post.. i didnt get the soft light 3s. i got a pair of soft light 2 ultras. basically the soft lights with a full moldable liner...ebay is the shit

[Mark]

I think the 3 is the entry level model and 2 and then 1 are progressively better or something.

[adrian]

3 = most flex
2 = intermediate flex
1 = least flex

also

3 = comfort liner (not moldable)
LDT = 3 + the moldable liner
2 = I'm not sure
1 = comes with the moldable liner

[Gromit]

Originally posted by adrian
3 = most flex
2 = intermediate flex
1 = least flex

also

3 = comfort liner (not moldable)
LTD = 3 + the moldable liner
2 = Does come with the moldable liner My 2's say THERMO FIT

Originally posted by adrian
1 = comes with the moldable liner

[harrysiii]

my 3's say thermo fit on them too (i'm pretty sure)...but i think they're still different. I think it also says right in my "manual" that the 1'2 adn 2's come with moldable liners.

[Noah]

I got my Soft Light 3's in a few weeks ago and tried them out on the slopes. As I said in a previous posting, the ski shop I went to fitted me for size 26.5 even though I wear a size 10 tennis shoe. I must say, the 26.5s were pretty tight...borderline uncomfortable. It's probably better to stick with what the internet says...if you wear a size 10 street shoe, go with the 28s or 28.5s.

By the way, the Snowjam Scorpions rocked on the slopes...carved well, gave decent stability, and kicked it down the slope. Only problem I had with them is a little chipping on the toe-side of my right board - likely due to icy conditions.