The average alpine ski boot weighs around five pounds. Alpine touring, four. This one? Just over a pound and a half, or about the same as a leather backpacking boot. Designed for elite randonnée racers, the all-carbon La Sportiva Stratos are the lightest ski-mountaineering boots on the planet. Due to their design complexity (and niche use), La Sportiva—which recently debuted an entire line of backcountry ski gear, including the ultralight bindings on page 106—handcrafts just five pairs a week in its factory in Trentino, Italy. Every minute detail, from the titanium rivets to the six-position adjustable forward lean to the featherweight custom liners, is made with one thing in mind: getting up the mountain as fast as possible.
Photographer: Courtesy of La Sportiva
