scott cosmos tour boot review

2020-2021 Scott Cosmos III

Boot: Scott Cosmos III (20/21)

Stated Flex: 115

Available Sizes: 25.0 – 31.5

Stated Last (size 26.5): 103.5 mm

Stated Range of Motion: 60°

Stated Forward Lean: 11.5°

Size Tested: 26.5

Stated Boot Sole Length: 296 mm

Blister’s Measured Weight (26.5):

• Shells, no Liners: 1186 & 1187 g
• Liners, no Footbeds: 264 & 264 g
• Shells + Liners = 1450 & 1451 g
• Stock Insoles: 16 & 18 g

Buckles: 4 Ergal® Micro Adjustable Buckles

Powerstrap: 40 mm Velcro

Shell Material:

• Cuff: Grilamid
• Shoe / Clog: Grilamid

Soles: Fixed, Rockered, full-length Vibram rubber

Binding Compatibility: All “tech” / pin bindings

Tech Fittings: Dynafit® certified

Skis / Bindings Used:

• Sego Condor Ti, 187 cm / Dynafit Radical 2.0 ST
• Armada Tracer 108, 180 cm / Fritschi Tecton 12
• Line Sakana, 174 cm / Dynafit Rotation 10
• Atomic Backland FR 109, 182 cm / Dynafit Rotation 10

Test Locations: Cameron Pass & Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

Reviewer: 5’8”, 155 lbs

Days Tested: 10

[ Note : Our review was conducted on the 18/19 Cosmos III, which was not changed for 19/20 or 20/21, apart from graphics.]

While it’s easy to get excited about all the flashy, brand-new products hitting the market, it’s also pretty cool to see a company make incremental improvements to a product over the course of several seasons, when the result is a piece of equipment that performs better than something that’s totally new and unproven.

The Scott Cosmos III is one of the products. It began as the Garmont Cosmos boot back in 2012, and then after Scott purchased Garmont’s ski boot line, Scott released the updated Cosmos II a few years later.

The Cosmos III is the most recent iteration of this touring boot, and this past season, I spent time in it touring around the Colorado backcountry to get an idea of how it compares to a bunch of the other touring boots out there, as well as what types of skiers should really be considering it.

What Scott says about the Cosmos III

“The SCOTT Cosmos III blends lightweight agility with skiing performance for the demanding conditions of high-mountain ski-touring. POWERFIT technology gives the skier easy mobility of the cuff for climbing and solid support for turns. The Rear Hook Walk System is simple, strong, and dependable, delivering powerful energy transfer for skiing with a high range of walking mobility.”

The Cosmos III is supposed to provide “easy mobility” for the way up and “solid support” on the way down. Lots of brands say similar things about their touring boots, so the main question I had before getting in the Cosmos III was where it fit among the many other boots in its class — both in terms of uphill, and downhill performance. Would the Cosmos III be an uphill-oriented slipper, a downhill charger, or something that fit more in the middle of that spectrum? Keep reading to find out…

Variations of the Scott Cosmos III

Scott makes several different boots that all share an identical, or very similar design to the Cosmos III.

The standard “Cosmos” boot has the same exact design as the Cosmos III, but has a Pebax shell and cuff (the Cosmos III uses Grilamid in both the shell and cuff). The standard Cosmos boot also has a softer stated flex of 110, and a slightly heavier stated weight of 1542 grams.

The Scott “Superguide Carbon” boot is the slightly lighter, stiffer, and higher-end version of the Cosmos III. The Superguide Carbon has a slightly different upper cuff and buckle design, a stiffer stated flex of 125, and a stated weight that’s 10 grams lighter than the Cosmos III.

The women’s equivalent to the Cosmos III is the “Celeste III,” which has a slightly lower cuff and stated flex of 110. And then, like the men’s Cosmos boot, the standard “Celeste” boot is a bit heavier and softer than the Celeste III.

Weight + Comparisons

Compared to other boots in the “freeride” touring boot category (e.g., Salomon S/Lab MTN & Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 ), the Cosmos III comes in at a pretty average weight of 1450 grams. So it’s not as light as more uphill-oriented boots like the Dynafit TLT7 Performance , but the Cosmos III is still significantly lighter than crossover 50/50 boots like the Lange XT Free series.

For reference, here are our measured weights for some other notable touring boots (keep in mind the size differences). Our measured weights show the mondo size of the boot, then the weight of each shell. Then the weight of each liner. Then the total weight for shells + liners, listed in grams:

Scarpa Alien RS (28.0): 779 & 781 + 209 & 210 = 988 & 991 g Fischer Travers Carbon (27.5): 890 & 896 + 174 & 174 = 1064 & 1070 g Dynafit TLT7 Performance (28.5): 910 & 914 + 155 & 155 = 1065 & 1069 g Atomic Backland Carbon (27.5): 907 & 915 + 260 & 255 = 1167 & 1170 g Salomon S/Lab X-Alp (27.5): 977 & 980 + 213 & 214 = 1190 & 1194 g Scarpa Maestrale RS (24.5 / 25.0): 1053 & 1057 + 244 & 245 = 1297 & 1302 g Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro (26.5): 1099 & 1100 + 210 & 211 = 1309 & 1311 g Dynafit Hoji Pro Tour (26.5): 1156 & 1158 + 224 & 223 (pre-production liner) = 1380 & 1381 g Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 (26.5): 1124 & 1128 + 271 & 276 (lighter pre-production liner) = 1395 & 1404 g Salomon MTN Explore (26.5): 1126 & 1135 + 281 & 281 = 1407 & 1416 g Scott Cosmos III (26.5): 1186 & 1187 + 264 & 264 = 1450 & 1451 g Head Kore 1 (26.5): 1132 & 1136 + 392 & 393 = 1524 & 1527 g Salomon S/Lab MTN (26.5): 1257 & 1246 + 288 & 303 = 1545 & 1549 g Fischer Ranger Free 130 (26.5): 1204 & 1204 + 348 & 351 = 1552 & 1555 g Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 120 (26.5): 1157 & 1161 + 419 & 417 = 1576 & 1578 g Lange XT Free 130 LV (27.5): 1472 & 1473 + 376 & 376 = 1848 &1849 g

To me, the Cosmos III’s liner feels more like a “walking” liner than a “skiing” liner. It’s pretty soft overall, particularly around the midfoot and ankle, which helps it feel far from restrictive on the skintrack. But that mobility does come with a tradeoff — the Cosmos III’s liner doesn’t feel quite as plush and / or powerful as the thicker and slightly stiffer liners in boots like the Salomon MTN Explore and Head Kore 1 .

The Cosmos III’s liner reminds me most of the pre-production liner in the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130, which is a pretty minimal, thin, and soft liner. But while the Cosmos III’s liner is fairly soft, I still found it quite comfortable and didn’t notice any uncomfortable areas, even with the shell fully buckled down. And like many liners on the market, the Cosmos III’s liner is heat-moldable if you want to get a slightly more precise fit.

Lastly, the Cosmos III’s liner features laces with a quick-adjust system somewhat akin to what Salomon uses on many of their trail running shoes. While I typically don’t use liner laces, the Cosmos III’s quick-lace closure is so easy and, well …. quick that I’ve come to really like it.

3-Piece Design

The Cosmos III is a 3-piece, or “cabrio” boot, meaning that its shell consists of a lower “shoe,” an upper cuff, and a tongue. This design is somewhat similar to the Scarpa Maestrale boots, and is in contrast to the traditional “overlap” design used on most other boots. Beyond the 3-piece vs. overlap distinction, there are a few other features that make the Cosmos III stand out:

Walk Mechanism

The main difference between the old Cosmos II and the Cosmos III is the new boot’s walk mode.

The old Cosmos II used an internal walk mechanism that was switched with a plastic lever on the outside of the shell. I haven’t used the Cosmos II, but I have always been wary of internal walk mechanisms since they tend to be a bit more difficult to fix if / when something goes wrong.

The Cosmos III ditches the internal system in exchange for what I’ve lovingly come to call the “prison shank” walk mechanism, due to its rather large and somewhat menacing-looking metal bar. The Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD, Scarpa Maestrale, and Tecnica Zero G boots all use pretty similar variations of this walk mechanism. And for good reason — this type of walk mechanism is beefy, easy to use, and provides a solid connection in ski mode that helps block both rearward and forward flex.

I’ve had no trouble using the Cosmos III’s walk mechanism with gloves and mittens, and I haven’t had any major icing issues. It locks securely into ski mode with an extra latch that helps keep it from popping into walk mode accidentally, and includes an easy-to-grab pull-tab.

The one noteworthy downside to the Cosmos III’s walk mechanism is the placement of the lower bar (where the lever attaches to the lower shell). This bar sits pretty low on the boot, and can therefore get in the way of the heel bail on many crampons.

I have a pair of Petzl Dartwin crampons that use their old “Sidelock” closure system which has a wire bail that sits on the boot’s heel welt, instead of the typical plastic heel bail that flips up higher on the heel of the boot. This crampon works just fine with the Cosmos III, but there aren’t many crampons currently on the market that have similar wire-style heels (the Grivel Ski Tour crampon is one of few examples). So this is definitely something to consider if you want to use crampons with the Cosmos III.

Buckles & Power Strap

The Cosmos III has four micro-adjustable buckles, and the two upper buckles have wire latches so you can maintain a loose fit while still having the buckles latched / secured. Personally, I’d be perfectly happy if ski boot companies stopped including these latches. They make it more difficult to adjust the buckles, and since I almost always skin with my buckles fully undone, I don’t end up using the latches while touring. But this does seem to be a personal preference thing. So if you like to use these sort of latches to keep your buckles from coming undone, the Cosmos III has them.

The Cosmos III features a 40 mm Velcro power strap that has a unique wire attachment point that flexes slightly when tensioned, which is meant to give the boot a more progressive flex. I’m not sure if its power strap has a whole lot to do with it, but I did find that the Cosmos III’s flex felt quite progressive (more on that later).

The Cosmos III features a rockered, full-length Vibram rubber sole. I really like the rubber used on the Cosmos III’s sole as it feels grippy enough for scrambling around on talus, but isn’t so soft that it gets chewed up really easily. The rubber on the Cosmos III’s sole feels significantly firmer and has proven to be more durable than the soles on the Fischer TransAlp Vacuum TS , Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro, and Nordica Strider 120.

As always, I highly recommend that you go to a bootfitter to find out what boot might work best for your feet. That said, I’ll go over how the Cosmos III feels on my feet.

For reference, I have pretty average-volume feet, but I have large lateral splats which mean my midfoot widens when I am standing / skiing, and I often get pain on the outside of my forefoot and midfoot when running, skiing, skinning, etc. I have a low instep and an average to low arch. My feet tend to work best with boots that offer ample room in the midfoot, and have lower insteps (e.g., the Salomon QST Pro 130 ). Since my toes taper significantly (i.e., my pinkie toe is much shorter than my big toe), I’ve never needed a 6th toe punch in any boots.

Two things stood out to me right away when trying on the Cosmos III.

First, this boot feels noticeably shorter than any other size 26.5 boot I’ve used. The 26.5 Cosmos III has a BSL of 296 mm, which is nearly a centimeter shorter than many other 26.5 boots. And while BSL is not a perfect indicator of internal length, I can say that the Cosmos III definitely feels shorter than other boots I’ve used in the same size.

The other thing I noticed was that the Cosmos III is a pretty high-volume boot. And that isn’t surprising — this boot has a very roomy stated last width of 103.5 mm. So if you have a wider foot, I think the Cosmos III could be worth a look.

The Cosmos III feels quite roomy (apart from the shorter length) in the toe box, forefoot, and ankle. Despite having a pretty generous fit around the ankle, the Cosmos III’s heel pocket holds my ankle down very securely, and I haven’t had any issues with blisters. The Cosmos III’s instep area feels pretty average — not super high, nor super low.

Uphill Performance

The Cosmos III has plenty of features aimed at making it walk well. But does it? Short answer: yes, for the most part.

Scott lists the range of motion (aka, ROM) of the Cosmos III as 60°. I think that’s a bit generous. The Cosmos III offers a lot of rearward ROM, but its tongue does limit its forward ROM (especially if I don’t fully undo its upper buckles).

The Cosmos III still walks very well, and noticeably better than 50/50 boots like the Salomon QST Pro 130 and Nordica Strider 120. But the Cosmos III doesn’t have as much forward ROM as some other boots like the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 and Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro.

I’ve been perfectly happy with the Cosmos III’s ROM for most of my touring, but if you want a touring boot that really lets you stride out, there are some better options in the Cosmos III’s class, and plenty of better options in the more minimal, lighter category (e.g., Salomon S/Lab X-Alp , Atomic Backland Carbon , etc.).

The other thing I’ve noticed while touring in the Cosmos III is that the boot can be a bit finicky during transitions and while taking it off / putting it on. A bit of practice has made this easier, but between the liner, the tongue, the lower shell, and the upper cuff, there are a lot of parts that need to fit together correctly.

With a stated flex of 115, I expected the Cosmos III to feel most at home in forgiving snow and at more moderate speeds. But the Cosmos III skis better than I figured it would, and in terms of downhill performance, I would be pretty happy using it as my only touring boot.

Unlike some touring boots, the Cosmos III’s flex feels nice and progressive. It lets me get into the flex initially, but then stiffens up a bit as I push further into the boot. I personally prefer a slightly softer, but more progressive boot over a boot that’s stiffer, but basically feels like a brick wall. For reference, I’m 5’8”, 155 lbs and typically ski in 120- or 130-flex alpine boots.

The Cosmos III definitely feels stiffer than the old Fischer TransAlp Vacuum TS, and I’ve never found myself blowing through the flex of the Cosmos III like I did in the TransAlp. I think the Cosmos III feels pretty similar to the Salomon QST Pro 130 in terms of flex, but it’s important to keep in mind that the QST Pro 130 is definitely soft for a “130”-flex boot. The Cosmos III feels a bit softer than the Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro and Nordica Strider 120, and significantly softer than the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130.

I wouldn’t recommend the Cosmos III to skiers who want maximum stiffness for charging really hard (especially if those skiers are bigger than I am). And luckily for those skiers, there are now a ton of good 130-flex touring boots on the market.

But since I don’t typically ski as hard in the backcountry as I do in the resort, I’ve really liked the Cosmos III on the downhill. Its progressive flex makes it feel fairly forgiving in rough snow, while still providing enough support to ski pretty fast in difficult conditions. When it comes to lateral and rearward support, I haven’t had any issues with the Cosmos III.

After ten days in it, I haven’t had any major issues with the Cosmos III. Its sole is holding up very well, and the buckles, walk mechanism, and power strap are still working just fine. The fabric that covers one of the rivets on the heel of the shell did peel off and which let the rivet rub on the liner, but a small patch of tape fixed that issue. I’ll report back if any durability issues arise in the future.

Who’s It For?

First things first: if you want a super stiff, burly touring boot that feels just like your 130-flex alpine boot, the Cosmos III isn’t it.

But if you don’t need the stiffest touring boot out there, the Cosmos III is a pretty good all-around option. It doesn’t have class-leading range of motion, and it can be a bit finicky to get on and off. But it still walks quite well, and it has a nice, progressive flex. So if you prioritize a progressive flex over the absolute stiffest flex, the Cosmos III is a good option.

Lastly (and arguably, most importantly), the Cosmos III is a pretty high-volume boot. So for people that have wider feet, the Cosmos III is certainly worth a look.

Bottom Line

There are now a ton of really good touring boots out there. And that’s really great for us, the skiers of the world, because we now actually have a number of options to choose from based on our personal priorities and weird feet. And if your priorities center around a higher-volume fit, progressive (but not super-stiff) flex, and decent mobility on the way up, then the Cosmos III is a solid all-around option.

5 comments on “2020-2021 Scott Cosmos III”

I know you did an overview, but when can we expect a review on the Scott S1? I’m really interested in how the walk mode effects the skiing and hiking of the boot

Thank you! This was a very informative, well written article with product comparisons & unbiased objectivity.

You mention a lot of other boots, but if you do indeed have big feet they are bugger all choices but here is your answer. I tried the Scarpa Maestrale in a 32 but the Cosmos 31.5 is seriously a revelation. Excellent boot, thank you Scott.

During 2020-2021 seasons, checking multiple 120, 130 rated boots, even from pure alpine range, I have never ever find proper replacement with same stiffness to my cosmos. Wondering author’s notion on “feels just like your 130-flex alpine boot, the Cosmos III isn’t it” . For me it is wrong statement 100%.

The only issue with cosmos – you need to push yourself in more forward standing position than typical alpine boot ones. But that is minor. overall Cosmos boots are the best on the market

Don’t trust Scott to backup their boots. I had a broken Buckly. I started the process to get a new buckle. They forced me to go to a Scott authorized dealer even though I purchased them out of state. I started the process in December I was told in March that they said the boot was old and they could not help me after stringing me along all winter.

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Test: Scott Cosmos Tour

Modern ski mountaineering boot designed for athletes and professionals who experience the mountains at 360°.

Scott Cosmos Tour

Price: € 589,00

Shop Online

New generation shell, evolution of the previous Cosmos III model, developed with the aim of achieving the perfect balance between performance, lightweight and comfort, to satisfy the increasingly demanding modern ski mountaineer who does not want to compromise between uphill and downhill performance and research. A “unique” boot for your excursions in the high mountains. The shell in Grilamid, which guarantees a flex of 120, combined with the new Cabrio Hybrid construction, ensures excellent mobility in walking mode and solid support downhill even at high speed. The transition between the two modes, walking and skiing, is managed by the very simple and light Rear Hook Walk System. The containment of weights is in fact one of the strengths of this project: with its 1390 grams per unit in the central 26,5 size, it ranks at the top of the touring segment in terms of agility and ease of use even for long climbs. Speaking of comfort, the Dual Action Tongue facilitates the entry and exit of the foot from the shell, the flexibility of the tongue gives the foot great freedom of movement in walking mode. This shell is aimed at intermediate and expert ski mountaineers: the former will be supported in their evolution by an “all-rounder” boot capable of transmitting safety in all conditions, while the most demanding will have the guarantee of being able to count on a reliable and durable, suitable for any high mountain activities.

We Like: Affidabilità, solidità, versatilità.

Features Use: Touring – Free Touring – Freeride

Cuff motion: 60° Stance: 12°-14° Cuff: Grilamid Liner: Grilamid Shell: 3 + Cable Closure + Srap Sole: Vibram Gr: 1390 g Price: € 589,00

Light Touring 0

Ski touring 0, free touring 0.

Riding Level

Intermediate 0

Performance

Design Rate 0

Build quality 0, keep reading.

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Gear Review | Scott Cosmos Pro

Touring ski boot with many features and high downhill ambitions in the test.

Scott Cosmos Pro

First impression

The Cosmos Pro has the shape of a classic ski touring boot. The full-length Vibram sole emphasises this impression. However, the BOA system on the inner boot and the top buckle, which is designed as a power strap, already indicate that this is not your average touring boot. The yellow tongue emphasises the "Cabrio Hybrid" construction, which is a mixture of classic overlap and cabrio construction and is designed to allow plenty of movement on the ascent as well as good control on the descent. The locking mechanism of the walking function is realised on the outside via a metal hook. The lowest buckle operates a type of lacing, which means that the boot is closed at several points at the same time (comparable to two buckles).

When trying them on, the 102 mm last width is immediately noticeable: the shoe fits me equally well with my wider feet without pressure points or cheeks. I like the lacing with the BOA system straight away. The inner shoe is quickly tightened and then fits perfectly without slipping. At 15°, the pre-alignment is OK for me, even if I would prefer a little more. It is possible to adjust it to 13°, but this is not an option for me. At around 1500g per shoe (manufacturer's specification 1400g for size 26.5), the Cosmos is within the range of many other comparable shoes. However, it is not an absolute lightweight when you consider that there are already classic 4-buckle shoes with a walking function in this weight class.

The shell made from a Grilamid® mix and with "POWERLITE 2.0" reinforcement structures looks appealingly rigid for a touring boot. The freedom of movement in ascent mode is realised by a two-part tongue construction and, at 60°, seems very generous to me. Especially when I compare this with the freedom of movement of some freetouring shoes with four buckles, it almost makes me look forward to the ascent (especially towards the back). The weight is also pleasantly low. The inner shoe looks high quality. For me, there is enough padding without feeling like I'm standing in a moon boot.

Testers and test conditions

I am 182 cm tall and weigh 85kg. I prefer to ride downhill, although of course I mainly tested the Scott Cosmos Pro on tours. But even on tours, downhill performance is more important to me than weight or manoeuvrability on the climbs. I tested the size 29.5, which fitted me comfortably with shoe size 45/46. The width of a boot is usually a problem for me, but I found a good fit in the 102 mm last. I tested the boot with a Marker Kingpin M-Werks mostly on a Scott Superguide 95 with a length of 184 cm.

The boot was in use throughout the season. More often in not so good snow, as the snowfall this season was also very sparse. But there were also a few turns in powder and firn. I also skied a few runs on the piste with the boot and the Cosmos Pro was also used in Kinderland and on the magic carpet.

Test report

At first, the different types of buckles on the Cosmos Pro were a bit of a challenge when putting the boot on in the car park. Over time, however, you get used to it and the fit is easy to adjust to your own needs thanks to the BOA adjustment on the inner boot and the micro buckles on the shell. Only the centre buckle seems a little too short for me (perhaps because of my high instep).

The adjustment options on the boot make it easy to find a good setting for the ascent. As the inner boot is well fixed by the BOA system, the other buckles can remain quite loose, allowing plenty of freedom of movement for the ascent. I think the pull system is a success. The drawstring slides forwards and backwards in the shell with every step, allowing a large shaft rotation. This allows you to take quite large steps with a reasonably natural movement, even on flat forest trails. Unfortunately, the weight of the shoe, at around 1500 g, can no longer be used as an excuse when the tour needs to go a little higher.

The metal hook of the walking function hooks in reliably on its own once it is folded. This is certainly also a major advantage of the external locking mechanism, which is also less prone to icing up. In my opinion, closing the buckles for the descent is somewhat awkward or jerky. I often had to use a lot of force to close the buckles up to a point where there was almost no resistance and the buckles literally slammed shut. I pinched my fingers more than once in the process. But once you have closed the buckles, the Cosmos Pro skis very well. The skis are easy to control even in difficult snow and you can also get good pressure on the edges on a hard piste. The flex is specified by Scott as 125. That's always a tricky thing, but it's pretty accurate. For me, the clearest difference compared to an alpine boot with a flex of 120-130, for example, is not the hardness but the progressiveness. I miss this somewhat with the flex of the Cosmos Pro. But if you adjust to it, nothing stands in the way of fast descents.

Underside of the Scott Cosmos Pro with Vibram sole

The Scott Cosmos Pro is a classic touring ski boot with well thought-out functions and useful equipment details. It is easy to adjust thanks to the thermoformable inner boot, but is designed more for wide feet. The combination of low weight, very good manoeuvrability on the ascent and solid downhill performance is impressive and makes it a serious alternative to freetouring boots for downhill-oriented winter skiers. 

Advantages and disadvantages

+ Good shaft rotation

+ Inner shoe with BOA system

+ Good downhill performance for a touring boot

- Hooked locking system

Last width: 102 mm

Instep: adjustable to 13° or 15°

Shaft rotation: 60°

Weight: approx.1400 g (size 26.5)

Liner: PWR Lite with BOA® Fit System with thermal and memory fit foam

Fastening system: 3  micro-adjustable buckles made of Ergal® + cable fastener + power strap

Available sizes: 25 - 31.5(!)

Price: 669.95 (RRP)

Here is the link to Scott's website with further information.

The boot was provided to PowderGuide by the manufacturer free of charge for testing. Find out how we tested them in our test statement.

Locking system with lower buckle and cable system on the Scott Cosmos Pro

Photo gallery

Boa system on the Scott Cosmos Pro

Fastening the walk function on the Scott Cosmos Pro

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Inner shoe of the Scott Cosmos Pro

Inside of the Scott Cosmos Pro

Inside of the shell of the Scott Cosmos Pro

Side view of the Scott Cosmos Pro with raised Vibram sole

Adjustable template of the Scott Cosmos Pro

This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors .

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Scott (Formerly Garmont) Cosmos Ski Boot — UPDATED!

20131024 Scott Cosmos alpine touring boot is now a contender. Note we only tested one pair, but we're assured by the folks at Scott that they've gone to great lengths to be sure all their tech fittings work correctly.

Allright folks, it has been a saga. We liked the Garmont Cosmos boot when we got our review samples way back in May of 2012 (when we first published this review) only to eventually discover the tech fittings in the toe were somewhat “grabby” and possibly compromised safety release. During that time Scott bought the Garmont ski boot business. They inherited a truly nice boot design in the Cosmos, but needed to fix the problem with the fittings. All conspired to make one wonder exactly how would it all turn out?

When a box such as this graces your porch, you start searching for Italian snacks. Click all images to enlarge.

Fast forward to now. Yesterday, October 9, 2013, our porch was graced with a box direct from Italy, lovingly cuddling a pair of shiny new 27.5 Scott Cosmos, presumably the retail version. I ran out to the shop and tested the tech fittings. Pass. They release smoothly and feel similar to other properly functioning tech fittings. No play when locked. What’s more, the fittings are coated with a “black thermic treatment” that might help with preventing ice plugs and perhaps adds some smoothness to the release. Our source at Scott told me they put an immense amount of work into getting the fittings working correctly, exacerbated by the still present reality that there is no industry standard for tech fittings.

The toe fittings tested well in the shop. Smooth release, no play. Pass. The black color is a 'thermic' coating that could be anti-icing and anti-corrosion as well as helping release with a bit of lubrication.

Improvements by Scott:

– Lean-lock bar (red in photos, made of aluminum) is stronger, said to be rated at 650kg in contrast to 370kg in original Cosmos.

– Lean-lock mechanism is stronger, located in a wider pocket that required a mold modification.

– Rib reinforcements in lower cuff to prevent bulging of scaffo, especially when the cuff is levered to the rear.

– Toe fittings behave correctly, and have “thermic” coating.

The blog post below is our original review. Rather than leaving this hanging behind to confuse matters, we’ll update herein with new information and photos. We’ll also leave a few older photos that are easily identified by them being branded as “Garmont” rather than “Scott”. Here goes.

Lou testing early version of Cosmos when they were made by Garmont, May 2012, Colorado. Click most images to enlarge.

Original Garmont Cosmos backcountry skiing & ski mountaineering boot. Note the Garmont brand, now changed to Scott

With atomic bomb force, the backcountry skiing boot market has exploded with variety that even my fertile gear-fantasy brain never imagined a decade ago. Joining the chain reaction, Scott is introducing for 2013/14 their improved Powerlite series . This review focuses on the Cosmos. All Powerlite boots have similar features to Cosmos with variations in buckle number, plastic compounds, and so forth.

– Cosmos 4 buckle (men) (all Grilamid plastic, stiffness 125) – Celeste 4 buckle (women) (all Grilamid plastic, stiffness 120) – Orbit 3 buckle (men) (Grilamid lower shoe, stiffness 115) – Nova 3 buckle (women) (Grilamid lower shoe, stiffness 110)

Overall, Cosmos is positioned as a fairly beefy boot that still has the cuff articulation and lack of weight for effective human powered vert.

Weight Pick up the Scott Cosmos; you’ll think it’s lost mass through some miraculous process involving cosmogentic nuclides. Thankfully, no radioactivity is involved. Instead, Scott builds every major shell component with Grilamid, that difficult to mold but beautiful plastic that’s now the go-to material for making light yet stiff ski boots. Our pair of 2013-2014 size 27.5 (BSL 306) drift on the scale at 51.7 ounces, 1466 grams. Incidentally, that’s a few ounces heavier than original version done by Garmont, ostensibly due to Scott’s thicker plastic and beefed up lean-lock.

In terms of comparison, one of our recent 4-buckle “modern lightweight” review boots weighs in at 50.7 ounces 1,439 grams, size 27, thus indicating Cosmos definitely holds its own in terms of modern weight metrics. Enhancing that, know that that due to how Scott lasts and builds their AT boot shells (using molds bought from Garmont), the next shell size down in a Scott ski mountaineering boot may be a better fit comparison. Thus, you could end up with significant weight savings with a likely downsize.

Uphill Okay, yeah, they’re light. But weight matters little if you can’t walk in your shoes. While not providing the cuff articulation of leading “tour optimized” backcountry skiing boots, Cosmos still delivers in the cuff comfort department.

Cosmos cuff articulation is totally adequate and enhanced by the way the lean lock bar pivots at both top and bottom.

From vertical position to termination of rearward travel, Cosmos cuff rotates about 17 degrees. Translated to English, that means the cuff moves enough for a comfortable and normal touring gait. Though a bit more sluggish than I’m used to these days, rearward cuff articulation is nicely ergonomic. This due to the vertical lean-lock rod being free to pivot at both ends, both where it’s anchored lower in the boot as well as its sliding anchor point in the cuff. This is similar to other cutting edge systems you’ll find on the market, and truly does more closely match the motion of your ankle while having less resistance.

Scott Cosmos lean lock. Two plastic struts (circled in red) strengthen lower portion of lean-lock mounting area. We think these might have been beefed a bit, but they were also on the earlier design. The lean lock is beefier, accommodated by a wider molding indicated by the upper circle. The cuff moves easily on the bar in tour mode. Downhill mode anchoring appears positive with the slight bit of play customary to this type of cuff locking machinery. We do wonder how the aluminum bar will hold up in terms of motion wear -- time will tell. Most lean-lock bars are steel.

Trouble with any “tongue” type ski boot shell is you’re going to get resistance forward while walking. Keep the upper buckles loose or unbuckled helps with this, but ultimately you’ll still feel the tongue if you stride out. Cosmos is average in this department.

How the buckles stow is also important when you’re uphilling on skis or just foot packing a dirt track access trail. The two Cosmos cuff buckles are spring loaded so they stay folded in even when unbuckled. The cuff buckle ladders have spring loaded wire “frames” that rest over the attached bails, holding them in place if you prefer touring with your buckles attached but loose. Due to the nice fit I got in these boots, I toured with the cuff buckles totally undone. Your mileage will vary on that one.

Garmont Cosmos showing buckles automatic position while unbuckled.

The lower two buckles are one of the best Cosmos features. Open, and they swing totally out of the way via spring loading. Snap closed, and both buckles rest ON TOP of the shell tongue, thus being totally resistant to catching or opening on crusty snow, rocks, brake pedals, snowmobile tunnels, or anything else your feet might encounter in a normal day's ski mountaineering. Yeah, the buckle ladders are still over there on the side, but that's way better then having the actual buckle in a vulnerable location.

Entering and exiting ski boots can be annoyingly fiddly or difficult. Cosmos is an exception. Due to the way Grilamid is molded, the lower shell opening extends farther towards the toe than has been common in ski boots. Along with that, the tongue folds up and away on a hidden wire hinge. Pry the cuff laps out of the way with both hands, and your foot pops in and out like donning a pair of Tevas.

Check out how open Cosmos is when it's open. The only fiddle while getting your foot in and out is having to hold the curve molded cuff laps out of the way. The cuff is made from stiff, springy plastic, so this is harder than it sounds but a minor inconvenience.

One other thing about hiking or climbing in Cosmos ski mountaineering boots. They have a Vibram brand sole with nice stiff rubber in the toe area where AT boots frequently become shredded after sometimes as little as a few hundred feet of scree scrambling. (Though we’d like to see even more rubber in this area, which seems to always be problem with high mileage AT boots used for walking or rock scrambling.) During my testing I stumbled up a bit of scree, and was delighted at how well the Cosmos sole held up. They’ll still wear, of course — and they’re ski boots so the sole has to be fairly thin in the toe area.

Vibram makes terrific AT boot soles,and this version has denser rubber around the outside and at toe, more grippy stuff in the middle. I did a good test of these while booting a variety of moderately steep snow without crampons. They're fine. This version of Vibram might be slightly heavier than the vapor soles found on some of the super light backcountry skiing boots available, but they actually stand up to some abuse. Also illustrated: one advantage of using old style tech binding sockets is you have quite a bit more distance between the steel socket and the boot sole, thus allowing for a thicker sole. For some backcountry skiers this is important, while others who seldom hike dirt or rocks will yawn while reading these words. To wake you up, know that by having the denser rubber on the sole, these boots will probably perform slightly better in frame bindings then they would with a softer sole. Thought I should mention that point somewhere in here, for the three of you Wildsnowers out there who don't use tech bindings.

Downhill When examined in light of the complete AT boot market, Cosmos is indeed optimized for the down : Conventional tongue shell design, stiff Grilamid plastic for all three major shell components, four buckles, plenty of height — the list goes on. During my testing I found Cosmos to be an impressive mix of weight savings and downhill control. This is an excellent boot for the skier who cranks hard on big vertical — charging both up and down under human power.

Cosmos spoiler can be raised by drilling another hole, or removed entirely. To remove power strap you take out the spoiler attachment fastener (threaded in Scott improved boot, thankfully), jerk out the strap, then replace the fastener. Note attention to weight saving detail. We love speed holes.

Scott touts their “anatomic shell design.” While simply meaning they attempt to bring in the ski boot shell dimensions to more closely match the shape of an average human foot, this is a valid feature. You can see it in the shell, with the deep heel pocket and slightly reduced volume over “bathtubs” of the past. No bull, you can feel the “anatomics” when you ski — a snug responsive nesting of your foot that even worked for me on a shell and liner that’s around a half size too big.

Oh, and last size? First, know that this danged “last size” thing that everyone seems to obsess on can be quite misleading. Kind of like BSL (see above). Some say the informal standard is to measure the widest part of a size 26 boot’s metatarsal area and that’s the “last size” for a model size run. But some makers measure other sizes than that, and where the shell breaks for your sizing also influences what such a number would really mean. I quizzed boot designer Paul Parker about this and subsequently decided the most precise we could get with communicating “last width” is to say Cosmos has a last width for a 27.5 of 103.5 mm, and that this is very similar to the last width of the Garmont Adrenalin (as well as being a common last width across the interbred spectrum of AT boot brands.) In broader terms from a backcountry skiing boot perspective, I’d call it a “medium” width last. If speaking from the alpine skiing side, I’d consider it a wide last. Beyond all that, remember that simple things such as the thickness of the liner and which shell size is ultimately picked (the last width scales up and down with size) obviate any precise accuracy in using “last width” to predict the fit of a boot.

Two technical adjustments prove Cosmos is a ski boot for the down as well as the up.

First, yes Virginia, the shell has cuff alignment. Some of you could care less about that, but those who need it know what I’m talking about, and what I’m talking about is wonderful to have.

Inclusion of cuff alignment is always appreciated.

Second, forward cuff lean angle is moderate, what I’d call around 12 degrees — but you can adjust it up to about 14 degrees. Beyond that, more angle can of course also be added by using thicker spoiler, shimming inside the boot under your heel and so forth–tuff boot fitters can do in their sleep. Scott is well aware of issues with binding ramp angle, especially that of some tech bindings having pronounced ramp. Thus by providing a relaxed cuff angle choice, requirements for modern style skiing are perhaps satisfied even while using bindings with tons of ramp (though in the end, shimming such bindings is probably a good idea).

Cuff lean angle can be slightly adjusted by loosening two screws, holding cuff in desired position, then re-seating the screws.

Important: Rather than providing the two lean positions in the lock bar (perhaps the worst “feature” to ever exist in backcountry skiing boots), Scott sets this up so you can increase forward cuff lean by loosening the obvious two screws on the outside rear of the boot, jacking the cuff forward, then re-tightening the screws.

One small gripe about the lean lock; the mode switch is rather small and difficult to operate with thick gloves. Designing it this way is obviously a feature that prevents accidental switching from rocks or pant cuffs, but has a downside. This is not a deal breaker, and if you otherwise like the Cosmos I suspect you’d get used to it.

Sidebar: While we feel some tech bindings have too much ramp, providing at least some forward lean via binding ramp angle has a few hidden advantages. Mainly, you get some lean angle without compressing your ankle joint. Boots with aggressive forward lean in the cuff can cause ankle compression injury when pushed too far forward on ankles that are already flexed. Secondly and more importantly, boots used with a ramped tech binding can be built to walk nicely when used in the binding flat-on-ski mode, yet automatically have more forward angle when the binding is set to alpine mode with the boot heel lifted up higher than the toe. What seems to work best for a backcountry skiing setup is to provide moderate ramp angle for the binding in downhill mode, but not too much. Ramp angle of any binding can of course be tuned with shims under heel or toe mounting points, though doing so can be complex due to the need for longer screws and such.

Injection molding of Grilamid plastic is a high art. Getting it thin enough to reduce weight is key, but doing so is tough because the stuff is difficult to inject into small spaces. One solution is the inclusion of thick-thin patterns in the mold. In the Cosmos backcountry skiing boot, 'webframe' reinforcing ribs yield the combo of thin and thick, thus reducing weight while keeping the beef. Nice job, only one problem: If you want to relocate a buckle for better fit, it appears doing so will require mounting the buckle in a thinner, weaker spot. Since the second buckle up from the toe buckle is mounted a bit too forward for some folks (it's in the wrong place for this reviewer, for example) this is definitely something to consider. On the other hand, most people don't do things such as buckle relocations to tune their boot fit, so in that case, non issue.

Lastly, forward flex while the cuff is locked is similar to most other tongue type boot shells. Cosmos does flex forward, and they ski fine in my opinion, but this boot doesn’t have the progressive flex of an overlap cuff. If you prefer the flex of an overlap, keep that in mind.

Liner I quite like these liners. They’re light (9.5 ounces, 28.5) and conform well to my feet. The reinforced tongue feels good on my chicken legs. I can see swapping them into some of my other boots.

Cosmos liner is high quality, with dense foam and various stiffened areas. You liner swapping fanatics might even stick with it. I likely would.

As most of you WildSnowers know, I’m not big on writing endless verbiage about boot liners. They’re so easy to swap out, and so many people do it, that extensive coverage feels like writing chewing gum reviews. But I’ll keyboard a few things. What makes the Cosmos good is the optional laces, pull loops both front and back, density where you need it, and the nicely shaped cuff. In my view the go-to feature of the Cosmos-specific liner is the plastic stiffener in the tongue. This combined with the Cosmos shell tongue I suspect will give most of you “forward stiffness challenged” boot shoppers something to be joyful about. Indeed, perhaps you won’t have to be swapping in other boot tongues, nor re-building up your boots with epoxy and Kevlar? And yes, the liners are thermoformable and strobel constructed (sole stitched on).

Conclusion In our first on-snow testing back in 2012, we easily gave the Cosmos backcountry skiing boot a rousing cheer and multiple thumbs up in terms of how it skied. We continue that emotion, especially since the Cosmos last provides a fit option for those of you who were happy with Garmont boots of the past. Scott has nailed a beautiful combination of light weight, walking comfort and downhill performance. Simply put, by paying cosmic attention to detail and improving almost every aspect of a fairly conventional “tongue shell” ski boot design (including their working past a problem with the tech inserts), Scott deserves kudos. Give Cosmos and the other Scott ski mountaineering boots a look if you’re shopping for AT ski touring boots.

Important note: Many _Garmont_ branded “Powerlite” series boots, including Cosmos, have unacceptable tech toe fittings. We thus recommend the Scott branded boots, but not the Garmont. While Scott kept the model names the same, they changed the category name from “Powerlite” to “Ski Mountaineering.”

Sidebar, with help from Paul Parker: When comparing boot shell weights, do so using what shell actually fits your foot rather than looking at BSL (Boot Sole Length) numbers. Although often mistaken as such, BSL is not the boot size. At the risk of stating the obvious, again, BSL is only the boot’s exterior sole length. BSL can vary greatly between different boot models of the same internal size due to how the boot shell is designed (how thick the plastic is, shape of sole, etc.). All boot shells have a number stamped inside the lower shell (scafo in Italian) such as “28.5.” This number is the boot’s Mondo Point Size. Shell cuffs and tongues often span two lower shell sizes so they may not reflect the exact size — it is important to look inside the scafo. That number in the scafo in virtually all cases will be the length of the inside of a complete boot. This is the number you need to compare one boot shell to another in terms of what will fit your foot. For example, if you fit a 28.5 scaffo in one brand, you’ll likely find that the same Mondo fits you in another brand. Most ski touring boots use this Mondo Point System (MPS) with the shell changing every 1 cm in size. (Note: some alpine and race boots use UK sizing, which I won’t go into other than to note that it is a different measurement scale similar to the US scale.) In the Mondo Point System, half sizes are usually taken care of with the thickness of the liner and/or footbed. Note that different brands use different 1CM shell “size breaks”, i.e. some use the same shell for a 26.5-27.0, others use the same shell for a 27.0-27.5. It is vitally important to know this shell break when fitting the boot, and certainly when comparing weights and BSL. The BSL, or BOOT SOLE LENGTH, is printed on the outside of the boot and is often mistaken for size. Most manufacturers also put a sticker on the outside of the boot that shows actual MPS size, but a good hint to boot makers would be to print shell size on the outside as well–new concept?

Scott 'Mountaineering' boot lineup for 2013 2014.

Along with Cosmos, the Scott “Mountaineering” boot series includes other models. For boot fitting, here are the shell breaks: Celeste, Nova and other women’s backcountry skiing boots: 23.0-23.5, 24.0-24.5, 25.0-25.5, 26.0-26.5, 27.0-27.5 Cosmos, Orbit and other men’s boots: 25.0-25.5, 26.0-26.5, 27.0-27.5. 28.0-28.5, 29.0-29.0, 30.0-30.5, 31.0-31.5

WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.

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Why We Like The Cosmos Tour Boot

The Scott Cosmos Tour Boot is an absolute delight to wear when we're skinning high in the skies. Starry dawn patrols might be a bit chillier than our bare fingers can suffice, but we like boot's roomy fit to keep us comfy when we're wearing thicker socks or tackling longer tours. The 120 flex feels plenty stiff for most skiers of medium-to-large build. We also like Vibram's rubber keeping a good grip on icy bootpacks.

• A ski boot for an out-of-the-resort touring experience
• 120 flex offers stiffness for intermediate riders of medium build
• Roomy 103.5mm last sized to stay comfy on long tours
• Walk mode latch initiates a 60-degree cuff rotation
• Vibram rubber sole with tech inserts
• Item #SCOL17V

Overall Rating

3 based on 4 ratings

Review Summary

Fits true to size.

What do you think about this product?

March 1, 2023

Good features, but really poor quality

As context, I’ve been through two pair of these boots in the last few years and have probably 80 days touring in them in total. My girlfriend also has the women’s version (Celeste) and has had a similar experience Ultimately, I would not recommend this boot because of really poor durability. They are great AT boots (light, great range of motion, stiff for the downhill, etc) but they just implode around the 30 day mark. A few examples of what I mean: (1) in 5 of the 8 buckles on my current pair, the spring action broke so they just flop around in the skin track, (2) on the powerstrap, the Velcro pulled away from the strap making it useless, (3) several different internal screws and rivets have shaken loose and needed to be replaced/tightened with lock tite, (4) the inner fabric in the liners has pulled away from the foam and gets all bunched up, (5) the liners are totally packed out As one other note, these boots are really wide, which is great for comfort / warm toes in the backcountry.

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Gear Review

Scott Cosmos

• stiff & light
• alpine-quality ride
• excellent touring comfort
• 6lbs 6oz/pair

There's a bit of a leap of faith involved in buying a pair of Scott Cosmos ski boots. Just a year ago, the Cosmos was made by legendary but now-defunct Garmont USA.

Garmont's parting gift was at least one and possibly two critical design/manufacturing flaws embedded in the otherwise-stunning Cosmos. Early adopters (including me) thus found themselves not once but twice burned, as we learned (1) Garmont's Cosmos tech fittings were bogus and (2) Scott USA, which was in the process of absorbing Garmont, wasn't going to do much about it.

In fairness to Scott USA, they didn't create the problem, and they've since worked hard to fix it—in the Scott-branded version. And if there's a little bad blood now between Scott and consumers and retailers who got stuck with the bad Garmont run, C'est la vie . On the bright side, Scott appears to have fixed the tech fitting problem, and they've also reworked the ski/walk lever mechanism.

Aside from the graphics, everything else returns unchanged, which is a good thing, because lost in all the drama of last year's fiasco was the tragic reality that the Cosmos was, and is, one of the finest pure ski mountaineering boots ever made. Design and build issues aside, everything I said then about the boot remains true now: it's fantastic.

So, if you have faith that Scott has successfully resolved all the problems they inherited from Garmont, or if you just love the boot too much to ski anything else, sell your Garmonts on Ebay and get a set of the Scotts. I've examined my pair, and as far as I can tell, the tech fitting issue has been resolved. It also appears Scott has eliminated the (less-widely reported) problems with the walk mode assembly.

Tentatively: great. I still want to put a lot of snow time on these before I'm going to say I trust them completely, but at this point I am at least highly encouraged. As for the boot itself, I'll quickly note its combination of climbing and touring comfort, downhill performance, and impressively light weight remains the best of any A/T boot I've tried.

Fit stays exactly the same. I can't say for sure, but I think the width has crept up slightly from the protype I first tried two years ago. In any case, the toe box is roomy, and I'd say volume overall is firmly medium. The liner returns unchanged from the Garmont edition. The walk mode assembly has been strengthened, and the shell reinforced slightly at the switch box.

Interestingly, I have seen criticisms that the Cosmos is too soft from a few other reviewers. That hasn't been my experience with the boot, but it is something I'll be paying more attention to, and doing more extensive comparisons of, as this season develops. Otherwise, let's hope Scott has done its job and fixed the boot, so we can talk about what's great about it, rather than what's broken.

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When there is snow, SierraDescents is Andy Lewicky's California backcountry skiing and mountaineering website. Without snow, sierradescents becomes an ill-tempered hiking and climbing blog.

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.css-ryjapq{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-2);} .css-1g043sj{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;color:var(--chakra-colors-btn-brand);font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-base);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-sm);font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-normal);}.css-1g043sj:hover,.css-1g043sj[data-hover]{color:var(--chakra-colors-btn-brand);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1g043sj:focus,.css-1g043sj[data-focus]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);} Scott .css-1oyyk97{color:var(--chakra-colors-txt-primary);overflow-wrap:normal;font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-base);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-xl);font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-bold);} Cosmos Tour Boot - 2023

Why We Like The Cosmos Tour Boot

The Scott Cosmos Tour Boot is an absolute delight to wear when we're skinning high in the skies. Starry dawn patrols might be a bit chillier than our bare fingers can suffice, but we like boot's roomy fit to keep us comfy when we're wearing thicker socks or tackling longer tours. The 120 flex feels plenty stiff for most skiers of medium-to-large build. We also like Vibram's rubber keeping a good grip on icy bootpacks.

• A ski boot for an out-of-the-resort touring experience
• 120 flex offers stiffness for intermediate riders of medium build
• Roomy 103.5mm last sized to stay comfy on long tours
• Walk mode latch initiates a 60-degree cuff rotation
• Vibram rubber sole with tech inserts
• Item #SCOL17V

Sorry, we don’t currently have any of those types of reviews for this product.

Scott Cosmos Pro

• Full Review
• Photo Gallery
• Tester Comments

Testers loved how well the Scott Cosmos Pro gripped the heel, ankles and instep--a fantastic fit for the low volume foot, they said. They also liked the indoor flex feel for it's smooth, progressive feel and long range of travel. The Cosmos Pro is one of the best in class for its touring range of motion and its smooth quality of stride, testers said. They also love its stealthy black look and clean, shapely lines.

The Cosmos Pro is described as a 103.5mm last, which would indicate a wide boot by alpine standards. Often, backcountry boot manufacturers may use a larger size (27/27.5) for this measurement, so that could explain some of the width discrepancy, but testers scored the boot with 1's and 2's, fit tension metrics that should suit the tightest of the narrow boots we test. Testers noted that the Cosmos Pro fits short, lengthwise, and suggested that most skiers would want to size up to ensure enough room for the toes while touring--this, also could close the gap between the advertised width and its fit reality, testers surmised. They advised that this would be a good one to try-on in person before buying to select the right size, or at least be sure of the return policies in place for an online purchase (which of course we brick-and-mortar bootfitter types can't support).

Some testers found a bit of a disconnect between the static flex feel they experienced during dry testing and the way the forward flex held up during skiing. A couple testers mentioned that once clamped into the bindings, the Cosmos Pro was rendered somewhat collapsible under firm flexing movements. They suggested that lighter skiers or those with a softer touch on snow would avoid taxing its fore-aft stability. Other testers made no mention of this issue and instead complimented the Cosmos Pro on its consistent and controlled edging game, powered by the snug, well-wrapped fit on the foot and leg.

• “The Cosmos Pro fits well, has a great walk mode and is super light weight. Both Cosmos boots fit a little short--people should size up if they're in between sizes.” -- Mark Elling
• “Very good grip on my rearfoot and lower leg. Nicely balanced BC boot. Great fit tension for ski control.” -- Jim Schaffner
• “Functional light weight design. Movement from turn to turn is balanced and engages the edge.” -- Bob Gleason
• “F'ing tight!” -- Charlie Bradley
• “Indoors, the Cosmos Pro has a decent flex feel but once you click into your bindings it all falls apart--collapsible in the cuff and uncomfortable during flexion over the midfoot. Also becomes apparent that there's too much ramp angle in the bootboard.” -- Mark Elling
• “ It's crushing my toes.” -- Jim Schaffner
• “Lower volume fit than claimed.” -- Bob Gleason

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