Rossignol BC X11 Backcountry Touring Ski Boot

Bought these because they got great reviews and I have a wide foot. Was told they run wide. They do. After about a half season of 4 miles daily I went to tighten the buckles for a downhill run. When I got to the end of my run and tried to take off the boots. The buckle release was stuck (on both boots). When I finally got them off both lower buckles came off the boot where they are apparently attached to fabric unlike the top buckles which are attached to the plastic part of the boot making them more stable and durable. Not sure why they didn't do that for the lower buckles... . Under warranty so they went back to the shop and from there back to Rossignol. Good thing this year was a bust as far as snow. They been gone for over a month now. Half ass design. P.S. Did not get these from Backcountry so no reflection on the store. Just looking here for new boots.

After using these for 3 seasons, I think these are an improvement over my old leather boots for backcountry touring, but if I plan to do much telemark turning/downhill, I wear much stiffer plastic 2-buckle Garmont Veloce tele boots on same b/c skis. I bought these to replace old leather tele boots that I could never lace tightly enough and were too stiff through the toe/forefoot (smashed toe joints, blistered toes & heels). PROs: 2 buckle straps do an excellent job of holding my heel tightly in the boot for diagonal stride, moreso than the old leather boots (no heel blisters); ankle support is excellent; lighter weight and more flexible than leather regardless of temperature; warm enough for me. CONs: too flexible in the forefoot for good control on tele turns, as noted by others; fit too snugly throughout incl. toe box, as noted by others, and must wear thinner socks; feet get wet on warmer wet snow days (unlike my waxed leather boots).

I bought these because I had the comparable boot in the NNN setup and they were pretty good. I wanted to go with the 3-pin due to making very long tours and sometimes hiking I was afraid if the NNN failed I would have a long post hole out of somewhere. As someone else already said, the duckbill is super stiff and the boot in the toes is not, so your toes do all the bending and on a long tour this is pure torture. These things just kill the feet on long days, they are way more narrow than my Rossi NNN boots. They are also freakishly cold! Seems like the toe are has zero insulation, it creates as ice box in there! So, all said...these are gonna go, don't waste your money!

I'm used to Garmont Ventures which have a traditional sizing/feel and these were totally different. The duckbill is inflexible and the midfoot flex is super soft. So your foot takes all the bend rather than balancing between the foot and duckbill, which was all wrong for me. Plus they fit so tight you can only really wear like a thin athletic type sock, otherwise the toe section crushes you toes. Trust me pressure on top of your toes is not a good idea from a biomechanics standpoint for backcountry skiing into middle age. The cuff and strapping system seems to work pretty well, but it's hard to trust for durability. I even cut the duckbill on mine almost in half to make the front end more flexible, which makes the flex balance *almost* tolerable.

After buying these, I scoured the earth and found another pair of garmont ventures in my size in an outdoor store in state college, PA. I also went for aggressive rehab, gluing together my old pair with shoe goo and nylon patches. This response says something doesn't it :-(

Do the designers of this stuff, use this stuff or evaluate the current best in class? Seems not.

I am of the opinion that unisex shoes are not a good fit for women. Women's ankles, calves, and feet are shaped differently than men's. Therefore, a unisex boot can not properly accommodate both women's and men's anatomies. I started out with a pair that were my normal shoe size, but was unable to zip them when I had normal socks on. I therefore went up a size. I can now zip them, but I get raging blisters all over my toes and bottoms of my feet.

Ladies, only buy boots and shoes made specifically for women.

I am returning my boots as soon as possible. I can't take the agony any longer.

The BC X11 is my second pair of Rossi three-pin boots. And this new version offers significant improvements, a better sole (Vibram, not SkyWalker), a nice two-buckle configuration that holds you snuggly in place (reduces heel lift), and a truly functional fore and aft flex that does not inhibit ankle suppleness -- Rossi does this so well. The boot fits true to size for me (one small gripe, the heel pocket is much bigger than previously, not the old Rossi Cockpit) and is warm without significant bulk. Overall, a great fit, tours beautifully, and keeps you dry.

This boot was highly recommended by friends. Unfortunately my size 47 foot is thin and narrow and the boots are made for someone with a bulkier frame. I tried fatter foot beds and thicker socks to no avail. One boot folded at my toes causing abrasions and blisters on top. Am looking for a different size 47 boot without so much volume.