Left loosely buckled, the Maestrale has quite a bit of play in terms of forward motion, which can disrupt the proprioceptive feedback your brain needs to feel connected to the snow. Be aware that you will need to crank the Maestrale's top buckle and power strap down to achieve a good forward flex profile. Elsewhere, across a variety of turn shapes and snow consistencies, the Maestrale roughly matched the Helium's smooth, progressive ride, making for a subjective toss-up. I won't keep you in suspense: on hard snow, the Maestrale was the clear winner of the showdown, easily besting the Helium's edging power and control. Note that the Helium is an overlap boot, whereas the Cabrio-constructed Maestrale employs a hinged, asymmetrical tongue. To keep things fair, I decided to ski the Maestrale head-to-head against its closest competition (in terms of weight), Garmont's 3-buckle, 7-pound Helium. Take a look at the Maestrale and marvel at the effort and ingenuity Scarpa has shown in keeping the weight down: magnesium buckles, shell cutaways, a shaved sole! But the critical question, as always, is: how does it ski? While current trends in A/T gear have led steadily to ever-heavier boots, the Maestrale enters the game at a stunning six pounds, fifteen ounces (size 27.0, with included footbeds, measured)-staying under that critical 7-pound barrier. Scarpa's 4-buckle Maestrale ski boot strikes me as the true successor to the original Alpine Touring champ, the venerable old Garmont Mega Ride.
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