Garmont Radium

The revised Radium features a widened forefoot at the metatarsals and increased height of the toebox, recreating a boot that was otherwise off limits to many of us who would’ve sought it out as our go-to AT gun. In its current design, thermoformable liners fill in any of the extra space that has been introduced by the larger cavity, and it still provides plenty of control.

I always thought the alpine style overlap cuff was the strongest virtue of the Radium, and I still stand by it. On a borrowed pair of Radiums, I tested several backcountry skis from K2 this fall, and liked the Radium’s lateral stiffness, and its consistent forward flex when driving those skis on harder snow. Soft snow was a no brainer, as it usually is, and boots—any ski boot—shows its true colors when skied over crappy snow, which I’ve had abundant opportunities to do on the Radium.

One thing Garmont got right from the start is the boot’s sole. It was nimble, and any time I scrambled over rocks, scree or talus, I felt my steps were solid, and my boots weren’t a liability, which is a virtue for AT boots that claim to be good for ski mountaineering. I can’t say the same for some other boots in this category.

The buckles didn’t wow me too much, but they were light and not difficult to manage. The two forefoot buckles could be replaced by one buckle, and the Radium could save weight and still retain forefoot control, something I hope they explore in the future.