ALFA  Skarvet Advance GTX Cross-Country Ski Boots

Just received Alfa Skavet boots. I normally wear a Men's US12 which all the EU size charts I've seen would be a 46. The REI size chart for this boot shows a EU46 as a Men's US13. This size chart also gives fractional dimensions on foot length. So, I measured my foot, and based on the not typical EU to US sizing chart on this particular boot, I ordered the EU45 which this chart shows to be a Men's US12.5. The boots I received are EU45 and there is a tag on the inside of the boot showing US11.5 not 12.5 as shown in the chart. As mentioned, I usually wear Men's US12. These Alfa EU45 are a bit short and I would suggest taking that REI take another look at the sizing chart.

First the boots are made with real leather so they will need to get broken in. They are stiff enough to do lightweight telemark turns. They are high volume in the toe. I added an old footbed to take up some of the room. For comparison I also have the 3-pin version of the Alpina Alaska boot and they are narrower than I like. i.e. if you have narrow feet these may not work for you. They are snug on my heels and I haven't had heel slide issues. I've toured up to 15 miles on rolling terrain and they have been very comfortable.

Chart shows U.S. size 12.5 is EU size 45. I ordered 1 pair of Alfa Skarvet, and 1 pair of Alfa Kikut in that size. When they arrived, both the boots and their boxes said: U.S. 11.5/EU 45. I see another review made the same complaint over a month ago, and REI hasn't bothered to make the necessary corrections. I wish they fit, so I could provide substantive feedback.

I bought these boots to replace some old size 44 Garmont boots that were too tight in the toes. I followed the sizing guidelines on Alfa's website, which said I needed a size 45. They felt a bit too big at first, but I've skied on them four days so far, and they are getting more comfortable every day. I have flat feet which always gives me problems trying to get ski boots to fit properly - I'll probably have to experiment with different footbed and shim setups to fine tune it. I expect these boots would fit anyone with normal feet just fine. Some additional comments: Pro: - The boots appear to be very well constructed, and given proper care, look like they will last many years. - They have plenty of room for my toes, and have kept my feet warm, even when taking an extended trailside lunch break. - The footbeds are removable, so they can be replaced with other footbeds, orthotics, and/or shims can be added as needed. - New boots usually give me blisters the first few times I wear them (sometimes even long after the break-in period). That hasn't happened with these so far. Con: - The main reason for giving them 4 stars instead of 5 is that they don't have as much torsional stiffness as I had hoped for, which compromises downhill turning capability somewhat. Having said that, they may be about as good as can be hoped for within the NNN-BC format. Also, I'm still breaking the boots in, so they still feel a bit on the loose side. Once they are broken in more and conform to my feet better, I expect this will improve a bit. Alfa makes another NNN-BC boot called the Guard Advance GTX that would probably be better for downhill turns, but REI doesn't sell them and I haven't found a reseller in the U.S. that does.