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Getting ready for a get-away today and decided to rework the inner boots in the BD Factor 130's I've been skiing. In the mental checklist of things to bring on a ski vacation boots are usually tops on the list. Many of you are like me and the question is not which boot, but rather which boots? That's why I decided to review the Factors today. They're the only boot I'm bringing on this trip and that would have surprised me a couple of years ago when I bought them.
I bought these boots because they were cheap and I advise you to do the same. They're at REI right now for as little as $200 and change in the much sought after 27 shell size. Why? Because the ski industry over produces product and these boots have been reviewed pretty poorly and I think that's a disservice. I originally purchased them for my wife when she was converting from snowboarding to skiing. She's always been interested in skiing in the backcountry and decided to take the opportunity of living near good lift-access to learn to ski. These boots served her well and she eventually moved on to buying her own lift-access boots and borrows a different pair of my AT boots when she joins me on tours. At nearly 5 lbs. per boot the Factor is not friendly for long tours. She ignored several people's advice and wore them for a longish ascent into a hut and paid dearly. If you're not a stallion these are sidecountry / lift access oriented.
At their retail price they are not price competitive (at full retail) for lift access use. If you just ski lifts in alpine DIN bindings there are a lot of great softish boots out there. Don't let the 130 flex fool you, these boots are soft. They ski like a quality intermediate boot. The BOA liner could be replaced for increased quality and lighter weight, but ultimately I think sidecountry is their calling. When I converted back to alpine from telemark I went out and bought one of the stiffest boots available, some older Lange 120's. This boot is not even in the same ballpark stiffness-wise. But, IMO, with decent technique it drives a ski with sidecut adequately on the groomed and will push the biggest ski you own in soft snow. I pair them with the original Pontoons on bottomless days, a mid-fat early tip rise ski (Prior Husume) in less than a foot and with an all-mountain ski with two sheets of metal (Nordica Enforcer). That to me is the beauty of these boots, their versatility. I think that's also why they've fallen between the cracks as far as resonating in the market. The Cochise is the industry favorite in this category and there's little room for anything else. One caveat to the Factor is that it only comes with the AT sole and you must purchase the sole with the tech inserts and more climbing-oriented and lugged tread if you need it. So if you're planning on using it with an AT rig you need to budget for the 40 or 50 bucks for the soles. A replaceable sole is nice if you wear one out, assuming BD makes them for very long.
A couple of tips to anyone who owns them or is considering them: try them with other liners as the stock liner isn't the best IMO, and tighten down the nuts - these boots have a lot of hardware considering they have removable soles and walk mode as well as t-nuts in the upper/lower interface of the cuff that are known to self loosen. As far as fit, I wear a 10 to 10.5 street shoe and can very comfortably wear the 27 shell (318 BSL) I barely fit the 27.5 / 28 scarpa shell and usually have bumped up to the 28 in Garmont.
Edited to add: In researching the weight I saw the updated Factor 130 in the 2012 (last year's) model for the low price of $205 as mentioned above. I decided to go ahead and update mine, so a review of the newer version is forthcoming. Also, probably a pair for cheap on the swap.
I bought these boots because they were cheap and I advise you to do the same. They're at REI right now for as little as $200 and change in the much sought after 27 shell size. Why? Because the ski industry over produces product and these boots have been reviewed pretty poorly and I think that's a disservice. I originally purchased them for my wife when she was converting from snowboarding to skiing. She's always been interested in skiing in the backcountry and decided to take the opportunity of living near good lift-access to learn to ski. These boots served her well and she eventually moved on to buying her own lift-access boots and borrows a different pair of my AT boots when she joins me on tours. At nearly 5 lbs. per boot the Factor is not friendly for long tours. She ignored several people's advice and wore them for a longish ascent into a hut and paid dearly. If you're not a stallion these are sidecountry / lift access oriented.
At their retail price they are not price competitive (at full retail) for lift access use. If you just ski lifts in alpine DIN bindings there are a lot of great softish boots out there. Don't let the 130 flex fool you, these boots are soft. They ski like a quality intermediate boot. The BOA liner could be replaced for increased quality and lighter weight, but ultimately I think sidecountry is their calling. When I converted back to alpine from telemark I went out and bought one of the stiffest boots available, some older Lange 120's. This boot is not even in the same ballpark stiffness-wise. But, IMO, with decent technique it drives a ski with sidecut adequately on the groomed and will push the biggest ski you own in soft snow. I pair them with the original Pontoons on bottomless days, a mid-fat early tip rise ski (Prior Husume) in less than a foot and with an all-mountain ski with two sheets of metal (Nordica Enforcer). That to me is the beauty of these boots, their versatility. I think that's also why they've fallen between the cracks as far as resonating in the market. The Cochise is the industry favorite in this category and there's little room for anything else. One caveat to the Factor is that it only comes with the AT sole and you must purchase the sole with the tech inserts and more climbing-oriented and lugged tread if you need it. So if you're planning on using it with an AT rig you need to budget for the 40 or 50 bucks for the soles. A replaceable sole is nice if you wear one out, assuming BD makes them for very long.
A couple of tips to anyone who owns them or is considering them: try them with other liners as the stock liner isn't the best IMO, and tighten down the nuts - these boots have a lot of hardware considering they have removable soles and walk mode as well as t-nuts in the upper/lower interface of the cuff that are known to self loosen. As far as fit, I wear a 10 to 10.5 street shoe and can very comfortably wear the 27 shell (318 BSL) I barely fit the 27.5 / 28 scarpa shell and usually have bumped up to the 28 in Garmont.
Edited to add: In researching the weight I saw the updated Factor 130 in the 2012 (last year's) model for the low price of $205 as mentioned above. I decided to go ahead and update mine, so a review of the newer version is forthcoming. Also, probably a pair for cheap on the swap.
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