Powder Review: Scarpa 4-Quattro SL
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In a Nutshell
With the 4-Quattro SL, Scarpa takes a slightly different approach than with their other lines of touring boots, which makes for a really attractive package for a lot of skiers.
Stats:
Size Skied: 27
Weight:
Stated Flex: 120
Binding Compatibility: Pin Bindings, GripWalk
Stated ROM: 61°
Forward Lean: 15-17°
Stated last width (27): 100 mm
The Scarap 4-Quattro SL is available now.
Intro
Scarpa is making a LOT of touring boots right now. So starting with a basic overview makes sense. In broad strokes, Aliens are for skimo racers (and hopefully us, we’d love to to write an Alien review, for more average backcountry skiers). F1s are Scarpa’s lightweight touring line. We reviewed, and really liked the F1 GT. The Maestrale series is made up of do-it-all three piece touring boots. And the 4-Quattro series are four buckle, more inbounds-capable touring boots. The XT version gets an elastic power strap, and is a little heavier than the SL version here. Scarpa says the XT is a 130 flex boot, while the SL is a 120 flex boot.
Again, Scarpa is making a lot of touring boots. Luckily I’ve spent time in both the Maestrale RS, and the F1 LT, so I had some context to compare the 4-Quattro SL to.
Features
The 4-Quattro SL has a very similar two-stage walk mode to Scarpa’s Maestrale boots. It’s easy to actuate with gloves on, and I appreciate that it doesn’t have to flip all the way up to open, like Scarpa’s old walk mode levers. I have heard some stories about durability, so I’m keeping a close eye on it, and so far it’s been totally fine.
While the 4-Quattro SL is a four buckle boot, it uses loops of cable instead of regular bails to save weight. I’ve found these to work just fine on a few different boots. Unfortunately the buckles are riveted to the shell, so you’ll have to drill them out if you want to replace them.
The 4-Quattro SL has a pretty basic power strap, if I was planning on skiing them inbounds a lot, I would definitely swap it out for an elastic Booster Strap, since I think it would give them a slight performance upgrade.
They use Dynafit’s basic tech inserts, and have a GripWalk sole, which makes their crossover intentions clear. This is a boot that’s designed to tour, and ski inbounds in GW bindings. I do notice the GW sole having a slight negative affect on my stride when walking on rocks or in parking lots, but, for a boot in this weight class, I think the GW sole makes a lot of sense. It makes swapping between inbounds and touring bindings much simpler.
Fit
The 4-Quattro differs from the Maestrale in fit, as well as design. The 4-Quattro, in the size 27 I reviewed, has a claimed 100 mm last, while the Maestrale has a 101 mm last. These two boots are a great illustration of why stated last is an imperfect measurement of fit. The toe box of the 4-Quattro feels much more than one millimeter narrower than my Maestrale RS did, and the whole front of the boot feels a little lower volume overall. It’s not quite as tight as the Fischer TransAlp Carbon Pro, but it’s definitely noticeably lower volume than the Maestrale’s somewhat “boatlike” fit. And it’s also lower, height wise. The Quattro really crushed my high insteps.
I really appreciate that Scarpa’s boots break up from the half size, as opposed to down. I dance the line between 26.5 and 27 in most brand’s boots, but their sizes break down, so if I go up to a 27, I’m actually going up to a 27.5 shell. Whereas, with Scarpa, a 27 is the same shell as the 26.5
I have pretty high volume, wide feet, and while I was able to make them work in the 4-Quattro, but it wasn’t as comfortable as the Maestrale, right out of the box. If you have more average feet, you’ll probably get along with this boot just fine. As always, go see a bootfitter, their whole job is to help you avoid uncomfortable boots.
It is pretty neat that Scarpa is offering both the Maestral and Quattro lines, they have somewhat similar weights and intentions, but very different fits, which means more folks can make a Scarpa boot work for their foot.
Uphill Performance
While the Quattro SL looks, at first glance like a typical overlap boot, it is actually a three piece boot, with four buckles, more cuff overlap, and a more hidden tongue than most. That makes it easier to get on and off than most overlap boots, but also has a slight impact on its uphill performance. It takes a little more to transition the Quattro into uphill mode than the Maestrale, there’s an extra buckle after all, and I didn’t feel like its walk mode was quite as smooth as the Maestrale’s. That said, it’s totally adequate for most touring, but if you’re coming from a truly lightweight, svelte boot, like the F1, you’ll definitely notice more friction.
The Quattro SL’s walk mode is smoother, with a great ROM than the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD, but not quite as smooth as Fischer’s TransAlp Pro.
This is a bit of a rabbit hole, but I am intrigued by the ski industry’s insistence that four buckle boots represent a “higher” level of downhill performance, and belief that we should make lighter weight touring boots with four buckles. It’s hard to make four buckle, overlap boots that walk and transition as well as their counterparts with other layouts.
The Maestrale and Quattro really illustrate this. I feel that the Maestrale’s buckle layout is significantly more efficient and comfortable for skinning than the Quattro’s. The ankle-to-ankle pivot strap/buckle of the Maestrale really locks in your heel well while skinning, while still allowing for a great ROM. Whereas, it was a delicate balance to dial in the lower buckle tension of the 4-Quattro to be tight enough to prevent heel lift, but loose enough to keep my forefoot comfortable.
To be clear, the Quattro SL is a totally capable uphill boot, I just found myself missing the buckle layout of my Maestrales every time I walked in it.
Downhill Performance
Luckily, I did not find myself missing the Maestrale on the way down in the least. While the 4-Quattro SL has a five point lower stated flex rating than the Maestrale RS, it feels like a more powerful boot overall. I think some of that comes down to the shell design. I felt more supported, and locked in, when driving bigger skis in inconsistent snow than I did in the Maestrale. The 4-Quattro feels like it has more lateral support, and a more controlled flex than the Maestrale RS. That means I’m more comfortable driving it harder, in worse conditions, with bigger skis.
I never felt tempted to jam my Maestrales into inbounds bindings and ski them off chairlifts consistently. But, I could happily split my time between lifts and skin tracks on the 4-Quattro. Personally, I’d still bump up to something a little beefier like the K2 Mindbender BOA, or Dynafit Tigard, for a true 50/50 boot, but I think for a lot of skiers the 4-Quattro SL will fit that bill nicely.
For comparisons to other touring boots, check out our roundup of the best crossover boots.
What compromises does the Scarpa 4-Quattro SL make?
At first glance, this slot in Scarpa’s lineup is a bit crowded. There are several models of Maestrale and 4-Quattro that are all competing for the same market share. But, I think it’s telling that when you filter for “alpine touring” Scarpa’s site only shows the Maestrale, F1, and Alien series, not the 4-Quattro. This is their most “inbounds capable boot.” It doesn’t tour quite as nicely as the Maestrale, but it does ski more like the typical inbounds boots that a lot of skiers are used to.
What does the Scarpa 4-Quattro SL’s ideal skier look like?
Are you looking for a touring boot that can ski inbounds, or an inbounds boot that can tour? The 4-Quattro really splits that difference. It performs downhill really well for this weight class, but also walks uphill efficiently. So if you’re looking for a pure 50/50 split, the 4-Quattro might be a great fit, if it fits you.
