The Scarpa TX Pro: Reviewed

Scarpa TX Pro

[Left] TX Pro | scarpa.com | $849 | 3,090g | Last: 102mm | Sizes: 24.5-31

[Right] TX Pro Wmn | scarpa.com | $849 | 2,720g | Last: 102mm | Sizes: 23-27

The TX Pro began as a meeting of the minds in January 2016 in Scarpa’s Outdoor Retailer booth. Many ideas were thrown out. Some—like an adjustable flex—were a bridge too far. The rest are there, including an improved walk mode with over 60 degrees of rear cuff motion and 14 forward. Flex resistance is low, too.

Equally important was lighter weight. You can feel the difference in your hand, and the scale proves
it: 14 ounces lighter per pair. Materials were shaved throughout with a new torsion frame for improved edging. The outside length shrank almost half an inch, yet the internal last stayed true to size. The toe box remains wide, with a 102-millimeter last, but the instep is tighter. The tongue liner is also lighter.

The instep buckle is Scarpa’s classic toothed strap, and the front buckle is on top to protect it from being bashed by rocks or ski edges. The toe is sculpted to make it easier to see where the tech cups are to line up with tech toe pins, yet wide enough behind them to work with cage-style bindings.

For now, there’s a men’s and women’s with one flex pattern: stiff. Out of the box I’d say too stiff, and some testers said the bellows were too soft making the flex feel unbalanced. One of our testers, a patroller who telemarks with TX Comps quipped, “It reminds me of my Comps when I first skied ’em. These will probably break in.” Perhaps. It depends on what you’re used to and what you can or are willing to adapt to. My experience of the late TX Comp is similar to this new TX Pro, forcing more pressure through my toes, not ball of my foot.

As a matter of encouragement and concession it also appears that, with a few modifications, it may become soft enough for those who prefer a softer flexing boot. By skiing the cuff with a loose top buckle, I could flex my ankle more, and the pressure zone moved behind the bellows. Not like ooh-la-la, but with more control and more “tele sais quoi.” The production version will ship with a softer tongue, which can only help. And don’t mistake me for saying that’s the only style of tele that is valid, it’s just the dance step I and many others know and love. Aggressive telemarkers who shred with TX Comps and think the late TX Pro is too soft will love this boot once they break it in, though it may take longer than old TX Comps. For the moment I’m simply thankful it has arrived. I can wait a little longer for a softer version and will enjoy watching how this new TX Pro rocks the tele world. —Craig Dostie