The Atomic Backland XTD 105 is a women's specific touring boot that is perfect for skiers who spend the majority of their time in the back country or side country who don't want to sacrifice a ton of downhill capability. Most touring boots often struggle to drive skis with real power, not the Backland XTD. For a touring boot the Backland XTD offers good power, rebound, and responsiveness to keep the way down from what you toured up exciting and predictable. On the ascent this boot is a dream; it's light and has an incredibly smooth walk mode to keep your tour as efficient as possible. There are alpine touring boots that are lighter and there are alpine touring boots that are more downhill-focused, this is a really awesome blend of lightweight construction and downhill performance. It's one of the top performers in this category. A 105 flex provides enough stiffness to handle more aggressive skiers but isn't so stiff that more casual skiers should be scared off. This is a more specialized touring boot so it does feel a little out of place in the resort, but if you do find yourself in the resort this boot can get you through it. This is a boot that is designed to be paired with a lighter-weight touring ski, not a boot built to drive downhill skis. Atomic has done a really great job filling a void in the market, boots that are light but also share some fit characteristics of more downhill-oriented boots.
