Salomon Siam 7 Pilot CF

These are warm, easy-to-use cross country ski boots for women. Simple design and comfortable to wear all day. I love the Quicklaces for getting on the trail quickly.

Durability:

I bought these very lightly used and wore them all season (2 - 4 days every week we had enough snow). They've held up great so far.

Warmth:

Oh Thinsulate, you get me. The salesman told me that Salomon recognized that women's feet get cold quicker than men's, so they made these extra warm. I can't say that while I had them on, I thought "Wow! These are really warm." In fact I never thought about the temperature of my feet at all.

That is a huge win for women with cold feet! Even in my beloved snow boots, my feet always eventually get uncomfortably cold. In these, my feet were happy and comfortable and I was completely able to concentrate on other things like improving my technique.

Weight:

Even though they're warm, they feel pretty light on your feet, though I do wear pretty heavy snow boots most days. Salomon says they're 1880 grams.

Speed Laces:
The salesman called them speed laces, Salomon calls them "Quicklaces". If you've ever laced up a boot in your life, you'll know what I like about these by looking at this 30 second video I made of myself lacing them up.

Zipper:

I did sometimes find it a little difficult to get the zipper up all the way while wearing thick socks, though twice I just didn't take it up the whole way and the velcro closure helped keep the boot secure the whole time I was skiing anyway.

Comfort:

The tops are ate a great height for freedom of movement, while maintaining some ankle support. In like I need arch supports in shoes/boots, but I never had to put anything extra inside these boots, which is good, because I have found repeatedly that custom orthopedic insoles can negate many great features designed by the manufacturer (though I will admit that may have more to do with the amount of time you spend on your toes cross-country skiing).

SNS Bindings:

And of course, it was super easy to clip in and out of the skis.

Personal Fit and Preferences:

I bought a size 7.5. I usually wear 7 - 7.5 in shoes and boots, average to narrow width. I usually wear silk liner socks and boot socks (mostly wool) with all boots including these. I started to get a blister once, changed out my wool socks and didn't have the problem again.

Here are the skis I use with them.