Dynafit compatible burly AT boot fit
I tried on three AT boots. All had uncooked thermo liners.
Scarpa Spirit 3
Garmont Megaride
Dynafit Aero Freeride
Volume, least to greatest:
1) Aero. Small all over. This feels like a Lange alpine boot, overlap shell and all. Not for people with wide feet...I'm not even a C and it was tight. Volume top to bottom is very low, too: if you have a tall arch your instep will get crushed. I can't imagine anyone having room for footbeds in this thing.
2) Megaride. About a C width, more room top to bottom than the Aero. Still smallish in the heel pocket. Enough room for footbeds unless your foot is tall.
3) Spirit 3. This has the usual Scarpa AT thing where the bottom of the shell slopes inward, so it squeezes your foot even though there's tons of room. Put in a footboard or two and you have a solid D-E width. Absolutely gigantically huge above the foot. Big in the heel, too, although the instep buckle helps.
Stiffness, least to greatest:
1) Spirit 3. Not by much. It's not a noodle by any means, but the tall cuff makes it feel less stiff than it is.
2) Megaride. Definitely stiffer, but it's not a night and day difference.
3) Aero. This is alpine boot stiff. You could blindfold me and tell me I was in a midrange Lange.
Weight, least to most:
1) Megaride
2) Spirit 3
3) Aero
None of these boots are light, but the Megaride weighs a little less than the Spirit, and the Aero weighs maybe a little bit more than the Spirit. I don't think the difference is a deal-breaker...if you're watching ounces that closely, you want a different type of boot.
Walk mode, worst to best:
1) Aero. The walk switch helps a little, but it still feels almost like walking in alpines, just with less slippage. Not my choice for long stretches on foot.
2) Megaride. Huge difference...much easier to walk. The cuff bends backwards a lot more than the Aero and it's much less stiff in walk mode.
3) Spirit 3. Easier than the Megaride, but not a huge difference. Both work pretty well.
General:
The Aero has noticeably more forward lean than the other two.
If you want your AT boots to feel like alpine boots, the Aero is your choice -- if you can get your feet into them. It's very solid, feels well-made and well-finished, and I think it's the best-looking boot. You will sacrifice ease of walking, though it's better than your alpines. I wanted to try on more Dynafit boots, but that's all they had.
If you've got a low volume foot, Megaride. If you've got a high volume foot, Spirit. In my opinion, they're not different enough in weight or flex for that to override the radical difference in fit.
Hope this helps.
Tornado tongues in Spirit 3's
I skied in the MegaRides (1st year model) for 2 seasons and switched to the Spirit 3 this season. I think the Spirit 3 's are a much better performing boot, both for touring and skiing. So far I have about 25-30 days on them in about every condition.
I have a narrow, low volume foot and getting the fit dialed has been tricky. About 3/8" of foam underneath the liner tapering towards the toe did the trick. Even the MegaRide was too high volume for my toothpick foot.
They are stiffer than my old MegaRides, but the biggest difference for me is the increase in forward lean. The MegaRides are just way too upright, even in the forward most position. The Spirit 3 can be dialed way, way forward. In tour mode they have more flex than the Garmont.
I bought a pair of Tornado tongues from Scarpa USA for $20, these fit into the Spirit 3. With these tongues the boots are the stiffest AT boot I've been in since alpine boots. I'm sure this combination is the stiffest Dynafit option out there. Too stiff for me. They ski great but tour like shit, and my shins get sore trying to flex them forward while touring. Shin bang in an AT boot? Crazy. Probably almost as stiff as the Tornado except for the Pebax shell difference.
I don't know if they've changed the Aero this season, but they are nearly a pound heavier than the Spirit 3 and MegaRide.