Review: Scott Sports Voodoo NTN

 

It would be a shame if sales of Scott’s Voodoo don’t pick up. Now that they have added Dynafit tech inserts these boots are a valid boot choice for the direction telemark innovation is headed. However their performance beyond that remains unchanged from the Prophet by Garmont. Thus, I’m not predicting any sales records.

Depending on whether you ever skied them, and if you haven’t, whether or not they fit your foot, you may or may not like ’em. For Prophet fans, you can keep the flex you like while preparing for the future with tech inserts.

Downhill Flex

In the ski performance realm Scott’s Voodoo retain’s the Prophets primary flaws. Piss poor range of motion for touring, and a bellows that flexes like a coffee filter. That’s an exaggeration, but it is nonetheless undeniably soft.

The soft bellows wouldn’t be as much of a problem if the sole of the Voodoo flexed evenly throughout its length. In theory a soft bellows can be compensated for with the binding, or perhaps more accurately, allows you to adjust the flex of your tele system via judicious binding selection and adjustments. Recent innovations have affirmed this to be true, but not if the sole doesn’t flex evenly. This is less apparent with an Outlaw or Freeride binding, but in Voodoo’s case, undeniable with TTS.

Depending on what size boot you get, you may find the bellows position relative to the duckbutt a bit too forward which will put you on your toes because the sole doesn’t bend much behind the bellows, only in front. This was certainly my experience with a 26.5-27 and a 27.5-28 shell. Based on an earlier analysis of this phenomenon, my guess is the 25.5-26.0 shell probably skis much better, as would a 28.5-29 or 29.5-30 shell. YMMV.

Bindings like the Outlaw will improve Voodoo’s performance and if you’re lucky enough to have the right sized foot you may find Voodoo to be a good ally for putting a spell on the snowsnakes that used to trip you up.

Touring ROM

Unless you are a pure slope dopin’ telemarker, you’ll be underwhelmed with the cuff mobility when you free the toe and start skinning. Two things are against you. First, the cuff doesn’t have much range of motion all by its lonesome. Once you add a liner that is reduced. That’s not all. The lower shell has a tongue that extends up on the medial side. This absolutely improves downhill performance by coupling leg power directly to the foot and thus your skis. But in the balance between uphill and downhill performance, the extended tongue adds further resistance to rearward flexibility for touring.

If you’re a sidecountry freeheeler and spend the majority of your time riding lifts this not a deal breaker. For earnyourturners, it is. Although still not record breaking, Voodoo’s ROM is improved over Prophet’s.

The Fit

Whether or not the above matters depends on whether the Voodoo even fits your foot. It has a last that is narrow in the forefoot with a high instep. Please note, your arch is not your instep. Same region, but the arch is underneath, the instep the top of your foot above the arch. If you have a low instep, don’t even think about these. If you have an average instep, expect to fill some space with extra padding and/or raising the footbed. The rest can rejoice that Voodoo doesn’t crush the top of their foot like every other boot.

To help with minor disparities between Voodoo’s last and your foot, the liner is heat moldable, using an Ultralon foam that maintains uniform density in compressed areas. It also has a rubberized sole and eyelets for laces when hanging out inside a hut.

Oddities

In the pair of boots I tested there was excess injected plastic above the toe insert. If you’re using these with a 2-pin tech toe, this excess plastic could make the pins prone to prerelease by not allowing them to close completely. It’s easy enough to whittle the excess plastic away, but you should inspect to confirm whether it needs it with whatever tech toe you’re using.

Bottom Line

With this boot, more than anything the fit is it. If the shoe fits, wear it. If you don’t stray far from the lifts, or go on long backcountry tours, Voodoo could renew infuse your smile. This is particularly true if you were/are a fan of the Prophet; your boot is back with a worthy upgrade.

Scott Sports
Voodoo NTN
MSRP: $850
Weight/pr (sz 27):
Sizes available (mondo): 24 – 31

© 2016
 
Related Posts
Is NTN’s Butt too Big
Review: Garmont’s NTN Prophet
Review: Scott Minerva/Voodoo NTN
Scott adds Tech Inserts to Voodoo

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