# F22 vs Malamute



## Sick-Pow (May 5, 2008)

SnowBum said:


> I have been riding in the F22's for 3 seasons and it's finally time to replace them (100+ days of hard riding took its toll). I am looking at getting another pair of F22's, or switching to Malamutes. I can't find any local shops that carry the F22, so I can't compare the boots new side by side, but a few carry the Malamute and it does fit my foot well. I really want a stiff boot that will hold up well to hard riding, but my main concern with the Malamutes is that they will be too stiff for park riding. How do the two boots compare? I ride a pretty even mix of park and freeride, but when I ride park I only do jumps and pipe--no rails. My main park board is a 156 Rome Anthem with Cartels...I definitely prefer more responsive gear, even in the park. When there is powder I hop on my 162 GNU Billy Goat with Targas and go searching for cliffs, cornices and chutes--by far my favorite type of riding, although sometimes I will still ride the 'Goat on groomer days and practice my carving. I guess my main question is this: once the Salomon Malamutes and F22's break in, how do they compare in stiffness? Does anybody here ride with the Malamutes in the park? Also how much do they pack out? If I hear that the Malamutes soften up a decent amount while breaking in or are only marginally stiffer than the F22 then I will likely go get a pair before the season starts.



Malamute also has a removable liner, which I like for customization and fitting. F22 have a fixed liner I believe.

Kazu rides pipe and jumps with Driver x and C60s.....


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## doron (Nov 14, 2010)

I'll chime in since I've been riding Malamutes for 4 years and don't know if anyone else has taken it into the park.

I used to be 100% focused on carving but have been enjoying the more playful nature of my Neversummer SL. Park only makes up about 10% of my riding but the Malamutes have been holding up pretty well. That being said, I am looking to move down to a F22 or F20 next year since I am still a beginner in the park and need something a bit more forgiving/playful.

If you're comfortable in the park I think you should be fine with the Malamutes if the F22's leave something to be desired. As for packing out, I never really noticed them softening up.


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## SnowBum (Sep 27, 2011)

Honestly the F22's had the perfect flex for park riding imo, but left a little to be desired for freeriding. I think I'll give the Malamutes a try and if they feel too stiff for park after they break in I'll just wear my old F22's on park days and pick up some new F22's in the spring when they go on sale. Doron--I had a pair of F20's that I sold as soon as they broke in--I felt that they were too soft even for park riding and liked the F22 much better, but then again I have never liked soft boots. Do you feel like the Malamutes packed out much in size? I am a 10 in the F22 and the Malamute in a size 9 felt like a good fit as long as the liner won't stretch out a ton.


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## doron (Nov 14, 2010)

SnowBum said:


> Honestly the F22's had the perfect flex for park riding imo, but left a little to be desired for freeriding. I think I'll give the Malamutes a try and if they feel too stiff for park after they break in I'll just wear my old F22's on park days and pick up some new F22's in the spring when they go on sale. Doron--I had a pair of F20's that I sold as soon as they broke in--I felt that they were too soft even for park riding and liked the F22 much better, but then again I have never liked soft boots. Do you feel like the Malamutes packed out much in size? I am a 10 in the F22 and the Malamute in a size 9 felt like a good fit as long as the liner won't stretch out a ton.


Good to know, may pay more attention to the f22's next year. I don't know if I'm the right person to ask about fit, since I actually sized up half a size to a 10 (long story, high arches, years of pain...) my boots have a strap that keeps my heel in no matter what, so it works for me. You'll love the response for sure, but wait for some more answers on park riding as I'm still new to that world.


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## SnowBum (Sep 27, 2011)

Well a local shop offered me the Malamutes at a 15% preseason discount so I bought a pair of size 9's. Now I just need to get some footbeds for my ridiculously high arches--I was planning on going with the blue Soles but someone recommended Montrail because they have better cushioning, anybody have experience with these?


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## doron (Nov 14, 2010)

Heard good things, superfeet have really high arch support too.

Just fyi, montrails get better reviews though.


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