Start with their non-progressive flex patterns, their ill-fitting, oddly-distorting shells, their non-flat lasts, their downhill performance compromises.

A/T boots are unquestionably different from Alpine gear, and to a dedicated downhiller, getting used to those differences is likely to be a significant source of frustration.

The potential birth of another serious A/T ski boot maker thus sparked a lot of hope in many skiers, myself included.

Rumor said the Factor would be free from all those annoying A/T quirks: it would be a no-compromises ski boot without the usual A/T freakiness. But could Black Diamond deliver? Since its release in 2008, the Factor has generally been well received, including earning several high-profile endorsements plus an honorary Outside Magazine '09 Gear-of-the-Year Award.

But the buzz has not been universally positive. Some call the Factor an Alpine boot with a walk mode—not necessarily a complement. Also worrisome are reports of production and reliability issues, raising fears that the Factor remains more a prototype than a polished, ready-for-market product.

OUT OF THE BOX:

Out of the box the Factor is a handsome green machine that looks a lot like an Alpine ski boot. Put a piece of duct tape over the walk switch, in fact, and you'd find no reason to think the Factor was anything other than a standard, high-performance Alpine boot. Build quality appears excellent. The Factor is solid, broad, and hefty—a measured nine pounds, two ounces per pair in Mondo 26.5.

Swappable Din-soles reinforce the Alpine impressions (Dynafit-compatible A/T soles are optional). Pull out the boa-lace liners, and inside the shells you'll find removable and customizable boot boards, providing a perfectly flat foundation beneath your feet. For this feature alone I could kiss Black Diamond's designers; I have wasted far too much time and money trying to seat custom orthotics on humped AT boot lasts.

As for trying the Factor on, my experience with the boot almost ended before it began, as I faced a serious fit issue right away. For the purposes of this review I am going to split off my discussion of that issue, as it is likely to affect only a small minority of skiers. If your ankles are sensitive to the edges of hard leather dress shoes, read this. If not, you've probably got nothing to worry about.

Fit issues taken care of, let me note that the Factor feels quite a bit softer than its 130 flex rating would indicate when you try it on at home. This is a common comment elsewhere: people question whether the Factor is really as stiff as Black Diamond claims. Black Diamond has perhaps unwittingly opened itself up to this criticism by billing the Factor as among the stiffest of the stiff. Interestingly, the Factor is stiff—it's just not apparent until you actually ski it.

ON THE DOWNHILL:

Let me warn you right now that if you don't want to end up buying a pair of these, you should probably not ski them. "It's all about the down" is the Factor's official motto, and it is on snow, screaming downhill at high speed, where the Factor truly showcases its strengths. The forward flex is oh-so-sweetly progressive. Lateral stiffness is excellent.

The Factor struck me as totally credible on the downhill, even when I snapped them into my heavy GS Alpine boards, even when I skied one Factor head-to-head versus one of my Lange L10 Race boots.

Yes, the Factor is slightly less sharp than the L10—but not nearly as much as you'd expect!

During one boot comparison marathon day, I skied the Factors over and over. Each time I came to the bottom of the run, instead of heading to my car to swap into another pair of boots, I found myself saying, "Just one more on the Factors..." And back up the lift I went.

The Factor offers a level of downhill performance not found in any other Alpine Touring boot I've yet skied. In fact, the Factor utterly crushes favorites like the Mega Ride or the Scarpa Spirit on the downhill.

Performance features include customizable cant settings, and an adjustable but single-position forward lean block. At home, you can set the Factor's forward lean to either 14, 18, or 22°. The latter setting is essentially Alpine equivalent. On the slopes, the cuff only snaps into the setting you've chosen, eliminating any ambiguity as to which lean position you've just locked into—very nice.

ISSUES?

Over the course of one day I noticed that the thermofit liner did pack out quite a bit compared, for example, to an Intuition liner. To be honest, this didn't bother me, as the Factor nonetheless delivered a surprisingly comfortable and controlled fit. The boot's shell seems to have just the right amount of space for my average, medium-volume foot (reportedly, Black Diamond specifically engineered the shells to fit "American" feet). Buckling or loosening the boot varies fit and feel accordingly.

I am medium on the boa liners. These employ a dial-controlled cable system to cinch the liner up as tight as you please around your foot. This does clearly lock down the foot compared to using the power strap alone, but it is a bit of chore to cinch down for every run, and my foot did start going numb if I left them continuously tight when headed back uphill. One also can't help but think that the boa cables will be vulnerable to wear and breakage over time.

On the subject of durability, you've probably already seen some comment somewhere about the Factor's buckles, which reportedly do break. Let me note that the Factor is now in its second year, and Black Diamond has made a few changes to tweak durability and function. Still, there are areas that remain in need of improvement. For example, the shell doesn't seal perfectly around the top of the toe, especially when unbuckled, allowing cold air and potentially some snow crystals to drift inside.

I also found the Factor difficult to get in and out of. The boa closure doesn't seem to open enough for my foot to slide in easily. I didn't like the way the liner got pinched by the shell each time I pulled the boot off, either. I think it's fair to expect some dose of these and other production issues with the early-generation Factors. On the other hand, Black Diamond has an excellent reputation for responsiveness to service issues. And you will, of course, encounter problems with any boot.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Let's wrap this all up with a discussion of the Factor's place in the Alpine Touring gear universe. For me the one critical issue with the Factor is its weight. 9+ lbs per pair puts the Factor essentially a pound heavier per boot than Garmont's Mega Ride. That weight differential will rule out the Factor for many skiers when it comes to high-level ski mountaineering objectives—even though the Factor's walk mode is absolutely outstanding.

As much as I love the boot on the downhill, I can't imagine using it for something like another Tyndall in a Day adventure strictly because of its weight. That raises the question as to whether the Factor is indeed a true A/T boot, or whether it is just an Alpine boot with a walk mode. The best way to resolve that question may be to consider the Factor as a new creature entirely: a Frontcountry boot.

The Factor will certainly delight performance-oriented backcountry skiers who primarily do short (ie, day) climbs or lift-assisted tours. These skiers, after all, comprise the majority of the market, and Black Diamond is savvy to target the Factor to them. As for myself, I realized I was hooked on the Factor when I started thinking not of what I couldn't do in it, but rather what I could. Is it a true A/T boot for racers and hardcore ski mountaineers? Perhaps not. But for everyone else, the Factor's fit, feel, and performance is a game-changer.

Sadly, Black Diamond's success as a ski boot maker is far from guaranteed, especially in these turbulent economic times. But the bottom line for me is that Black Diamond has delivered on its promise to build a dominating, performance-oriented touring boot. Now it just remains for the market to respond (Black Diamond Factor review sample courtesy Black Diamond Equipment, LTD)

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