Think when you last wore a pair of off-road boots: what bothered you about them? Buckles? Getting the damn things off? Excessive wear and tear? The people at Scott Sports have likely pondered the same issues and devoted several years of consideration and development into the next generation of their riding boot – the 550 – to try and follow in the innovative steps of the Genius models of the 1970s and late ‘00s.
As with their Tyrant, Hustle and wintersports goggle production a couple of years ago, Scott invited OTOR to come and visit their principal partner and factory in Italy to see how and why the 550 is coming together and should be a powerful element of their 2016 off-road catalogue.
We’re near Asolo, north of Treviso and the home for people like Alpinestars and Sidi and numerous other shoe manufacturers. This area of northeast Italy is something for a hotspot for those in search of sole.
Scott already fabricate their ski boots here in Montebelluna and as we enter the understated and old design facility where the 550 was masterminded we immediately stumble upon the iconic versions of the Genius boot and some prototype samples of the 550 that have been thoroughly used and tested by former AMA and GP rider Matt Lalloz, now a motorsport Export Sales Manager at Scott and one of the main forces behind the revamp. “The project took a lot of time because boots are a very sensitive product,” the Frenchman reveals in an interview a few weeks later at the MXGP of France. “Each rider will tell you that they have ‘favourite’ boots and people like different brands. So for this we took a panel of many riders from pro to amateur to see what they liked and what they didn’t.”
Before we are shown how a boot comes-to-be first there was the explanation as to why the 550 will turn heads rather than ankles. “The 550 is closer to what you will find generally on the market because we made a decision to be right with the main boot specialists,” Lalloz says. “The look and some other features are similar to what you might have already seen but we had three priorities. The first was to make sure it was light. The second that it is safe and the third is that we didn’t want any ‘breaking-in period’. We worked with a ‘multi axial pivot’ that meant that the boot keeps a good form and also has good flexion to be comfortable for frequent use; it is not too stiff and not too soft.”
It’s far to say that Scott – in the world of moto – are renowned for their goggles, some attractive and lasting riding gear, very decent body protection and then maybe for their products like helmets and boots. There have been some brave and memorable attempts to create an impression in the footwear sphere thanks to the Genius. The first version was a forward-thinking if slightly impractical plastic ‘stocking’ and the second was an advanced boot, the shape of which apparently inspired Alpinestars to fashion their flagship Tech 10. Both incarnations of the Genius were made in Montebelluna and even today their appearance still evokes some fascination. The 550 is nowhere near as radical and is even quite ‘traditional’ in terms of its appearance. So why didn’t the Genius take off?
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