Hey everybody, happy new year and welcome to the first episode of Gear 30 for 2025.

And speaking of firsts, today, for the first time in company history, Armada is releasing a ski boot called the AR1.

It's a project that's actually been in development for five years, and naturally, this release

comes with lots of questions, like, why do a ski boot?

And why now?

What sort of boot is the AR1? How is it different from what's out there?

And importantly, who's this thing for? To get answers to all of these questions and more,

I spoke with Matt Rime, who is Armada's VP of Product and Bransford Briggs, Armada's product manager of boots.

This is a cool conversation that will, at a minimum, help you better understand the spectrum

ranging from cabrio boots to overlap boots. It'll probably get you to see why Armada was

interested in producing a hybrid cabrio boot,

and it might help you get clearer on what type of ski boot makes the most sense for you.

This episode is presented by Boot Mechanics, our Blister recommended shop with two locations,

one in Avon, Colorado, and a new and improved space in

Golden, Colorado. Since 2015, Boot Mechanics has earned a widespread reputation for being

some of the best boot fitters in the business, and if you want to get a sense of this,

then check out the recent Gear 30 conversation that our Kara Williard had

with Boot Mechanics founder Jeremy Johnston. It's episode number 327, where they answer a number

of your boot fitting questions. Boot fitting at the boot mechanics is by appointment only,

and slots are booking up fast.

So check out their site at boot mechanics.com and see about scheduling yourself an appointment.

This episode is also presented by Carve.

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