A Definitive Guide To Telemark Gear And Norms In 2025

NTN boots, however, have been woefully slow to evolve. That is, until this season. Scarpa has released their long awaited new telemark boot–a vastly rehauled Tx Pro–that has the telemark world buzzing. This model, compatible with NTN and TTS bindings (see below) brings to market a boot revolutionary in touring specs for telemark, promising a new dawn for the sport’s footwear. Fellow Italian manufacturer Crispi also makes NTN boots with a wonderfully progressive flex, their Evo series being some of the stoutest models on the norm. And all three of their offerings on the newer norm have tech fittings at the toe and heel.

The Old Stalwart: 75mm Boots and Bindings Live On

Still, 75mm gear remains the choice of many skiers. While the platform doesn’t enjoy the many features of NTN counterparts–and manufacturers are no longer innovating the boots and bindings like they are with NTN–the norm is foolproof, eminently skiable, and offers a freedom of flex that the more rigid NTN bindings don’t quite capture. Again the Driggs, Idaho-based 22 Designs comes front of mind with their touring-capable Axl–descendant of the legendary Rainey Designs Hammerhead. This binding represents the 75mm norm at its most aggressive, while Voile’s definitive, touring-minded Switchback series exemplifies the classic, neutral feel that only this platform can offer.

Many 75mm bindings have faced their demise as NTN has slowly emerged as the platform of choice. And the boots have fared little better. Still, Scarpa is keeping the Nordic norm alive for downhill telemark–at least for now. The maker still offers their classic T2, a softer, three buckle workhorse, and T4, a low-cut model perfect for overland travel that can still slash awesome turns, especially on the right feet.

Moreover, 75mm gear can be found on the cheap in many secondhand sporting goods stores, owing to the sport’s popularity some twenty years ago. Many of these classic setups–often soft K2 skis mounted with neutral flexing G3 Targa bindings–are not only affordable, but absolutely skiable. Just check for rust, cable wear, and avoid seized cartridges on the bindings. The elastic nature of these setups–paired with a well-loved, low-cut boot–has been prescribed by many free-heelers to their newbie friends for honing technique early.

Subnorms and Beyond

There are also several telemark subnorms that have sprung to life over the last decade, both of which are tops for touring: the Telemark Tech System (TTS) and NTN tech bindings. Invented by Mark Lengel in 2011, TTS combines a Dynafit-style tech toe with a cable/cartridge heel assembly like found on legacy 75mm bindings. It’s a marriage of the new movement and the old guard, offering a backcountry skiing experience with zero touring drawbacks, and can be tuned to a sensation on descent not unlike classic 75mm gear. Long a mainstay of the DIY world, TTS bindings are now available at retail in Voile’s TTS Transit, as well as via Lengel’s Olympus Mountain Gear.

TTS bindings are compatible with any telemark boot with tech fittings at the toe–including the new Tx Pro from Scarpa and all of Crispi’s NTN models. DIYers have also long used Scarpa’s original F1 and F3 models, bellowed alpine touring boots from the 2000s, with TTS bindings. Still occasionally available via the second hand market, these boots long represented the lightest and most touring friendly options for TTS users, though the new Tx Pro has since eclipsed that notion somewhat.

The new Tx Pro’s weight is comparable to the F3 but easily bests its touring range of motion, while the original F1 line is lighter than the new boot with similar tourabililty. Both older models offer a softer, more classic telemark sensation compared to the new boot, its soft bellows and stiff cuff ushering the skier toward a more modern, upright stance.

NTN tech bindings also use a two-pin tech toe, but as the name implies rely on an NTN connection underfoot for free-heel turns. This subnorm first came about via Pierre Mouyade’s Meidjo, released in 2014 by his company The M Equipment (now known as InWild). 22 Designs has since released their own version of an NTN tech binding, the Lynx, brought to market in 2019.

Boots usable on the NTN tech platform must have tech fittings at the toe and an NTN duckbutt connection point underfoot. NTN footwear is trending toward full harmony with NTN tech, with Scarpa’s new Tx Pro and all of Crispi’s models being compatible with both. And Scarpa’s potential next boot–a replacement for the discontinued burley Tx Comp–is slated to be released with tech fittings at the toe as well.

One thing to consider: for a marvelous if expensive switch-hitting setup, Crispi boots with their tech fittings at the toe and heel can be paired with the Meidjo binding and its alpine heel add-on. Keep in mind that a boot with an NTN connection must be used on this platform: alpine touring boots are not compatible and will subject the skier to unwanted release.

It’s also worth noting that the boutique free-heel brand Bishop Telemark offers a binding interface that sidesteps the compatibility issues endemic of NTN vs. 75mm. The company’s bindings (the BMF/3 and its free-pivoting touring cousin the BMF/R) connect at the heel of the boot via a robust sliding plate. But an interchangeable toe piece can be swapped to allow for either a 75mm or NTN boot. This system thus allows the use of any telemark boot on the system.

So what norm should you choose?

Be forewarned: while welcoming and friendly, the telemark sphere has been dogged by a seemingly endless, at times cacophonous debate on the NTN vs. 75mm argument. And while Facebook and Reddit threads can be informative, they also can devolve into online battlefields, muddying the discussion.

The bottom line is that 75mm gear can be found at a much more affordable price point on the used market. While the norm may not offer all the modernity of the new telemark norm or TTS bindings, used 75mm boots can be had for $100 or less, while decent used skis can be yours for $150. And this gear–often of a softer, less aggressive nature–isn’t just a money saver, it’s a solid, accessible place to start honing technique and discovering The Turn. Check out second hand sporting goods stores or the Facebook group Telemark Ski Gear Exchange.

While used 75mm gear is a great avenue for trying telemark, it does fall far short in many ways, especially in touring specs. Don’t be mistaken–options with a free-pivot mode are plentiful for earning turns, but the gear is markedly heavier and less efficient compared to tech toe options. Still, for those just starting out, price points for tech-based telemark gear are high. A round on older 75mm gear or rental gear is a more affordable place to start. For those more interested in NTN, TTS, or NTN tech, new options abound. And the market for used modern telemark gear is itself growing, options will just be yours at a higher cost.

It’s worth noting that as the park scene has seen a resurgence a focus on more robust bindings is also at hand. Models like Bishop’s line or the Outlaw X or Bandit from 22 Designs are the most apt pairings for those going that direction.

One elephant in the room is that the topic of renting telemark gear has heretofore been mostly left out of this discussion. That’s because there are few options for renting free-heel equipment, certainly far fewer than there were during the sport’s zenith around Y2K.

But that doesn’t mean there are none. Voile keeps a solid demo fleet in their Salt Lake City store, while stalwart ski shops still carry telemark rentals: Ski Haus in Steamboat, Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder, Confluence Kayak in Denver, and Rise of Tele out of Woodinville, WA. Telemarkdown–with shops out of New Hampshire and Connecticut–rents telemark gear as well, with connections at Jay Peak, the Catskills, and Utah.

Telemarkdown, 22 Designs and Bishop Telemark also run demo tours–check their websites later in the winter for details.

Whether as rentals, a one-off demo day, or a lifetime of learning the turn, in telemark there exists an expansive experience awaiting infinite interpretations. Adjacent to the more downhill-oriented telemark gear discussed here even resides a more overland-minded take on free-heel skiing with fish scaled skis and nordic-style bindings. Cross-country downhill skiing (XCD)–also known as meadow skipping–is a more mellow touring-for-turns that even has its own recent norm invention: the Xplore system from Rottefella.

From the rolling hills of the XCD skier to the rails and kickers of the park, even on the high alpine peaks interspersed with rugged couloirs, telemark skiing finds a home. From city parks to trailheads, from mom and pop hills to bigger resorts, a turn can be had. And gear for all these interpretations is out there and available.

So go forth–grab a set of skis that calls to you and your budget–and stick with it. Rare is the telemark skier who picks it up immediately. Enjoy the challenge; lean into it. Find your turn and find your cadre. Multitudes of groups the continent over get together for tele Tuesdays or Friday night laps under the lights at the local hill. And if they don’t in your town, make your own club. Folks will come. Telemark is a community unique not only in its equipment, but equally so in its deep camaraderie. 

Join us.