- 1968 Raichle Red Boot ad in SKIING Magazine
The Raichle Fiber Jet (aka Red Hot) was the first boot to break the color barrier. Introduced in 1968 the bright red Raichle Fiber Jet was a conversation starter in lift lines or the base lodge.
It wasn’t just color that made the Raichle different. Like Rosemount it took a different approach to ski boot design. First there was a laced inner boot that was kind of a cross between a boxer’s sneaker and a ballet shoe. Theoretically you could use the inner boot to walk around in, but they tended to draw more attention than the red boot, particularly the shiny silver models. The outer boot was a clam shell design that hinged down the middle of the sole. You closed the outer boot around the inner and secured it with the buckles. The outer boot was solid fiberglass approximately a quarter inch thick in the forefoot! This solid fiberglass shell provided complete lateral rigidity without any tightness. Forward flex was controlled by a leather cuff around the top of the boot.
I bought my first pair of Red Hots in the Spring of 1969 on sale at Wood’s Sporting Goods in downtown Burlington. I loved them. My skiing improved and my feet stayed warm. The only negative was bruised shins since even the leather collar was very stiff. There was another negative which for some probably was a positive. They drew a lot of attention to the wearer! Whether walking through the lodge, standing in lift line, or skiing down a trail, people noticed the boots and you! It was impossible to be a shy introvert while wearing bright red boots!
September 10, 2011 at 7:57 pm
I had a pair, and they were truely great. I left them with my parents as I evolved into other boots and skis, and one day they had a garage fire and that was that. I wish I still had them.
September 17, 2018 at 6:35 am
I have one pair, red, with silver liner. Truely great!
Miha
September 12, 2011 at 5:10 pm
I actually had two pairs: the original red hot and then when higher-backed boots became popular, I upgraded to the high back, red-white-and-blue model. I have no idea whatever happened to them.
I examined a pair at the Vermont Ski Museum and in trying to unbuckle the leather collar to show someone the inner boot, the collar began to disintegrate! I just buckled them back up to avoid additional damage. That sort of answered my question as to why you see more of the all-plastic Rosemounts than the red-hots although I’m sure the Raichle outsold the Rosemount!
Thanks for contributing!
September 16, 2011 at 5:10 am
I bought a pair of those – actually they were blue, a slightly later version. I was in love with the boots when I bought them and they were super cool, but awful boots. Total PITA design in the collar,which I never got to break in and constantly had sore shins.
January 14, 2012 at 5:09 pm
I’m looking to buy a pair of these boots, is there anyone here who can help with this?
December 30, 2012 at 9:33 pm
I have a pair for sale;
I got them for Christmas in 1968. I was able to can my wood ski’s and leather boots. I got a pair of Heart Javelin metal slalom ski’s and I was hot stuff. I only used them a few times then I left home. My dad skied in the Army throughout WW II and I skied since I was four. When I had to buy my own lift ticket I stopped and the boots were only used a few trips.
December 30, 2012 at 10:00 pm
oops, contact email
otseg@aol.com
September 17, 2018 at 6:43 am
I’m the one…
mihaorel@yahoo.com
February 3, 2012 at 5:00 pm
“first boot to break the color barrier”
Now Greg, I *know* you know this isn’t right… Lange Royalite boots were blue and white!
I can here the “arrrgggg, of course!” from here!
February 26, 2012 at 3:49 pm
HOT! HOT! boot. I was a Lange fan because I enjoyed great rigidity and boot bang. The French technique made popular by a certain Alpine Gold Medal winner made leaning back the necessary method of bombing the hill.The Raichle and Lange were both too short in back and the Rossignol boots were the only ones to buy. Also, Scott completely copied the Raichle with a lighter version with higher back. Raichle raised the backs as did Lange and boot bang was replaced by really sore calfs.
A childhood friend of mine, Kent Heitsinger, invented French Stiqs (pronounced steeks) for the Lange and Raichle Jets. These were shaped lucite spoon looking devices that fit between the shell and liner to give you the French effect without having to buy new boots. They were sold everywhere for about 2 years.
November 2, 2012 at 4:00 pm
I had a pair of these! I remember the guy at the ski shop in Toronto fitting them on me. Once you put on the inner bootie, you stepped in the hinged outer boot and snapped it closed, then in the back of the boot there was a hole that he then injected a chemical foam that turned quite hot when it filled the bladder in the outer boot. You couldn’t move for about half an hour until it set. I mated these up with a pair of Volkl Zebra’s and Marker Rotomat bindings along with Volkl poles as well. It was about 1973, I miss those days 🙁
November 2, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Actually, I was wrong about the bindings! They were “Look Nevada’s” anyone remember those?
October 19, 2016 at 4:47 am
I too had Fiber Jets in ’68 and added the Stiqs the next year with Look Nevada on a pair of Head Master, tremendous upgrade from leather and wood (and so convenient), what a boon to control. But more significantly, they changed my life, for the girl I met in the aprés bar (I much later learned) was drawn to me because of the silver boots that I wore. Lol.
April 18, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Amazing!. My dad had a pair of these circa 1969. They gave good edge control, but produced a heck of a lot of boot bang. He paired these with a pair of Attenhofer A15 Jet skis in 215 cm length and insisted on using an under the boot, wrap around the boot leather retention strap. Old school. Jet turns were the thing courtesy of that certain French Alpinist. I remember skiing in the Laurentians and having local ski pros shout “Avalement” (literally: swallow) to their buddies as they skiied past.
I skiied with a pair of “Jet sticks” to raise the back of my ski boots.
June 2, 2013 at 5:06 am
Yeah, Jetsticks were de rigeur with red hots. I busted quite a few jet sticks with the leaning back turn but the raichles were unbreakable. (I had to really lean back with 215 White Stars!)
August 15, 2013 at 6:09 pm
Knessill ( I think) 215 White Stars , what a great stiff ski ……. used them alot , became my rock skis later on , went to Hexals I think , thats around 73-74 with Hansen boots and Alsop bindings ( just a shitty set up for me ) and then on to rossi st650 comps , markers and reichle’s , had a pair of Lange Banchees along the way with a pair of busted K2’s , think they broken when I bought them at a ski swap ,,,,, good ski for pounding the bumps , but they had this chatter to them , think the core was busted inside them ,,, Fun Fun ski
December 24, 2013 at 5:42 pm
I skied on a pair of Red Hots! I would love to buy a pair. Any thoughts?
September 17, 2018 at 10:22 am
I have in great condition…
April 3, 2019 at 7:38 pm
Do you still have these boots?
April 13, 2014 at 4:43 pm
I have a pair – $2K + postage… JR
May 10, 2014 at 7:23 pm
My Red boots are listed on ebay. Bye bye good buddy.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=151299591406
May 20, 2015 at 4:21 pm
i worked all summer to afford some raichle red hots, i think they were just over a hundred dollars a pair which was pretty high at the time. the first ones were not very tall so i also used a pair of jet sticks strapped inside the back to give you some lean back ski control. i always wondered how many broken legs would snap right across the top of the boots because they were so stiff and not very high on the leg. yikes ! i always wanted some hart javelin skis to go with em, the white ones with the black stripe down the middle but instead i had a pair of kastle which i liked because tom leroy was on posters flying through the air with kastles and i had to have em then.
November 18, 2015 at 11:18 am
Hi !
I’m looking to buy one of those ski boots !
Please contact me per mail clem.rozier@gmail.com
January 26, 2017 at 5:12 pm
I just listed my Raichle Fiber Jet boots on eBay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/292010178425?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Regards,
Robert
April 30, 2018 at 6:26 am
I’m 70 and still ski and loved my blue hots until I skied off a drop off on mtn baker and shattered and dislocated my right ankle and fratured left ankle. The hard shell smashed the front of my ankle because the foot could slide and flex into the hard shell.That was early 1970 s. With a different design I believe my right ankle would not have been shattered but even though I have problems with that ankle I managed to ski for 50 years
So far
December 29, 2020 at 6:30 am
I bought a pair of the blue version in about 1970 with my own money. I still remember the day. I had a love hate relationship with them, and a couple years later sold them and bought some orange Lange Comps which I still have!
One down side is that when I bought the blue ones, they were the same as the Red Hots except blue. I liked that because less conspicuous. But soon after that, maybe the next model year? they came out with another blue version that was a lesser tier.
Anyway, i used the “Blue Hots” with K2 comps (red-white-blue with black p-tex… they later came out with red-white-blue bottoms). The bindings were, what I considered the best at the time: Look Nevada toe with Grand Prix heel.
December 29, 2020 at 11:00 pm
I had a pair of “Red Hots”. Took my tibia off right at the top of the boot. Had to interrupt the hospital people when they tried to hacksaw the boot to get it off. They were amazed!
July 11, 2024 at 7:15 am
Thanks for the tips about credit repair on this blog. The thing I would tell people is always to give up this mentality they will buy at this moment and fork out later. As being a society we all tend to make this happen for many things. This includes vacation trips, furniture, in addition to items we really want to have. However, you should separate your wants from the needs. When you’re working to fix your credit score actually you need some sacrifices. For example you’ll be able to shop online to save money or you can go to second hand stores instead of high-priced department stores intended for clothing.