The Review:
My first look at these bad boys and I was immediately impressed by the sleek look and just overall great craftsmanship of the boot. These things are handmade in Italy, so you know they are built well. My draw to these boots was the traditional lacing system, stiffer toe box, and the overall trim and profile of the boot. They seemed a bit stiffer off the bat but with a lacing system that allows you to control how stiff you want them. I come from a soft- softboot backround and being able to control how stiff or loose I want them was great. They also have a powerstrap and the speedlock lacing system that allows you to lock them down on the ankle which is an added bonus. The liner seemed great after I put in small footbed, which I do for all my boots. The lacing system of the liner also very quick and easy to use.
The first thing that I noticed about the Fitwells was the stiffness. Again, I am used to some pretty soft boots and had to do some adjusting on them to get them right. They took some time to break in but now after a month they are starting to feel like a second pair of tennis shoes with the capability of getting much stiffer again just by tightening up the laces and power strap more. I've really liked the lateral stiffness of the boot for side-hilling and have noticed a huge difference over other boots I have worn.