I think most negative reviews can be attributed to poor boot fitting, not a poor boot. Few, if any boots work right out of the box. I have had great experiences with these boots. They are comfortable, perform well on the up and down hill. I use them primarily at the resort and end every resort day with a one to two hour tour. I have one touring set up with the Atomic Shift Bindings mounted on Bent Chetler 100's. Awesome combination with a wide sweet spot that handles most powder days to icy groomers while still being a decent touring set up. As far as non-touring binding incompatibility, that's not the boot's fault. It is only recently that traditional alpine non-touring bindings have adjustments to accommodate both hybrid boots and pure alpine boots. My two other skis (Atomic Backland 109 and a 124 pow ski) are mounted with traditional Atomic bindings that are Multi Norm Compatible (MNC) and adjust to accept both the XTD and my traditional Hawx non-touring boot. (the Shift binding also accepts the non-touring Hawx too). All perform super. The XTD is capable of driving any ski in any condition and is on par with its non-touring sister, the Hawx. The performance and comfort of the boot is based on the quality of the fit which is based on the skill of the boot fitter. Custom foot beds are a must for any boot. Then consider carefully the thickness of the sock as well. It takes a little bit of care to get any boot "dialed in" and these are no exception. Do so, and they'll work great.
