I think that it's interesting to see how the traditional racing-oriented alpine brands are much more concerned about the performance impacts of walk modes than is somebody like Hoji. As an ex-racer I can definitely feel the reduced integrity of my AT boots as compared to my Raptor 140s, but for most freeride-style skiing it just doesn't matter. I'm not trying to get every last bit of power out of my boots. 90% or whatever percentage a well-designed walk mode in a 4-buckle hybrid boot provides is good enough. As always it's what Jonathan would describe as a "know thyself" thing. If you aspire to ski like Marcel Hirscher, then maybe don't get boots with a walk mode. If you aspire to ski like Hoji then it seems less clear-cut. I also agree with Hoji that walk modes detract significantly from the mechanical reliability of ski boots. I've experienced it, and I've seen it happen to others. In my experience you can kluge around a broken buckle fairly easily, but broken walk modes are extremely bad news in the backcountry.
I’m 5’3, 110 pounds and one of the petite advanced women skiers who see few options for boots made that fit my low volume feet. I had trouble being fitted and was initially fitted by a less experienced boot fitter who was working at a nevertheless very well trusted boot fitting shop, with boots that were comfortable at first but far too large for me. Even by the third day I realized it was a problem as the liner was breaking in and my foot was moving around a lot out while I was skiing. I went back to the boot fitter and got a different far more experienced boot fitter who was annoyed at how I was fitted the first time. He replaced my boot completely with the Atomic Hawx women’s boots and heat molded the liners to my feet. It was night and day with how much easier skiing became once I had properly fitted boots. I’d never skiied in well fitted boots my entire life, I had learned in Jackson Hole using old unisex rentals that were so large I had to latch all buckles down as far as they could go by the end of the day in order to keep them working. Having properly fitted gear is huge in skier enjoyment and progression and something that has historically been neglected for women and petite women skiers in general, so I’m so glad this issue is finally being addressed and possibly the market for us will continue to grow. It will also benefit small men who are petite, as I’ve already seen reviews written by men who are the size of a small women using gear made for us and experiencing a huge improvement (e.g. Moment Sierra skis).
Snarky take on Fischer: "ZipFit yay! Boa meh." I'm also not thrilled to see Dalbello moving so many boots from overlap to cabrio configuration. I'm also surprised that Dalbello could trademark "Cabrio" as a brand as the term has been in widespread use for so long. One other remark about boas: I wonder if they have more benefit as the shell over the forefoot and ankle becomes softer? A stiff shell will tend to spread the pressure applied by a buckle over more of your foot, while a softer shell will tend to concentrate it. By contrast a boa tends to apply pressure more evenly along the length of the forefoot.
Boa has just made it to World Cup. It works and in my opinion is really awesome. I feel that it has a slight advantage as you were kinda saying. If you look and think about it, you have four buckles wrapping your foot. And I set it and forget it. Don’t have to touch them all day.
If you "tighten" your boots once, and ski them for the rest of the day, then maybe you could make BOA work. But if you ski at a high level, and need good tension across the foot, then buckles are the only way. Pretty simple to calculate the tension achieved by a buckle > BOA. Make 20+ laps per day, and unbuckle, and rebuckle for every lap - I can do that in a couple seconds. BOA - is a cluster f**k in comparison.
Always interesting conversation but, it would behoove some of you to communicate like a professional business person instead of the guy who just burned a fatty. Comparing weight in your backpack to weight on your feet is silly. That's like saying the weight of skies under foot is no different than weight in the tips.
Wrt "communicate like a professional business person" I think that you may be misunderstanding the target market here 🙂 Also the "toilet paper analogy" wasn't meant literally. I'm sure that Cristoph fully understands that weight on the feet is more fatiguing (though the degree to which this is so depends on the terrain you're skinning and the efficiency of your stride), but his broader point is valid: If you've ever skied a 1000 gram AT boot, you will know that you lose a _lot_ of performance as you chase those last few hundred grams.
Death of buckles? I don't think so... History is littered with failed products and claims in the ski industry. Not a negative comment, I've just been around a while.⛷
I think that it's interesting to see how the traditional racing-oriented alpine brands are much more concerned about the performance impacts of walk modes than is somebody like Hoji. As an ex-racer I can definitely feel the reduced integrity of my AT boots as compared to my Raptor 140s, but for most freeride-style skiing it just doesn't matter. I'm not trying to get every last bit of power out of my boots. 90% or whatever percentage a well-designed walk mode in a 4-buckle hybrid boot provides is good enough.
As always it's what Jonathan would describe as a "know thyself" thing. If you aspire to ski like Marcel Hirscher, then maybe don't get boots with a walk mode. If you aspire to ski like Hoji then it seems less clear-cut.
I also agree with Hoji that walk modes detract significantly from the mechanical reliability of ski boots. I've experienced it, and I've seen it happen to others. In my experience you can kluge around a broken buckle fairly easily, but broken walk modes are extremely bad news in the backcountry.
I’m 5’3, 110 pounds and one of the petite advanced women skiers who see few options for boots made that fit my low volume feet. I had trouble being fitted and was initially fitted by a less experienced boot fitter who was working at a nevertheless very well trusted boot fitting shop, with boots that were comfortable at first but far too large for me. Even by the third day I realized it was a problem as the liner was breaking in and my foot was moving around a lot out while I was skiing. I went back to the boot fitter and got a different far more experienced boot fitter who was annoyed at how I was fitted the first time. He replaced my boot completely with the Atomic Hawx women’s boots and heat molded the liners to my feet. It was night and day with how much easier skiing became once I had properly fitted boots. I’d never skiied in well fitted boots my entire life, I had learned in Jackson Hole using old unisex rentals that were so large I had to latch all buckles down as far as they could go by the end of the day in order to keep them working. Having properly fitted gear is huge in skier enjoyment and progression and something that has historically been neglected for women and petite women skiers in general, so I’m so glad this issue is finally being addressed and possibly the market for us will continue to grow. It will also benefit small men who are petite, as I’ve already seen reviews written by men who are the size of a small women using gear made for us and experiencing a huge improvement (e.g. Moment Sierra skis).
Sometimes I feel like having Hoji as your brand ambassador is a double edge sword, lol.
Snarky take on Fischer: "ZipFit yay! Boa meh."
I'm also not thrilled to see Dalbello moving so many boots from overlap to cabrio configuration. I'm also surprised that Dalbello could trademark "Cabrio" as a brand as the term has been in widespread use for so long.
One other remark about boas: I wonder if they have more benefit as the shell over the forefoot and ankle becomes softer? A stiff shell will tend to spread the pressure applied by a buckle over more of your foot, while a softer shell will tend to concentrate it. By contrast a boa tends to apply pressure more evenly along the length of the forefoot.
Boa has just made it to World Cup. It works and in my opinion is really awesome. I feel that it has a slight advantage as you were kinda saying. If you look and think about it, you have four buckles wrapping your foot. And I set it and forget it. Don’t have to touch them all day.
If you "tighten" your boots once, and ski them for the rest of the day, then maybe you could make BOA work. But if you ski at a high level, and need good tension across the foot, then buckles are the only way. Pretty simple to calculate the tension achieved by a buckle > BOA. Make 20+ laps per day, and unbuckle, and rebuckle for every lap - I can do that in a couple seconds. BOA - is a cluster f**k in comparison.
On what basis are you calculating that boa has less tension across the foot? You said it very simple to calculate… How did you calculate this.
Always interesting conversation but, it would behoove some of you to communicate like a professional business person instead of the guy who just burned a fatty.
Comparing weight in your backpack to weight on your feet is silly. That's like saying the weight of skies under foot is no different than weight in the tips.
Wrt "communicate like a professional business person" I think that you may be misunderstanding the target market here 🙂
Also the "toilet paper analogy" wasn't meant literally. I'm sure that Cristoph fully understands that weight on the feet is more fatiguing (though the degree to which this is so depends on the terrain you're skinning and the efficiency of your stride), but his broader point is valid: If you've ever skied a 1000 gram AT boot, you will know that you lose a _lot_ of performance as you chase those last few hundred grams.
Death of buckles? I don't think so... History is littered with failed products and claims in the ski industry. Not a negative comment, I've just been around a while.⛷