Dynafit TLT 5 Boot

**I've seen black diamonds!** · 12-29-2010, 01:42 PM

Just tried a pair on. So narrow. I'm a 27 or even 26 in most boots. 28's were way to thin on the instep, exactly where my feet are fat. Damn it. Come on Scarpa! Time to respond with something that fits me!

**gregL** · 12-29-2010, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds!

So narrow. I'm a 27 or even 26 in most boots. 28's were way to thin on the instep, exactly where my feet are fat.

Time to find a good bootfitter, preferably one with experience stretching TLT 5's or other tricky boots; the Grillamid is very thin and easy to overcook.

I've got the same problem, D+ width with bone spurs, foot goes "out" rather than "in" at the arch, pretty much the antithesis of the typical Dynafit last. Took them to my bootfitter where he stretched three areas after a shell fit and measuring my foot width and now they fit like a glove. My experience from my race and schwag days is that the right guy can make almost any boot fit almost any foot.

**harpo-the-skier** · 12-29-2010, 07:30 PM

Patche's trick of loosening the velcro strap and upper buckle, and holding the lower buckle open (but keeping the wire in the same track) with one hand while inserting the tongue with the other works wonders.

**gregL** · 12-29-2010, 08:21 PM

Yeah, while flexing the boot forward (kind of counterintuitive). Thanks, Patches, I played around with that today as well. In fact, flexing the boot forward works for most everything with the TLT 5 P, like closing the top buckle to go into ski mode.

**Mike Pow** · 12-30-2010, 12:55 PM

Just got mine - TLT5 Performance. As light as a light thing

Heading back to Hokkaido early next week. Will report back once I've had a few days on them.

Thanks for all the info and advice.

**redondo63** · 12-30-2010, 09:52 PM

OK..... I Finally hooked up with a pair of TLT5P's. They need some fitting work. From everything I've read hear on this thread... people are heat molding the liners and punching them out the performance boot if necessary. My shop tells me that they are not heat moldable. WTF?? I'm hoping that he is wrong. Please someone tell me he's wrong.

**gregL** · 12-31-2010, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by redondo63

Please someone tell me he's wrong.

He's wrong, but I don't blame him for being chicken to experiment on your boots. I watched my bootfitter stretch mine and it was amazing how fast the thin Grillamid went from hard to almost bubbling. He hit it with a hot air gun with hydralics inside the shell, then moved really quickly to a sink filled with cool water to set the plastic. If they really hurt you will need some shell work; the liner is very thin and can't adjust for too large a fit discrepancy. Find a bootfitter who's confident in his abilities.

**Plinko** · 01-02-2011, 01:12 AM

Today out on my newish TLT5 Performance boots I had the cable loop portion of the buckle disappear. It was buckled down/engaged before starting another skin ascent and in the first (largest) of the slots.

It's the lower buckle on the right boot. It kept coming disconnected during the fitting but I didn't think anything of it at the time and simply reconnected it. After further inspection, on the lower buckle, there are 3 "fins" that protrude straight outward from the boot, apparently to retain the cable. On delivery, the outer most fin was bent in a horizontal position, which is how the cable slipped through.

***BEWARE*** These "fins" are very exposed and seem easily bent, the result then is a lost buckle/cable loop in the backcountry.

For the money we're paying for the boots, these things should NOT be happening.

Skied a sporting descent on breakable crust with only the top buckle engaged. It wasn't pretty, but wasn't as bad as I was expecting.

**dauwhe** · 01-02-2011, 07:52 AM

I had a lower cable work loose, too. Don't know how it happened, but I fixed it and have had no problems since.

**gregL** · 01-02-2011, 11:46 AM

I had a lower cable fall off unexpectedly in my basement when the boots were new; just slipped out of the groove. After using them for a few days the cables seemed to settle in and haven't come out since.

Still probably woudn't hurt to carry a spare . . .

**gregL** · 01-02-2011, 07:05 PM

Not sure what it is about BC skiers that compels them to start cutting stuff off of $1,000 boots, but here's the list so far . . .

Stuff I've cut off of my Dynafit TLT 5 Performances:

1. The velcro closures on the liner, including the "hook" that's sewn on to the liner itself. (just never felt I would use this, except maybe in a hut situation but they usually supply slippers, plus it was difficult to fasten inside the shell).

2. About 1.5 inches of the velcro on the power strap, both "hook" and "fuzz" (my calves are too big to ever cinch it down that far).

3. The chrome-finish cat thing from the back of the power strap (no point other than marketing).

4. The top 1 7/8 inches of the auxiliary "skiing" tongues (after using these for a couple of weeks, I decided they were a little TOO stiff, or at least became stiff too SOON in the flex progression. Combined with what I perceive to be a lower heel position in the footbed than my last touring boots, it seemed this was putting me in a back-seat position more often than I liked, so . . . ). The stiffener tongues now are below the power strap, so it's not necessary to move the strap or remove the tongues to get full rearward mobility. I'm planning on using the boots without the tongues for spring/summer/fast touring and with the tongues in all the time for bigger ski/deep snow days.

Anyone else been at theirs with the knife?

the arrow points to where the tongue now sits with my leg flexed back . . .

**Patches** · 01-02-2011, 10:10 PM

You forgot to cut the dynafit logo thing off the front of the power strap!

#4 is an interesting idea - probably not for me since I need all the help I can get going downhill but good to see someone think outside the box...

**gregL** · 01-02-2011, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by Patches

You forgot to cut the dynafit logo thing off the front of the power strap!

Damn, you're right!

**AweShuksan** · 01-03-2011, 06:41 PM

When will my TLT 5's get here? I'm dying!

**Prodigy** · 01-03-2011, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by AweShuksan

When will my TLT 5's get here? I'm dying!

We're processing backorders as fast as we can from the shipment that came in right after Christmas so you may see it in a couple of days; otherwise, if your order isn't covered we're getting another shipment mid January (meaning in your hands 3rd/4th week of Jan.) that should cover existing orders on TLT5's in most sizes. Retailers ordered really cautiously on the TLT5's so Dynafit did their production run based on estimates around those preseason orders; demand blew up and we've been covering backorders with every shipment that comes in. We're making them as fast as we can, I promise.

**hilmersen** · 01-04-2011, 04:13 PM

I have the boots and use them successfully on 187 mustagh ata sls. What I am wondering about now is: how wide and long skis can I use these with and still not overpower them. Saw that Greg Hill felt that the stoke 182 over powered them....

**ghostice** · 01-04-2011, 04:52 PM

Earlier in this thread I posted some comments about the TLT5 Perf - I now have about 6 or 7 days on them on both my 178 Mustagh Ata's and a set of 182 Stokes. I would say for cruising or BC bushwacking on the Stokes these boots were fine. They're the stiffest BC boots I've had (more than my Mega-Rides and getting up there with some of the downhill boots I've had). I will say the feel is different - on light skiis its almost like they get bumped around a bit more - which you might expect if the rig weighs less. I don't know how they'd be on big lines and the Stokes probably wouldn't be my choice for tight trees but I did get nice wide carving turns outta them. And for bush, lots of flotation for me at least. But ZZeus they're not . . . But my heavens, the up with these makes up for anything for me anyway.

**AweShuksan** · 01-04-2011, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by Prodigy

We're processing backorders as fast as we can from the shipment that came in right after Christmas so you may see it in a couple of days; otherwise, if your order isn't covered we're getting another shipment mid January (meaning in your hands 3rd/4th week of Jan.) that should cover existing orders on TLT5's in most sizes.

That's good news because they were bought and paid for over two months ago so I assume they will be in the first shipment. I ordered size 30.5 TLT 5 P's. Now is not the time to be slacking off!

**davieboot** · 01-05-2011, 01:45 PM

I finally tried these on (TLT5 P in a 27.0) and it seemed clear that I would need a bit of boot work. However, the shop employee (Alpenglow in Tahoe City) told me that these can't be stretched or punched because the Pebax will end up going back to it's original shape after a few days/weeks. I hadn't heard this previously. Is that the case?

**I've seen black diamonds!** · 01-05-2011, 01:52 PM

They're not pebax.

**gregL** · 01-05-2011, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by davieboot

However, the shop employee (Alpenglow in Tahoe City) told me that these can't be stretched or punched because the Pebax will end up going back to it's original shape after a few days/weeks. I hadn't heard this previously. Is that the case?

No.

The lower shells are Grillamid, a tradename for nylon. They can be stretched (mine were substantially) but they are very thin shells and the work is delicate. Many shops are understandably reticent to heat them, especially since if they hose the job they probably won't be able to get you another pair.

Pebax can also be stretched, BTW.

**harpo-the-skier** · 01-05-2011, 07:01 PM

Anyone have trouble with the slot for the tongue on the top of the toe of the shell icing up? The last few times I have been out, there has been snow down there, but I could force the tongue in anyway. If it iced up for some reason it might be more problematic. Or am I worrying about nothing?

**davieboot** · 01-05-2011, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by gregL

Pebax can also be stretched, BTW.

Then what were they talking about? I hadn't heard that either, but they seemed pretty confident about it.

**gregL** · 01-06-2011, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by davieboot

Then what were they talking about?

Hard to say. IME Pebax has some memory, but when heated and cooled properly by a good bootfitter doesn't return entirely to its original form. Bottom line is none of the TLT 5 boots have a Pebax lower shell.

**Fishmonger** · 01-06-2011, 10:29 AM

I read the whole thread and other reviews on this boot - looks like the TLT 5 Mountain is a great option for my planned 250 mile Sierra "ski hike" - I don't care much for downhill performance (heavy backpack, and I am not the most experienced skier), but to traverse the terrain I will need to use ski and boots that walk/climb really well. It's just that these boots are so darn expensive compared to the BD Primes - can anyone compare these for me when it comes to cuff movement and general walking/climbing performance, crampon use, etc - basically, I need the boot with the best performance in anything but downhill use, as that will be the least of my problems. I will be in those boots for almost 3 weeks and may even have to hike on dry ground at times. I have Dynafit bindings on Atomic Kailas ski.

Dynafit sizing? I wear a 10.5 (tight) -11 (loose) sized street shoe, and a Euro size 45 La Sportiva Mountaineering boots. 28? Got no ski stores in the area (Wisconsin) where I can try them on - only REI and they don't carry anything in the lightweight AT boot class.