I am now on my third pair of
Dalbello “Krypton Pros” in the past six years. Sure the name has changed to “KR
Two,” but the legend continues. This is Dalbello’s top model for aggressive and
accomplished expert big mountain freeride skiers and each pair I’ve had lasts
about two years of day-in, day-out skiing. What’s great is, I’ve found my boot.
I don’t need to even consider other resort boots. This is it for me. And it’s not
just me, there’s a reason half the people in the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
tramline are wearing them: They perform.
Fit: We all have different shaped feet,
and I suggest doing all you can to find a boot that fits your foot perfectly.
Luckily, this fits my foot fine right out of the box. I don’t have to do
anything, I just get a pair, put them on and go skiing. Simple. Oh, and I find
them to be warm and comfy. The Intuition liner is a plus and you can cook them
to fit even better, if you want. I am a 10.5 shoe and I wear a 10.5 KR Two.
Some may want to size down for performance, but at a true 10.5, these fit my
feet perfect. I wish I could size down to get in a smaller shell size, but I
can’t.
Flex: A friend recently pointed out that
it’s not about the “flex number,” it’s about the “quality of flex.” I couldn’t
agree more. Don’t let silly unfounded numbers like 120, 130 and 140 baffle you.
This is a beefy boot, with a quality flex that can take the beating that resort
terrain dishes out and it can perform at a high level when you’re out there
getting the real pow in the side country and beyond.
Pros: Beefy, shock absorbing, warm, comfy.
Cons: Slick soles that don’t have swappable toe and heelpieces.
Sure, this adds to rigidity, but it also means once your toes and heels wear
out, you need to get new boots. It would be cool if Dalbello added a rubber
tread to the soles so that you could get more life out of them. Aside from
stench, it’s been the toe and heel pieces wearing down that make me get a new
pair.
Overall Impression: For resort skiing, there is no
other boot I would consider wearing. I love the three-piece technology with
swappable tongues for different flexes. The intuition liners are moldable,
comfortable and fit well. Overall, this is a beefy type of boot that will take
a beating and save your body from the chatter that exists at resorts.
