When I used the ZGTP a lot for both lift-served and touring, I used a Lange WC shim in back of the cuff. Glued some Velcro "fuzz" on the liner but usually just put them in while going downhill. TBH...

So you end up at 16 degrees? For $100?

They are notoriously hard to remove; heat helps but you often end of stripping the screws - we try to have an extra set of the backers and extra screws around in case you have to drill the heads of...

Yes, but you already had a good idea of how much time/heat to apply. I've done it in an emergency (hotel in Austria) to a Maestrale RS with six bandaids over the guy's fifth met and a hair dryer set...

*As for using infrared thermometers as a boot punching tool, I am not a fan. You can heat a boot and measure five spots within a few centimeters of where you aimed the gun and get five drastically...

The temperature at which the plastic is very warm to the touch all the way through, but before you melt the top surface. I've thrown away the IR thermometer at the shop and teach everyone to use...

Plastics have continued to evolve and are more punch-friendly now than before. Very thick polyether shells (i.e. plug race boots) have always been a bitch to punch, even now I usually grind a bit...

I'm with GoldenBC, Grilamid punches just fine, and while the solid-melt curve is a little different than a high quality Polyether boot, most of the risk is due to the fact that the Grilamid shells...

The Grilamid CAS shells do not heat mold (in a K-Tech oven), you need to hit them with a heat gun and a lever punch to create more width (the PU CAS shells don't either). Creating more width in a...

This. I use the Lange World Cup spoilers from a few years ago (used to come in the box). Glued a strip of Velcro fuzz to the liner so I could take them off for skinning. Older K2 also work. This...

Good call, we buy them by the 10-pack for the shop!

Once in a while the Maestrale RS will win out, but it's usually someone who's already leaning toward Scarpa and likes the fact that the forefoot is a little roomier out of the box and doesn't know...

I describe the differences in minute detail - take three boots that match the description, the Zero G Tour Pro, Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD, and Salomon S/Lab MTN - I go through the fit, ease of entry,...

Most of the people who are that picky about 100 grams are touring in a lighter class of boot . . . but if I show someone a 1350 gram boot, a 1450 gram boot and a 1550 gram boot and tell them I can...

Like everyone else in the touring boot business, they are trying to "make" weight (in this case 1350 grams/26.5 - the original was ~1290 grams but they added a bit of foam) and still have them feel...

Yes, but it will soften the boot as well. Start by heating the overlap with a heat gun and using very sharp poultry shears, you can cut it easily. Start with 1 centimeter lower and see.

The way to get your foot into a boot with tight instep clearance is to pull the boot wider in the throat using two hands, not pulling "up" on the tongue. Make sure the boot is warm, and do it fast.
...

The instep itself is not that low on the Hawx Ultra, but the cuff circumference is very small (it hits the front of the ankle if you have an oblong-shaped ankle, but not the actual intermediate...

What size are you trying to fit into? 28.5 should be no problem.

The Zero G shells punch fine for length if you have the right tools and technique - the usual caveats apply, namely you can only go...

All the standard methods are viable - grind the bootboard, thin the footbed, trim the elastic out of the liner, put foam over your instep and heat the instep area with a heat gun, etc.

You'll be concerned when it falls off mid-kick turn on a 35 degree icy ridgeline. Get a new pair.

Try getting out of the car. Pull the shell wider at the instep with your hands as you step in, don't just yank up on the tongue. If ease in putting the boot on is priority #1 (fit doesn't matter so...

And we haven't even talked about tech binding ramp. Take them out and ski them with several shims in your pocket, and decide what works best. I wanted a little more than the nominal 13 degrees with...

Heat gun. Put on gloves and hold it while it cools.

How much heat is the question, kind of hard to tell you over the Internet but push it periodically while heating until it seems pliable...

If you only need more space in a few places, buying a smaller boot that has a more precise fit around the midfoot and ankle and punching it as needed skis better. This would certainly apply to a boot...

Some. If you really need more instep height, it's a simple matter to grind a few millimeters off the bootboard in the ZG boots.

Mine is 114mm wide. Toe length punches (if you only plan to use a tech binding) are probably good for 8-9mm in the hands of a good fitter (the punch will hit the toepiece in a non-tech binding, and...

Well, my friends may be right - I ski the Tour Pro with no power strap to give it a more progressive feel and soften it up a bit. They're all bigger than me and seem happy with the burliness of the...

The sizing and last are nominally the same for the Cochise (assuming it's fairly recent) and the Zero G lineup (99mm). The Zero G actually feels a little looser on my foot due to a thinner liner. If...

On an alpine liner there is normally a thin vinyl protective layer covering the bottom - heat this at the edge until the glue becomes soft enough to peel the vinyl back, stretch the side of the...

Take the liners out of the shells and put them on with thin socks. Use a silver Sharpie to mark the points that are pressuring your foot. Use a broom handle or something about the same diameter as a...

Have you punched the shell in the problem areas? There's not much point in stretching the liner if there's nowhere for it to go once you put it back in the shell.

Thom, just checked and the Haute Route lever is fine with my 26.5 Zero G Tour Pros, clearance is about 8mm at least.

I was using them with the old Zero G Guide Pro and Backland Carbons, due to blown out ACL last spring I haven't used them with the new ZG Tour Pro. 26.5 in all boots.

I have them and like them; steel front/aluminum rear makes a lot of sense for skiers.

I took them off entirely. The boot skis great for me without them, and it simplifies transitions.

The Shift has a sliding AFD.

It depends on which alpine binding.

The white current model Zero G Tour has an ISO 9523 touring sole that cannot be replaced, which is only compatible with a small subset of alpine bindings. These...

The bootboard itself is only about 4mm thick under the center of the arch, but there's no rule saying it has to remain in 1 piece. You can cut 3 inches out between the heel and forefoot, taper the...

I'd say the overall flex of the Hawx Ultra 130 XTD and the Zero G Tour Pro is comparable, but the Atomic has more resistance early in the flex pattern and so might be perceived by some people as...

I haven't tried it. I felt I got them same results by simply not using the power strap.

I feel like the ankle volume decreased slightly in the new model, but I don't have the old ones around to compare anymore. Still roomy compared to my Hawx Ultra XTD 130, though.

It changed for the 18-19 year. To me the fit is not that much different, and is probably mostly due to liner changes. The new Tour Pro is ~230 grams lighter than the old Guide Pro, the soles are no...

Then 25.5 for sure. I measure 27.8 and take a 26.5 in the Zero G Tour Pro with no toe length punches.

The blue and yellow TLT6 is the same last as the black and orange one, but I would go with the same shell size as your Cochise as the interior length hasn't really changed much if any on the Zero G...

My 26.5 looks just like that. Squirt some hot glue on it and stick it back in.

Which version of the TLT6? I took a 27.5 in the OG lime green/black one, 26.5 in the black and orange one. 26.5 in the Zero G Tour Pro (or Cochise).

In my experience, the Hawx and Backland boots are shorter (and the toe on the Hawx slopes downward), the Cochise and ZG are pretty average, and the Lange XT Free is a bit longer. The Lange liner is...

A properly crafted footbed shouldn't change your interior ramp angle - just distribute pressure more evenly over the plantar surface of the foot. Even if heavily posted, the heel should be ground...

I think the relatively soft liner in the ZGTP just swallows that little spoiler no matter which side you put it on. Personally I wish they'd made the flip chip 12 and 14 degrees instead of 12 and 13.