Dynafit Zzeus vs. Zzero 4 Carbon - Trigger Pulled

[Chainsaw_Willie]

For better or worse I pulled the trigger on the Zzeus today.

I put a ZZeus on one foot and the Zzero on the other and walked around the store for about 40 minutes. While the Zzero fit better in the forefoot (Zzeus is narrower) it's lower cuff height and the way it fit my lower calf just didn't feel right. It was almost like wearing street shoes, the cuff felt so low even though the top of the booster strap is only 1/2" lower than the Zzeus. The bootfitter said he'd have no problem widening the forefoot in the Zzeus either. My heels were locked down good in both boots, much better than in Scarpa Spirit 3/4 or Skookums, or the Garmont Radiums.

Flexing both boots the Zzero actually felt a little stiffer, but again that low cuff height had it pressuring my shin in a fairly small area at the top of the cuff and the extra height of the Zzeus allowed me to put more overall pressure on the toe of the boot with less effort. I really feel I'll be able to drive the skis better with the Zzeus, they feel a lot more like my Alpine boots.

Weight was a big concern so I put one of each (size 26) on the nice digital scale they had. The Zzeus came in at 8.2 oz. heavier than the Zzero which seemed like a lot to me. Then I pulled out the liners and weighed just the shells. The difference dropped to 4.8 oz. Since I planned to replace the liners with Powerwraps no matter which boot I bought I felt the extra weight, which adds up to less than 10 oz. for the pair was more than offset by the other perceived benefits.

Not only does the Zzeus have the significantly higher cuff height and a more progressive flex which leads to the ability to put more power into the front of the boot, but it has those nifty replaceable sole blocks. When the vibram wears out, just get new sole blocks. When I might be skiing mostly inbounds with the chance of a trek into the sidecountry I can put the DIN soles on them and ski my Gotamas with Barrons. I won't have to mess around with adjusting the toe plate to go between my normal Alpine boots and the Zzeus.

So, there's my review and comparison. I hope someone will find this info useful.

[Tye 1on]

I found that info useful. Those are the two boots i'm considering. You hit the issue i'm struggling with, weight vs control/comfort. Thanks.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

Oh, and one other observation - The Zzeus does not have anywhere near as much rocker on the sole. This is disappointing, but again, a sacrifice I'm willing to make. There really won't be all that many times I'll have to walk long distances in just the boots. Most of the time I'll be getting out of the car and skinning right away, or there may be walks/climbs on snow, but I can't see walking for any distance on a trail or over rocks with these boots more than once or twice a year so the lack of rocker isn't going to be a huge deal. Still, I wonder why they couldn't have designed a little more in. The Garmont boots with replaceable sole blocks (can't think of the name, Endorphin maybe?) have more rocker.

Good luck on your choice Tye. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with either, just comes down to personal preference and what's more important to you - touring capability or skiing performance.

[skew]

I have Zzeus and I have been on them now every day for 10 days. I had a fit issue which was fixed by punching the inner-instep area. Other than that I am very happy. These boots do flex quite a bit compared to a alpine boot (these are my first AT boots). The stock liner is very good. The liners are very stiff, so they limit the travel of the walk mode almost to the point where it is useless. I have not used the rubber lugs yet (only used the alpine lugs). Nothing has broken yet.