DPS boots?

[Sutter]

I got all excited and them my wallet came out and punched me right in the balls.

[SB]

future thread title

DPS boots/ my wallet is in for a beating.

[1vailcat]

Second that

[SiSt]

"a year out" should be just about now, with the "dps tour" in that other gear whore thread it's time to shed some light on this project. @dps

[kootenayskier]

The years are passing, and still nothing?

[#######]

I've heard figures from some BD folks that it's costs about $1mil per mold when it's all said and done = make-or-break gamble for such a small company

[plugboots]

I think these are them. And they're red!

[Cocximus]

I've heard figures from some BD folks that it's costs about $1mil per mold when it's all said and done = make-or-break gamble for such a small company

I wonder, is 3D printing anywhere near printing a boot?

[dps]

Working on it! Definitely a huge project, and even more so with the boundaries and concepts being explored. Hoping for a 2017 inaugural launch, but we shall see.

[TahoeJ]

I wonder, is 3D printing anywhere near printing a boot?

For early fitting-related prototypes yes, but not for anything you'd want to ski in. Not yet anyway.

[wasatchback]

A size run of boots is about $250k in mold costs nowadays. That does not include any R&D or development dollars nor does it include anything relating to liners. Cost is one thing, having the knowledge, know how and experience to actually craft the molds is a whole different story. I'm sure 3D printers will take a little of the artistry out of it as you can probably cut a boot in half, scan it, and reprint something or other.

Making ski boots is serious business. It makes producing skis look like with building with Legos. Most of the large ski boot manufacturers have guys that have been doing it for 20+ years. They learned it from their father who's father was doing something similar before that. There's a reason 90% of the ski boots are designed in a 20 mile radius in Italy.

[Lindahl]

Cool facts! Love the idea of that kind of artistry

[verbier61]

I wonder, is 3D printing anywhere near printing a boot?

as tahoeJ said.
Main issue is that 3D printing as it is done today cannot give a decent lateral stiffness, as things are done slice by slice... hope it helps

[verbier61]

A size run of boots is about $250k in mold costs nowadays. That does not include any R&D or development dollars nor does it include anything relating to liners. Cost is one thing, having the knowledge, know how and experience to actually craft the molds is a whole different story. I'm sure 3D printers will take a little of the artistry out of it as you can probably cut a boot in half, scan it, and reprint something or other.

Making ski boots is serious business. It makes producing skis look like with building with Legos. Most of the large ski boot manufacturers have guys that have been doing it for 20+ years. They learned it from their father who's father was doing something similar before that. There's a reason 90% of the ski boots are designed in a 20 mile radius in Italy.

exactly. This also explains why companies which tried to design, test and produce ski boots outside that 20 mile radius have had a LOT of problems. Just curious to see where DPS guys will go

[kootenayskier]

2016/17 catalog mentions they've "advanced our ski boot project". Not much to go on, but at least they're still working on it.

[bsavery]

Reviving an old thread... talked about on the Blister podcast. They sound "different" http://blistergearreview.com/feature...-stephan-drake

[DoWork]

Reviving an old thread... talked about on the Blister podcast. They sound "different" http://blistergearreview.com/feature...-stephan-drake

Not that the guy doesn't make some sweet stuff, but if you asked Stephan to describe his morning shit he would likely use superlatives such as "game changing" and "outside the box".

I'll believe it when I see it, personally. Game changing kinda sucks when the game already works spectacularly as-is.

[Judo Chop!]

..if you asked Stephan to describe his morning shit he would likely use superlatives such as "game changing" and "outside the box". .

to be fair, I've had some morning shits that were in fact "outside the box". You could probably argue that they were also game changing.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Shitting outside the box seems messy.

[summit]

Shitting outside the box seems messy.

indeed... it changes the game in that you need depends.

[kootenayskier]

Not that the guy doesn't make some sweet stuff, but if you asked Stephan to describe his morning shit he would likely use superlatives such as "game changing" and "outside the box".

I'll believe it when I see it, personally. Game changing kinda sucks when the game already works spectacularly as-is.

We don't have anything but this teaser to go on, but considering that all current boots are just repackaging of conceptual design work done in the early 70s, I'm very interested in seeing where a fundamental reassessment of biomechnical principles (if that's what they've actually done) gets them. Sven et al. did great work, but there's certainly lots of room for improvement, for example, squeezing your forefoot into a shape that doesn't really resemble a foot (certainly not my foot) may have been necessary to minimize drag on 65mm waisted skis, but not on today's fatties.

[XavierD]

It's also DPS so I imagine any they will end up being built almost exactly the same as every other boot but use some buzzwords to imply otherwise all while costing an additional 60-100% more for a very marginal improvement if any over the competition.

[CelebratedSkier]

It's also DPS so I imagine any they will end up being built almost exactly the same as every other boot but use some buzzwords to imply otherwise all while costing an additional 60-100% more for a very marginal improvement if any over the competition.

And they'll also be pretty pastel color ways! So innovative!!

[DoWork]

They're also playing with fire in terms of "game changing boot technology"- too crazy and nobody will trust or be able to afford them. Too similar and now they're talking out their ass about "changing the game".

It's a fine line to walk in an actual marketplace with inherent trust issues.

[TahoeJ]

Game changing boot!!!! Even if it's basically a Tecnica the dentists are gonna eat this shit up.