Tecnica ZeroG boot

[rod9301]

Lou is a fantastic skier, years ago did a lot of extreme stuff.
I think that because of his injuries he changed the skiing he does to meadow skipping.

And that's why he loves the lightweight gear now.

Btw, bc skiing in France two days ago. All the skiers I saw were on tiny skis and flimsy boots, and they were ugly on the way down, while I was having fun on volkl katanas. Of course I only did one lap to their two. But still, what's the point in two laps if you're struggling?

[galibier_numero_un]

Lou is a fantastic skier, years ago did a lot of extreme stuff.
I think that because of his injuries he changed the skiing he does to meadow skipping.

And that's why he loves the lightweight gear now.

Btw, bc skiing in France two days ago. All the skiers I saw were on tiny skis and flimsy boots, and they were ugly on the way down, while I was having fun on volkl katanas. Of course I only did one lap to their two. But still, what's the point in two laps if you're struggling?

Agreed on all points, and Lou has done things I'd only dream of, but yes, what's the point of two bad laps instead of one good one (or 20 minutes faster on a lap)? Different strokes, obviously.

Cheers,
Thom

[dcpnz]

To be fair wildsnow is no more oriented toward lightweight gear than blister is toward the burly heavy stuff. As someone who is lighter, and likes the lighter gear, I read and filter the blister bro brah reviews just like some of you should the wildsnow reviews. I doubt a tgr rant fest is going to change what lou does.

That said still interested in zero g boots - but it would not be a pure touring boot for me. Seems like good option for my home hill Highlands where daily routine is a significant in bounds hike up bowl. Also one boot to rule them all for travelling where resort, heli, cat, touring are all on the cards.

[Norseman]

No issues with having a light-is-right or freeride-burl focus or site-wide orientation.. but the snootiness can be a bit distasteful. That was the point of the last few posts, I think. It's just a little extra work to filter the useful facts from a biased review... but which ones aren't? No biggie.

[gregL]

No issues with having a light-is-right or freeride-burl focus or site-wide orientation . . .

I focus on both, because I enjoy both types of skiing.

Lou is entitled to his opinion, and he does all of us a service with his research and blogging, but a lot of people who read his opinions (or those on TGR, for that matter) aren't aware there are many different styles of touring and treat his words as gospel.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I focus on both, because I enjoy both types of skiing.

Lou is entitled to his opinion, and he does all of us a service with his research and blogging, but a lot of people who read his opinions (or those on TGR, for that matter) aren't aware there are many different styles of touring and treat his words as gospel.

This is how I see it. I think Lou's reviews may be a bit biased but are actually fairly objective. I don't really follow Wild Snow much though. It's just another resource like Tech Talk etc..

[CaliBrit]

Just read the review, wow. Ok! Chip solidly on shoulder.

[XXX-er]

it doesn't matter what a reviewer prefers, his job is still to do a good review SO was a good job done?

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I just read the review again. I really don't get what all the butthurt is about. Is it because he called the boot a "freeride touring" boot and not a "real" touring boot? There were a lot of positive comments about construction and features of the boot and some questions about who this boot was for and what compromises are you willing to make. Again I'm not the biggest fan of Lou but I really don't get the hurt feelings here. I think it was an honest review of the boot's features, bonuses and possible limitations.

[swissiphic]

Plastic ski boots are just white noise. Aluminum is music.

[XavierD]

Moving on from Lou's review ( Kind of)

I think the ZeroG boot is a bit misunderstood right now. This misunderstanding seems to come from the boot's appearance and reviews like Lou's. For me the boot is not your alpine focused do all boot, especially for heavier skiers (>165lb). Instead, it is your touring focused alpine boot for those who want more ski control, precision, and feel, than many of the current touring offerings have. It could find use as your only boot for lighter skiers, or those primarily looking for a touring boot. I do know one exceptional skier (former pro) who uses it with king pin's as his only boot/binding interface, but he is smaller and focused on touring. As a 200lb hack, it won't be that boot for me.

Despite Lou's review, the ZeroG is light. It is lighter than your mercury/vulcan, MTN Lab, or Mastrale RS. Waiting for a stock pair of 2017 Khion's to see where it stacks weight wise, but it will come down to Dynafit's liner choice. It also has a pretty darn good walk mode. Does it waltz around the show room as well as a Vulcan? No. Will you notice a big difference when touring? No. Regardless of what Lou says, when most people say ski touring they include all equipment ranging from a PDG on race bindings to a Rossi All Track with a Guardian, and light boots are your Khion/MTN Lab/Mastrale RS. When compared against these the ZeroG succeeds with regards to weight and ROM.

Where the ZeroG shines against the competition is in it's ski feel and performance. You really do have a two piece overlap boot, that is much more than an on/off switch for engaging the ski. While we all have a tendency to get caught up in how stiff a boot is, we generally overlook the importance of the depth to that flex. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in the new Arc'teryx procline boot. It is a great boot, and really stiffens up, but there is no depth to it. This is not true with the ZeroG and some of the other boots in this class. IMO, overlap boots are much more effective at driving a ski, and give you an ability to control the level of drive that is unavailable in a tongue design. Both of the folks that I know who have accumulated a few days on the ZeroG have reported that it skis much better than there other, similar boots.

The boot I am really looking to compare the ZeroG to is the 2017 Dynafit Khion with it's new liner.

If you are looking for that 'one boot' and are a bigger or more alpine oriented skier, you will be happier with a 2017 Cochise (1860g/26.5 review coming soon), the Lange FreeTour (1790g/26.5, again, review coming soon), Salomon QST or Dalbello Lupo Ti.


edit: That looks like a torture device.

[aanev]

Can someone comment on Zero G Pro flex and cuff height compared to 2015 Cochise 110 (with Intuition Luxury Liners) or 2012-13 Cochise 120?

Thanks!

[MCskid]

Am I the only one that finds it hilarious that a bunch of tgr badasses are all butt hurt cause lou basically said if your a mag why would you ski the zero g instead of just sackin' up and skiing a boot that's only 200 grams more but is stiffer and has better rom(freedom rs130)?

[TAFKALVS]

Am I the only one that finds it hilarious that a bunch of tgr badasses are all butt hurt cause lou basically said if your a mag why would you ski the zero g instead of just sackin' up and skiing a boot that's only 200 grams more but is stiffer and has better rom(freedom rs130)?

Because the fit of the Freedom is total dog shit and if I want to sack up for more weight I'll just using my Lange RX 130s.

[TahoeJ]

A good reviewer should review a product based on its intended use, not what they want it to be. I'll leave it at that.

Curious to hear about the new Cochise, although maybe not since my current ones are perfectly dialed in and breaking in new boots sucks. I mean, but totally feel free to send me a pair Tecnica. ;-)

[cooks]

I have nothing useful to contribute, but this all is particularly amusing for someone still "touring" in day wrekkers, plug boots and 916/p18s all winter.

And I even own one of those supposed real touring boots..

[galibier_numero_un]

I added on to my earlier post (#97), as I felt it left out some context. BTW, I'm chomping at the bit to try these boots next year, along with all of the other contenders in this category.

I'll save you from scrolling back to that April 20th edit:

I want to make it clear that I think Lou adds a lot of value to the backcountry skiing community. His equipment teardowns are great, and because of all of the heavy lifting he's done (not due to the weight of his touring rig ), he has a lot of influence.

In spite of the fact that he does his best to keep his hands on top of the table in terms of his biases, people are led to accept the light and relatively fragile side of the spectrum as fact, as opposed to being a choice that lies along a continuum. I get this from people who ask me about touring gear all the time.

Lou has earned the right to this bully pulpit, but at the same time, his writing exerts what I consider to be extreme pressure on manufacturers to emphasize weight over durability. Of course, manufacturers win because they get to sell gear more frequently. I don't envy Lou's task, because he has to balance a critical approach with that of not torpedoing a budding manufacturer. This isn't an easy line to hold.

As far as reviewers are concerned, I'm of the opinion that you want a reviewer who's motivated to extract the performance out of a design for which it was intended. I would not ask a rando racer to review a Lange XT. Unintended biases creep into the picture, even if someone is doing their best to be objective. It is in this area where I believe Wildsnow can up its game, and the Roaring Fork Valley certainly has enough willing volunteers of varying backgrounds.

Me? I read between the lines, whether it's Wildsnow, Blister, or whatever.

Cheers,
Thom

[wasatchback]

Am I the only one that finds it hilarious that a bunch of tgr badasses are all butt hurt cause lou basically said if your a mag why would you ski the zero g instead of just sackin' up and skiing a boot that's only 200 grams more but is stiffer and has better rom(freedom rs130)?

Freedom RS weighs about 1lb more per boot and has significantly less ROM than ZG.

Funny what a "touring boot" is now. I would call the Maestrale the most popular "touring" boot on the market and I'm sure the sales would back that up. Zero G is lighter and has more ROM
Than a Maestrale. It is also considerably stiffer than any product that weighs less than it. TLT, F3, Sportiva, etc.

His comments about the plastic and thicknesses are incorrect as usual.

[wasatchback]

Wasatchback, will Tecnica be releasing a DIN sole kit containing tech inserts for the 2013/14/15/16 Cochise? You alluded to this awhile back, but maybe you were actually hinting at the 2017 Cochise and Zero G shells.



How does the interior length compare between your 2016 25.5 and the 2017 26.5? My toes are smashed in the 25.5 Cochise 130 (toenails on big toes haven't fared so well, 26cm long foot), haven't bothered to get them punched yet. Other than the lower instep for 2017, I like what people are saying about the 2017, particularly the "tighter in front of the ankle" bit.

Maybe a 2017 model in 26.5 is the way to go.

Yeah I was talking about the new Cochise/ZG boots. Interior length is probably similar but with shorter BSLs. Toe box is shaped differently though. Much more square and more length specifically for the big toe.

I wear a 12.5/13 shoe depending on brand and always ski a 28.5. Have to do decent amount of work to get into a 28.5 Mach1 LV. Always skied a Cochise in 28.5 but the ROM in the liner was so bad that instead of bending rearward well it tended to shove your feet farther forward. The new liners walk a lot better. The Flex zones actually Flex rearward now. I only have done one short tour in the Cochise liners (I stuffed them in a ZG boot and for touring I might need to make a little more toe room. The Palau liner in the Zero G Guide Pro walks even better and was designed to provide no resistance to the ROM. Unfortunately due to time constraints my skinning usually entails 45m-1.5 hour skins up the resort super early in the AM or late at night so I don't have long days in them but even downsized that much I had zero toe issues nor did I want a larger size. Maybe after a 10 hour day my opinion would be different. My feet are low volume and I can't stand any sort of excess room in my boots.

[neck beard]

Have you guys ever been on wild snow before? That's how all his reviews read.

Lou needs to get out more. A lot of very frequent backcountry skiers and guides use a wide array of gear that may surprise him. Too much judgemental smug from an uncontested echochamber corner of the interblogs.

[LeeLau]

Moving on from Lou's review ( Kind of)

I think the ZeroG boot is a bit misunderstood right now. This misunderstanding seems to come from the boot's appearance and reviews like Lou's. For me the boot is not your alpine focused do all boot, especially for heavier skiers (>165lb). Instead, it is your touring focused alpine boot for those who want more ski control, precision, and feel, than many of the current touring offerings have. It could find use as your only boot for lighter skiers, or those primarily looking for a touring boot. I do know one exceptional skier (former pro) who uses it with king pin's as his only boot/binding interface, but he is smaller and focused on touring. As a 200lb hack, it won't be that boot for me.

Despite Lou's review, the ZeroG is light. It is lighter than your mercury/vulcan, MTN Lab, or Mastrale RS. Waiting for a stock pair of 2017 Khion's to see where it stacks weight wise, but it will come down to Dynafit's liner choice. It also has a pretty darn good walk mode. Does it waltz around the show room as well as a Vulcan? No. Will you notice a big difference when touring? No. Regardless of what Lou says, when most people say ski touring they include all equipment ranging from a PDG on race bindings to a Rossi All Track with a Guardian, and light boots are your Khion/MTN Lab/Mastrale RS. When compared against these the ZeroG succeeds with regards to weight and ROM.

Where the ZeroG shines against the competition is in it's ski feel and performance. You really do have a two piece overlap boot, that is much more than an on/off switch for engaging the ski. While we all have a tendency to get caught up in how stiff a boot is, we generally overlook the importance of the depth to that flex. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in the new Arc'teryx procline boot. It is a great boot, and really stiffens up, but there is no depth to it. This is not true with the ZeroG and some of the other boots in this class. IMO, overlap boots are much more effective at driving a ski, and give you an ability to control the level of drive that is unavailable in a tongue design. Both of the folks that I know who have accumulated a few days on the ZeroG have reported that it skis much better than there other, similar boots.

The boot I am really looking to compare the ZeroG to is the 2017 Dynafit Khion with it's new liner.

If you are looking for that 'one boot' and are a bigger or more alpine oriented skier, you will be happier with a 2017 Cochise (1860g/26.5 review coming soon), the Lange FreeTour (1790g/26.5, again, review coming soon), Salomon QST or Dalbello Lupo Ti.


edit: That looks like a torture device.

The ZeroG's liner is much better than the Khions.

And EXACTLY re the ZeroGs ski feel. That's where the Tecnica's shine IMO having skied the ZeroG and Cochise.

I took Lou's review as a quick and dirty just to get it out there - a First Looks if you will. Franks' review from 14erskiers is quite a bit more nuanced and fair. Already posted upthread so I won't regurgitate

[Lord Thomas]

OK, I've got a question for anyone who has been on both boots, Zero G and MTN Lab. I'm a bigger guy (215lb) and am in the market for a stiffer touring boot. Doing only day tours for good lines not multi-day hut trips or anything like that. Currently in a Spectre and while is works I find that I can completely blow through the flex of the boot, makes it somewhat tiring trying to not put too much pressure on the front of the boot. My wife just got a pair of MTN Explores and fucking loves them. So, it looks like the ZG and MTN Lab have a fairly similar ROM, flex rating (in know that is relative), and weight (close enough), but how similar or dissimilar are they in flex pattern? My daily driver boot is an RS 130 and the one that's closest to that progressive flex is probably the way I will go. All opinions comparing these two boots would be welcome.

LT

[gregL]

I've got all 3 of the boots you mention. I'd say the Zero G skis a bit more like the RS 130 (but it's quite a bit softer, a little more initial resistance in the flex pattern, not nearly as much resistance at the limit) and I'd say the MTN Lab tours better.

[gregL]

My daily driver boot is an RS 130 and the one that's closest to that progressive flex is probably the way I will go.

If you're willing to carry 1790-ish grams (26.5 LV) of boot uphill, the Lange XT 130 Free Tour skis just like a 120 flex Lange (not just flex, but interior ramp and height above the ski). The walk mode is not as good, but I don't notice it unless I'm consciously trying to lengthen my skinning stride. Worth trying on for sure.

[Lord Thomas]

Greg,

Great info. Will give me something to chew on for a while. How much resistance does the MTN Lab have at the limit? Is it stiffer than the Zero G at any point in the flex curve? This can be an issue for me as the the one issue I've had with my RS 130's is being able to over-flex the boots when it's warm out. In fact I was thinking of replacing them with RS 140's that are supposed to be just a touch stiffer. (other than that they are pretty much perfect boots.)

Really appreciate the real world input