Roxa R3 T.I. I.R.

[myles long]

my foot is the same kind of shape..high instep and wider forefoot, no issues with fit on my end. I have one foot that is a whole mondo size bigger than the other so the bootfitter went with the bigger size. Molded the liner and put a custom footbed in it...did a little work to the smaller shell and I have been really good in it..

How wide are these boots? I have a medium to wide foot with a high instep. Current inbounds boot is a Rossignol Alltrack 120 (same-ish mold as a Lange SX) that fits really good out of the box. Would these work for me?

[m2711c]

how is the fit right out of the box on these? i was planning to try out a pair this spring, but now social distancing is making working with a bootfitter in person a little hard. i found a pair at a good price, but that ain't gonna do me much good if i end having to get a bunch of work done on 'em.....

[gregL]

how is the fit right out of the box on these? i was planning to try out a pair this spring, but now social distancing is making working with a bootfitter in person a little hard. i found a pair at a good price, but that ain't gonna do me much good if i end having to get a bunch of work done on 'em.....

What other boot fits you well out of the box?

They call the R3 130 T.I. a 99mm last, and it is similar to a Full Tilt Classic or Tecnica Cochise fit, but with a sharper indent in the mid-arch. Roxa recommends a 9 minute cooking time for this boot to heat mold it, which will let it widen from 2-4mm. I didn't try this, but punched it in the arch and for my first and fifth met heads straight away - I am more of a 104mm fit, with large medial side bunions on top of that, but it fits great now. I did cook the liners for 5 minutes and molded them.

[Buster Highmen]

This is a great boot. I particularly like the top buckle design which uses a wide Velcro strip instead of conventional teeth, allowing broader and finer levels of adjustment to stiffness. This is great for touring and adjusting to different snow firmness.

Are there any other designs that do this?

I have duck feet: narrow in the ankle, high instep and fairly wide across the toes and these suckers fit right out of the box.

The only shortcoming is the rearward flex in touring mode. This has gotten better with use in the last week and for me the trade off with downhill performance and adjustability is the win.

[mono]

Greg L - i bot the element 120 at the end of last season and got the liner heat molded late this season - just in time for a couple of days..... very similar to the yellow boot here you guys are talking about - i find it super stiff with the stiffness locked out and too wimpy in the soft mode, (i'm coming off a krypton that i've taken the flex down to 115-120 with a more flexible tongue and added a booster strap, and before that i used Salomon Xmas 130 that i really liked (the yellow one, great heel retention), both these boots were 28s the element is a 27) i like it but i want to change the flex to somewhere in between locked out and not, in one of the other threads i've read about that this years boot has a 'dynamic response insert' that changed the flex considerably for the better, do you if this is a mode that can be done to the element? i don't want to give up on the boot just yet but i need it to give - a little, lots to like about this boot

[CallMeAl]

Greg L - i bot the element 120 at the end of last season and got the liner heat molded late this season - just in time for a couple of days..... very similar to the yellow boot here you guys are talking about - i find it super stiff with the stiffness locked out and too wimpy in the soft mode, (i'm coming off a krypton that i've taken the flex down to 115-120 with a more flexible tongue and added a booster strap, and before that i used Salomon Xmas 130 that i really liked (the yellow one, great heel retention), both these boots were 28s the element is a 27) i like it but i want to change the flex to somewhere in between locked out and not, in one of the other threads i've read about that this years boot has a 'dynamic response insert' that changed the flex considerably for the better, do you if this is a mode that can be done to the element? i don't want to give up on the boot just yet but i need it to give - a little, lots to like about this boot

Kevin, the Element is made to flex softer in "soft" mode because it's our flagship freestyle boot. Typically park skiers want a longer range of fore-aft travel than a freeride skier (R3 130).

The DRI can absolutely be installed in the Element 120, but I don't expect any to be available until Fall 2020 (they come from Italy). If you can wait, hit me up then and I'll get you lined out.

Aside from adding this piece, another tactic that I've heard of a local boot fitter using to get more flex in "hard" is to shorten the hard/soft mechanism. This absolutely voids any sort of warranty and I am not recommending anyone try this, just sharing what I've seen:

What I'm talking about is that little white piece of plastic that locks out the lower throat of the boot when in "hard" (take out the liner and look for the only piece of white plastic in the back of the boot, that's it). When you take some material off the ends of this piece, and then turn the boot to "hard", the throat of the lower will be able to open and close a little, just as it would if it were in "soft", but less. This lengthens the boot's range of forward motion, but not in a progressive way like the DRI does. The more material you take off this piece, the "softer" the boot gets. I would literally do 1 mm at a time if you go this route, but as I said, it's not a company-endorsed procedure by any stretch.

[turnfarmer]

Kevin, the Element is made to flex softer in "soft" mode because it's our flagship freestyle boot. Typically park skiers want a longer range of fore-aft travel than a freeride skier (R3 130).

The DRI can absolutely be installed in the Element 120, but I don't expect any to be available until Fall 2020 (they come from Italy). If you can wait, hit me up then and I'll get you lined out.

Aside from adding this piece, another tactic that I've heard of a local boot fitter using to get more flex in "hard" is to shorten the hard/soft mechanism. This absolutely voids any sort of warranty and I am not recommending anyone try this, just sharing what I've seen:

What I'm talking about is that little white piece of plastic that locks out the lower throat of the boot when in "hard" (take out the liner and look for the only piece of white plastic in the back of the boot, that's it). When you take some material off the ends of this piece, and then turn the boot to "hard", the throat of the lower will be able to open and close a little, just as it would if it were in "soft", but less. This lengthens the boot's range of forward motion, but not in a progressive way like the DRI does. The more material you take off this piece, the "softer" the boot gets. I would literally do 1 mm at a time if you go this route, but as I said, it's not a company-endorsed procedure by any stretch.

I cut down the the piece Al is talking about. Was actually looking for a softer flex which I did via a tongue mod. But I was concerned that I then had too much range and I could pull my achilles. The lock mechanism really cut down almost all movement. I trimmed it in stages and was able to achieve a soft longe range of flex with a hard stop right where I wanted it. Have about 10 days on them, happy with no problems so far.
A dremel plastic cutting wheel worked great in a Foredom-

https://www.dremel.com/en_US/product...-shaping-wheel

[turnfarmer]

When the DRI becomes available, I'll reach out to my rep for one to try.

[m2711c]

What other boot fits you well out of the box?

They call the R3 130 T.I. a 99mm last, and it is similar to a Full Tilt Classic or Tecnica Cochise fit, but with a sharper indent in the mid-arch. Roxa recommends a 9 minute cooking time for this boot to heat mold it, which will let it widen from 2-4mm. I didn't try this, but punched it in the arch and for my first and fifth met heads straight away - I am more of a 104mm fit, with large medial side bunions on top of that, but it fits great now. I did cook the liners for 5 minutes and molded them.

Good point, not many. Most of them,!I need a little bit of fucking heel lift. So I decided to get these boots anyways and I asked the guy to send a few extra fucking heel lifts. We’ll see how it goes.


thanks.

[BlAikenstein]

Some pics and thoughts from a home DRI install.

Squeeze the throat to line up the plastic insert and mark. Note It fits pretty well but can slide around. I used a right hand drill so I could drill directly on my marks. I drilled pilot holes from inside, realigned the holes and sized them up until the the hardware felt snuggish. A better option would be to transfer the mark with a bright flashlight inside the boot.


Without the insert the boots are really smooth and soft. It’s comfy but gets overpowered easily. The insert ups the ability beyond what I’ve found and the flex keeps most of its good character.

I didn’t particularly like the hard flex before or after but I think it’s the same.

[turnfarmer]

Al-
Does the 110 get the dri next year?

[kootenayskier]

Some pics and thoughts from a home DRI install.

Squeeze the throat to line up the plastic insert and mark. Note It fits pretty well but can slide around. I used a right hand drill so I could drill directly on my marks. I drilled pilot holes from inside, realigned the holes and sized them up until the the hardware felt snuggish. A better option would be to transfer the mark with a bright flashlight inside the boot.


Without the insert the boots are really smooth and soft. It’s comfy but gets overpowered easily. The insert ups the ability beyond what I’ve found and the flex keeps most of its good character.

I didn’t particularly like the hard flex before or after but I think it’s the same.

Thanks for sharing. Looks like a pretty simple concept that could be adapted to a variety of cabrio style boots.

[CYJ]

Thanks for sharing. Looks like a pretty simple concept that could be adapted to a variety of cabrio style boots.

I think the stiffening inserts that come with Kryptons accomplish the same thing. Prevent/create more resistance for the throat/spines things from coming together in the rear when flexing forward. I think there's a photo of Bode Miller bolting some spoilers cuffs to his FTs the same way to probably achieve the same thing, but bolted it WAY higher, cuz he can probably crush the stiffest FT tongue in half.

[CallMeAl]

Some pics and thoughts from a home DRI install.

Squeeze the throat to line up the plastic insert and mark. Note It fits pretty well but can slide around. I used a right hand drill so I could drill directly on my marks. I drilled pilot holes from inside, realigned the holes and sized them up until the the hardware felt snuggish. A better option would be to transfer the mark with a bright flashlight inside the boot.


Without the insert the boots are really smooth and soft. It’s comfy but gets overpowered easily. The insert ups the ability beyond what I’ve found and the flex keeps most of its good character.

I didn’t particularly like the hard flex before or after but I think it’s the same.

Nice!

Yep, a boot will ski identically in Hard with or w/o a DRI installed.

One tip on DRI installation- You don't have to take the boot apart to do it. Just put it in hike mode, push the upper back, and you'll have plenty of room to work. This also helps keep the lower throat pinched enough to take all of the guesswork out of lining the piece up.

Al-
Does the 110 get the dri next year?

Nope, the R3 130 TI and R3S 130 (fixed cuff 4 buckle piste-oriented boot) are still the only boots that will come with the DRI. Since the addition of a DRI has so much of an impact on the boot's overall stiffness, we simply can't make a 110 flex boot with one installed, regardless of tongue stiffness. Solutions to this are in the works, but it's honestly just too early in development to give any timeline or details.

[mono]

Al - great info here, thanks!

and very cool to see that mod in practice, looks easy enough

[turnfarmer]

"Nope, the R3 130 TI and R3S 130 (fixed cuff 4 buckle piste-oriented boot) are still the only boots that will come with the DRI. Since the addition of a DRI has so much of an impact on the boot's overall stiffness, we simply can't make a 110 flex boot with one installed, regardless of tongue stiffness. Solutions to this are in the works, but it's honestly just too early in development to give any timeline or details."

Crazy that little piece makes such a difference. How would R3 130 with DRI ski without a tongue as a touring boot then?

Thanks for your info.

[Buster Highmen]

How would R3 130 with DRI ski without a tongue as a touring boot then?
.

the blister review specifies that as the way to get the best rom on the up.

I just spent a week touring on these boots and they not only performed great, are ridiculously light but are comfortable.

The velco top buckle system makes it simple to adjust flex/rom between the up and down phases and when strapped tight, gives awesome control on the down.

[CallMeAl]

the blister review specifies that as the way to get the best rom on the up.

Yep, not how it's designed to work, but some people like removing the tongue for long tours to increase forward ROM.

But to answer TF's question- unless you have your boots buckled really tight (like, ready to ski tight) when you're touring, the DRI does not have any noticeable impact on ROM. This is what I've always suspected, but I just went out to the shed and tried on boots with and without DRIs to make sure I'm not talking out of my ass.

[turnfarmer]

Actually I was curious how it would ski if one didn't bother to put the tongue back in.

[CallMeAl]

For quick transitions, sure....assuming you don't have chicken legs like me. The tongue takes up a fair amount of volume, might be tough to get it tight enough for skiing without it installed. For actually skiing downhill...not so much. The DRI does provide rebound from the rear of the boot by constantly trying to pull the throat back open when it's loaded/flexed, but it works in coordination with the tongue that does the same up front- so eliminate one and the other doesn't work as well as it could.

[waxman]

I bought a pair of the 2018 Roxa R3 130 T.I. and have put around 10 days on them with 2 smaller (2300 vertical feet) tours.

I've skied Raichle Flexons for around 20 years as my inbound boot and used some Scarpa Maestrales v2 for spring tours but they never really fit. I was never happy with the support of the Maestrales either.

People can read a more detailed review at https://blisterreview.com/gear-revie...3-130-t-i-boot, but there's a few things about how the boot works that could be highlighted.

First, the fit: this boot fits myself really well and is incredibly easy to slip in and out. That should be enough innuendo. They are extremely comfortable for me out of the box (OK, more innuendo), I can wear them after skiing fully buckled. This drives a lot of my satisfaction with this boot.

Second, the downhill performance is excellent, lots of support, way more than any of my previous boots since race days. This is a 3 piece cabrio design and provides great progressive flex (more on that below). In my past attempts to try boots, I get shin bleed in all the boots I tried in the 80s and 90s (Technical, Nordica, Salomon) and I don't with these. When I tightened the settings down, they were too stiff but the simple range of adjustment let me find the sweet spot for downhill flex performance. The Church Of Flexon has gained a new abberant. I like to ski by feeling a forward balance on the balls of my feet and that has taken some getting used to with flexons so easy to get on top of the ski. These are a little different, but I've found that balance and can get on top of the ski the way I like.

Third, and I think this is what has been somewhat overlooked, the boot has really different approaches to flex and lots of flex adjustments.

This is achieved by a top buckle design and an odd little stiffness adjustment on the back in addition to the usual uphill setting lever.

Regarding the top buckle, rather than having some ratchet system or a series of notches, this boot completely relies on a large Velcro strap that loops through a single setting buckle. This works really well, both for adjusting the downhill stiffness as well as tour mode where one simply undoes the top buckle. I like the simplicity of this a lot and the forward freedom can be adjusted by either further loosening the Velcro or by unbuckling, taking the tongue out and just climbing that way.

In my few hours of uphilling, one day on firm icy crust requiring crampons and another day in softening mush, I found the forward freedom to be adequate and support excellent. Not as flexible as the Maestrales but much more secure.

The uphill setting is a lever which is kind of standard and in uphill mode it allows a little more rearward flex, but not a lot. This may change as the boot breaks in.

But the one different feature is the stiffness adjustment on the back, which has 2 settings, stiff and soft. I normally left this in the stiff setting, but on the warmer day, found that the soft setting improved both forward and rearward stride. My only nit here is that this stiffness adjustment requires an allen wrench currently which increases the transition times and fiddlyness. Relative to the Maestrale, the forward flex is almost as good, and in stiff mode the rearward flex isn't much, but in soft mode, the rearward flex for skinning is improved. Still not as good as more touring oriented boots, but acceptable to me.

Lastly, these things are ridiculously light. See the specs at blister.

Now I prefer to minimize gear; having an array of stuff to choose from to tune to a particular situation drives me nuts. So I really like these boots for a day of riding lifts and sidecountry skinning. I typically ski a 120 mm fat ski as long as I can get 1/4 inch edge penetration. I'm 6', 180 lbs, ex racer and 70s freestyle weenie with a penchant for soft snow, cool red wine and sativa.

In sum, I'm really satisfied with these boots for the fit and function. The design for flexibility from a stiff inbounds boot to a decent touring boot is key in my satisfaction. Props to the design team and I hope that my one functional nit regarding the allen wrench requirement can be fixed with a mechanism that can be set without a tool easily at transition time.

We've been selling these for two seasons and that is a great review.

[Buster Highmen]

We've been selling these for two seasons and that is a great review.

Spent 7 days touring on them in the Swiss alps, some 4k climbing days, some 2k climbing days on 200 cm 120mm width skis.

Some sweet corn, some ice with exposure.

Finally found the right balance between downhill and uphill performance that fits my somewhat high instep. The degrees of stiffness adjustment is awesome.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

As a long time Flexon devotee I'm super tempted by these boots, but with shops closed I only had one quick chance to try them on.

Two things are keeping me from pulling the trigger. First, in the shop (and in the stiff setting) I was able to flex into the boot enough to deform/collapse the tongue/boot on top of my foot. Of course inside a warm shop is nothing like real ski conditions, but the Dynafit Mercury I once owned deformed both inside and while skiing in moderately warm temps/challenging terrain. Has anyone had this happen with the R3 in the wild?

Second, I found taking the tongues on the Mercury on and off so annoying the chances of me doing that on the R3 are probably slim to none. So if I don't that - would I tour with all the buckles strapped under the tongue? Or are people getting enough ROM by just loosening up everything as much as possible?

[Buster Highmen]

As a long time Flexon devotee I'm super tempted by these boots, but with shops closed I only had one quick chance to try them on.

Two things are keeping me from pulling the trigger. First, in the shop (and in the stiff setting) I was able to flex into the boot enough to deform/collapse the tongue/boot on top of my foot. Of course inside a warm shop is nothing like real ski conditions, but the Dynafit Mercury I once owned deformed both inside and while skiing in moderately warm temps/challenging terrain. Has anyone had this happen with the R3 in the wild?

Roxa R3 130s, right?

Nope. Skied in 40 degrees sunny sloppy corn conditions and at 190#, ex-racer and freestyle champeen, I have not yet flexed them that far. Relative to flexons, these are a burly set of boots.

Second, I found taking the tongues on the Mercury on and off so annoying the chances of me doing that on the R3 are probably slim to none. So if I don't that - would I tour with all the buckles strapped under the tongue? Or are people getting enough ROM by just loosening up everything as much as possible?

I just undo the top Velcro and put them in uphill mode and they've been fine. Not quite as much rearward movement as my old Maestrales, but so much more stiffness and control on the down. Not to mention the comfort.

If there's a performance nit, it's that: could have more rearward flex, but the downhill performance is just so good. You ain't skied nothin' yet.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

Thanks! Yep I was in the neon 130. Strangely it only really happened after I had them switch into stiff mode. I was surprised I deformed it, but who knows. A 70 degree shop isn’t really the best testing ground