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Thread: Hoji Free touring boot
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05-13-2019, 12:42 PM #51Registered User
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I supose if Dynafit only makes a touring binding anymore then it makes sense to Dynafit they don't need to make a freeride boot fit anything but their touring binding but if they make a freeride boot that doesn't fit freeride type bindings, doesn't fit a skiers existing quiver of skis and crampons, doesn't fit any frame binding, how many people bought a Technica or Atomic product instead ?
And why pay a freeride type skier with huge skiing cred & huge design cred just to put his name on the product, not listen to him and then bring out the boot with a real toe 1 year later ?
maybe the Speedknows ( at least on this app ) was a stupid fucking idea ?
I believe it was the previous designer who designed the tighter heel, lower instep, bigger forefoot which really worked for me on Mercury & Vulcan but has that design really carried over ?Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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05-14-2019, 08:11 AM #52
I have the same type foot. I think the TLT8 seems to fit similarly. Haven't tried Hoji or Hoji Free, but it seems like people have said the rear half of the boot is not high volume on Regular Hoji. Time will tell what the Hoji Free will be, but I think they started low volume and were growing spots they needed to.
In regards to the Hoji Free not fitting the "touring" market. You're touching on the existential black hole at the center of Dynafit which has seen freeride products come and go over the last few years with limited success. I do think with the Hoji Free they want a boot that will be cross-compatible with other bindings. But Dynafit will not create a binding to compete with the Shift.
Obviously, speed nose is dumb. I don't think that was really created to limit people's choices, more just out of ignorance. When a German buys the boot, it will fit in the bindings that the German bought with the same color accents. That's a stereotype, but that's kinda their core market, and that's what they designed it for.
I think they are pulling their heads out of their asses. And I think they know they have to be skier focused, because the Zero G exists and it's an amazing "touring" boot that fucking rips.
We'll see though, it's a fact that Dyanfit doesn't think like "we" think, nor do they care what these dentists think. They care what German dentists think.
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05-14-2019, 11:32 AM #53Registered User
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I'm a low volume/wide forefoot 24 so I won't be in a Hoji, the great thing about Vulcan/Mercury/ONE was not only the fit (after tossing the liner) but they were unisex down to 22, the Vulcan was a very successful product designed by that guy who moved on cuz I see the green machines everywhere
After he moved on the Khion and the Beast must be the products you are referring to which have both disappeared into the marketing black hole, its a good thing for Dynafit they still had the Vulcan ( intro'd in what 2012 ?) to drag out when their 2 "big boots" in a row failed miserably, its certainly a testemant to the Vulcan that it could last another 2 or 3 years after its original 3 year product cycle, I am good with my Vulcans for now but if/when I need another AT boot I would be looking at Zero G or the Atomic Hawx ultra XTD OR whatever cool new boot comes along cuz yeah there is a lot of competion out there in the free ride boot category and more coming
yes I forgot about the fact NA is such a SMALL part of sales world wide !
You would have a different perspective on that side of the pond but I tend to question if Dynafit are pulling their heads out of their asses (?) or do they just get lucky at random I look at those big boots failures, the self destructing RAD1 heel, the tri step toe ... and wonder ?
Dynafit doesn't need to think like we think ... they hired Hoji to think like we thinkLee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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05-15-2019, 05:01 AM #54
The guy who designed the TLT5/Vulcan also designed the Zero G. But you're right that there's always bound to be something better. And in general, it's a pretty nice time to buy boots. Not too many dogs on the market.
Time will tell about Dyanfit, competition is high. I think if we judge them against Salomon/Atomic (or niche brands) through the lens of US/CAN diehards, then they'll be behind. But if we're talking about sales numbers of mid-range touring gear, then they could continue to be winners overall. That's what they are focused on. The competition for that mid-range is now fierce though, so that's why I was saying they'll need to be more 'real' skier focused. Fritz and Hoji certainly help in that regard.
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05-15-2019, 11:03 AM #55Registered User
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05-15-2019, 11:27 AM #56
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05-15-2019, 11:58 AM #57Registered User
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In any case then we should look for more greatness from Technica !
Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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05-15-2019, 01:05 PM #58
Could be wrong but I don’t think he has working on ski boots for them
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05-15-2019, 04:59 PM #59
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05-16-2019, 08:13 AM #60
So you're telling me that he showed up to Tecnica and then two years later they release a class leading boot with a hybrid walk mode mechanism that borrows heavily from the dynafit ultralock books, of which he was the project manager?
He was hired away from Dyanfit to work on shoes for "Salomon". Then out trickle Arcteryx shoes, followed by a ski boot.
Also, it was my understanding that he was a project manager, not a designer per se.
Why would Tecnica not use his ski boot expertise?
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05-16-2019, 09:30 AM #61
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05-16-2019, 10:04 AM #62
Or, who cares?
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05-16-2019, 10:28 AM #63Registered User
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people who give a huge fuck about ski boots ... try and follow along
Last edited by XXX-er; 05-16-2019 at 11:03 AM.
Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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05-16-2019, 03:09 PM #64
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05-16-2019, 03:58 PM #65Registered User
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its all good data my friend
Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know
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08-07-2019, 12:02 AM #66
Carpet testing a pair right now. Not sure what to think. It sure feels burly, both liner and shell are higher than the Vulcan. The new buckles close super nice with a slight locking click when closed. The classic Dynafit fiddle factor is still present when getting buckles and tongue sorted. The sidas liner isn’t total crap. The tongue is secured with velcro. When inserting liner into boot it can get hung up on the toe gusset. Fit feels similar to Vulcan all in all. The weight is what surprised me the most.... 1730 grams in a 28,5. is this a 50/50 boot? Sure feels like that was the plan.
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08-07-2019, 10:38 AM #67Master of mediocrity.
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08-07-2019, 11:11 AM #68
In general yes, the heel feels perhaps slightly wider, using intuition tour wraps molded for the Vulcans to test. Instep same, perhaps lower on the free.
Using the sidas liner the boot is surprisingly comfy. Also on the beefier side of things. More stout than the tour wrap.
Similar to Vulcan flex in overall stiffness. The free is softer off the top then stiffer. Flex wise the free feels great. Vulcan with tongue is always stiff then folds when skiing, without tongue unimaginable. The weight and feel of the free surprises me. Feels solid. Rearward support eh maybe not so much. But this is really all conjecture, need to ski it to get a better idea.
ROM is there but not friction free like Vulcan without tongue. Oh and I love the ultra lock design, always worked great for me, no play still to this day. The hoji lock has slight play now out of box.
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08-07-2019, 11:22 AM #69
Great intel, thanks for that; great news that it might be somewhat close lateral fit shift from the aging Vulcans.
I don't run my Vulcans with tongues and have never had issues with them folding in any situation. Key might be that I stuffed high volume intuition luxury liners in 'em and all that squished foam filled all macro and microspaces enough to provide a synergistically more reinforced flex?Master of mediocrity.
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08-07-2019, 12:54 PM #70
A Vulcan without tongue is a complete noodle, at least for me. Granted I weigh 90 kg without gear and it usually isn’t that cold here. Plus I like touring on heavy fat alpine skis, sometimes with pin sometimes shift. Had pro wraps in the Vulcans until this year and now tour wraps. Pretty let down by the tour wrap. That is soft thin noodle of a liner, but they tour well. My foot is not small either. Measures 285mm and is 113-111mm wide with a high arch. It fills the shell. I understand what you’re saying, but filling up the shell isn’t the issue here.
If you are looking for a direct replacement I would maybe try a hawx and/or zero g. Especially if you’re skiing the Vulcan without tongue. The free appears to be more in the 50/50 touring boot catagory. Which coming from dynafit really surprises me, no it shocks me. But maybe I’m getting old.
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09-03-2019, 11:45 AM #71Registered User
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Anyone speak to the instep height between this and the slab mtn? I'm looking for something with a higher instep out of the box. For reference, I Maestrale's have a much too low instep height for my foot and the TLT7 was borderline.
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09-03-2019, 02:22 PM #72
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09-04-2019, 12:55 PM #73Registered User
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Interesting, I'll have to give the XTD a look then. Curious why Dynafit's website gives the Hoji Free a "2/5" rating for touring as opposed to the Hoji Tour a "5/5". It seems like other than the last width and the toe lug that adds 100g a boot there's little difference in tour performance, no?
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09-04-2019, 02:34 PM #74
Liner difference can make a huge difference
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09-04-2019, 04:33 PM #75Registered User
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For sure, I guess I was going with the presumption that I'd be using my intuition liners. I'm interested to see how the Sidas liners pan out though.
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