Hoji Free - Sizing/Length

[brannen]

i have read a few posts in here about Hoji last sizing and the boot fitting snug everywhere but the toe box. How about length? Are they long or short in their shells? not just the BSL, rather someone who owns them could chime in and let me know about fit. By long or short in regards to sizing compared to other boots.

Specifically i am looking at the Hoji Frees. I want to try a pair on but the plague has closed all stores.

Noticed a sizeable crack in my current boots that is not confidence inspiring.

Currently ski Dalbello Sherpa 27's (long ass boot) and Full Tilt First Chair 27's (short boot). Wear a size 10 shoe. Used to ski Lange Freeride 130 27's, (also a short boot). My toes are smooshed in as much as possible in the FT's and old Langes, my toes have a lil room in the Dalbellos and probably could have went a size down.

Jong away, im just considering ordering boots online (stupid i know) as opposed to skiing cracked boots.

[ianpnw]

I wear a 10.5 shoe, and have long, narrow feet which pronate. My left foot is longer than my right. I bought 27.5 Hoji Frees - I did have my left big toe area bumped out, and interestingly both little toe areas. I also had foot beds made which effectively shortened my feet (by maintaining the arch which otherwise flattens when loaded). Hope this helps!
And they climb and ski as advertised - more skiing than touring oriented, reasonably stiff but a progressive flex. I love them....

[Dee Hubbs]

Do you want some new Dalbello Sherpas?
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...albello+sherpa

[Spyderjon]

i have read a few posts in here about Hoji last sizing and the boot fitting snug everywhere but the toe box. How about length? Are they long or short in their shells?.........

I've been in 27/27.5 Mercury/Vulcans (304mm bsl) since their launch and they have been perfect for me with no shell mods and a 15/16mm shell gap.

The shell gap of the 27/27.5 Hoji Free (310mm bsl) is 20/21mm so too long for me. And, as you can see, the additional shell gap corresponds to the additional boot sole length between the two boots. In addition, the rest of the fit of the Free is a whisker bigger in every respect to the Mercury/Vulcan of the same size.

So I then sold the 27/27.5 Free's and got a pair of 26/26.5's. Their overall fit feels very close to the 27/27.5 Mercury/Vulcan apart from the reduced length at the toe as the sheel gap is down to a very snug 10/11mm. The sudden curtailment of the season has meant that my planned few weeks in them in April has been cancelled and I've been too busy trying to ensure that my business survives to be bothered with getting them heat moulded etc. If the heel hold of the Free in tour mode is as claimed then I might get away with the current shell length but as I've not skinned in a boot this short before I'm thinking I'll need a bit of lengthening work done.

[mr_pretzel]

Is the 25 and 25.5 the same size?

/ any of the half sizes

[Spyderjon]

Is the 25 and 25.5 the same size?

Yep, the shells and liners are the same.

[XXX-er]

Thanx for that beta Spyderjon, I wana say your posts are always a great source of info which I value

as a huge fanboi of the Mercury & Vulcan for the last 8 yrs I have a perfect 15mm shell gap in a size 24 with no punches

so it sounds like Hoji fits different enough, also the sizing doesnt go down to 24 so that unless I want to go with the 110 ( i like the stiffness of vulcan ) flex womens hoji from next year the boot is a no go ?

So what would fit ( wide forefoot/higharch/ low volume skinny ankle ) I'm thinking technica ZGTP or atomic hawx 130

[Tailwind]

I had Vulcans for 6 years and got Frees this year. They’re better in every way, but the fit is different.

I had to immediately go to a Tour Wrap liner when I was good with Vulcans stock liners for a few years.

Bigger in every dimension (slightly) most noticeable for me in the heel and forefoot.

Thanx for that beta Spyderjon, I wana say your posts are always a great source of info which I value

as a huge fanboi of the Mercury & Vulcan for the last 8 yrs I have a perfect 15mm shell gap in a size 24 with no punches

so it sounds like Hoji fits different enough, also the sizing doesnt go down to 24 so that unless I want to go with the 110 ( i like the stiffness of vulcan ) flex womens hoji from next year the boot is a no go ?

So what would fit ( wide forefoot/higharch/ low volume skinny ankle ) I'm thinking technica ZGTP or atomic hawx 130

[XXX-er]

well then they are not better but I think I know what you mean by better, the question is will they fit my foot

my bro who's word dI trust is a dealer he is selling lots of them, has lots of happy customers & has his own pair

IME the Vulcan/mercury liner was a POS and I switched to a Pwr wrap right away

[Wetdog]

Thanx for that beta Spyderjon, I wana say your posts are always a great source of info which I value

as a huge fanboi of the Mercury & Vulcan for the last 8 yrs I have a perfect 15mm shell gap in a size 24 with no punches

so it sounds like Hoji fits different enough, also the sizing doesnt go down to 24 so that unless I want to go with the 110 ( i like the stiffness of vulcan ) flex womens hoji from next year the boot is a no go ?

So what would fit ( wide forefoot/higharch/ low volume skinny ankle ) I'm thinking technica ZGTP or atomic hawx 130

The ZGPT is actually quite a narrow fit in the forefoot. I don’t have a particularly wide foot and I needed fairly substantial punches. The Hawk XTD heat molded well to me foot width wise, but was a bit too short in the toe box for me.


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[Wetdog]

I tried both the Hoji Free and the Pro. I fit the Free in a 28 with the feeling I would need a little toe punch both sides and a left big toe punch. To my surprise, I needed a 29 in the Pro Tour. It felt as if any pressure I was feeling would alleviate with a liner bake in the Pro. They fit very differently rom one another. Presently in the OGTP and while it skis and tours great, I’m still working on the shell to get a comfortable fit.


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[Tailwind]

“Better” from a design and performance standpoint. Agree, fit is first priority. Short answer, they don’t fit the same. Doesn’t mean they won’t work with some effort, but off the shelf, different feeling last.

I had to work harder to get the frees to fit, it involved taking up volume for me at least. I finally have them where I’m pretty happy with them though.

well then they are not better but I think I know what you mean by better, the question is will they fit my foot

my bro who's word dI trust is a dealer he is selling lots of them, has lots of happy customers & has his own pair

IME the Vulcan/mercury liner was a POS and I switched to a Pwr wrap right away

[GoldenBC]

I've had Atomic Hawx XTD 24 (282mm) and just bought some Hoji Free 25 (290mm).

Previous boots (all 24): Salomon Xmax (pretty good fit, not tight enough on the ankle), Salomon Questmax 130 (same as Xmax), Dalbello Krypton (narrow, pinch down on outside of foot, no heel hold, no instep hold, could step out with them cranked), Lange RS 140 (too high of instep), Lange Freeride 120 (foam injected, felt great with width expansion), Scarpa Freedom SL (zero ankle hold, high instep, loose heel, tight forefoot).

My foot measures 245mm when supported and 250mm when pronating and splayed. They are about 105mm wide with a large soft meaty part the entire length of the 5th tarsal. Low instep, low ankle volume, basically low volume foot that is wide. I never can find boots that actually touch the face of my ankle/bottom of shin.

The Atomic is a tight 1 finger fit (8mm) and the Hoji is a 1.5 finger fit (16mm). My toes were always tight in the Atomic in both the length, in from the corners, and above. It felt like I was binding my feet putting them on before work. I was stoked to have something tight on the instep/face of ankle. The instep of the atomic is not quite as low as that of the Salomon Xmax, but pretty good. The Atomics fit super small for their size and have a very low volume toebox. If I went up a size, the instep was too high and the boot felt roomy and awkward. It is very hard to make substantial toe room in the Atomics. Of note, I had zero heel lift ever, but I also could feel the heel pocket biting my heel and giving me bone spurs.

I have not skied the Hojis, but they are the first boot since the Xmax that I feel like I could actually just jump in and ski right away. A tight ankle and low instep but with plenty of wiggle room in the toes. They are touring boots after all. I will be putting in pinch pads to get rid of the slightest bit of heel lift and putting some small pads on the face of my ankle. Will need to punch for the back of the 5th tarsal and my 6th toe.

In short, the boots fit true to their BSL. The Hoji fits shorter and will take to upsizing better.

[XXX-er]

being an advanced skier with size 24 feet is a bitch eh Golden BC !

Any boot you want to ski probably doesnt come in a mansize so the womens boots are narrow have flex values for someone 40-50 lbs lighter and the colors are unmanly

that was the great thing about Mercury was the unisex sizing down to about 22 I believe, with pwrwraps they worked right out of the box and when i got Vulcans from sport conrad in germany just thro the pwraps in and go skiing

I know where my old mercurys live , she hasnt used them, I think a bad 250$ purchase for her ... i should rescue them !