Tecnica ZeroG Peak - another light boot for 2022 - 3

[summit]

I went 27.5 vs my 26.5 ZGPT. My ZGPT both needed 6th toe punchess, the Peak does not.
I formed my own liner and footbed: a rather large volume Sole footbed in it.
~100g heaver per boot than my 27.5 Alien RS, but skis significantly better.
They were great on the first hut trip... well try it on this next hut trip and report back.

[upallnight]

Very good review, thanks. One thing I didn't see (or missed): what ski are you on?
I'm in the same boat with boots, 3 seasons in ZGTP, extremely tight fit, sniffing around for a new boot next season, and these are on the short list. Not many reviews around yet, and too many from people who are more into uphill running than actual skiing so most of the feedback is about the ROM not being best in class without any info about how the damn boot actually works with real skis (ie >105 underfoot and >1400g). I'm happy with the ROM on the ZGTP, obviously it could get a lot better but it's never stopped me from banging out huge days. I'm not willing to sacrifice more than a tiny bit of downhill performance though and that's where I need more feedback!

I've skied ~30 days with them since Dec 30th.

I've used them ~50/50 with K2 Dispatch 120s (186cm), Blizzard Zero G 105s (180cm) — and a couple days going uphill fast at a ski resort with Dynafit Blacklight Pro skis.. whichever model is 79mm under foot. About half of the days have been with the stock liner, and the other half with Intuition Pro Tour.

I'm sure there are boots with better ROM; that said, the difference between these & the ZGTP is enormous in terms of rearward flex.

I skied my ZGTPs for the first time in a while at a ski area the other day. The performance difference is notable—the ZGTPs hike fine (obviously heavier; rearward ROM not an issue while bootlicking) and ski better for sure. A part of that is a fit with a bit less slop in it (ZGTP shell is a tighter fit for me & I have an alpine wrap liner locking my foot down).

I'd say it's at least a 10% difference — ymmv. It's more than a tiny bit.

That said, the Peaks can push around a bigger ski if you know what you are doing — and more easily if the snow is good. As the snow gets trickier the limits of the boot will be more exposed. The Peaks do have a more progressive flex than I've experienced in other light boots. They do feel like real ski boots, albeit softer ones.

IMO other light boots have felt less like ski boots than these.

I went 27.5 vs my 26.5 ZGPT. My ZGPT both needed 6th toe punchess, the Peak does not.
I formed my own liner and footbed: a rather large volume Sole footbed in it.
~100g heaver per boot than my 27.5 Alien RS, but skis significantly better.
They were great on the first hut trip... well try it on this next hut trip and report back.

Seems like although I've only had mine for 5 weeks I may be among those with the most experience on them. My gut tells me that although they can be driven hard, if one is skiing them the same way as they do their ZGTPs (which I think is possible or close to it), they won't last as long.

[tonyp]

Popping in with an update:

The conclusion—I fit an Intuition Pro Tour (MV) in and molded it.

More info—
I skied the stock liners for 10 days or so. They're obviously super thin & light — and they didn't ski *that* bad.

I went up a shell size vs my ZGTPs (which have a very aggressive fit). While skiing I would get some heel lift. Felt like I had room around the Achilles and instep. I didn't have the opportunity to try on a smaller shell size—my gut tells me that while it would surely be shorter, I don't know that it would have solved my issue with the extra volume around the foot.

After being unable to get an unbaked Pro Tour MV into the boots (let alone how difficult I'd imagine a baked liner would be!), I got my hands on a few sizes of the Intuition Tour Wrap bc there were reports of that fitting in the boot. That liner just sucks, though. Yeah, it probably has great ROM, but it's a totally different material than the more desirable (skiing-wise) Intuitions, and I'm fairly sure it would break down quickly.

I figured out a way to more reliably fit the Intuitions into the boot: Just fold over the top cm of the stretchy "over boot". This simple trick keeps the liner from getting hung up on the stretchy material which provided a shocking amount of resistance. Suddenly getting the liner in was easy!

The Palau Power LT liner seemed more interesting than the Tour Wrap, but it didn't quit take up the volume I wanted. Seemed like it would tour pretty well if It works for someone.

I was able to fit the Pro Tour LV into my boots. There's not much material to them, so they won't take up much space if that's your issue. I felt I could ski them without baking them (which I feel like would help their longevity a bit). However, I was still getting a little movement in the Achilles.

This brought me back to trying the Pro Tour MV once more. With the new technique I got the liner into the boot! I was also able to get my foot in there — solid around the heel and WAY TOO TIGHT around the instep and toe-box. I'd have to bake them to solve that issue, but I figured it would be a worthwhile trade-off as the heel would be what I needed.

Of note: With the stock liner, I was maxed out (as in max tightness) of the lower buckle. This made me nervous with an out-of-the-box boot.

With the Intuition MVs, I molded them so I'm on the 1st or 2nd position in both lower and upper cuff.

I definitely prefer Intuition's true alpine-style wrap liners for skiing. I pointed out above I like the Godiva in my ZGTP. (See earlier post for rationale.)

The Pro Tour is unlikely to last as long as an alpine wrap liner, but it does have more ROM which is important in a boot in the Peak Carbon's category.

I probably added about 100g in terms of liners. I'll measure that. The ski performance jumped probably 10-20%, and ROM got about 5-10% worse.

I have hundreds of days on my ZGTPs in the last couple years. The walk-mode of the Peak Carbon is so much better that I was OK giving up a little ROM.

I got the boots right at the new year and put about 18 days on the stock liners — including pushing a K2 Dispatch 120 (186cm) around. I actually expected to use the Peak Carbon for only my longest days, usually involves miles of flat lake crossings to begin and end, and the ZGTP for everything else.

What's shocking is that since I got these boots on Dec 30th, I have not once used my ZGTPs, and I've toured every single day.

I'm mostly skied them in softer snow, but I've been impressed at how I can actually PUSH the boot, and they can drive a larger ski. Compared to other boots I've skied in the class, these tour similarly but feel most like I'm actually SKIING.

FWIW, a friend broke the lower buckle on this 3rd day out. I'm on Day 26 or 27 with them... but I tend to be more on the smooth end of skiers, and I'm fortunate to mostly ski softer snow. I have railed them on corduroy after skinning the local resort. They're a pleasure going uphill in that situation (yeah, a true race boot is WAY lighter) — and they've been great carving 2d snow.

Hope someone finds something helpful here. That simple trick of folding over the stretchy cuff helped a TON — and was so simple I couldn't believe I didn't get that immediately. It's what lead me down the path of trying the lighter/thinner liners (Tour Wrap, Pro Tour LV, and Palau Pro LT).

Durability of Pro Tour liner & the boot overall? We'll see.

hi, can you share the sizes of inutitions you used vs the size of your shell? thinking of getting an pro tour mv or lv into my 29.5 shell

[skideeppow]

The tight gaiter and difficulty getting both the foot and liner in and out of the Peaks are the only thing I don't like, love everything about this boot

I just got these and can not get them on, nor can I get them off without taking the liner off as well. Any suggestions?

[tonyp]

I've skied ~30 days with them since Dec 30th.

I've used them ~50/50 with K2 Dispatch 120s (186cm), Blizzard Zero G 105s (180cm) — and a couple days going uphill fast at a ski resort with Dynafit Blacklight Pro skis.. whichever model is 79mm under foot. About half of the days have been with the stock liner, and the other half with Intuition Pro Tour.

I'm sure there are boots with better ROM; that said, the difference between these & the ZGTP is enormous in terms of rearward flex.

I skied my ZGTPs for the first time in a while at a ski area the other day. The performance difference is notable—the ZGTPs hike fine (obviously heavier; rearward ROM not an issue while bootlicking) and ski better for sure. A part of that is a fit with a bit less slop in it (ZGTP shell is a tighter fit for me & I have an alpine wrap liner locking my foot down).

I'd say it's at least a 10% difference — ymmv. It's more than a tiny bit.

That said, the Peaks can push around a bigger ski if you know what you are doing — and more easily if the snow is good. As the snow gets trickier the limits of the boot will be more exposed. The Peaks do have a more progressive flex than I've experienced in other light boots. They do feel like real ski boots, albeit softer ones.

IMO other light boots have felt less like ski boots than these.



Seems like although I've only had mine for 5 weeks I may be among those with the most experience on them. My gut tells me that although they can be driven hard, if one is skiing them the same way as they do their ZGTPs (which I think is possible or close to it), they won't last as long.

hey man what size od the pro tour mv did you fit into these compared to your shell size? thinking of getting mv or lvs..

[fleaches]

I just got these and can not get them on, nor can I get them off without taking the liner off as well. Any suggestions?

I leave the liner in all the time.

To put on, switch to walk mode and wiggle in while holding the loops on the front and back of the liner. Walk mode lets you get the right angle to slide past the overlap portion.

To get them off, switch to ski mode and pry them off using the back of the cuff.


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[skideeppow]

I leave the liner in all the time.

To put on, switch to walk mode and wiggle in while holding the loops on the front and back of the liner. Walk mode lets you get the right angle to slide past the overlap portion.

To get them off, switch to ski mode and pry them off using the back of the cuff.


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I tried that and got them and on but Jesus near impossible to get off. Walk mode and I pulled the upper cuff all the way down. I was thinking of cutting the neoprene cuff.

[Ørion]

Any reports on driving a heavier touring ski like a 187 BGT110?

Trying to replace some Hawx Ultras that never fit quite right with something that has better ROM (most important) and lighter (less important). Fairly certain I'd love these once Spring volcano skiing rolls around but I'm hoping they'll be enough boot for general soft snow hunting too.

[wasatchback]

I tried that and got them and on but Jesus near impossible to get off. Walk mode and I pulled the upper cuff all the way down. I was thinking of cutting the neoprene cuff.

Put them on in walk mode, take them off in ski mode. I have very high arches and can barely get them on or off the other way. When taking them off I usually just pull the liner out with my foot as well.

[LeeLau]

Put them on in walk mode, take them off in ski mode. I have very high arches and can barely get them on or off the other way. When taking them off I usually just pull the liner out with my foot as well.

Same. But with low arches

[fleaches]

Any reports on driving a heavier touring ski like a 187 BGT110?

Trying to replace some Hawx Ultras that never fit quite right with something that has better ROM (most important) and lighter (less important). Fairly certain I'd love these once Spring volcano skiing rolls around but I'm hoping they'll be enough boot for general soft snow hunting too.

I haven't done this yet but keep thinking about it. I have a bg108t that I usually ski with a skorpius, but I think these would probably still be OK. Especially for that kind of ski that's going to be mostly soft snow and can be skied more centered.

That being said skorpius should also be on your list, has similar ROM I think but is a tad stiffer/heavier.

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[Ørion]

That being said skorpius should also be on your list, has similar ROM I think but is a tad stiffer/heavier.

I carpet tested both side-by-side and the Skorpius has much better ROM but unfortunately, for me, the heel hold was worse and there was enough problematic fit issues with the instep right where the boa interacts that I suspect I just have the wrong feet for them.

[summit]

What volume and sizing were folks doing for the Pro Tours Tongue? What about the Dual Density Tour Tongue?

Palau All Track Power MV Liners? Tour Lite Pro Liners?

[fleaches]

Going to try to post this while the forum is sort of working

I have some zero g peaks and there are a lot of things I like about them. They are super light, they fit me well, and they ski damn well for a light boot. But in my mind "1kg boot" is shorthand for "really really good ROM," which these boots do not have. The rear ward ROM is worse than many boots that weigh 50% more. Someone described it as "worst in class ROM" and that might be true.

I recently realized it doesn't have to be this way! The rear ward ROM is restricted not because the boot clog is too high (it's about the same height as my skorpius), but because of the stupid rubber pieces in the gaiter. That's what your calf runs up against during a stride. So I got rid of them.

This is a pretty easy mod with a heat gun and a razor blade, and you could put them back if you really wanted to. Just heat up the glue around the orange rubber and once you have the back half pulled out slit the stitching along the elastic. You'll have to cut through the orange rubber on one side. I'll probably stitch in a replacement piece of nylon fabric when I get a chance so snow doesn't fall into the heel but I think it's fine for now.

First tour out after this mod was night and day, felt much more like a skimo boot on the up and obviously this doesnt affect downhill performance at all.

Pics of the orange gaiter piece and the boot with this removed



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[summit]

Interesting mod!

I am going to try a 12mm Intuition Tour Tongue 2 (my shells are slightly large). Cramming it in will be a job for the fitting...

[djhutch]

Fleaches - cool mod.

Just to clarify, you were able to heat and remove the orange rubber with the black gaiter remaining intact?

In your second pic, it looks like the black is perforated with orange below. Is that how it looks after you remove the orange rubber? I have the non-carbon Peaks and it doesn't seem my boot would look like that pic after I remove the orange rubber piece.

[fleaches]

Sorry the perforation is the back of the liner, which is inserted in that pic. That space is empty except for the back side of the elastic band right now.

By heating I was able to get the glue holding the rubber to the shell to loosen up and come free, but I only removed it from the heel section. So the front of the gaiter is totally intact, but the rear has had the orange + black cut out with only the elastic strap remaining.

At some point I'll stitch some soft material to the elastic and glue the bottom to the shell and have a full 360 gaiter again, but without the ROM reducing plastic guards.

[fleaches]

Pics without liner

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[Benneke10]

Fleaches, that is awesome thanks for sharing!! How would you compare the walk mode to the Skorpius at this point?

[fleaches]

Just tried them on side by side. The liner is probably going to make a difference, I have a Palau liner in the skorp and the stock liner in the peak. I have a gen1 skorpius.

The walk mode of the peak is now better than the skorpius. Forward ROM was always slightly better. Rear ward is a couple of degrees more than the skorp and with noticeably less resistance. Still not as good as a real skimo boot in terms of friction but it accommodates my ankle as far as I can really flex.

I still think the skorpius skis better and has a more progressive flex but I've always thought there was no excuse for the peak walking worse, it doesn't even have a tongue.

[Benneke10]

Thanks so much! This is super helpful. I'm pretty sure I said that the ZG Peak has worst in class walk mode after I tried everything on a while back. I bought the ZG Peak when it came out since it fit well and felt like it would ski ok but returned them because the walk mode was unacceptably poor. The Skorpius and the ZG Peak are the only light boots that fit me, and with the Skorp getting discontinued I need to find something else that works. I would love something that walks a little better (it can ski a little worse), it sounds like this could be the ticket for me! I wear a 275 Skorpius and might end up with a 285 ZG Peak that has a huge BSL for a light boot but if it walks well then it would be worth it. I would need to punch the toes for length on a 275 ZG Peak and I doubt I could make much room there. Luckily the Tecnica is one of the only light boots that actually has a snug midfoot and I think I can get away with sizing up. I have had durability issues with the Skorp and have gone through 3 pairs over the years. You are saving me from having to stock up on them at full retail, much appreciated!!

[fleaches]

Nice! Yeah in terms of sizing I have both of these in a 27.5. The peak definitely runs a bit short internally, probably like a half size? But the BSL is almost the same as the skorpius somehow.

I have heard from bootfitters that the peak is very hard to punch for length without cracking. I have mine punched for width about as far as they'll go and that seemed to go ok.

Durability wise they have been OK. I've had them for three seasons and nothing has broken, but the soles are thin and haven't held up well to scrambling on rocks and ridgelines.

[~mikey b]

[emoji3587][emoji3587][emoji3587]

[nyskirat]

So what's the consensus on sizing? Size up? Or stay with normal sizes?