Upgrade to Dynafit Vulcan?

[auvgeek]

I've been skiing the Vulcan since like 2014. I love that boot. It walks well enough without the tongue and skis halfway decent with the tongue. But alas, I feel like it's only a matter of time before they explode. So I'm thinking it might be smart to start a search for my next boot.

Is there anything out there that simultaneously walks as well as (or better than) the Vulcan without the tongue and skis better than the Vulcan with the tongue? Stiffer with more alpine/overlap-style flex (less linear and more progressive).

I don't care about the time spent fiddling with the tongue (and booster strap) during transitions. It's a non-issue to me.

I know that there are plenty of boots that walk (way) better than the Vulcan but ski worse, and I know that there are plenty of boots that walk (way) worse and ski better. The Skorpius is a great example of a boot that walks better than the Vulcan without the tongue and skis slightly worse than the Vulcan WITHOUT the tongue. Then you have the modern crop of freeride boots that are like 1700-1900g that ski a bit better than the Vulcan with the tongue but walk significantly worse than the Vulcan with the tongue removed.

The obvious choice is the Hoji Pro 130, but it's heavier than I had hoped. With the tongue out, intuition liners, 3-ply booster strap, and front buckle removed I'm around or maybe even under 1400g for the size 26. (I really should get a new scale). I've heard rumors that the Zero G Tour Pro doesn't walk particularly well.

Fit is a whole separate topic, and I obviously don't plan to buy anything that doesn't fit. I have like 5 mm shell fit in the Vulcans, and they have been punched to kingdom come for width/toebox/etc, but they fit like an absolute glove. Heel hold could be slightly better, but a very minor complaint that's mostly solved with the ankle buckle.

This is just a starting point to see if there's anything out there that's substantially better. If I can make a shortlist, I'll figure out if I think I can make it fit.

edit: That said, I am sensitive to forward lean, so I likely won't be interested if the boot isn't pretty upright. But still worth discussing for other people who might be interested.

[Andyski]

Subscribed. I went ZGTP after being in exactly the same situation - even have the same Vulcan mods. And…it’s not great so far. The tecnicas are lighter and way easier on transitions, but they suck to get in to - even with the plastic shoe horn and racer entry - don’t walk that much differently and the stance is off vs the Vulcan. The stance is something I’ll A/B my way to fixing hopefully. I find myself looking at the Hoji Free even with all the added weight just for the easier entry and possible better walk mode, but that’s prolly dumb. Might end up just doing repairs on the Vulcan .


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[fleaches]

Subscribed. I went ZGTP after being in exactly the same situation - even have the same Vulcan mods. And…it’s not great so far. The tecnicas are lighter and way easier on transitions, but they suck to get in to - even with the plastic shoe horn and racer entry - don’t walk that much differently and the stance is off vs the Vulcan. The stance is something I’ll A/B my way to fixing hopefully. I find myself looking at the Hoji Free even with all the added weight just for the easier entry and possible better walk mode, but that’s prolly dumb. Might end up just doing repairs on the Vulcan .


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Don't have any good input for OP unfortunately, but for getting into and out of zgtps I found the easiest thing was to put the liner on outside of the boot then put the boot on in ski mode. Same thing for removal: boot in ski mode, hand on the back of the shell, and pull the whole liner out by pushing the knee forward.

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[XXX-er]

I am also a mercury/ Vulcan fan, mine are in pretty good shape still

I tried on the Hoji 115 cuz the 130 doesnt go small enough for my foot but also i think it would work for my foot

[Marshal Olson]

I picked up La Sportiva Vanguards for this season. Have not skied them yet, but I expect them to be in the Vulcan territory walk & ski. They have a cool scissor cuff that functions a lot like having no tongue when skinning but having it while skiing. May be worth trying a pair on.

[skisurfmirth]

Hoji 130. Faster transitions will make up for the weight penalty. I could never get the Vulcan to really work for me but am really digging the Hoji 110.


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[rfconroy]

My chief complaint with the Vulcan was the lack of rear support, if you ever ended up back seat. It also lacked lateral support as the boot continued to work its way in.

As such, the Hoji line skins, and walks equally as well. However I would not consider the Hoji Free, but instead I would look at the Rad Pro since it has more refinements of their Gen 2.0 Hoji lock boot. I think I called this out in the Rad Pro thread, but its got a more reined tongue, buckles that are easier to use, better heel lock, and a larger ankle area.

Additionally, if you're trying to save some money, or just try the system out - people DUMP the hoji PXs, and I think it skis better than the Vulcan and Hoji Free Pro, and has some other advantages as well - more details in the link in my signature.

Another good comparison that WildSnow did is between the pro tour and the Vulcan:
https://www.wildsnow.com/25173/dynaf...ts-comparison/

[mr_pretzel]

Subscribed. I went ZGTP after being in exactly the same situation - even have the same Vulcan mods. And…it’s not great so far. The tecnicas are lighter and way easier on transitions, but they suck to get in to - even with the plastic shoe horn and racer entry - don’t walk that much differently and the stance is off vs the Vulcan. The stance is something I’ll A/B my way to fixing hopefully. I find myself looking at the Hoji Free even with all the added weight just for the easier entry and possible better walk mode, but that’s prolly dumb. Might end up just doing repairs on the Vulcan .


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Grab the lower shell with your hands all pull them apart before trying to put your liner in.

Auv, the zeroG or Hoji is probably would you should try. Both are pretty upright aswell, I think both walk great.

[Andyski]

Grab the lower shell with your hands all pull them apart before trying to put your liner in. .

I do that AND put on liners first AND lace up said liners like a mofo AND put the goddamned shells under the foot heaters in the truck AND use the fucking red plastic shoe horn AND it’s still a PIA. Granted, I like my boots tight, but fucking hell my RX130 LVs in the same size are like old sneakers in comparison.


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[bfree]

I went from Mercury to Radical Pro recently and it sounds like what you're looking for. The radical pros are slightly heavier, but the range of motion and smoothness is at least as good. Downhill they definitely ski better than tongueless mercuries. It's been forever since I've skied them with the tongues (wasn't worth the fiddle factor to me).

Fit is fairly similar it seems. I put intuition pro tours in both because dynafit stock liners still suck.

Overall it was a nice upgrade, though not a huge one. I was honestly expecting a bigger change in ~11 years, but I guess that just goes to show you how good the mercury/Vulcan was for its time.

You mentioned the ZGTP...if you fit the mercury/Vulcan, I have a hard time believing you'll fit a ZGTP. Those are much lower volume.

[GoldenBC]

Sounds like you should get a Hoji Free. It walks way better than the Vulcan because it actually has forward range of motion and you save lots of time on transitions. You seemed to think it was a great boot but won’t buy it because of a few grams? It weighs virtually the exact same as a Vulcan. Just do it.

Radical pro will fit a lot roomier. ZGPT has a noticeably worse walk mode and isn’t nearly as stiff.

[grinch]

I just picked up hoji 130's after skiing in vulcans w an intuition tour wrap. Took the toe buckle off my vulcans and changed the powerstrap to a rubber ski strap. I cant remember what it ended up weighing but its atlsast a 1/4 lb lighter. I kept the tour wrap for the hoji free130 and put the sidas in the vulcan to sell. They weigh almost exactly the samd now. Vulcan/sidas = hoji free/tourwrap. No snow here so havent skied the free130 yet. They definitely feel stiffer than the vulcan. I really wanted the one buckle changeover hoji lever. Nice to hear in the thread that theyll walk atleast as well or better than the vulcan

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[auvgeek]

As such, the Hoji line skins, and walks equally as well. However I would not consider the Hoji Free, but instead I would look at the Rad Pro since it has more refinements of their Gen 2.0 Hoji lock boot. I think I called this out in the Rad Pro thread, but its got a more reined tongue, buckles that are easier to use, better heel lock, and a larger ankle area.

Additionally, if you're trying to save some money, or just try the system out - people DUMP the hoji PXs, and I think it skis better than the Vulcan and Hoji Free Pro, and has some other advantages as well - more details in the link in my signature.

Another good comparison that WildSnow did is between the pro tour and the Vulcan:
https://www.wildsnow.com/25173/dynaf...ts-comparison/

I went to your site and read your review of the Hoji PX. I'm intrigued, but also not surprised that PX/PU skis better than Grilamid (at a weight penalty). Much more progressive, alpine-like flex. But the issue is the whole weight vs stiffness thing. If there was a PU/PX version of the Hoji in a 130 flex and no speednose (I already have crampons I like), then I would consider it for sure.

Mind repeating your comments re Rad Pro or dropping a link?

Sounds like you should get a Hoji Free. It walks way better than the Vulcan because it actually has forward range of motion and you save lots of time on transitions. You seemed to think it was a great boot but won’t buy it because of a few grams? It weighs virtually the exact same as a Vulcan. Just do it.

I don't know anything about the Hoji Free, other than it appears to be the latest iteration of the Dynafit/Hoji collab aka an updated Vulcan. So I think it's strong to say that "I think it's a great boot but won't buy it because of a few grams."

But it's news to me on the weight. It makes sense to compare the weight of the shells only. I haven't been able to find an apples to apples comparison on the Vulcan (without the tongue) and the Hoji free in the same size, but it sounds like they are in the same ballpark more than I originally thought.

Regarding the several comments about transitions: again, it's a non-issue for me when considering boots. Also, I'm pretty sure that I will have to lift my pant cuff to adjust the buckles and power strap on the Hoji Free as well.

I'm not close to any boot stores at the moment, but I'll make a trip to try these on sometime soon.

[kootenayskier]

I went from Mercuries to Hoji Free 110s. Overall pretty similar, slightly prefer the fit and stance of the Mercs (just more customization required to get the Hoji’s as I want them), walkability is comparable though being lighter the Mercs get the edge for long slogs, Hojis deliver stronger skiing performance (more support, more suspension), and the Hojis are obviously way faster and simpler (not exactly a single lever, but pretty sweet regardless) on the transitions. On everything but multi-day traverses, the Hojis are the better boots.

[rfconroy]

I went to your site and read your review of the Hoji PX. I'm intrigued, but also not surprised that PX/PU skis better than Grilamid (at a weight penalty). Much more progressive, alpine-like flex. But the issue is the whole weight vs stiffness thing. If there was a PU/PX version of the Hoji in a 130 flex and no speednose (I already have crampons I like), then I would consider it for sure.

Mind repeating your comments re Rad Pro or dropping a link?

Rad Pro Thread:
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ht=radical+pro


Dont think it was captured yet, but for all prospective buyers of the Hoji Free: It's a terrible out of the box fit, and expect to do a ton of work with an experienced boot fitter.

[GoldenBC]

I went to your site and read your review of the Hoji PX. I'm intrigued, but also not surprised that PX/PU skis better than Grilamid (at a weight penalty). Much more progressive, alpine-like flex. But the issue is the whole weight vs stiffness thing. If there was a PU/PX version of the Hoji in a 130 flex and no speednose (I already have crampons I like), then I would consider it for sure.

Mind repeating your comments re Rad Pro or dropping a link?

I don't know anything about the Hoji Free, other than it appears to be the latest iteration of the Dynafit/Hoji collab aka an updated Vulcan. So I think it's strong to say that "I think it's a great boot but won't buy it because of a few grams."

But it's news to me on the weight. It makes sense to compare the weight of the shells only. I haven't been able to find an apples to apples comparison on the Vulcan (without the tongue) and the Hoji free in the same size, but it sounds like they are in the same ballpark more than I originally thought.

Regarding the several comments about transitions: again, it's a non-issue for me when considering boots. Also, I'm pretty sure that I will have to lift my pant cuff to adjust the buckles and power strap on the Hoji Free as well.

I'm not close to any boot stores at the moment, but I'll make a trip to try these on sometime soon.

Sorry, you said it was the obvious choice, I thought you meant because of the actual boot, not because of some other reason. As for fit it is very obviously the successor to the Vulcan. As I said, it tours way better than the Vulcan as well. If you have bump stops in your vulcan, the shell doesn't actually have any forward range of motion, the Hoji has plenty. Worth having a look when you are able.

[GoldenBC]

I went from Mercuries to Hoji Free 110s. Overall pretty similar, slightly prefer the fit and stance of the Mercs (just more customization required to get the Hoji’s as I want them), walkability is comparable though being lighter the Mercs get the edge for long slogs, Hojis deliver stronger skiing performance (more support, more suspension), and the Hojis are obviously way faster and simpler (not exactly a single lever, but pretty sweet regardless) on the transitions. On everything but multi-day traverses, the Hojis are the better boots.

How much do your Mercs weigh? According the the webz, Hoji Free weighs 50g less.

[XXX-er]

actualy there were a couple of big boot loser products in the Dynafit lineup ( Khion & beast? ) between the hoji and the vulcan, along with the self destructing Rad1 I was wondering if Dynafit would ever again make a good product without fucking it up ... then they put a speed nose on a free ride boot WTF ?

I put 3 years on the Mercury and then bought the Vulcan ( 67% off ! ) cuz the product was going " sunset " so it was cheap on clear out but Vulcan kept going because their follow on products were so fucking bad that Dynafit had to keep marketing the Vulcan

Mercury Vulcan weighed about the same, Vulcan has VERY slightly less volume than Mercury so i had to remold the pwrwrap from the mercury in the Vulcan shell with the buckles cranked down, I bought both boots on-line and they turned out to be good boots for my foot

[reynolds.trailrun]

My 26 Hoji Free 130 shell is 1259 g/boot if that matters. I did remove the lower buckle. I couldn’t buckle it anyway… way too tight in the toe area. I haven’t paid too much attention to the Radical vs Hoji evolution but it seemed to be volume/fit was the biggest difference? As in the Radical was a higher volume fit. I have tiny feet and essentially little boot work for the Hoji. I needed heel pads for better heel lock and that’s it. I also use MV Dreamliner since takes up more volume and feels like better heel lock than a MV touring wrap liner imo. The Dreamliner skies way better with some detriment to touring. Not ideal but works the best of other options I have tried.

[XXX-er]

I don't think the Radical was a happening boot in the dynafit line cuz almost nobody really talks about it on-line

I remember Radical being introduced it was not really a boot I would compare to Vulcan or Hoji which both were/ are popular, lots of Vulcans out there and shop bro tells me Hoji fits a lot of people

I wouldn't call 26 " tiny " I'm size 24 so i know what tiny is, most mens boots don't come in a 24 so I can't buy Hoji free in 130 or the mens mastrale

the great thing about Vulcan was that it went to 22.5 and the womens model just had some pink accents

[reynolds.trailrun]

Not tiny in that sense just really low volume. I ski plugs because my feet swim in anything that’s not low volume.

Should clarify Radical Pro vs Hoji 130 is my interest in difference of fit.

[kootenayskier]

How much do your Mercs weigh? According the the webz, Hoji Free weighs 50g less.

Can’t quote you any weights , it just seemed obvious to me that the Mercs were lighter. Perhaps it’s just that I was usually removing the tongues to tour, and come to think of it I was also using slightly lighter Intuition liners in my Mercs.

[XXX-er]

A Pwerwrap is actualy just 30 grams lighter than the abysmal liner in a Vulcan/ Mercury, I expected more difference in shitty Palau vs the Intuition ( ya ! ),

palau 263

intuition 231

sole footbed 42

the tongue is worth 60 grams,

size 24 shell alone is 1033,

1369 total



https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6002-826/hoji-free-boots

MEC weighs everything themselves and gets 1550 which lines up with

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/revie...nafit-hoji-130

"" We weighed a pair of size 26.5 Dynafit Hoji Free Tour 130 boots to weigh 6 lbs 14 ounces. That's 1560 grams per boot. This is well above average. It seems that this amount of mass is required to get the downhill performance that these boots get. Of that 1560 grams, 1251 of them are in the shell. We'll save you some math and point out that the stock liner (no footbed) weighs 310 grams. You might be able to save 50-60 grams per foot by upgrading to an aftermarket liner. That aftermarket liner will also likely flex more freely in tour mode. ""

So Hoji looks 200ish grams > a Vulcan which is ^^ what I understood a hoji would weigh

[GoldenBC]

A Pwerwrap is actualy just 30 grams lighter than the abysmal liner in a Vulcan/ Mercury, I expected more difference in shitty Palau vs the Intuition ( ya ! ),

palau 263

intuition 231

sole footbed 42

the tongue is worth 60 grams,

size 24 shell alone is 1033,

1369 total



https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6002-826/hoji-free-boots

MEC weighs everything themselves and gets 1550 which lines up with

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/revie...nafit-hoji-130

"" We weighed a pair of size 26.5 Dynafit Hoji Free Tour 130 boots to weigh 6 lbs 14 ounces. That's 1560 grams per boot. This is well above average. It seems that this amount of mass is required to get the downhill performance that these boots get. Of that 1560 grams, 1251 of them are in the shell. We'll save you some math and point out that the stock liner (no footbed) weighs 310 grams. You might be able to save 50-60 grams per foot by upgrading to an aftermarket liner. That aftermarket liner will also likely flex more freely in tour mode. ""

So Hoji looks 200ish grams > a Vulcan which is ^^ what I understood a hoji would weigh

Where are you finding that a mercury weighs 1350g? Everywhere on the internet says that’s it’s 1600g.

[XXX-er]

on my Starfrit, Mercury is about the same as Vulcan