No Support In Ski Boots

In the running community, lately, there has been a huge amount of talk of the problems which are caused by peoples running shoes.  The argument, which was spurred in the book "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall, is that our footwear is creating all those problematic knee injuries and muscle imbalances.  A really important issue to address during the summer and fall cross training season, but what about applying the idea of non supportive footwear to ski mountaineering race boots?  This is a quite the taboo subject when it comes to ski boots, but we'll get back to that in a minute.

In his book, McDougall, found that since the invention of modern day running shoes we are seeing even more injuries than we've ever seen before.  And to add to this, there is no research that proves that the shoes we are running in currently, are even helping us.  The point to take from this is that when we are taking a stride and landing, the pronation control, angulation, cushioning, and corrective design, of the shoe is causing us to land in an unnatural position.  So why not run in a non-supportive, simplistic shoe, such as a running sandle or vibram style sock (even barefoot)?

Dynafit TLT 5 Performance TF - A First Look

For all those people who have yet to realize that race boots like the Dynafit Dy.N.A, are fully capable of handling steep crazy terrain, the new Dynafit TLT 5 boot may be the answer.  Boots such as these, are unbelievably light, stiff, and are better to climb in than conventianal touring boots.  They provide the same amount of stiffness as boots such as the Garmont Radium, are half the weight, only weighing in at 1115g with a tongue!  The walk mode is easily the most beautiful part of the boot, which extend your stride a massive distant building speed and allowing you to move long distances in a short amount of time.

The TLT 5 is built off the same mold as the Dy.N.A race boot, but with a few changes.  To start, the TLT 5 has a "Ski" tongue which is easily field removable, and only requires you to unlock the bottom buckle to slide it out.  It even has a post on the shell, with a hole on the tongue, to make sure the tongue does not shift while sitting in the forward tongue triangle.  (Photo Right, note the yellow triangle is where the tongue slides into the shell)  The idea is to utilize the fantastic range of motion the boot has, without the tongue in, on the way up.  Then just simply slide the tongue into place for the way down, which gives the boot a large boost in stiffness.  Th shell even has a slightly more built up lower that wraps around your foot slightly differently than the Dy.N.A, which would allow you to easily ski without the "Ski" tongue in place.

The Dy.N.A sole is molded onto the the lower shell in two separate pieces with no rubber in the middle of the boot.  The TLT 5 has a slightly thicker rubber sole, than spans the entire length of the boot, and a harder rubber on the toe and heel.  The change will be advantageous when climbing rock, ladders in the alps and Himalayas, and awkward ridge tops. 

The upper cuff is still made of Carbon Fiber.  It still has the genius buckle which doubles as a ski/walk mode latch.  And it still has the same fantastic lightweight liner, with neoprene walking cutout, as the Dy.N.A.  So what doesn't it have?  The lower cutout on the boot which allows the boot to flex 5mm on the sole, giving the boot a more natural stride, is not made of carbon.  It is made out of Pebax plastic.  Big deal?  I think not.

The lightweight tech cord buckle connectors have been replaced with super strong woven metal straps.  The slight increase in weight, does make for an incredibly reliable boot, and ensures you don't have to monitor the buckles for wear on a regular basis.

The TLT 5 will retail for less than the $1600 Dy.N.A, but will pack a serious punch for those looking for a hardcore ski mountaineering boot.  So next year when you're in the market to buy a new pair of boots, why bother even wasting an ounce of energy on trying on a big heavy clunker that "looks" stiff, when you could get the full package with this boot.  The future is here for touring boots, it's up to everyone out there to realize the potential with boots such as these, and get with the program.

Scarpa Maestrale Boot - A First Look

The future of Ski Mountaineering, is moving faster, longer, and covering larger expanses of terrain.  When choosing an objective for your days off, trip of the year, or whatever you feel is right, why not add another few peaks or steep lines to your day.  Why ski one face, when you could enchain five?  Our goals and imaginations begin to exceed our gear, and ski companies are expected to fill the need and demand for the tools we require.  Meet the Scarpa Maestrale Boot.  Designed to be burly enough to handle new progressive and aggressive styles, but also to be light, and walk effectively.

The fit, which is different than the usual Scarpa last, is not overly narrow but much more snug than its predecessors.  The  boot does not have a larger shell last, with a larger liner, but a narrower last with a beautiful tongue style liner, which is not as large and cumbersome as  previous styles.  The liner itself, has a neoprene insert at the rear of the calf right above the Achilles tendon, allowing it to flex back and not limit your foots natural stride length.  Not only that, the walk mode has a larger range of motion, allowing a much larger stride length, much like the Scarpa F3.

The tongue of the boot is actually riveted onto the lower shell, almost exactly like a telemark boot.   It gives the boot a much stiffer feel, and is designed to have a good progressive flex.  Having this will allow the boot to drive a bigger ski, despite being a slightly lower boot, in comparison to all the other light and fast boots on the market.  The stiffer tongue does feel really supportive, and combined with a laterally enforced cuff, the boot feels very reactive and playful.  The overall boot is even made out of Pebax RNew plastic, and is a bio-based plastic, that has less of an environmental impact in production and after use.

The little things on this boot are help in a big way.  The Dynafit tech fittings on the toe, have the patented Dynafit quick step-in system, which make a big difference and are a pleasure to have on any boot.  The tech fittings, appear to also have the same rearward 5mm offset that gives the boot a more natural stride, and improved pivoting point.

This boot should be a great addition to the quiver of boots on the market specifically designed for light and fast efforts in the mountains.  It will also begin to shift the idea that we need to compromise weight and tourability for downhill performance.  All the more reason to shift into gear, train harder, and get out in the mountains and push your limits.

Rando Race Boots & Stride Dynamics

Recently there has been a lot of heated discussion on the dynamics of boots and their relationship between sole flex and better stride.  So let’s get down into the two separate theories behind both ideas behind a bellowed boot, the Scarpa F1, and the Pierre Gignoux XP444, a solid non-flexible sole. 

Bellowed Boots

A boot that has bellows on it, like the Scarpa F1, is designed to flex at the metatarsals of the foot giving the Rando Racer the most natural stride as possible.  When you are skinning, after the foot lands and is drawn behind the body (this motion is known as “Dorsiflexion,” the toes are brought closer to the shin, and the foot is angled with the shin approximately 20º-30º) and then goes into it’s “Plantarflexion,” stage.  During the last portion of Dorsiflexion, the toes bend at the Metatarsals and the foot Plantar Flexes, which is where the foot gets its maximal stride power. 

So how is this techno jargon related to Rando Stride?  Well, allowing the foot to flex as naturally as possible, its thought that the boot will not restrict the natural movement of the foot.  This way the tendons and muscles of the foot can perform unheeded.  With this idea, while the foot pushes off the ground, it allows for an added “kick” to the stride. 

The downside to this boot design is that it is intended for a rolling low angle course design.  As long as the boot is on this style of terrain it can be an excellent choice.  On a course that is steeper, the flex of the bellows actually is an disadvantage, as it does create some energy loss in the boot which causes more muscular strain on the foot.  This muscular strain may tip the lactic acid scales over into the red zone if the racer does not pay attention to what they are doing.

Fitting this boot, should you choose, the foot and boot must allow at least 0.5º or greater, of pronation to get the most natural effect of the boot. 

Stiff Soled Boots 

A stiff soled boots, such as the Pierre Gignoux XP444, Spanish Ara Components boot, or La Sportiva, is its designed to support the foot in a more neutral position.  Much like the description of foot in the past section, it follows the same combinations of movement, but without the toes flexing at the Metatarsals.  It is thought that there is no energy loss, due to the stiff sole, and lack of Metatarsals flexing. 

This boot takes advantage of this of the lack of energy loss, and is why it caters to steeper courses, rather than low angle and rolling courses.  The disadvantage with the boot is that it does not allow for that extra “kick,” on the low angle rolling courses. 

Fitting this boot, the foot and boot are should allow the foot to be at approximately 0.5º of pronation without going over, to take advantage of the foot’s power during the Plantarflexion phase of the Rando Stride. 

Two Schools Of Thought… Or Three?

We can never know for sure which boot is truly the fastest, with the most amount of energy transfer or loss, but certain ideas are close.  The Dynafit Dy.N.A boot allows for 5mm of flex, where the bellows would be on an F1, without the bellows.  The boot is cut away so that the boot can flex, but a carbon limiter is installed to keep that within the 5mm limit, combining the large flex of the F1 and the zero flex of the Pierre Gignoux.

Conclusions?

So a real conclusion, other than inconclusive?  The largest asset that a boot can have is a non-limiting lower shell.  Meaning that when the foot is striding forward (Plantarflexion), elongating, and gaining as much forward distance as possible, it must not be limited by the lower shell.  The higher the internal cuff, the more chance that calf will "bottom out," and limit the stride length.  Boots with stiff backed liners may also have the same problems as boots with high internal lower shells.  By getting the boot with the least limitation to the foot, the racer will see the largest gains, the slightest energy transfer gains or losses are barely an issue.  Find the boot that works best with your foot, and have it fit correctly, to get the best results.

Dynafit Dy.N.A Boot - Get Stoked

    The much anticipated Dynafit Dy.N.A World Cup Race boot is here, and is building a strong following already.  The design pulls from many great designs, taking the advantages of all the race boots on the market (and off), and combining it into one.  As a racer I try to constantly find even the smallest advantage over the competition.  Looking into many different schools of thoughts on race boots, I found that the Dy.N.A combined all of them in their own way.

    Carbon, the beautiful sleek lightweight, makes the boot stiff and burlier than you would think.  Even without a tongue to add extra stiffness, this boot is surprisingly stiff, unlike many other uber light gear out there.  Combined with its build, it is designed for performance.

First of all let’s talk about the massive rearward cuff rotation.  It allows 62º of plantar flexion of the foot in the boot, allowing you to extend your stride way out in front.  This adds tens of centimeters of length to your stride.  So what does this longer stride mean?  Well, if you were to simply have 5cm longer of a stride, over 1000m of elevation gain, this would equate to an additional 300m of elevation gain.  More than this will put you light years ahead of the competition.

    The cuff itself is actually two separate pieces, with two hinges, giving the boot the unrestricted rearward   cuff rotation.  Most other boots on the market are built with a slightly higher lower boot, which extends into upper cuff, and can reduce your stride length. 

    The Dy.N.A boots build takes in two schools of thought.  The first is that a fully rigid sole with no flex is best suited for steep courses, but does not have as natural a stride on long flat stretches.  The second is that a flexible boot, with bellows like the Scarpa F1, the boot has a beautiful stride on long more flat or rolling courses, but does have some energy loss on steep sections.  Dynafit combines these ideas as one, and allows the Dy.N.A’s sole to flex only 5mm, giving it a stiff sole for steep ascents, but a more natural stride on flat courses.  The advantage to ultra long distance, for example speed traverses, or 12+ hour days, is there is less chance of blistering under the toes and ball of the foot, as a result of excessive motion in the foot from bellows that allow a large amount of flex of the boot sole. 

    Next comes the Ultra-Lock buckle lock system.  This system, much like the Scarpa F1, Pierre Gignoux, and La Sportiva boots, allow the user to undo the upper buckle on the cuff loosening the cuff and simultaneously switching the boot into walk mode.  The advantage that the Dynafit boot has over its competition, is there is less chance that you may accidentally break the cable holding the system together, by totally eliminating the cable.  The buckle clicks directly into the boots cuff, holding the boot in ski mode when tightened, and allows the cuff to move freely in walk mode when undone. 

    Have you ever been at a race transition, nearly anaerobic, breathing heavily, and trying to hold your foot still while clicking into your bindings as fast and efficiently in one go?  That problem is easily fixed with Dynafit’s quick-step-in inserts.  It allows the Dynafit toe pins to slide into the inserts smoothly and with less chance of popping into the wrong spot.

    Weight, however, still remains king.  The boots Pebax/Carbon build, shaves the weight of the boot down to under 1 kilo, coming in at 920g in a 27.0.  Studies have shown that if an athlete takes a single pound off their feet, it equates to six and a half pounds off their back, allowing for less strain and allowing the body to concentrate its energy to what’s important. 

    So how does it fit?  Fantastic!  The boots anatomically correct fitting, is perfectly sculpted to the human foot.  The heel is slightly narrower, but not overdone, as to cause problems.  It keeps the heel snug and free from excessive motion.  The area around the metatarsals flares out, allowing the foot to spread out when plantar flexing (pushing off) and able to generate the most amount of power.  The toe box even makes sure not to put too much pressure on the big toe, which can cause hallux abduction, and bone spurs. 

    The liner is the lightest liner on the market.  Half the size of the regular Garmont G-Fit or F1 Liner, but has enough foam to ensure there is enough material to mold to the foot, without compromising comfort.  The liner itself is less stiff than many others on the market and allows the foot and leg to move freely without fighting the liner. 

    Only a few rolling into North America this year, so get your hands on the Dynafit Dy.N.A World Cup Race boot, as soon as you can it rocks!