Boot lab: flex test

And what about the flex? The stated numbers provided by brands aren’t standardized. That’s why we took the boots tested, excluding the race and women’s models, to the Sport Technology Lab at the University of Bologna, where we also tested the thermal efficiency of the liners.

The procedures, the force applied, the tension of the buckle closure and the temperature all remained the same as the previous years. The set up, however, has changed significantly. Firstly, a new 3D-printed prosthetic leg was created using a model from the Z-Anatomy atlas. The anatomical data used were those of a 22-year-old adult male, 172.8 cm (5’8”) tall, weighing 65 kg (143 lbs.). The ankle rotation system was completely changed, using a ball joint to avoid restricting its movement, which could lead to inaccurate results. Mobility was added to the metatarsophalangeal joint in the foot to simulate the way the foot bends when flexing forward. Another important improvement regards the binding system used for the boot. 

It should, however, be noted that the boot with the stiffest forward flex (with over 200 Nm) is a Tour model (the Scarpa 4-Quattro XT), with the Dalbello Cabrio from the Freeride category showing very similar values. Unlike the Light and Tour boots with both cuff and shell in polyamide, some boots from the Freeride category have parts in polyolefin (like the cuff of the Tecnica Cochise Light DYN GW) or TPU (the shell of the Tecnica Cochise 130). These materials are more temperature sensitive as their stiffness increases as the temperature drops, so it’s conceivable that at 0°C (32°F) they are just as stiff, if not stiffer, than boots made completely from polyamide.  The stiffest boot in the Light category is the Tecnica ZeroG Peak Carbon (134 Nm). The flex pattern at 45° and 90° is more consistent as at these angles the binding also undergoes torsion and the results are therefore more level, with decidedly lower values compared to those of the forward flex, with an average of under 100 Nm. Here also there is little difference between the Freeride and Tour categories, demonstrating how many boots in the latter category are now almost as stiff as the former, heavier group. As for the walk tests, you can see how in this case there’s a marked difference between the Light (with an average of 20 Nm to the fore, and 14 Nm to the aft), Tour (26 and 20 Nm), and Freeride (38 and 34) categories. Basically, Tour boots offer better walkability than the Freeride boots despite their similar stiffness on the downhill. The best Freeride boots in terms of walkability are the Tecnica Cochise Light and the Dynafit Tigard, closely followed by the Dalbello Cabrio. In the Tour category, the best was the Atomic Backland XTD, while the best result of the Light boots was the Fischer Travers.