boots

[hardy]

question to expert, Northwaves are best - second is ....???????

[eaglefly]

Head Stratos pro

[pokkis]

DeeLuxe

[István]

One more vote for Deeluxe from me. I had a Blax back then before it was called Head and for me the Deeluxe is a way better fit.

[WinterGold]

I don´t think that it makes much sense this way, but to make it more interesting I´ll go for UPZ RC 10 (but only the new ones!) ...

[Transistor Rhythm]

Head technically.

But a good fit is much more important!

[István]

Without any prejudice, what makes you think that the Head Stratos Pro is the technically most advanced boot of the available 3 brands?

I do not see any major technological difference between these boots. Shells, buckles and liners last the same long, none of them have a really well engineered spring mechanism like the BTS (the UPZ at least has 2 springs to control both back and forth movement)

Actually to me the Head looks like the most obsolete that has not changed practically anything since the old Blax days.... I still have a Blax somewhere...

But I am open to any opinions and would like to hear what makes the Heads technologically more advanced.

I do agree however, the the most important factor to choose between Deeluxe / Head / UPZ is the right fit, both in terms of foot shape and flex.



Thanks

[Transistor Rhythm]

Without any prejudice, what makes you think that the Head Stratos Pro is the technically most advanced boot of the available 3 brands?

I do not see any major technological difference between these boots. Shells, buckles and liners last the same long, none of them have a really well engineered spring mechanism like the BTS (the UPZ at least has 2 springs to control both back and forth movement)

Actually to me the Head looks like the most obsolete that has not changed practically anything since the old Blax days.... I still have a Blax somewhere...

But I am open to any opinions and would like to hear what makes the Heads technologically more advanced.

I do agree however, the the most important factor to choose between Deeluxe / Head / UPZ is the right fit, both in terms of foot shape and flex.

Out of the box I think would advice the T700's with the 5 position switch. RAB is a total failure. I think the UPZ boots are actually the best in terms of advanced technology but too much of a race boot, but I have not ridden them only tried them at a store so I can't really judge how well they perform.

I agree Head boots are not being developed in any way except for colour in the past ten years or so (I think the buckles changed when it became Head?) but they can be 'pimped' pretty well, and the T700 not so much. I tried some mods on my old Blax boots and the improvement was well noticeable.

So with all options and mods, I would take Head Stratos. I think I would not leave them unmodded. Also a bit more comfortable like the 325's, but that may be just my taste.

Sorry for my short response earlier that misfired a bit, I don't think we have a radically different opinion.

[Arnaud]

The major difference between Head and Deeluxe is the design of the shell / cuff pivot axis. The position of this axis is closer to the natural ankle axis.
In addition the liner design is different and the foam fits better many feet. Of course the fitting depends on the feet shape of everyone, but statistically, Head liners have a better feet holding for many people.
Another advantage of Head boots is the shorter shell, without the bubon ...
Last one is the better potential of modifications, allowing great softness after some tuning ...

Weak point of Head : durability. After a few season of (hard) use we have many cracks or breakage (excessive tuning ?)

[István]

As for the durability of Head Stratos Pro: http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/f ... ay.php?f=2

(To be fair: everything can break and will break under heavy usage...)

[WinterGold]

When I put on my Head Stratos Pro (no mods) and bend my knee, the strap over the instep moves back and puts more pressure on the instep. It seems that the shell widens slightly and the strap tightens around your foot. For me this is not the best design. Nothing like that happens on the UPZ, where the whole tongue slides slightly forward and the flex is very smooth. I guess the shell of the Deeluxe works in a similar way, because the tongue is constructed and fixed in a similar way.

There were 8 Deeluxe boots and 6 UPZ boots in the Olympic PGS event (men). There were no Heads ... but there were also 11 Northwaves ...

[Transistor Rhythm]

The widening of the shell only starts after your boot has been flexed to a certain point where the travel is limited. You can see in this picture Arnaud posted before in the big French tuning topic:



First the cuff travels freely through the kidney shaped hole, and when it stops you have to deform the whole boot before you can bend your leg forward more. I think this is what you notice when you mention 'the shell widens'.

[WinterGold]

This sounds very reasonable ... so the boots don´t allow for enough forward flex, if they are used without modifications ... that´s what I meant with "not the best design", but with the mods it might be a different story ... no question.

[xyxx]

I think the UPZ boots are actually the best in terms of advanced technology but too much of a race boot, but I have not ridden them only tried them at a store so I can't really judge how well they perform.

No, not really, the white RC10 with black tongues are really flexy longitudally, which is why I prefer them over Deeluxe. They are also shorter, somewhat more stable across the temperature range, and have a very deep heel pocket, where my heel feels itself very, very good. They sure have downsides like difficulties getting into/out of the boot, ratchets scratching one on another, or somewhat lower compatibility with some bindings, but overall it seems to me being the better boot produced at the moment.

[WinterGold]

I second everything that xyxx said ... but only the sole is shorter on the UPZs. If you measure a little higher (at the point where the toes and heel actually sit), then there is hardly any difference between the UPZs and the Heads and that is where you will have contact with the snow surface. Nevertheless UPZs work very nice for me .