In the 1970’s there were 8 ski boot manufacturers in North America.* Today only one is left and we wanted to see for ourselves the qualities that allowed DaleBoot to outlast them all. Rocky Mountain Gear Guide visited the factory in Salt Lake City for a first hand look at the ski boot company that for decades has built a reputation on warmth, function and a perfect custom fit.

Buying DaleBoots is not like buying conventional ski boots. Because every pair is a custom fit you can’t walk into a store and try them on. There are three options: visit the factory and have all the work done there, visit any one of the rapidly expanding DaleBoot Authorized Fit Centers, or if there’s not yet an Authorized Fit Center in your area, supply all the key information by email or mail and the factory technicians will build your boots to measure. European customers have the option of visiting the DaleBoot European headquarters in Kitzbühel, Austria, or paying a visit to any of the DaleBoot Authorized Ft Centers located across the continent. In either case, the first step is for the DaleBoot technician to take a series of measurements of the lower leg and foot, with specific attention being paid to length, width and overall volume. A complete athletic and bio-mechanic assessment is then performed to highlight any specific anomalies such as boney protrusions, stance balance issues, and skeletal rigidity. All data is recorded on the DaleBoot Fit Form and the certified DaleBoot technician refers back to this form frequently to both custom-mold a shell that exactly matches that shape and to ensure that the bio-mechanics of the ankle and lower leg are stabilized to provide neutral balance, both fore/aft and laterally. The finished boots come standard with Intuition liners made especially for, and designed by DaleBoot. Whether you go to the factory in person, or visit any of the Authorized Fit Centers the process is basically the same – and so are the results.

The factory itself is small, providing space for one injection molding machine, racks and bins full of parts, and a handful of employees performing the various operations to make boots by hand. The reception area is very interesting. Besides the expected fitting benches and displays of current models, there are historic articles, photos and samples of early boots including the first Magnesium shells before DaleBoot switched to plastic in 1972. The other pleasant surprise was the warm welcome and amazing service. Adam Olson, General Manager of North American operations has worked at DaleBoot for almost 20 years and his experience shows. Adam guided us through the factory and building process as our own custom boots took shape.

In order to expedite the process, we provided our measurements in advance and arrived with our forms completed. This is an option DaleBoot offers via their website, allowing them to get a jump on preparing the appropriate shells in advance of the customer’s visit; maximizing their time on the slopes by minimizing their time in the shop. Even though we had sent in our measurements in advance, the technician at DaleBoot spent time to recheck every measurement and assess foot mobility before starting the custom building process. In the key custom building step, a generic lower boot, or “clog” is heated slowly for a couple of hours in what looks exactly like a turkey roaster. The hot clog is removed and clamped to a steel surface for the custom stretching process. Aluminum forms that mimic the plug used in the injection stage are placed inside the hot plastic. The stretching plugs are segmented so they can expand. A few bursts of the air wrench and the rubbery shell stretches easily to its new shape. During this process the DaleBoot technician refers to the foot data forms that are posted at his work station and uses calipers to make sure key measurements are exact.

An important difference between this system and traditional ski boot heating and punching is that the DaleBoot system stretches the plastic without pulling and distorting other parts of the shell. And DaleBoot uses only virgin plastic so the new shape stays that way indefinitely.

After the cuff, buckles and other parts are riveted by hand to the clog, only three steps remain—in boot fore/aft and lateral stance balancing, fitting of the liner and finally on ski stance balancing, or cant correction. DaleBoot invented and patented removable heel and toe lugs that easily snap on and off in seconds with a pry tool like a screw driver. The beauty of the system is that a variety of shim angles are available so boots are easily canted with no grinding required. In addition, if the technician determines, after the bio-mechanic assessment, that the skier’s skeletal structure will not stand for correction the soles can be swapped out for an accommodative fill as opposed to a cant correction. Adam used a canting device in the shop to measure the right angle needed, snapped the correct parts on, and in no time the boots were ready for the slopes.

How do they ski?

We tested two pairs of boots over a month. The other staffer found them comfortable but preferred a more rigid set up, so his boots are being modified to a stiffer model (what other boot company can offer that capability?). We will have that report later. The following is my report.

Functionality

These have to be the easiest boots to put on and take off. Comfort is truly amazing compared to most conventional boots I’ve ever worn. On the first day, one foot felt too high in the arch. By turning a screw on the adjustable footbed it was fixed immediately. Fine tuning for pronation or supination is also quick and easy with this great feature.

Three days of testing was done in -20°C temperatures or colder. For the first time in my life my feet actually felt warm on a cold day. Just to convince myself, at lunch time I took the boots off outside and watched steam rise out of the cuff. Despite the cold weather the boots were easy to take off—a real treat compared to my regular plug boots.

The VFF Pro model (Variable Forward Flex) that we tested has a spring inside the cuff for adjusting forward flex. It’s easy to adjust and it’s also effective in maintaining consistent flexion in all weather conditions throughout the season. I finally ended up at the maximum spring tension to make the boots as stiff as possible (as I usually ski a plug boot, but really do question the actual percentage of skiers that require such a stiff, plug boot setup). At maximum tension the walk feature is hard to use because there is so much tension on the release buckle.
Buckles should be loosely closed at the end of the day. If boots are left open for a few days the plastic tends to open up and closing the cuff is more difficult. (Note: all boots should be closed and buckled loosely during off-season storage)

Performance

My first impression was “way too soft” but after a few minutes the forward flex was no longer an issue for normal skiing although I finally ended up at the maximum forward flex setting. I skied one day in boot-top powder. The softer, progressive forward flex actually felt good in powder snow and bumpy terrain as the spring mechanism mounted at the rear of the boots provides for excellent rebound between turns. As a bonus, the reverse-throw buckles ensure that buckles stay closed in soft or crusty conditions.

Lateral stiffness is also a bit soft in harmony with the softer forward flex. I tried more cant to increase edge grip which improved things a bit. I used a jig to compare lateral stiffness with my plug boots and found the DaleBoots were indeed a bit softer side to side. A factor in edge grip precision may be the Intuition liner and generous fit that allows some foot movement in the boot.
 We were concerned that the removable toe and heel lugs might cause some wobble but they did not, it’s a slick system that is rock solid.

As well as comfort, the boot geometry felt very good. Stance and forward lean is excellent which made skiing and balancing easy.

The VFF Pro flexes a bit differently than conventional boots. An adjustable spring provides resistance. It’s a different feeling that’s easy to get used to but the real benefit is that there is no bulging of the rest of the boot while flexing. That contributes to the excellent fit that doesn’t vary as the boot flexes.

Conclusions

If you want serious edge grip and hard snow race performance the VFF Pro is not for you. If you want a vice-like fit and cold feet and boots that are hard to get on and off, DaleBoot is not for you. But if you want unmatched comfort and warmth with good skiability, DaleBoot could be what you are looking for. For the legions of skiers out there tolerating ill-fitting boots and cold feet, DaleBoot addresses all those needs and as far as we can tell, addresses them better than anyone else.

Customization is DaleBoot’s strength and it shows in many ways. Adjustable forward flex and adjustable footbeds are excellent features that really work. But we were even more impressed with the interchangeable heel and toe lugs with varying cant angles. No more grinding or bogus duct tape shims to get the right cant.

Coming soon: DaleBoot has a new model called ST in the works. After a few more tweaks it should be ready for the website. ST uses a different cuff and is a much stiffer boot according to Adam. Rocky Mountain Gear Guide will be testing the ST soon and then we will update this review to include the new model.

*Rosemount, Lange, Hanson, K2, Kennedy, Olin, Scott, DaleBoot

Adam checks alignment for the final step	Heel and toe pieces of different cant angles

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