Range of Motion and Walk Mode
Nordica claims a 43° ROM on the Strider Pro. In use, it doesn’t feel like all of that is easily accessible — there’s a lot of friction at the forward and rear extremities of the walk mode. But I found the Strider Pro’s walk mode to be very adequate for short tours, and those who don’t care as much as I do about ROM will be fine with it for longer tours. The ROM feels greater, and more friction-free than the walk mode on the K2 Pinnacle Pro, or the Roxa R3 130. It’s worth noting that you need to have the Strider Pro’s cuff buckles and power strap fully open to utilize the full ROM.
The Strider Pro’s walk mode lever is easy to actuate, even with gloves on, and I haven’t had any issues with it failing to lock. It has a very positive engagement, and it’s easy to tell when it’s fully locked. I’m a fan, especially compared to the Pinnacle Pro’s walk mode, which I’ve found sometimes needs some convincing to fully lock.
Liner
The Strider Pro’s liner certainly looks exciting; it’s got a cork portion around the heel, and a soft touring cutout. I found that it fit me very well out of the box. It’s beefier than an Intuition Pro Tour liner, but not as thick and stiff as the K2 Pinnacle Pro liner. I really like how the Strider Pro liner cradles my foot while skiing. It feels stiff and padded enough that I’m comfortable skiing it inbounds in bad snow, but it also walks surprisingly well, and I didn’t feel like it was limiting my ROM any more than the shell was.
Touring
I haven’t taken the Strider Pro on any lots-of-vert, all-day tours yet, and I don’t really plan on doing so. It’s a reasonably heavy boot, and it doesn’t walk as well as (much lighter) boots like the Salomon MTN Explore or Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD.
However, for shorter tours and sidecountry laps out of Targhee, I’ve been very happy with the Strider Pro 130. Paired with the Marker Kingpin binding and Moment Bibby Tour, I didn’t feel like the boot was the weak link on the uphill. As long as the skin track isn’t too flat, I felt that the Strider Pro’s ROM was adequate, and I haven’t experienced any hot spots or rubbing, even on a longer day in the Targhee backcountry.
I wouldn’t choose this boot if I was looking for something to regularly do long tours with, or if I was looking for a do-it-all touring boot, because I do too many long tours for the Strider Pro’s excellent downhill performance to outweigh its weight and range of motion. However, if you’re mostly doing shorter tours and / or put a premium on downhill performance, the Strider Pro’s uphill performance is more than adequate.
Downhill Performance
This is where the Strider Pro 130 excels. Initially, the 12° of forward lean felt a little more upright than I’m used to, and it took me a few runs to adjust. But once I did, I was impressed with the boot. And you could always install a spoiler behind the liner to introduce a bit more forward lean.
I first skied the Strider Pro 130 inbounds on a firm day at Targhee. Initially, I was worried that I’d be outgunned in this boot since it’s lighter than my current inbounds boots, and the conditions that day were terrible. But even when paired with the Moment Blister Pro and skied fast in very firm, crusty conditions, I didn’t find the boot to be lacking in power or suspension.
It feels very similar in flex to the K2 Pinnacle 130, and is maybe a touch stiffer. The flex is consistent and progressive, it’s easy to lean into the first portion of the flex, which helps absorb chatter, but the boot gets progressively stiffer as you lean into it.
I was impressed enough with its downhill performance that I was happy to bring only the Strider Pro 130 as my inbounds boot to Mt Bachelor, and with a Booster Strap added, I’d be happy to ski it as my everyday inbounds boot.
Furthermore, that downhill performance also pays off in the backcountry, especially on shorter, higher-impact tours where the Strider Pro 130 shines. It walks better than the other boots with a walk mode and tech fittings I’ve used (K2 Pinnacle 130 and Roxa X-Face 120), and it skis as well or better.
That makes it a very attractive choice for a lot of the short tours and sidecountry missions I go on, where the focus is on hitting cliffs, pillows, or booters. It’s also great to be able to take one boot up to the mountain on days where I’m not sure if I’m going to duck out of bounds or not. I’m used to having to compromise on days like this — either ski a touring boot inbounds, or walk uphill with a heavy, clunky boot. The Strider Pro 130 solves this problem better than any other boot I’ve used.
Who’s It For?
I wouldn’t recommend the Strider Pro 130 to skiers looking for a dedicated backcountry boot for long tours. It’s just not light enough, and it doesn’t walk well enough compared to the other options out there. However, for skiers who want something that’s very competent inbounds, and are primarily spending their time riding lifts but going on some some sidecountry excursions or shorter tours, the Strider Pro 130 is a great choice.
It’s also a very good choice for skiers looking for a touring boot for touring in bigger terrain where downhill performance is at a premium. This will be my boot of choice for any tour where there’s a chance of skiing bad snow on wider skis, or where I’m planning on hucking my meat. I haven’t been on a better boot for this sort of touring.
Of course, the Strider Pro is also a great choice for those looking for a high-volume, burly touring boot.
Bottom Line
At first glance, the Nordica Strider Pro 130 doesn’t really stand out in any one category. It’s not the lightest touring boot out there, and it doesn’t have eye-popping range of motion stats. But it skis well enough that it’s a legitimate choice for an everyday inbounds boot, while still walking quite well considering its downhill performance. That’s a powerful combination that’s well-suited to shorter tours or resort days with some sidecountry laps. If that’s what your skiing involves and you have a high-volume foot, the Nordica Strider Pro 130 is a great option.