Dynafit has been making touring boots for decades now, and for just as long, Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson has been testing, tweaking, dismantling, and reconstructing them. That partnership has resulted in several notable boots, including the Dynafit Vulcan, Hoji Pro Tour, Hoji Free — and now, the new Dynafit Ridge boots.
For more backstory on this series and its development, check out this short video from Dynafit and Hoji:
The announcement of the Ridge boots follows the previous news about Dynafit’s new Ridge binding. Check out our writeup about the Ridge binding for the details on that, and BLISTER+ members can read Paul Forward’s Flash Review of the Ridge binding for his initial on-snow impressions.
Side note: if you want to try the new Ridge boots — and ski and chat with Hoji himself — you can do so at next week’s Blister Summit (Feb 4-8, 2024)!
Now, back to the boots themselves. The Ridge series will include a men’s Ridge Pro, women’s Ridge Pro, men’s Ridge, and women’s Ridge boots. The men’s Ridge Pro is currently available (in limited sizes) for sale on Dynafit’s site; the full line will be available for the 2024-2025 season.
According to Dynafit, the main differences between the regular Ridge and the Ridge Pro come down to materials; the Pro versions feature carbon-reinforced Grilamid for a reported 10% increase in stiffness and 30-gram weight loss (the standard Ridge boots use fiberglass-reinforced Grilamid). I’d also assume the standard Ridge is a bit cheaper; we currently only have an MSRP for the Ridge Pro, which is $899.95.
Here are some quick stats on the top-level Ridge Pro boots:
2024-2025 Dynafit Ridge Pro Ski Boot (Men’s)
Stated Flex Rating: 120
Stated Cuff Range of Motion: 70°
Stated Last Width (size 26.5): 101 mm
Stated Weight (size 26.5): 1250 grams
Available Sizes: 25-31.5
2024-2025 Dynafit Ridge Pro Ski Boot (Women’s)
Stated Flex Rating: 110
Stated Cuff Range of Motion: 70°
Stated Last Width (size 26.5): 101 mm
Stated Weight (size 24.5): 1130 grams
Available Sizes: 23-27.5
When I first saw those numbers, I immediately thought of some of the other recent boots we’ve been testing that don’t neatly fit into either the very stiff, freeride-touring class, or the lighter, softer, ~1-kg category of more uphill-oriented models. E.g., the Atomic Backland XTD Carbon 120 and Fischer Transalp Pro / Transalp Pro Carbon.
On paper, the Ridge Pro’s specs mirror those boots, and Dynafit says the Ridge Pro “delivers the perfect fusion of speed mountaineering and free touring.”
The Ridge Pro doesn’t have the absolute stiffest stated flex rating, nor the absolute lowest weight, but it’s supposed to be more supportive / ski better than most of the lighter alternatives out there, while offering a lot more walking / skinning mobility than the stiffer, heavier competitors. The way that the Ridge Pro goes about accomplishing that is noteworthy.
As you’d expect, it’s the latest boot in their line to feature Dynafit and Hoji’s signature walk / ski mechanism, the Hoji Lock. On the Ridge boots, the Hoji Lock isn’t connected to the boot’s closure mechanisms like it is on the Dynafit Radical, Tigard, and Hoji Free boots (i.e., the Ridge’s Hoji Lock doesn’t also tighten or loosen the boot’s closures when you flip it between modes). However, Dynafit says that the Hoji Lock on the Ridge has “been redesigned for even better power transfer and ease of use.”
The big new tech in the Ridge is its “Floating Tongue.” In short, it’s a 2-piece design where the stiffer, outer tongue can slide horizontally along the more flexible, inner tongue while touring, increasing range of motion. Check out this video from Dynafit for a visual explanation:
Dynafit pairs that 2-piece Floating Tongue with a dial-style adjuster that Dynafit says you can use to “customize the volume three-dimensionally and very precisely to fit your needs.” In addition to the visible exterior cables that go over the Ridge’s outer tongue, there are also cables connected to the dial that tighten the inner tongue. You can see how this works on the prototype shown in the first video with Hoji, above (around 1:30).
While we’ve seen multi-piece tongues in many forms on other boots, this one seems particularly interesting from both a fit and performance perspective.
Rounding out the details are a ratchet-style cuff buckle / strap, wide velcro power strap, and a stated 12° forward lean that can be bumped to 15° via the included spoiler.
The Ridge features a beefy-looking, full-rubber Vibram sole and Dynafit’s Master Step tech inserts, which work great in tech / pin bindings. On that note, the Ridge is a pin-only boot; it does not feature an ISO 9523 normed sole and can therefore not be used in “Multi-Norm” alpine-style bindings.
We’ll begin testing the Ridge Pro boot very soon, so BLISTER+ members should keep an eye out for Flash Reviews in the future.
And for anyone joining us at Blister Summit 2024, be sure to swing by the Dynafit booth to check out the new Ridge boots, hang with Hoji, and test some gear!
@Kara “The Boot Wizard” Willard – When are we getting a deep dive with Hoji on the development with this thing??!?!?!
Looks like he hacked a TLT X lower clog together, but definitely some different features on there not present on the current mold.
The never ending quest for a burly supportive boot that skis like a dh race boot and goes uphill like a running shoe! And keep that BSL short!
So many positives, but still way too much volume in the ankle pocket and the top of the forefoot, a hard stop to the flex (potentially remedied with a softer version in 2024/25), an overly upright and difficult to modify stance, and a mediocre liner that needs to be replaced before using.