Review: Dynafit’s Hoji Free & Pro Tour

Dynafit’s Hoji Free – for free riders who won’t compromise in or out of bounds.

Dynafit’s Hoji series is made up of seven models; six variations of the Hoji Pro Tour model and the newer Hoji Free. Think of the Hoji Free as the freeride boot, the one that works with an alpine resort binding and of course any variety of Dynafit-style pin binding. The Hoji Pro Tour series features a speed nose that connects to a pintech binding only, and comes in a lighter, pricier version using carbon reinforced Grilamid as the shell material (M & W), or more economical but heavier versions in Pebax (PX, M & W) or Polyurethane (PU, M & W).

Downhill Chops

Like it’s predecessor, the Vulcan, the Hoji boots combine excellent tourability for a mid-weight boot, with superb downhill performance. Part of the performance comes from a Grilamid shell and cuff. Often times that just produces a stiff cuff with little discernable flex, like trying to press against a wall. The Vulcan and Beast were guilty of being overly stiff in my opinion.

The cuff (L side) hugs the scafa (R side) for a solid turning connection.

Where the real performance differences occur is in the way Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson figured out how to increase the connectivity between the cuff and the scafa (lower shell). They don’t just connect like pieces of a puzzle but overlap so the connection has depth, not merely a tight surface connection in a plane. The result is a cuff that flexes progressively, a welcome but uncharacteristic sensation for a Dynafit boot.

Touring Range of Motion

Lots of motion to the rear for the flats, with very little resistance.

Even though Dynafit is known for making boots with record setting range of motion, as soon as you claim the downhill power is great, that must mean there’s been some compromise in the touring mobility. The reality is the touring mode remains a bar-setting Dynafit caliber feature with no compromise to the touring mobility. And the Hoji pulls it off with a new take on their single pull switch concept, first pioneered with the TLT5. In the case of the Hoji though there are more moving parts, including cables, but this incarnation looks and acts far cleaner than the cable-plagued TLT7.

Simply lift the tour mode lever to loosen the cuff for amazing mobility.

The main cuff buckle is anchored to cables that are linked to the mode lever on the Achilles spine of the boot. When down, the cables are taut and the cuff buckle can be tightened. When the lever is lifted, the cables extend, which eases the tension on the main cuff buckle without unbuckling it. The reduction in cuff pressure is so dramatic you’ll think the buckle is loose even though it’s still latched. You might unbuckle it for a long climb, but honestly all you are likely to do is just loosen the power strap which uses the same single pull release mechanism found with the Dynafit Radical. I’ll bet half the time you won’t bother loosening the power strap, let alone the buckle. Cuff mobility is that good.

Fit

The Hoji Pro with speed nose, single pull touring switch, and heat-moldable liner.

What differentiates the Free from the Pro, besides the DIN alpine toe of the Free, is the fit. Both boots favor high volume feet. The Pro Tour has a last width of 103.5mm, but the Free is slightly narrower with a width of 102mm. It also feels narrower around the lower leg, so thick ankles might not like it. Both come with a high instep height. To counter the inherent high instep height both sport an instep buckle which helps accommodate average volume feet, but not enough to satisfy low volume feet without a shim under the liner.

The liner is moldable in both boots, but the Hoji Free has a more alpinesque liner that is thicker around the leg. If you need more than minor accommodation for bony ankles, or bunions you may need an Intuition wrap liner, especially for the Pro Tour.

What’s not to like about Hoji? The price, especially if you require more than the minimal padding the Pro liner offers. On the other hand, if you don’t need a state of the art carbon infused Grilamid shell you can trade grams for dollars and still have a high performance boot without paying for state of the art weight savings. If it works out of the box for you, you’ll be able to justify the cost easily with the performance range it offers for both the uphill and downhill legs of a tour.

Dynafit