Dynafit TLT8 Carbonio Boot

I’ve got about 35k of very on these so far and they’ve been great. The weight and mobility are excellent. The liner in the carbonio is very thin. Swapped out for a Palau almost immediately, huge improvement. Not a very progressive flex, but it is very even and provides a lot of power transfer. I love it for fitness laps at dawn and for getting after it on long days. I wouldn’t go much above a 100mm waisted ski, unless you know the conditions are going to be consistent. I ski them on Atomic Backland 100s and Black Crows Ova Freebirds (85mm). This boot is meant to be fast and light machine; build your setup with that in mind and you’ll be very happy with this boot.

Does Dynafit offer the alternative plate for the adjustment of the forward lean angle? Currently, the options are 15 and 18 degree, which can be selected by flipping of the aluminum plate in the inner piece of the cuff. I tried to ski these on the resort with 18 degree forward lean and generally happy with the results but may want to dial back the forward lean somewhere between the two preset values. Thanks.

A+. I love this boot.

This is my first lighter weight touring boot. I purchased them from Skimo in May 2020 and skied them through the summer and into this season.

These boots go uphill like a dream and transition like lightning. Coming from a beefier four buckle boot, the ultra lock system is so fast and magical that I still occasionally giggle about how easy it is. The downhill performance is fine for me, though I don’t have anything to compare them to in this weight class. I like the buckle system on the TLT 8 much better than TLT 7: it’s significantly more adjustable and seems way more durable. I’ve used Camp universal strap-on crampons with the boots, and they work fine. Re the speednose, I can’t say I notice more efficiency in terms of mechanics (they’re so light— that’s what I really notice), but getting the boot to pivot off your toe in kick turns when you lift a ski etc. is a little different than when using a boot with a toe welt.

I know the big critique of this boot is that its last is really wide and the liner is ultra thin. I, however, am really glad dynafit made the boot this way. I have high arches, high in-steps, and wide forefeet. (If you’re a runner, I have Altra / birkenstock feet, not Hoka feet.) These boots are still on the narrow side for my forefoot, and I needed to get them punched on the lateral sides for the sake of my fifth toes. But overall they work really well. If you don’t like the fit the liner gives you, that’s a bummer. But I’m guessing skimo could make them work for you with a thicker liner and some boot magic.

I also have Raynauds syndrome, which means my feet get very cold very easily and they’re more susceptible to frostbite than the average person’s. In my case, I originally wanted to go with TLT 8 Expedition for the warmth, but the thicker liner put too much pressure on my instep and reduced circulation, which would mean colder feet faster. So oddly, the thin liner seems to be OK because it doesn’t restrict circulation.

Overall, great boot and it seems like a big improvement from the TLT 7. I can easily hike miles uphill w/ or without skis on with these boots. And it's easy to drive a stick shift in them.

I've put about 20 days on these so far this winter and I'm impressed. I'm coming from a TLT7-Performance that I had to warranty twice. It's the first full carbon that I've had and getting used to the non-progressive flex took a couple ski days to get used to. It's a much stiffer boot than the 7P and skis much better IMO. The boot feels slightly wider in the toe box region than the 7P and with the super thin liner it took a little bit to get the fit just right (which was done well by SkimoCo bootfitters!). I'm a big fan of the speed nose and like that the pivot point is closer to the toes. The new buckle mechanism is plenty easy to use and I feel like I get a better fit all over with these buckles than I did with the 7P. All-in-all, I think this is a great light-weight 2-buckle boot and skis bigger skis well (Movement Alp-Tracks 106).

Took these out for their first mission the other day, 11 mi, 4k vert w/ steep snow and rock scrambling.
Pros
-Good walk ability
-Stiff ski mode
-Easy transitions
-Light AF
Cons
- Liner thickness and padding is inadequate
- carbon cuff is delicate to ski edge and parking lot impact
-Irvis hybrid crampon fit was secure but difficult
-flex is not progressive

I've been beating these up for the better part of the winter and spring. A few critical thoughts:

-The PDG2.0s took a ton of work to fit my feet. The TLT8 took ZERO shell work. So I was psyched about that! Sized 1 shell down from previous TLT5 and 6s.

-The liner didn't do it for me. It's super thin and even after a mold, it just didn't feel right. Slapped in my intuition liners and it made all the difference in the world. I wish they offered the TLT8 with the Hoji liner though I can see the appeal of the thin liner for warmer conditions.

-Ankle flexion and walkability seems as good as the PDG. Walk mode is great and the new ultra-lock
-Ski ability is excellent for the weight class and leagues ahead of the PDG. For not that big of a weight difference, this makes it pretty appealing in most situations.

-The missing toe welt is certainly it's biggest sticking point. It's obviously not a boot you'd use in a frame binding so that's not an issue. In terms of crampon compatibility, it's limited to those with a flex toe binding. I've done quite a bit of climbing on ice and rock now with the petzl irvis hybrid and it's super effective. I certainly like having a welt but I can still get a good fit.
-The main downside is booting in firm snow without crampons. Without the toe welt, it's much harder to kick steps. Obviously putting on crampons is the answer but sometimes it's just a short stretch. That's really my only complaint!

I am considering updating (or complementing) my current AT setup. I am currently using Scarpa Maestrale RS in 29.5/30 size which fit well after the liner mold and no shell punching. The main problem with Maestrales is perhaps not the weight but rather stiff flex in the rearward bending of the cuff, which makes approach a bigger chore than climbing. I am thinking complementing the setup with something in the category of TLT's and actually bigger skis, like Dynastar Mythic 97 @ 184 or V6, or Blizzard Zero G 105 of same size (Hypervectors are great but too skinny for too many conditions, especially when wearing 30+ lb backpack).

I am considering TLT8 or La Sportiva Scorpius, however I have a rather high arch which made, for example, wearing La Sportiva Spitfire painful in less than an hour.

Given that would you recommend TLT8 or there is a chance that Scorpius will work?
Thanks.

Thought I would post a quick review now that I've had this boot out on a few tours. I really like them, now that I've got them working well for me. Its much more comfortable than any other touring boot I've had, coming from the TLT6 and TLT7. Even as comfortable or better than my Salomon Mtn Lab's, but of course MUCH lighter than those!

Here's what I did to get them working to my satisfaction: 1) Replaced factory footbed with "green" Superfeet. 2) removed power strap. 3) Used a machine to cycle the cuff pivot at high rate until broken in (probably the equivalent of 10 long tours), then lubricated the pivots with high-viscosity gun oil. Most of the excessive friction flexing the boot while skinning is coming from the cuff pivots. This can be seen after removing the liners. The liners are thin and soft, but that works from my hot, sweaty feet! I don't have any problems keeping the liner tongue in place while skinning like some have reported, but it does take extra care when putting the boots on to make sure it is under the sides of the liner.

Last question. Disregard a wider fit, the better touring and easier transitions. Weight is the same with thinner liner in the Carbonio that doesn't seems to fit anyone. How much better does this boot ski than an older TLT6P? Stiffer shell? Higher flex rating? Higher cuff? More predictable flex? I want the boot, just trying to decide why I want this boot :)

Hey guys! I have been wearing a pair of Vulcans for years that are a "comfort" fit and I've been thinking of going down a size for a better fit and more aggressive boot (I also have a mid-low volume foot, so the vulcan may not have been a great choice in the first place). Can you speak to the level of stiffness of the Carbonio 8s versus the non-carbon models, and the volume compared to Vulcans (or even the new Hoji Free/Pros)?

Thanks!

Question on sizing? Other than the extra width are these a typical 28 and 29 Dynafit sizing going back to the TLT 5s and 6? If so are the shells still in full sizes only? As in, a 28.5 is still a 28 shell just a different molding on the liner as they did prior? Thanks.

I'm looking for a binding to pair with this boot for corn harvesting and hut touring. Which would you recommend?

I put 10k feet on these the first two days. One day with the stock liners and one day with replacements. The stock liners are a bit short at the tongue so they slip below the hard tongue and they are too soft so I found getting them tight enough without crushing your foot is tricky. I put some Palau liners I had from another set of boots in and they were 10x better.

I was able to try on a TLT8 Expedition, and size 28 was a great fit. I'm still leaning towards the TLT8 Carbonio, and wondering if the sizing will be consistent with the Expedition? I'm thinking Carbonio due to the lower weight, but is it noticeably stiffer (vs. the Expedition)?

The liner in this boot is like a sock. What would you recommend to beef up the ski performance?

Hey Do you guys have the Dynafit TLT8 Carbonio boot in stock at the Salt Lake store for trying on? Size 28.

Thanks!

Are the Scarpa F1s and the TLT8s that different? I just got the F1s but tried on the TLT8s and they felt oh so good and now I'm having second thoughts. Bonus points if you can help me justify owning both...

I read here that the tlt8 weighs 1100 +grams. On the dynafit site they say 950 grams. That's quite a difference. Which is accurate. thx

I have skied the TLT6 Carbon for years and it's the best boot I've ever toured on. My question about the TLT8 Carbonio is; will I have to remount my skis for the different placement of the pin holes? Thanks in advance.

What is the weight of this boot? You give the same weight as the expedition CR. Is that correct? I thought the carbonario would be lighter?