Dynafit TLT8 Expedition CR Boot

Steen, This would best be answered by filling this out and working with us
boot fitter

Tim, This is the Mens. Can also be used by anyone. This is the womens version
TLT 8 womens.

Hi Randy,

For clarity, "molding" shells is a feature exclusive to Salomon and Atomic, where the entire shell is heated and molded to your foot. "Punching" is where you heat a specific spot of the boot. The TLT8 is punchable, but not moldable. In general, we advise against punching the cuff. There's usually no need to, but depending on the location it can be done. Reach out to us at help@skimo.co if you think you need to punch the cuff and we can give you some more advice. Glass grilamid can be punched very well, as is the case with the glass-grilamid F1 GT which uses glass-infused grilamid for the entire shell.

Hi Chris, the Palau Tour Lite Evo Pro is probably the closest match, with the Power LT taking up just a bit more room.

Hey Nathan, the TLT7 and TLT8 are considerably higher volume than the TLT6 performance. We do offer the Dynafit Speedfit Pro boot for people who loved the fit of the TLT6. It is the same mold but has a different liner. For other options that has a lower volume fit and in the same class I suggest looking at the Scarpa F1 LT or the Salomon S/Lab MTN Summit boot.

Hi Kade, compared to the TLT8, the hoji pro tour comes in lower over the instep, with a narrower heel! They both have a good amount of volume in the forefoot and toebox.

Hi Leah, how funky! I just pulled a women's TLT8, F1 and the unisex Speedfit and found them all to be pretty similar in cuff height. It could be a combination of not just cuff height but also shape that is sitting poorly on your calves. Happy to brainstorm solutions with you!

Hi Ian,

That's interesting! Here's a photo of the tlt8s next to my F1s. Pretty pronounced difference in my opinion. Some of it is the liner, and I guess I could play with other liners, but the shell itself is definitely a good bit higher too. Would be great to hear your thoughts.

Thanks,
Leah

Hi Mark, great questions, and thanks for your detailed info! Trying on boots at the shop can be tricky business as the liner will metamorphose through molding or daily use. Foreroom width itself may not rule this boot out for you but taking into account everything else (instep volume, ankle volume) it might be worthwhile to look at some alternatives.

On the other hand, if you are able to try these boots on without the liner (shell fit) and have 1-2 fingers of space around your foot, then they could be a good option! Feel free to write in to help@skimo.co and we would be happy to walk you through the process!

Hey Max, these are not compatible with MNC bindings, my apologies!

Just a couple of additions. Easiest boot I have had to get into and out of. First boot/liner I've been able to use without laces.

Hey Dane, for shell-only at size 27.0, the Carbonio comes in at 962g and the Expedition at 976g. Forward flex differences between the two models can be summarized as "subtle," but the Carbonio definitely has an edge for bigger or more backseat skiers.

Hi Dane, the Carbonio is not a 120. For what it's worth, we've weighed the shells and liners of every boot that we've carried. This TLT comparison might help.

Fit: Fit is very subjective, however we can note a few things, same fit as TLT7 (which is noticably wider and higher volume than the TLT6). This therefore is the widest available touring boot on the market with a stated last of 103.5. It is extremely comfortable for my feet, i drive, get groceries, and pretty much do anything with it unimpeded. Another fitment note is that Scarpa has primarily gone to carbon infused grilamid which they say you shouldnt punch (side note: you can, but it voids warranty and is very hard to do). Atomic uses memory fit which bakes the entire shell, but also requires special equipment and makes the plastic less responsive to pinpoint punching. What this means is that if you have ugly feet with bunions and bulges, this is one of the few remaining boots that is extremely easy for bootfitters to work with, and amateurs like myself to punch in my garage without specialty equipment. If you have a typical "north american foot" ie generally wider forefoot with a medium to narrow heel, then you may like this boot. It doesnt require you to have pointed ballerina feet like all the other lightweight 2 buckle boots (and it skis better, though obviously whatever fits you best will ski best, but this is the stiffest option).

Stuff that they need to fix but isnt a deal breaker: user serviceable upper cuff pivot joint. For some reason dynafit has been dragging their heels on a user servicable cuff joint. For biking nerds out there, the system they use is reminiscent of a pressfit BB. This means that they press the joint together at a factory. It works, but the more you use the boot, the more play develops in the joint between the upper and lower cuff. It also creates a slight amount of friction. Other manufacturers, like atomic, utilize a frictionless pivot that can be retightened at home, instead of having to be sent back to dynafit and repressed. The other option is to buy the B&D Ski gear ultimate cuff pivot, drill out the pressfit pivot, and install (not too terrible, ive done it on the Dynafit PDG 2). And drilling your boot will void warranty. This is a very easy fix for dynafit, specifically because they partner with Pierre Gignoux which uses a user servicable cuff on all boots, so Dynafit does know how to do it properly.

Secondly, as their premiere light and fast but still skis great boot, i find it odd that the transition now is longer than their beefier boot, the Hoji (excellent boot). The hoji utilizes a single throw rear latch which tightens the upper cuff, the booster strap, and locks the cuff. Similarly, dynafits premier race boot, the DNA (rebranded Pierre Gignoux Race 400) also tightens the upper cuff and locks it with a single throw of a latch. The TLT8 requires you to throw a side latch which locks and tightens the upper cuff, but you have to tighten to booster strap separately. You can remove the strap but it improves skiability. (Side note: the booster strap is far superior to those like on the Scarpa F1, it utilizes a camlock rather than velcro which should prove more durable and is easier to adjust.) So the next iteration imo should either adopt a version like the Hojis or like the DNA.

Summary/whose it for: light and fast users who want a strong boot for the downhill and want to not notice what's on their feet on the up. Comparatively i find it has the strongest ski performance in the weight class, and accommodates wider feet the best of any boot off the shelf. Dynafit also has an excellent warranty service.

*final note: the dynafit tlt 7/8 and hoji all utilize the speednose which is a unique design that eliminated the front welt. This serves several purposes, it allows shorter bsls, it provides a more natural pivot point (pins under toes rather than in front of them) which reduces fatigue and makes a more natural stride) and lastly if you climb ice in ski boots like i do, it allows for higher performance by allow the frontpoints to be closer to the boot rather than protruding far in front. This has the same effect of reducing the overall lever of your ankle and foot, thereby alleviating calf strain and allowing more precise placements. Ive climbed about 30 days of ice in Hojis (the same toe) and find the tech to work, both providing a more secure fit and compatible with any semi automatic toe piece on the market. I put a semi auto toe piece on my grivel g20s and havent thought about it sense. Some folks complain about this innovation, but they are probably unaware that a properly fitted semi auto crampon is both more secure than a fully automatic, and allows again for closer frontpoints for improved performance . To the haters who refuse to buy the boot because theyve been misled that you can only climb ice with full autos, i suggest breaking out of your shell and getting with the times, you wont miss it! After leading my ice block, i in fact watched my partners full auto crampon sheer sideways off of his boot while leading. You cant experience that with a semi auto! It's safer!

I have not submitted this as an official review yet because i do not believe in giving full reviews after only a month. I intend on releasing a full review at the end of the season. Thanks, and if you have questions let me know! Dynafit #speedup

Hey John! The only thing that's "pathetic" about skimo racing is how lame it is when you don't do it... in our opinion. The TLT8 should be a pretty good bet for a bit more boot than a true skimo race option, but with plenty of range of motion and a 1200g weight. Dynafit has kept the last pretty wide in the TLT7 and 8, but if you are a true EE width you may still find it restrictive. If you are going to bump up to the warmer liner in the Expedition model, going up a shell size to 29.0 may not be a bad idea!

Hi Christian! Clearly you belong in an efficiency-focused German-designed boot, and maybe some wiener schnitzel as a post-ski snack. The TLT series has, across the comparable models, become consistently stiffer and more performative since the TLT5, so I think you'd find the TLT8 (Expedition) flex to be at least as stiff as the TLT6 (Mountain) with tongues in. You could also consider the even-stiffer cuff on the Carbonio version, maybe with a side of schwarzbier.

No this is not true. The Tlt8 is very soft! Way too soft in my opinion. CR or CL liner does not really make a big difference in stiffness (except that in cl you need a 1/2 size smaller). Carbonio version is a bit better. The TLT 8 is like a tlt 6 with no tongue. TLT 7 is stiffer than tlt 6 witout tongue but i is not that high and wider: meaning ski control is worse. Also with tongue the tlt 6 was the stiffest tlt so far for downhill. I have all three. Reason: TLT7 was the worst with a stupid cable system that i had to replace three times. Very bad design. I had to get the tlt 8 (carbonio) to be sure that i will not be stuck this spring with half a boot in a multi day skitour. I would not recommend to buy the tlt 8 cr/cl if you are more than 60 kg...

Phil, your input is much appreciated but may be unique to yourself and your skiing style. You may find that, for a variety of reasons, your TLT6s provide a stiffer and more hard-driving ski experiences than your TLT7s or TLT8s, but as a general rule the boots have indeed gotten stiffer over the generations on account of advances in materials and a more sophisticated (and stiffer) interface between the cuff pivots. Dynafit does not mess around with their model updates for their flagship touring boot! Also worth noting that the TLT8 Expedition does not come with a CL or CR liner (as the Performance and Expedition models had, respectively, in the past) but instead comes with one "Custom Ready" liner made by Sidas. Only with the Carbonio model does Dynafit offer the thinner "Custom Light" option.

If you find that the TLT8 is too "soft" in flex for your tastes and your ski style, you might consider trying something more in the "freeride" boot category (née "beef boots), since those boots will be designed with a very hard-charging skier in mind. What's more, how much stiffness a skier demands is almost certainly correlated more highly with skiing style than it is with weight. I'm well over 90kg/200lbs with my touring kit and backpack on and the TLT8 Carbonio is approximately as stiff as I would ever want a touring boot (not a race boot, mind you) to be. If anything, I prefer my (four-season old) TLT7s precisely because they have a more pronounced progressive flex.

If I had my way, we in the backcountry-ski world would stop chasing "stiffer" boots and turn our focus to boots with a more controlled flex and more active "suspension" (as the Coloradans on the Blister Podcast call it). Stiffness is, in a sense, a false narrative. If all we cared about were running the stiffest possible boots for the weight we'd all be on Alien 3.0s with modified Kevlar attachment points ála Benjamin Chamoux.

Perfectly agree, above all over this last sentence/concept.

I've used both normal TLT8 and Carbonio, and the latter to me are "too stiff" while the normal ones lack of progression but performs (TO ME) better than carbonio either way.

What it seems hard to achieve in this boot range is indeed progression, meaning the good amount of feedback and stability over increasing pressure we might put on the boot.