Dynafit Radical Pro – Review

A few months back, I wrote a first look overview of the Dynafit Radical Pro ski boot. After a few months of skiing the boot, I must say I adore it: it’s not only that they make me feel cool and “freeride.” They are everything I have wanted in a touring ski boot that I have spent the past eight years seeking. In this review, I will break down my favorite features and why you might love it too.

A bit about me

I am 5’9’’, 150 pounds, and an advanced skier.
For the past few years, I skied on the Dynafit Hoji Pro Tour. I also own the Dynafit Hoji Free 110.

Where have I skied it

I have used the Radical Pro for morning skin laps at our local ski resort (Snoqualmie pass); I’ve also gone on several shorter to midsize tours around Washington in various ski conditions, skied this boot in the resort, and brought it on a week-long hut trip in Canada.

A bit about fit

I have heard various stories about Dynafit boots being hard to fit. I have found this to be true, which for me, began after I first tried the Dynafit Beast many years ago. It seemed that Dynafit was only meant for those with narrow feet, at least for women’s boots. However, with recent upgrades I applaud Dynafit for branching out of their usual narrower formula to accommodate wider feet.

I tend to have quite a few fit issues, but the Women’s Hoji Pro Tour mostly worked for me – I needed a few punches around my sixth toe area. For the Hoji Free 110 I needed a lot more work for a proper fit (review coming soon). For the Women’s Radical Pros, I molded the liners – presto. My toe box feels roomy but my heel is properly fitted. My calf has enough room to breathe, with the top buckles providing the appropriate amount of tightness when I need it. The middle buckle does not put any pressure points on my arch. Is this for real?

Compatibility with all crampons, bindings.

The Radical Pro could be your one quiver boot, I know it will be for me. The boot shines while touring, resort skiing, quick uphill laps inbounds, take your pick. It fits all tech and AT bindings (ISO 9523). It fits all crampons. It will still work with the Dynafit cramp-in.

Hoji ski/walk mechanism

If you have read any of my previous posts about boots, you may already know I love the Hoji lever. With that said, Radical Pro is the only one where I have used the mechanism as intended – I adjust the top buckle and strap at the start of the tour, and only use the lever to switch between walk and ski modes (and let the mechanism take care of loosening/tightening everything for me throughout the day). In other Dynafit boots, I find the lever-only mechanism unreliable: I would have to unbuckle my top buckle to make sure the lever would actually flip into ski mode. I guess this is due to the size of my calf preventing the mechanism from closing if the top buckle is too tight. I have not found the same to be true for this specific model, the Radical Pro, likely because the opening for the calf is a bit larger.

Wide toe box

Dynafit claims the last of the Radical Pro is 104 mm (same as the Hoji Pro Tour) but I found that this boot feels wider. This is the first boot I have not punched to fit my fairly wide foot. I have had none of my usual sixth toe/big toe bunion pain I usually suffer no matter how much time I spend fitting boots. The pain from the sixth toe also causes pain in the bottom of my foot. The Dynafit miracle workers have delivered; I have not felt similar pain in this boot, which has been amazing.

I have found that wearing the thinnest ski socks I can find, paired with a Sidas custom insole, has kept my foot warm and cozy. The extra room in the toe box makes a huge difference, allowing me to use a thicker insole to properly support my foot.

Range of motion

This boot walks well with its 60 degrees of cuff rotation. With its lightweight, the Radical Pro feels more like a shoe. I have not gone on too many long walks using it yet, but I am excited for more comfort for longer spring days.

New tongue system and flex rating

The major change in the Radical Pro from the Hoji boot series is the tongue system. The “old” Hoji tongue is V shaped, and is built out of plastic and textile, and can be flipped out when the buckles are not engaged. The Radical Pro deviates from this design as it features a hinged tongue that pulls forward and is secured with four screws right above the toe box. I am not quite sure why there are exactly four screws, it feels like two would be enough!

The boot is rated at 120 flex and it feels true to the rating. Having the Hoji Free 110 has been helpful for comparison; I tend to like a softer flex, but have actually found the stiffness of the Radical Pro works in my favor. I have especially noticed this in more variable conditions; I feel more control of my skis as I flex the boot. The flex feels less “progressive”, meaning I do eventually hit a harder stiffness in the tongue as I flex it, likely due to the 120 rating, especially when skiing powder.

The new tongue system also makes it easy for foot entry/exit. The same applies for taking the liner in/out.

In my first look post, I expressed a bit of disdain for Dynafit changing the power strap design, and I admit to have been wrong. I didn’t miss the cam strap and find the velcro strap on the Radical Pro provides the right amount of tightness and support.

Durability

I struggled with this when I owned the Hoji Pro Tour; the shell shredded my liner, multiple buckles stopped functioning, the shell/sole were scratched and torn after less then 15 days of use. Given the high price of the Pro Tour, I expected it to hold up better. Although I haven’t walked around on a mountain of scree yet while wearing the Radical Pros, overall I am pleased with how the shell, buckles and strap are holding up so far.

Sizing

Radical Pro sizing goes down to 22.5, but this boot runs large considering the width of the last and heel pocket. I’m thinking this would not be the best fit for small feet.

What can be improved

The only major bummer are the factory liners. The lock system mechanism has thoroughly eaten through my liner in the 20 days I have on them so far. Overall, however, the liner showed more durability than the Pro Tour liner, but the wear and tear caused by switching between ski and walk mode is substantial enough that it will eventually puncture holes through the liner.

I also found the variation in boot sole length to be interesting. It makes sense that the length would be different between Radical Pro and Hoji Pro Tour due to the latter’s speed nose, but I expected both of my non-speed-nose Dynafit 25 size boots to be the same boot sole length. That expectation was wrong. They are off by 3 mm which is barely substantial enough to necessitate binding adjustment.

A few people have wished for boots of this caliber to offer a greater forward lean. I like the 11 degree lean, but having the ability to adjust a more aggressive angle would allow the boot to cater to a wider variety of skiers.

Let’s wrap it up

I have never owned a boot in my 10+ years of skiing that required no work beyond molding the liner. Radical Pro is the gift from the skiing gods I have been praying for after all these years of boot pain. It makes my feet smile, if that was a thing feet could do. I am now going to purchase at least three more pairs to hoard for the rest of my skiing years: please dont judge me.