There are now quite a few good, downhill-oriented touring boots, but which one is the right one? And what compromises do you have to make? Unfortunately, you can't do without them in this segment. These are often difficult questions due to the still limited variety on the market. That's where the Roxa X-ride comes in.
The shoe
The small Italian company Roxa has been producing for other manufacturers, including Movement, for some time. Roxa's touring boots and park models are therefore similar in construction to Movement's freeride and touring boots. The X-Ride is the top model in the Roxa Experience series. It is a three-part shoe with a shaft, tongue and foot section. The shoe has three buckles: normal clip buckles on the back of the foot and on the shaft and a ratchet buckle with cable in the ankle area, as well as a solid Velcro strap on the shaft end. The walking mode is operated with a kind of toggle switch. The X-Ride has tech inserts and interchangeable soles. In contrast to many other manufacturers, the inserts are integrated in the shell, not in the sole, so that Pintech bindings can be used with both sole variants. There are two different tongue hardnesses so that the stiffness of the boot can be adjusted slightly by swapping the tongues. The boots come with an Intuition liner (thermoformable, lacing).
Fit
The last width is specified as 100 mm (sole length 312). I have narrow heels and a very wide forefoot due to overlegs on the ball of the foot. I had to have the shoes slightly bulged in the overleg area, but this is the case with all my shoes without exception. In my opinion, the fit is comparable to that of the Dynafit Zzeus and Titan models (i.e. quite narrow heel with a rather wide forefoot). Compared to the BD Factor, the heel of the X-Ride is much narrower.
Tester
I, a female, have men's-sized feet and, at 184 cm and a good 70 kilos, am not really interested in the ski industry's special products for women. Before the X-Ride, I had a Dynafit Titan touring boot, which I was happy with. My alpine boot is a 130 racing boot. I like to climb longer for a nice descent, but I'll compromise on the ascent performance of my equipment if it works better on the descent. So far, I've used the X-Ride for about 20 days in varying conditions or for ascents. I use the boot in combination with a Down CD 7 with Dynafit or a Down CD 6 with G3 Onyx.
Ride performance
I am very satisfied with the downhill performance of the X-Ride. I use the harder tongues, for which a flex of 100 is specified. Purely in terms of forward flex, the boots are therefore harder than many alpine boots. The predecessor Dynafit Titan was similarly stiff. However, thanks to the three-part construction, the flex of the X-Ride is more even, which I find very advantageous. For me, the lateral stiffness leaves nothing to be desired. I find the forward lean angle (manufacturer's specification: 14°) pleasant. The ratchet buckle allows the heels to be fixed well.
Ascent
In short: The shoe is also suitable for longer ascents, but not perfect. The walking mode is very easy to adjust and seems robust so far. However, the resulting freedom of movement is limited, especially compared to more ascent-oriented shoes, but also to the Dynafit Titan, which plays in a similar league in terms of downhill. At around two kilos per boot, the X-Ride is definitely not a lightweight, but it is not heavier than other downhill-oriented touring boots.
Conclusion
Very good downhill performance, ascent properties okay but still room for improvement. Suitable for lifts and slopes. Good for freeriders looking for an all-round boot suitable for touring. An equal alternative to other downhill-oriented touring boots such as the BD Factor, Technica Cochise, K2 Pinnacle etc.
