Gear Review | Dynafit Hoji Free

Practical use

I've used the boot on about 5 days on medium-length ski tours (max. 1000 metres), plus a few days of pure freeriding in the ski area and a short trip to the park (kicker). I was able to bake up the lined without any problems. I've done this several times at home and have all the necessary toe caps and additional spacers for the ankles and overlegs to hand. The baking really had a positive effect, especially in the ankle area and toe volume. The boot comes with fairly simple insoles, I myself use customised Sidas insoles, which make me stand a little straighter and therefore my inner ankle higher, which for me fits the shape of the shell much better than if I just use the insoles supplied. After baking and with the insoles, my ankle fitted much better in the shell than before.

Getting into the boot is easy, although you can feel the sharp edges of the shell on the instep a little. If you put the tongues of the liner over the shell and close the centre ratchet buckle, everything fits together as it should and the heel also finds a good hold. I've only had to close the front buckle at the first stage so far, the second stage would be far too tight. I find a good hold on the shaft with the predetermined centre placement of the buckle. With other boots, thanks to my thinner lower legs, I have to move the buckle to be able to close the shoe tightly enough.

The lever for switching to walk mode is solid and you really enjoy using it. In my case, I use it on almost every occasion when I'm not skiing downhill. It's quick and really makes a huge difference when walking around, but also when standing around. We have already discussed more about walking mode in the Test of the Hoji Pro. I find the boots excellent for ascending, prefer to leave the lower two buckles slightly closed and also feel pretty well supported when traversing on hard snow with wide skis. I don't miss the longer procedure that I'm used to with my Lupos (opening all buckles, flipping the lever, removing the tongue, stowing, half-closing the boot again and then remembering to fix the lever at the back again before skiing downhill), especially when I also have to convert the CAST system. The Hoji Free can be converted really quickly from ascent to descent.

I have to preface this test by saying that I've been skiing exclusively with Fulltilt and Dalbello boots and Intuition Wrap liners for over 12 years now, which means that almost every other or new ski boot feels strange to me. I would probably have to ski a lot more and longer with the Hoji Free to really be able to evaluate it completely neutrally. I can therefore only describe the differences I can feel without necessarily describing them as worse/better.

Firstly, I noticed that the flex of the shoe feels relatively stiff. At the same time, the shaft height is slightly lower than that of the Dalbellos. In addition, I realised (only after a few days) that the pivot point of the shaft on the Hoji Free, as with practically all touring boots, is positioned significantly higher than on my usual boots. As a result, you exert a different, somewhat weaker leverage effect on the ski boot when you exert pressure forwards. This is probably why the Hoji Free doesn't feel quite as progressive as I would like and am used to. The relatively upright shaft angle, together with the rather stiff and undamped Grilamid material and the aforementioned higher pivot point, requires a different application of force to get the flex I'm used to. Although the boot has a convertible design, the flex is also influenced by the locking mechanism and the shaft. I can't say for sure whether the flex, which is not quite ideal for me, is due to the steep shaft angle, the shell material, the two-part tongue, which can't be solely responsible for the flex, or the Hoji-Lock mechanism.

I haven't skied the boot too much in the ski resort yet. I could imagine that it will become a little softer and more comfortable to ski in over time, at least for me and my skiing style, and I will probably get used to the differences. Interestingly, however, the Hoji Free convinced me the most on the piste: it really offers very good lateral power transmission from the shaft, is very direct and I really enjoy carving with it. The boot allowed me to build up a lot of edge grip at heel height. I was also able to do everything in powder after a short familiarisation phase, but the boot felt a bit strange to me in extended, irregular bumps with difficult snow. I think that I'm not really used to the upright shaft and I found myself falling back more often than usual, as the usual resistance at the back of the calf was missing. However, I would perhaps like to help with an additional spoiler to provide more support or faster "feedback" to the rear.

Speaking of spoilers: Dynafit states on its website that the boot has an 11° template and that you can change the angle to 17° with the help of a spoiler. However, it is not clear to me how much of a template I have tested the boot with and whether the spoiler is already installed or would have to be retrofitted. A shop that had all Hoji models in stock couldn't help me here either. I could only see that the Hoji Free already has a thicker spoiler in the calf area compared to the Pro. Nothing was supplied, and unfortunately there were no instructions either. Clearer communication from the manufacturer would be desirable here, especially for end customers and shop employees. I have now slightly unscrewed a screw on the lever of the walk mode myself so that the lever is slightly longer when closed, which means a little more incline.

On the whole, I can do the same things with the shoe as I could with my previous boots, but it's much more comfortable to get on. I can jump and land tricks comfortably without having to worry about damaging my feet. Nosebutters also work without slipping out of the heel. Unfortunately, the liner still offers significantly less cushioning towards the outer shell than an Intuition Wrap Liner. I was initially put off by the 102mm last width, as I usually ride in boots with 98mm lasts, but I can now say that the boot is not too wide for me and I have good support.

Conclusion

The Hoji Free is a super ski touring boot with excellent ascent characteristics that allows you to ski downhill in a very sporty style. The Hoji Lock mechanism is very comfortable and works perfectly. The slight weaknesses in the fit of the Hoji Pro have largely been eliminated, with the shell offering better support with a tighter fit and a revised ankle area. For me, the boot is the first choice when it comes to pure ski touring. But unfortunately, for me at least, its not quite so progressive flex behaviour, the rather low shaft height and the high pivot point mean that it won't quickly become the one ski boot with which I can and want to do everything without compromise. Nevertheless, I can pack it as the only ski boot for a trip that involves any kind of skiing. I think the Hoji Free works well for skiers like me who come from an alpine and freestyle background and are looking for an all-round ski touring boot, but it still leaves a little to be desired in terms of more cushioning and support. For skiers who come from the touring area and are looking for an all-round boot for everything, including freeride or piste days in the ski area, it can work very well and is very versatile.