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gear reviews

Gear reviews | Tecnica Zero G Guide Pro

Successful, lighter alternative to the Cochise series

by Lea Hartl 10/19/2016
Tecnica presents an interesting new boot for the freetouring segment for the 2016/17 season. The Zero G Guide Pro is a solid four-buckle boot that scores points with its surprisingly low weight and wide range of use. We tested the boot extensively in the southern hemisphere winter.

With the Zero G series, which includes the Guide Pro, the slightly less stiff Guide and the Guide Women, Tecnica is adding a lighter, more ascent-oriented alternative to the tried-and-tested Cochise models to its lineup. The manufacturer's description is almost poetic: "What sounds like space exploration is in fact the Tecnica Zero G Guide Pro: a combination of alpine boot and touring boot that gets up close and personal with the force of gravity."

The basic principle of the Zero G Guide Pro is a classic, two-part four-buckle boot (with a strong powerstrap), with tech inserts, walk mode and interchangeable soles. The buckles are screwed, the strap riveted. The shell is made of "bi-material TRIAX 3.0", Tecnica's own polyether material mix. The lower part of the base and the ankle and rear cuff area are made of a more solid type of plastic, the rest is made of a slightly thinner, more flexible material (bi-injection ski boot), which makes it easier to get into. Certain areas of the shell have a kind of structuring that is intended to make the boot more adaptable to possible problem areas ("Custom Adaptive Shape" System).

The Dynafit-certified inserts are built into the shell, not the sole. The slightly rockered "Skywalk" rubber sole complies with the ISO 9523 standard. The sole pieces on the forefoot and in the heel area are screwed to the shell (4 screws at the front, 5 at the back) and can be removed. A removable sole is not supplied. We assume that the interchangeable soles of the new Cochise series are compatible, but this would have to be checked with the manufacturer if necessary. The thermo-moldable inner shoe comes from Palau. It has laces and is otherwise pretty straightforward. According to the manufacturer, a shoe with liner in size 26.5 weighs 1540g. Our test model in size 27.5 weighs only slightly more. In 27.5, the sole length is 315mm.

Rise characteristics

On the manufacturer's website, the rotation angle, or freedom of movement in walking mode, is sometimes given as 42°, sometimes as 44°. In practice, the difference hardly makes a difference. The freedom of movement to the rear is better than with some heavier freeride boots with ascent mode, but not as great as with the typical "pure" touring boots. This is primarily noticeable on long, very flat ascents. The forward freedom of movement is also not record-breaking, but for me it is sufficient in all situations. The low weight is certainly the biggest plus point of the boot on the ascent, especially when you consider the good downhill properties and the weight of other boots that are comparable on the descent.

Switching from walking to ski mode and vice versa is also easy to do with gloves. The walking mechanism consists of a kind of metal clip that can snap into a metal guide and thus lock. The system supposedly adjusts itself when the metal parts wear out and thus permanently prevents play from occurring with heavy use. The walking mechanism is located between the two parts of the shell and is visible but difficult to reach. In certain situations (especially when trudging through soft snow), snow can penetrate the walking mechanism and prevent it from locking. To solve this rare but annoying problem, I had to take the shoe off and tap it for a long time to get the snow out, as it is not possible to scrape the snow out somehow. As another potential solution, you could pour tea or hot water into the walking mechanism to melt the blocking snow.

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Testers and test conditions

The test lasted a good 20 days in the Alps and South America, in conditions ranging from ice to slush to powder, mostly on ski tours, but also on one or two lift days. The tester previously used a Roxa X-Ride and a Dynafit Titan as touring boots and uses Nordica racing boots for non-touring. The boot was tested in combination with a DOWNSKIS LowDown in 186cm and a Dynafit Radical ST.

First impression

With its four buckles and monochrome yellow design (hello, Fischer!), the boot looks like a sporty alpine boot at first glance. When you pick it up, you are surprised by its low weight, which is not at all reminiscent of an alpine boot. The walking mechanism is easy to operate, has virtually no play and looks solid, as does the rest of the workmanship. The screw-in buckles are a positive, well thought-out detail (easier to change than riveted buckles).

Fit

The last width is specified as 99mm. The volume corresponds to Tecnica's "Medium Volume Touring (MVT) "size and is somewhere in the middle range. The fit is apparently the same as the new Cochise models. Compared to last year's shoes, the new models are tighter, especially around the ankle. Due to my overlegs on the balls of my feet, I had to have the boot adjusted (like all ski boots), which was no problem for the boot fitter. In the area of the material transitions (toebox at the front, ankle, etc.), however, fitting may not be so easy.

Downhill characteristics

According to the manufacturer's specifications, the boot has a flex of 130. As flex specifications are not standardized in any way, you can forget this number right away. Purely in terms of stiffness when flexing forwards, I would put the Zero G Guide Pro in a similar league to the Dynafit Titan, for example. The Roxa X-Ride is slightly stiffer. As usual, the whole thing varies with the temperature. In a warm living room, the boot is quickly flexed to the limit, outside in the cold it's a different story. As far as the flex behavior is concerned, apart from the pure hardness, the Zero G Guide Pro can't quite keep up with the particularly comfortable three-piece shoes (Dalbello Lupo, Roxa X-Ride) in my opinion, but it makes a very good impression for an overlap shoe. In contrast to some other touring models, where the boot becomes very soft at a certain point or no longer flexes at all, the Guide Pro behaves pleasantly evenly. The Powerstrap has a strong influence on the flex. If you tighten it properly, the forward flex can be almost completely blocked. For me, the lateral stiffness leaves nothing to be desired. The power transmission is very direct and precise for a touring boot, provided the boot fits, of course.

In summary: The Zero G Guide Pro is not rock hard, but flexes very comfortably and the stiffness is also completely sufficient for sporty skiing in the ski area and on hard snow.

Miscellaneous

From day one, there was slight material abrasion in places where the upper rubbed against the lower part of the shell, but this was neither a problem nor did it affect the riding characteristics in any way. I treated a TÜV number stamped into the shoe with a bit of sandpaper as it was rubbing the inner shoe. After about 20 days of relatively hard use, the shoes show normal signs of wear, but nothing that restricts their function. The soles are not excessively worn. Personally, I would prefer a continuous rubber sole instead of the two pads at the front and back.

Conclusion

I am generally very satisfied with the Tecnica Zero G Guide Pro and consider it a very good option for anyone who values low weight and otherwise usable ascent characteristics, as well as solid downhill performance. With the Zero G, Tecnica has definitely succeeded in jumping on the "freetouring" trend. The only thing I find annoying is the relatively rare problem (which incidentally also occurs with some other boots) of the walking mode not locking due to snow.

Advantages & disadvantages

+Very light for the boot class
+Good downhill properties
+Good durability so far
+Good handling of buckles and walking mode
-Walking mechanism may not lock when snow comes in

Details and manufacturer information

RRP €549.95
C.A.S. SHELL - The C.A.S. shell is anatomically shaped and fits perfectly with the inner boot. The indentations on the shell in possible problem areas make the shoe even easier to adjust if necessary.
MOBILITY CUFF - Mobility Cuff is based on a solid, strong metal-on-metal connection. In hike mode, 42° freedom of movement offers great mobility for the ascent. The new S.A.S. (Self Adjusting System) eliminates any movement on the descent.
LIFT LOCK BUCKLES - Keeps the water out - where it belongs. Your feet stay drier and warmer!
LOW TECH INSERT - Dynafit certified Low Tech Inserts are fully integrated into the sole of the boot. They form a solid connection to the ski binding.

Here is the Tecnica website with more information

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This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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