Gear reviews | Dynafit TLT5 Mountain TF-X

About the tester:

184 cm, 75 kg, relatively fit but not exactly a muscle man, gets down everywhere. My feet don't really have any problem areas and are rather narrow (not extremely narrow). In general, I don't have too many problems finding ski boots that I can ski in, but I often don't have a perfect grip or the power transmission is not optimal because the boots are too wide. Boots that have fitted me best so far: Raichle/Fulltilts, Fischer Soma Race 130 (1st generation), Scarpa Maestrale.

Test conditions:

I tested the boot extensively on ski tours in the Alps in March and April, and it was also with me on a trip to Morocco at the end of February. In total, I used the boot for around 25 days. That's perhaps a little short to test the durability, but certainly enough to assess the ascent and descent performance. It was mainly used in combination with a Völkl Explosiv in 190 cm (first model, a hard board) with Dynafit Vertical ST, but also with a DOWN-Skis Countdown 2 with G3 Onyx and a K2 Hardside in 188 with Dynafit Vertical ST. None of these are lightweight touring skis, but genuine freeriders designed for downhill performance.

The two, very lightweight buckles are very sensibly distributed on the shoe. We don't actually miss a third buckle, although this is certainly related to the fit. The power strap also contributes significantly to the firmness by holding the foot in the back of the boot, although it could be a little stronger - ideally as a booster strap.

Another special feature of the TLT5 is that it can only be used with tech bindings. Yes, that's right, the boot is designed so that it doesn't fit into frame bindings. This is of course bad for those who want to use such bindings, but since you can save a lot more weight by using a tech binding anyway than by using a lightweight boot like the TLT5, it's actually not far-fetched.

In addition, walking without skis and using crampons with the TLT5 is significantly improved. Of course, the inserts of the TLT5 are Dynafit's own Quick-Step inserts, which make it easier to get into tech bindings.

Fit

The fit of the boot is relatively narrow in the heel area, and the shaft is also quite narrow. The forefoot area is rather wide, especially in relation to the narrow rear part of the shoe. At first glance, the length may seem a little shorter than usual. However, this is not the case and is solely due to the very thin inner shoe. If the shell length is just a little too short, you will notice this much more quickly than with another shoe; careful selection (and fitting if necessary) is a must here!
Personally, the shoe fits me quite well, especially the heel hold is convincing. The front is a little too wide for me, so I helped with a little extra foam on the outside of the inner shoe.

Inner shoe

As already mentioned, the inner shoe is very thin. Its thickness is comparable to that of a real racing shoe, but without leather and with a less high-quality finish. The liner is adjustable, even if it doesn't do much due to the limited material available, and has a standard lacing system.

The liner is also the first (and main) point of criticism of the TLT5. I don't really want to criticize the fact that it is less warm and possibly less comfortable than other liners due to its thin construction and light weight. However, you do get cold really quickly in these shoes. For example, when I stand in the snow, I practically get cold feet straight away (I never do otherwise). The shoes also dry poorly.

I can simply leave my much thicker and bulkier Intuitions in the shell overnight and they are dry the next morning, whereas the thin Dynafit inner shoes take twice as long without additional drying measures in a warm apartment. So if you want to use the shoes two days in a row, you should buy a shoe dryer. As for the problem of odor development: it is worlds worse than with all the other inner shoes I have used so far.

Alternatively, the TLT5 is also available with a different inner shoe. In my opinion, however, it is best to replace the liner with a third-party liner as soon as possible, for example, so that all problems are a thing of the past and you also have a slightly harder, albeit slightly heavier boot.

The longer you climb, the more you notice the low weight. Especially on long tours, you save a lot of energy for the descent. Almost the biggest difference, however, is walking without skis. When walking around, climbing, walking with crampons or even at the bar, the boot is really comfortable. Rumor has it that it is even suitable for driving...To summarize once again: The boot handles like no other (except perhaps the odd pure ski touring race model), it's definitely in a class of its own.

Switching from ascent to descent is also very quick. Push in the tongues, close the 2 buckles and powerstrap and you're done. Although the buckles take a little getting used to at first, you soon get the hang of them and can close them more quickly than with other boots.

Skiing characteristics

While the lightness and good ascent performance of the TLT5 were not really difficult to predict, the skiing characteristics are a different story. The first tests in fresh powder snow are followed by a surprise. You notice that you're not in a hard boot, but controlling the ski is no problem. Even at higher speeds, the boot is sufficient for me, even with long and wide skis. It's more the upright shaft position that bothers me than the comparatively low hardness of the boots.

The situation is similar in heavier but still soft snow, but you have to concentrate a little more here. Because as soon as a ski tip dives unexpectedly, for example, the soft boots make themselves surprisingly noticeable. In firn or hard conditions, the boots provide a little less security, especially at high speeds - especially with wide skis, although you still won't really have any problems.

Things get really bad in really bad conditions, i.e. slush, deep slush or icy moguls. Here you get the feeling that the boot is simply far too soft and gives way too much at the front. Skiing then becomes exhausting and you're pretty much skidding around.

Of course, you can still get all the way down the mountain, but it's not too much fun. I'm pretty sure that the TLT5 cuts a much better figure in combination with short and narrow skis, especially in poor conditions. In combination with wide and long freeride skis, however, it is more recommended for good conditions.

Conclusion

Advantages

+ Extremely light
+ Excellent walking mode for the weight
+ Super downhill performance (especially in good snow)
+ Overall simply great on the ascent

Disadvantages

- poor downhill performance in poor snow
- liners are not the best

Personal opinion

A very good boot for ascent-oriented tours, especially for good skiers and in good snow or when using light touring skis. Downhill performance exceeds expectations, but all in all it doesn't work miracles and the downhill characteristics are not as good as I would usually like them to be.

Technical data:

• Available sizes: 22.5 - 30.5

• Tested size: 28.0

• Weight: 1225g (!) (in size 27.5 according to the manufacturer)

• Shell: 3-piece with 2 buckles & 1 powerstrap

• Position: 15° fix

• Binding system: Exclusively TECH bindings according to the Dynafit concept

Link to the manufacturer's info page