Review: 2024 Dynafit Tigard 130
This article originally appeared on Outside
This article was first published by SkiMag.com.
At a Glance
Brand: Dynafit
Model: Tigard 130
Gender: Unisex
Level: Advanced, Expert
Specs
Last Width (mm): 101
Flex: 130
Sizes: 25.0-31.5
Weight (per boot in grams): 1,590 (26.5)
Pros:
Amazing downhill performance for a boot with walk-mode
70-degree range of motion is more generous than what you find in other hybrid/all-mountain boots
Cons:
Fit can be tricky for skiers with low-volume feet
Let's get this out of the way at the top: Dynafit's Tigard 130 is the most impressive hybrid boot we've ever tried. In a category defined by compromise, this offering seems to operate in a different plane of reality. The Tigard 130 is the hardest-skiing boot with a walk mode we've ever had the pleasure of stepping into; it's also the best walking boot we've ever been able to put into an alpine binding. The Tigard, Dynafit's imaginary tiger/leopard combo, stalks the skintrack and pounces on untracked powder, perfect corn, and manky mogul lines right under the chair. While the fit can be a little tricky for lower-volume feet, it's a godsend for folks with high insteps who want a single boot to charge inbounds and seek adventure in the great beyond. The Tigard also comes in a 110 flex that will get sized down to a 23.5 next year.
We tested this boot in and around Vail, Colorado, and the Eastern Sierra of California, both inbounds and out, and were taken with its remarkable range of motion and light weight. During quick hits to the East Vail Chutes, the Tigard 130's sprightly feel on the uphill was less important on a short skinner, but we were extremely grateful for its ability to drive massive powder boards through the zone's tight trees and mandatory airs. This boot skis like a legitimate 130-flex alpine boot. Its stiffness at the top of the tongue is serious, and it ramps up quickly from there. Laterally, the Grilamid carbon-infused cuff felt totally comfortable banging out slalom turns and returned a phenomenal rebound. We were particularly impressed with the liner, which felt much beefier and warmer than its weight suggested. In Colorado, we skied more than a few single-digit days and were never worried about numb toes.
Learn more: What is flex and how does it affect performance?
Back in the Eastern Sierra is where this boot really shone. While it's nice to have a good range of motion for a little sidecountry boot, we felt this option was more than light and mobile enough to knock out thousands of feet of vert. The Hoji Lock system is totally seamless: With one lever pull, it loosens the upper cuff buckles and the power strap and has you ready to skin immediately. For longer tours, we'll still loosen the upper cuff even more, but for mini-golf laps this system works as intended.
The 70-degree range of motion when switched into walk mode is unheard of in a boot this capable, and you feel every bit of freedom skinning in the Tigard 130. (For reference, the Tecnica Zero G Pro Tour has a 55-degree range of motion.) This boot is more similar to the Scarpa F1 XT we reviewed in our Backcountry section. The only downside of the Hoji Lock is that once it's flipped into ski mode, the mechanism makes the rear spine so stiff that all your flexion comes from the front of the cuff.
Dynafit really made a full-on alpine boot that tours like, well, a Dynafit. It's a nod back to the brand's Franz Klammer glory days of making race boots in the 1970s, and a bold entry into the alpine market. This boot has replaceable GripWalk soles and could be perfectly happy never seeing a skintrack. Or a chairlift. It's the only hybrid boot we've ever found that is just that good in both worlds.
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