Here are some observations about the boots. First off I think almost everyone will be going down a size in these. I ski the Heads in the 27 size which is a 313mm boot sole length. Doing a shell fit in the dodge, my foot pretty much exactly fit lengthwise in the Dodge 26 which is a 305mm boot sole length. Because the CF is so thin (vs thick plastic on a traditional plug boot) a 305mm boot sole lngth has about the same amount of space inside as does the 313mm BSL with thick plastic. The 8mm difference is the width of the plastic both front and back. Being able to ski a smaller BSL is always considered an advantage and does come with better quickness, better leverage and therfore better performance. The downside in just about filling up the entire boot lengthwise is that there was not a lot of room left to get into the boot. Harald did show me the technique for getting into the boot, but the CF is real stiff and it is really hard to pull the bear claw apart to makes some extra space to get the foot in. Mine is not the most flexible foot and one with better flexibility (like Diana's or Harald's) is easier to get in. Definitely one of the harder boots to get into that I have ever tried.
I did not love the stock liner and I was surprised that my Nordica Foam liner fit in. I found this to be a major improvement and after sitting in them for 5-10 minutes or so, they were actually quite comfortable. I would say that the last in the boot is around 98mm which is about where I have no hot spots. I skied the boot for about two hours with no pain or hot spots and we had done no punching or grinding in the boot (or whatever you would do in place of this with CF). I am a natural B width and on one foot I have a bone protruding which makes that foot almost a C width, but both feet are low volume.
As for stiffness, it is actually pretty easy to regualte the flex of the boots with the buckles. You can get a real stiff feel by tightening the buckles and a much less stiff fell by leaving the buckles with much less tension. I did not ski the boot off piste, but my sense is that it will ski just fime there especially if you loosen buckle tension. When you do come up upon the front of the boot, there is very little give. It is solid and it stays that way in all temps. I would say that when pressing against the front of the boot it is no stiffer than my 130 boots on a cold day (very little give in either boot) amd much stiffer than my 130's on a warm day. Again I will say thet boot does not ski ultra stiff when the buckles have less tension.
I think ultimately I will have a foam liner done specifically for these boots. I think harald is heading in the same direction. With my current foam liners I had a little more room in and around the ankle and heel than I want and I think a foam liner foamed in these boots would take up that space.
We decided to go out with canting shims taped to the bottom and it seemed prudent to go wth less canting than what is on my current set up. Well without the canting dailed in I literally could hardly ski!! I could not get the tips to bite or the ski to bend and on every edge change it seemed like I was waiting a full second or longer for the edges to engage. Not fun. Actually quite scary on steep terrain!! I also use a lot of forward lean in my set up and that was also absent from the way we originally set up the Dodge Boots. We played with the set up on the hill but it was clear after a couple of hours that this was going to be a bigger project and that we needed sole plates to get it where it needed to be.
I did have a few a wow moments but I was fighting the set up so much that I never was able to open things up.
I will say that for the right skier, one who does not need much flex in a boot, my guess is that these boots will ski off piste just fine, and may also be an improvement over plastic boots because of the big weight difference. again they never felt crazy stiff or unforgiving in any way.
Looking forwrard to skiing them when we dial in the set up. I will post my thoughts when we get there.