Dahu Ski Boots

[shortydude]

I just saw the new Dahu ski boots. I've been lurking fleabay for a couple of years now waiting for the right deal on a set of Apex boots. These Dahu's are very similar to Apex. Have any of you seen or tried Dahu boots? They may be even more comfortable than Apex the way the liners lace up.

[newbie2011]

First time I hear about these, they look very comfortable indeed. Not many reviews out there, mostly good ones, the only questionable thing I found was someone reporting that in powder he got snow underneath the sole which made them unrideable, so he had to stop, unbuckle, clean snow, buckle up again. No mishaps reported on groomers though.

[newbie2011]

Have been reading more about the Dahu, reviewers say they offer quite good performance, not just good comfort and easy fit, have read opinions that they perform better than the Apex. The flex is said to be true to numbers and equivalent to the one of other similarly tagged boots. I can definitely see how useful they would be in a resort where you have to drive to-and-fro the slopes. Besides, I've always had troubles fitting my high instep and marked ankle bones in most brands' boots, these are quite tempting (as long as I can find a good deal on ebay-like sites)

What I do wonder is how are you supposed to carry the skeleton around when you get out of them ? Leaving them attached to skiboards seems to be quite a drag ... Use a dedicated bag, similar to skiboards bags, only smaller ? throw then into or onto a backpack, using the ski attachments many backpacks have built-in ?

[newbie2011]

What I do wonder is how are you supposed to carry the skeleton around when you get out of them ? Leaving them attached to skiboards seems to be quite a drag ... Use a dedicated bag, similar to skiboards bags, only smaller ? throw then into or onto a backpack, using the ski attachments many backpacks have built-in ?

I guess I was overthinking, this is rather a non-problem. You can obviously walk keeping the skeleton on, actually the latest models come with Gripwalk soles to make this even easier (those soles would not work with non-release I'm afraid). So in the end, removing it is just an option for when it's more suitable to keep only the boots on, like car driving, but for normal short walks, I see no need to bother...

One other thing I was wondering is how well they will behave in deep powder, but found some great reviews from an Aussie guy doing Japan powder in them, so I'm now convinced, I'll be searching for a pair.

[shortydude]

I could see leaving the skeletons on the skis for lunch.
I might wear them for apre.
I use a sling walking to and from the hill, so I'd probably leave them on the boards for that.

[newbie2011]

I use a sling walking to and from the hill, so I'd probably leave them on the boards for that.

Oh, right, I have a couple of such slings, got them when I was carrying by daughter's boards, and it would work in several ways - like you're describing, keeping skeleton on the boards, or just the skeletons by themselves. Thanks for the reminder !

[newbie2011]

I've managed to get a good price on a pair of Dahu Ecorce, the first couch riding impressions are positive.

I've read that they might fit small, I don't find this true, rather the opposite. I would say they are true to size, but the interior of the boot is roomier than normal ski boots, the usual thick ski boots sock is not as thick here, so this gives you more space. I was not able to try before buying, so not sure if one size smaller would have been a better fit, for me, because of my high instep this is usually a bad idea. These Dahu are rather high-arch-friendly, I still need to be careful of having the heel properly sit back in it's pocket to avoid any pressure points, but when I do they feel pretty good.

Last is supposed to be 97mm, but I find them roomier than my Lange in 100mm last, again probably because of the difference in sock thickness.

They come with GW soles - this I was aware of - so I'll have to buy alpine soles to use them with my release/non-release bindings.

The flex feels quite nice, being Full Tilt style, I really like it. The boot can be very well tighten up with their laces system, feels like it leaves no possibility of shin bang. On my Lange I had to install a Booster strap to avoid shin bang, but no such need here.

Getting into/out of the skeleton with the boots on it's a bit tricky, but I guess it's mostly a matter of practice. The skeleton has two buckles, but they feel very secure and have several micro-adjustment capabilities, I guess they'll suit anyone.

Regarding keeping the skeleton attached to the skis, they actually have a warning against it, pointing out that the brakes will remain disenganged (stay horizontal), so the skis won't hook onto each other while carrying, like they normally do. This might apply or not to skiboards, depending on what kind of bindings one uses and the presence of said brakes (I for one have brakes only for the LE125)

[Gromit]

Do the exoskeletons have drain holes for melted snow off the inner boot's soles?
Though maybe that isn't a problem if one has to clean most of the snow off first?
I'm looking forward to seeing your Dahu boots in March, newbie2011.

[newbie2011]

Do the exoskeletons have drain holes for melted snow off the inner boot's soles?
Though maybe that isn't a problem if one has to clean most of the snow off first?

Surprisingly no holes, the ridge in the exoskeleton will fit the grooves in the soles (with maybe a bit of margin, haven't measured to the mm), but if there's a lot of snow on the boots soles, there's no place for it to go, toes and heel parts of the skeleton are closed, so it cannot get pushed out front and back... I guess you're right, one needs to clean most of the snow before putting the exoskeleton on. Also one needs to be careful about ice sticking in those grooves, or picking small pebbles from the parking lot...

I'm looking forward to seeing your Dahu boots in March, newbie2011.

You read my mind Andorra and other places where one will move around from domain to domain (plan to do the Chamonix region including the Vallee Blanche in the near future, also places in Switzerland and Austria would fit the pattern) were strong arguments that immediately tilted the balance in favour of getting them

[Gromit]

Maybe keep some sort of snow scraper in your outer, jacket pocket? Not too big though. You wouldn't want it digging into you if you fall down. Credit card sized perhaps?

[newbie2011]

Maybe keep some sort of snow scraper in your outer, jacket pocket? Not too big though. You wouldn't want it digging into you if you fall down. Credit card sized perhaps?

I was initially looking for some sort of pocketable brush, but this is a much better idea ! Exactly credit card size, and being so flat it will easily fit a small pocket, without room to twist around to become a hazard. Excellent suggestion, will get one, thanks a lot !

[Gromit]

I was initially looking for some sort of pocketable brush, but this is a much better idea ! Exactly credit card size, and being so flat it will easily fit a small pocket, without room to twist around to become a hazard. Excellent suggestion, will get one, thanks a lot !

You're welcome.

I was once told by a very experienced skier that in the years before smartphones were invented, some folks might carry compact cameras in their ski jacket's chest pockets.
A hard fall onto the front of their body would sometimes result in some broken ribs, caused by the solid bulk of the camera!

[newbie2011]

I was once told by a very experienced skier that in the years before smartphones were invented, some folks might carry compact cameras in their ski jacket's chest pockets.
A hard fall onto the front of their body would sometimes result in some broken ribs, caused by the solid bulk of the camera!

The risk still exists today, even something small like a GoPro will act like a solid rock in the "right" (ie wrong) circumstances... And surprisingly many (if not most) of the hardshell gore-tex ski jackets come with only chest/torso pockets, making it too easy for resort skiers to make the bad choice ...

[spaceman]

Hi newbie2011, I was really intrigued by the Dahu boots and tried them in-store and liked them as well. How has your experience been riding them? They are heavily discounted (last season models) in my area and was thinking of getting them as well but I wasnt sure which model (01, 01C or 01X) to get since the material (TPU vs Grilamid) of construction depends on the model. Also I have read on and around here that a mid-flex boot is better for skiboarding. Dahu boots being at either 120 or 135 flex, do you think the 120 is just fine? Im new to snowsports and just putting together my skiboard gear together.

[newbie2011]

Hi newbie2011, I was really intrigued by the Dahu boots and tried them in-store and liked them as well. How has your experience been riding them? They are heavily discounted (last season models) in my area and was thinking of getting them as well but I wasnt sure which model (01, 01C or 01X) to get since the material (TPU vs Grilamid) of construction depends on the model. Also I have read on and around here that a mid-flex boot is better for skiboarding. Dahu boots being at either 120 or 135 flex, do you think the 120 is just fine? Im new to snowsports and just putting together my skiboard gear together.

Hey spaceman , welcome to the forum and to the sport !

Let me answer your questions:
- Riding - I didn't have the chance to try them on snow yet, will do that at the end of the month
- pricewise - they are quite a mystery to me, on a French craiglist-like website I now see them regularly at 2-250 euros in NWT/NWOT or very slightly used, I don't know how they get so low from the manufacturer's 7-800 euros price tag. So if you like the fit and are comfortable and find a good deal, I would recommend them. The flex being in the tongue, like Full Tilt and Dalbello boots, I find it getting into action more progressively, less sudden compared to the usual ski boots, I personally like it better this way
- what's not obvious from their description is that higher flex comes with higher forward incline. The ones in 135/140 have 16 degrees forward angle, versus the 14 degrees of the 120 flex ones. I like a more straight position, on the Lange I have 12 degrees lean, so I would not go to 16 degrees, it feels too much
- regarding the flex in itself, I've been using Lange RX 100 for several years, I'm happy with them, but I kept wondering if I would not feel better in a 120-130. I have a long ice skating past, where I like to go fast and carve hard, and even though it doesn't translate 100% in skateboarding because I prefer slarving to pure carving, I would say I lean on the rather aggressive side. So 120 should be good, but I would not go more than that, I think it's overkill for skiboarding
- which model - while excluding the 135/140 flex models, I would go downwards from the manufacturer's price list and stop at the point where you still get a good deal. I assume higher price must have something extra, so I'd go 01 X - 01 - 01 C - etc. Their lineup keeps changing, I'm not sure if "Pro" models are top or bottom of the list. In Europe I still see all of the previous years models - Joe & Jane, Mister Ed, Number 7, Hades, Dark Knight, Pro, etc.
- I see that from year to year they default or not to GripWalk soles. Mine from '22 were GW by default so I had to buy alpine soles to fit my current bindings, the current version seem to have reverted to alpine by default. Not a big deal, soles are 50 usd extra, just something to be aware of
- their fancy descriptions, TPU, nubuck leather, 600/900D canvas, have no idea how they stack against each other, so I would go by price as the only indication, assuming more expensive is supposed to mean better

Bottom line is that in regard to boots, I would go fit & comfort first, less forward lean second and flex third. If during your ski lessons you were comfortable on a much lower flex I would factor this in as well