Dalbello Lupo Pro HD

Model Year
2020-2021
Category
All-Mountain Freeride
Last Width
98
Flex Index
130
Price (MSRP)
$900.00USD
The 2020/2021 Dalbello Lupo Pro HD is reviewed in the men's All-Mountain Freeride narrow category based on tests at Silver Mountain Resort & Mt. Bachelor Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit Media.

 

The Gist

Last year testers liked the then-new Lupo Pro HD for its polyurethane shell’s more damp feel on the snow than the stiffer carbon cuffed Lupo Factory, but appreciated that it didn’t lose any of its quickness or power when it lost $150 off the Factory’s price tag! This year it's no different--except now it's 200-bucks cheaper! They found it easy on and off and loved the touring range of motion when the removable tongue was off, allowing unhindered forward cuff movement, matching its long rearward travel. One tester said it got better with every run and the faster he went.

The Fit

Testers agree that the Lupo Pro HD (and Lupo Factory and Lupo 130 C) fit like a 130-flex narrow boot should, with a firm, performance-minded grip along the foot, especially in the heel and ankles, which this does. It fits slightly long in the toebox--not a bad thing for touring, with a touch of extra room in the forefoot for a 98 mm., testers said. The stance feels on the upright side of ideal, but not by much, but the flex feel and tongue cushioning is firm against the leg, so taller and more aggressive skiers liked the upper cuff fit the most.

Performance

Testers call the stance "very neutral," meaning on the verge of loose, rather than inside edge biased. This worked well with its tall stance for a deep-gouging, slashing style in softer snow. The power reserves were not completely tapped, testers said, but mentioned that for a carvier piste-oriented set-up a simple cuff adjustment is on board and would do the trick.

Cool Features

The touring acumen of the Lupo Pro HD (as with other Lupo's) is not appreciated unless a skier completely removes the exterior plastic tongue using the simple release at its attachment point. The tongue must be stowed in a pack (or carried between one's teeth), but the absence of the tongue makes huge range of hiking and touring range of motion available. The tall waterproof gusset (though a hindrance to entry and exit) keeps you dry while you tour, sans tongue. This boot isn't Grilamid and Carbon, but it skis as well as the Factory for 200-bucks less...that's a cool feature we think.

Gender 
Men's
Sizes (MP) 
24.5-29.5
Hike Mode 
Yes
Construction 
Cabrio/3-PC
Boot width profile 
Narrow
Also in this Collection 
Lupo Factory, $1100; Lupo 130 C, $975
Cantology Compatible 
No
Shell/Cuff/Tongue 
polyurethane/polyamide composite carbon/Grilflex B polyamide
Tech Compatible 
Yes

Kudos

  • “Fits well and will be even better after cooking liner. Best fitting 3-piece boot on the market. Great stout edge power and easy to steer through a variety of turn shapes. I’m a fan of this boot! I honestly haven’t ever had a boot continue to get better with every run. Made it fun to test.” -- Kevin Gabriel
  • “Way better than I expected. Confident almost to a fault! It’s a ripper--I was digging trenches. A good-fitting, easy-skiing boot to handle hard frontside and in-bounds runs that would also be good for short "side country" tours. ” -- Dallas Goldsmith
  • “Cool how the cabrio exoskeleton tongue detaches for hiking.” -- Greg Hoffmann

This boot available at...

Sandpoint, ID
Telluride, CO
Telluride, CO
Princeton, MA
Wethersfield, CT
Portland, OR

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