The Gist
Tons of useful and well-designed features in a narrow and stiff flexing boot: carbon fiber rear cuff, removable external tongue for insane hike mode range, tech compatible toe and heel lugs with swap-out rockered soles and an Intuition (I.D.) liner. At $1,100, it’s charting stratospheric new price territory for Dalbello but testers say it’s worth every penny, provided you mold the I.D. liner.
Fit
First thing (and worst thing) first: entry and exit is demanding. The liner is a race room style lace-up; then you cram foot and liner into the shell. That’s gate-cracker rigmarole. We ain't racers and neither are the guys that are gonna buy this boot. Testers accepted the arduous process because the skiing product was worth the effort.
It’s a real 98mm, which means it's tight, but not yet exactly right, straight out of the box. Prior to liner molding, testers said, “Ow, momma” at the forefoot, navicular bone, styloid process and ankles. After liner molding, testers raved about the snug, painted-on and perfectly cushioned feel. It felt ready to stomp landings they said, and they hadn't even left the test center yet. The upper cuff is tall and narrow; the rearward support from the carbon cuff evident. Big calves won't like the potential Jackie Chan karate chop waiting for them there.
Performance
The lateral stance is set just a touch inside, meaning dead flat to slightly outside-edged. That made the boot loose and jibby underfoot but the tall, strong cuff was ready to roll the ski up on edge and put the hammer down when it engages.
Big, deep, gouging hacks and sweeping bottom turns were the Lupo's forte. It slashed the hell out of anything that looked like a wave. It aired comfortably off every hit. The flex was just soft enough (125ish) that testers could move through the flex range and stay balanced, even though the starting point was a little upright. Best Dalbello ever our off-piste specialists said.
Cool Features
The easily removable external tongue comes off to reveal a full-height waterproof gusset. It’s super-handy for skinning, hiking or walking. Make sure you have a pack or somewhere to stash them. With the tongue out of the way and the cuff block disengaged, the cuff range of motion is shockingly wide and smooth. Testers were blown away by how it felt and functioned in hike mode.
Kudos
Caveats