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Pierre Gignoux

Pierre Gignoux U 77: New Standard in Ultralight Bindings

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When the brand of Pierre Gignoux comes to mind, most ski mountaineers immediately think of the company’s famous carbon fiber boots.

However, the company continues its innovative approach to product design with a new binding, the U 77. With this binding, Pierre Gignoux (PG) is now making the lightest traditional low tech binding available on the market.

In recent years, Ski Trab has been developing category leading race style bindings. To reduce weight, Ski Trab did a complete redesign of the traditionally spring equipped toe piece. Instead of using springs to achieve the tension in the toe, Ski Trab used a single piece of Titanium that folded underneath the toe lever.

Now, Pierre Gignoux has taken that a step further in weight reduction, and used the same Titanium bar style, but placed it under the wings of the toe piece and reduced its size. This refinement of the titanium bar style toe piece has now brought traditional low tech bindings within 15 grams of PG’s one piece toe, the Ultimate 3.

The heel piece is expectedly diminutive in size, using the now common base plate and rotating heel plate built of plastic. The heel piece is identical to PG’s other binding, the Ultimate 3. Pierre Gignoux states that the design is built to release around DIN 6, same as most other skimo racing specific bindings.

For racing at the highest levels, PG has always brought innovative products to market, and the U 77 is no different in this respect. However, Mr. Gignoux has also shown advantages of using his products also for adventures such as big ski traverses of as shown below.

Review of Pierre Gignoux Black Ski Mountaineering Boots: Light, Comfortable and Performance Driven

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pierre-gignoux-black-review

Quick overview:

  • Usual Retail Price:  €1330 Euro ($1600 USD) + VAT if buying within Europe
  • Weight: 600 grams with liner (size 26)
  • Sizes available: 23-30 with 26.5 and 27.5
  • Pros: Comfortable, Light even with full liner, Snow guard, Price compared to competition
  • Cons: Can’t buy in a store, Long shell length
  • Suitability: skimo racing, light & fast ski touring and mountaineering

Bottom Line:

While you have to wait a couple of weeks to get your pair of PG boots manufactured it’s worth it. The Black boots are only a little bit heavier than Pierre Gignoux’ full-on racing machines yet the fit and comfort make up for a couple of extra grams. Plus, they are the most affordable and one of the most comfortable full carbon boots on the market.

Product description and How we tested it:

After a couple of emails to determine the right size with Pierre Gignoux, I have ordered my pair in late October 2016. Since I made a decision to try to get to my best for one more World Champs I knew I had to get a better fitting boot than my old Scarpa Alien 1.0. I had Gignoux boots before and really liked them so I made a leap in that direction.

During the teams race at 2017 Skimo Worlds.
During the teams race at 2017 Skimo Worlds. Most descents were very technical due to little snow and a long ridge walk with crampons tested everyone’s crampon-boot compatibility – mine worked great.
My pair arrived early January and my fourth time using the boots (along with new Hagan Race skis) was for a 2h race in Colorado. Race is never the best time to test new equipment, nevertheless, I had good feelings about the boots and skis while my body struggled in the high altitude. After a few tough weeks I regained my training schedule and started to ski the Black boots on regular basis.
In my experience, downhill performance of any ski mountaineering (racing) boot will hugely depend on how well the boot fits you. I suspected that the proper full liner and low profile shell of the Blacks should be way better for my low volume feet (but regular width) than the roomy Aliens with a thin sock liner. This turned out to be true but it did take a couple of training sessions to adjust the fit. I also added the green Superfeet insoles that improved the snug fit even more – for this, I got help from Skimo.co guys when I stopped in their store in Salt Lake City.
The snug fit allows me to have good control on the descents. The lower shell is stiff but the fully padded liner cushions my feet so it’s not painful. I find the forward lean very neutral and the back of the cuff provides great support if you end up in the back seat. Leaning forward, you are doing so against a plastic “plate” and not carbon so there is some give or feel of softness but it feels just right.
This is how the inside tightening system looks like. Works well.
This is how the inside tightening system looks like. Works well.
On my third day in Blacks, I had the pleasure to demo a pair of ASKI Verglas skis (176cm, 111-78-92) in Wasatch with the Skimo.co crew. I was equally blown away how the skis performed and how my Pierre Gignoux boots were able to keep up.
Boot sizes are in the left column and shell lengths in the right.
Boot sizes are in the left column and shell lengths in the right.
In terms of overall durability of these boots, in my opinion, are as good as any other full carbon boots on the market right now. As long as you are not hitting too many rocks when boot-packing you will be fine for long time. One thing I would recommend though is to use blue Loctite on the ankle joints and pretty much all other screws as well. Some screws on my boots were getting loose every 10 sessions or so.
Finally, here are my thoughts on the uphill performance of the Pierre Gignoux Black skimo boots. I have a size 29 and they weigh only 740g including the insoles which is quite light for a “race” boot with integrated gaiters (snow guards). Pair this with great ankle articulation and they feel very light when going up. The only “down side” is that due to its design PG boots have a fairly long last (bottom shell length), mine are 297mm long for size 29. This means that the front pin holes are positioned quite in front of your fingers which makes for a different feel when skinning during the first couple of sessions.
Boot weights in grams for different sizes.
Boot weights in grams for different sizes.
Overall, the combo of Pierre Gignoux Black boots and Hagan Race skis, paired with ATK bindings, was turned out to be a well oiled downhill machine while I kept working on improving my own engine to hit the Worlds in a good shape.

Pros:

  • Still light weight despite full liner and integrated gaiter
  • Comfortable
  • Ability to fit many types of feet (thanks to wide front-foot)
  • Gaiters protect very well from snow getting into the boots

What can be improved:

Just like with all new full carbon racing boots, crampon compatibility is somewhat of an issue but CAMP Race 290 and Tour 350 fit the PG Blacks quite well.
While I haven’t had any major issues the durability could be improved and will likely happen over time.

My way of protecting my boots is using black Gorilla tape on the bottom parts of the shell and other high wear places. The scratch you see in the photo was substantial but thanks to the tape the carbon was totally protected.
My way of protecting my boots is using black Gorilla tape on the bottom parts of the shell and other high wear places. The scratch you see in the photo was substantial but thanks to the tape the carbon was totally protected.

Buying Pierre Gignoux Black ski boots

  • €1330 Euro ($1600 USD) directly from Pierre Gignoux (+ VAT if buying within Europe)

Long-term Review: Dynafit RC-1 Skimo Boots

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2015 Dynafit RC-1
2015 Dynafit RC-1

Quick overview:

  • Usual full price: $2150 USD
  • Weight: 507 g (size 27)
  • Cuff Rotation: 75 degrees
  • Forward Lean: 12/18 deg
  • Material: Carbon Fibre
  • Liner Type: Palu Race 400
  • Pros: lightweight, stiff
  • Cons: fragile, binding compatibility, liner quality
  • Suitability: high level skimo racing

Bottom Line:

The lightest boot on the market, they race well but are somewhat fragile. A big investment with big weight savings!

Photos:

Product description and How we tested it:

Departing from the tradition of developing their own lightweight boots in-house, Dynafit has begin licensing the work of renowned boot maker Pierre Gignoux (PG). The RC-1 is Dynafit’s lightest offering coming in at a svelte 507 grams per boot in size 27 – well below the options offered by competitors such as La Sportiva and Scarpa. The low weight of the all-carbon boot is immediately apparent when you slip it on.
One of the most noticeable features is the liner which only goes as high as to cover the ankle bones. Above, foam padding on the outer shell clamps onto the athlete’s shin, making an upper liner unnecessary. The liner is incredibly lightweight but this comes at a cost to durability. Several wear points exist at the heel and near the cuff pivots. It would be interesting to try the bikini-style liner available from PG or something similar to sock liner (but cut to ankle height) used in the Scarpa Alien 1.0. A tighter fitting sock liner might improve the fit as well as reduce wear.
The boot uses a simple vertical throw lever for locking the cuff into ski mode (similar to the Scarpa Alien lever). This is different from the ‘Ultra-Lock’ lever on previous Dynafit Dy.N.A. and PDG boots but requires less cutting of the skimo race suit bottoms and results in less snow making its way into the boot. The lever is easy to flick down and it accurately snaps into ski position without a need to guide it. Placing of the lever’s lock post (the bottom piece), skimo suit or pants don’t cover it, unlike with the Ultra-Lock system, making for a slightly faster/easier transition.
The foot-locking mechanism is a ratchet strap on the instep and a cord tightened by the throw lever to tighten the upper cuff. The 2016 version of the boot, called DNA now, features ratchet straps on around the upper cuff as well, to provide easier fit fine tuning (though, likely at a small weight penalty). Lower tightening is also accomplished with a quick lace system similar to that seen on many Salomon running shoes.
Early (black and white) versions of the RC-1 were sold with a relatively thin sole. This sole was poorly glued to the boot and was prone to damage. Inline changes (both to black/white and green/pink) brought a new, higher quality sole with better glue. Luckily, PG is friendly with warranty requests and will replace the old sole with a new one.
It is worth noting that no version of the RC-1 uses Dynafit’s proprietary toe tech fittings (which is odd but understandable given an independent manufacturer), but rather a custom fitting designed to be used with the RC-1 bindings (also engineered by Pierre Gignoux). I decided against mounting the RC-1 bindings on my race skis and instead went with the traditional Low-Tech Race. To make a good fit, this required a small amount of surgery to remove a few mm of sole on the bottom of the toe. Stepping into a Low-Tech, the binding snaps and locks but not quite as tight as it does with Dy.N.A. boots. Interestingly, when paired with Plum Race bindings, the binding does shut completely. Despite this being a bit disconcerting, I’ve never had a binding release and I am comfortable skiing them on steep terrain in a race.
The boot fits slightly wider and longer than traditional Dynafit boots. The sole is also perfectly flat and quite hard. I immediately put a custom insole into the liner to get the support my, generally not very picky, feet needed.
I used a variety of crampons with the RC-1. The only compatibility issue was with the front welt. Unlike most plastic boots with a well defined edge on the front welt, the RC-1 welt is very smooth and rounded (and made of carbon). This made any crampon with a toe bail feel less secure. Most commonly, I used the CAMP Race-290 crampons.  Strap-on crampons work fine as expected. While racing the Trofeo Mezzalama last spring, steel crampons were required for sections of exposed ice. I had only a pair of BD Sabretooth Pro crampons (clip-on version) which generally stayed attached despite the minimal welt. While I am suspect of any crampons on race boots, these boots are particularly insecure unless using a strap system – be careful.
My boots have seen about 70 days of use, mostly racing. My main durability issue has been the liner but my lower shell also developed a crack in the carbon that propagated out from the cuff pivot. PG was quick to replace the shell when I stopped in their tent at the Pierra Menta!
It is worthwhile to note that PG makes a slightly heavier version – called Black – that appears to be much more robust for training and mountain adventures (it has a covered tongue rather than being open) but is also plenty light for racing (600 grams).
Overall thoughts: If you want to race on the same boot as the best racers in the world (Laetitia Roux, Anton Palzer, Kilian Jornet, Emelie Forsberg, etc…) these are the right pick. They are the lightest available, ski well, and are fast in transitions. Just take good care of them!

Pros:

  • Lightest on the market.
  • They ski well.
  • I like the rear throw lever.
  • Excellent customer service/warranty service at PG.
  • Moderate crampon fit.

Things to be improved:

  • Fragile (but that comes with the territory).
  • Does not use the Dynafit Quick-Step toe fitting.
  • Warranty issues must go through PG in France.
  • Liner is quick to wear.

Introducing the lightest ski mountaineering boots

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Trend towards lighter gear in any mountain and outdoor sport is obvious. It was, is, and will be going on at every stage of gear development.
Light gear in many sports starts its development inside racing environment where every second counts. This is how it is happening in ski mountaineering world too.
pigSkimo (rando) racing is the ultimate force behind the evolution of the lightest equipment where skis, bindings and boots are dropping not grams but pounds almost every two years or so…and there are string$ attached.
Light gear has clear advantages for going uphill but what about going down?
While there is a compromise in quality of skiing it is not as much as you would think. This is mostly due to materials such as carbon that is very light yet very stiff, and due to clever designs and engineering solutions.
Today, we are going to take a look at ski mountaineering boots that are used almost exclusively for skimo racing, however, they are slowly finding their way into everyday use for vertical junkies and speed obsessed crazies.
Also, we will briefly introduce/compare another four models that are very light yet they are more affordable and durable for everyday touring.

Lightest ski mountaineering boots

For the 2010 season there are four manufacturers that can offer sub-kilo (sub 1kg) models:

  • Scarpa and Dynafit are well established brands on the market.
  • LaSportiva is also a well-known brand but not for ski mountaineering boots, they are famous for their mountaineering and climbing shoes.
  • Then there is the ultimate craftsman Pierre Gignoux from France.

It seems that big brands have their hands somewhat tide with their already established images of quality that prevents them to go for more aggressive approach. And since they are designing for a wider range of users their products are not as impressive light-wise as from the smaller companies.

Pierre-Gignoux-XP-444 La-Sportiva-Stratos
Pierre Gignoux XP 444 La Sportiva Stratos
weight: 590g / boot (size 27.5)
price: 1300€ (about $2055)
more info: Pierre Gignoux
weight: 640g / boot (size 26)
price: unknown
more info: La Sportiva
Scarpa-F1-Carbon Dynafit-DyNA-TF
Scarpa F1 Carbon Dynafit Dy.N.A. TF
weight: 840g / boot (size 27)
price: about $1400-1600
more info: Scarpa
weight: 920g / boot (size 27.5)
price: about $1400-1600
more info: Dynafit

The differences between the boot models  in terms of weight are quite astounding considering all of them are very light already. The price tags are impressive as well 😉
The XP 444 is a newer version of XP 500 which was Pierre’s first widely sold model. The XP 500 was used by the fastest skimo racers on the world cup circuit past 2-3 seasons and XP 444 is likely to follow suit.
Weight differences make also difference in durability as it was reported numerous times that the rivets and some other parts needed replacement after few races on the XP 500. This didn’t seem to be the case with Scarpa’s and Dynafit’s older racing models. But weight is king and light is everything, so XP 444 will do well.
To read about personal experiences with the above boots and opinions about their advantages/disadvantages go to the comments section of an article about Vertical climbing speed where conversation was hijacked towards this light weight boots topic.

More affordable light skimo boots

The second tier of the lightest boots are more affordable. Yes they are heavier than the above, never the less, they make for very fast skinning too.
The most popular model between a wide range of skimo racers and weight conscious backcountry skiers is Scarpa F1 Race model. This boot was preceeded by Scarpa F1 and the two mainly differ in two ways: F1 Race doesn’t have a tongue and is “missing” the middle part of the vibram sole. These adjustments make it much lighter.
Dynafit’s Zzero 3 and Scarpa’s F3 models are very close with their weight and their price tags match the ones of more regular touring boots.

Scarpa-F1-Race Scarpa-F1 Scarpa-F3 Dynafit-Zzero3-C-TF
Scarpa F1 Race Scarpa F1 Scarpa F3 Dynafit Zzero 3
weight: 1120g / boot
(size 27)
price: about $800
Essentially F1 boot but without a tongue and mid-sole. Improved and lighter locking system.
Reviews and more infos here.
weight: 1350g / boot
(size 27)
price: about $700
Boot that started the F1 series and took over skimo racing scene by storm couple of years ago.
Reviews and more infos here.
weight: 1470g / boot
(size 27)
price: about $650
Hybrid boot between F1 and Laser models. Uses F1-like bellows but it’s taller with a Laser-like cuff.
Reviews and more infos here.
weight: 1450g / boot
(size 27.5)
price: about $550
Very light weight for a boot that has 3 solid buckles. Features a stiff sole unlike the Scarpa models.
Reviews and more infos here.

Choosing a light ski mountaineering boot

The good thing about this light weight boot revolution is that it provides us with more variety to choose from. The “bad” thing are the price tags that come with it but don’t worry – more competition should bring the prices down a bit.
For pure racing
If you are shooting to place at podiums at skimo racing events then you should be considering investing in the very lightest boots possible. However in North America it is much easier to get your hands on Scarpa F1 Carbon and Dynafit DyNA boots than on XP444 or LaSportiva Stratos. Ask Scarpa and Dynafit reps for ordering these models if you won’t find a store that sells them.
For everyday use
To get the best weight-to-price ratio you should consider the more affordable models.
Scarpa F1 is a proven everyday rando boot, and it’s lighter F1 Race version is very solid too. It doesn’t like fat skis though as the bending bellows somewhat “give in” under certain conditions.
The Dynafit DyNA seems to be suited for more than just racing, however, the price is a bit too high for everyday use for many. So the lightest Dynafit alternative would be the Zzero 3 model that is a very solid downhill performer.

Your boots

Share your reasons and opinion in the comments section below. Here are some questions:

  • Do you currently own a pair of light boots?
  • Which model?
  • Do you like them?
  • Which boot would like to have and why?

Any questions on this topic? Again, you can ask in the comments window below.