Zero Gravity
Tecnica released the Zero G back in the 2018-2019 season and rocked our backcountry ski socks off. It hit a great weight—sub-1500 grams. Not too light, not too heavy. Enough heft to ski with power or through challenging conditions, but much more touring optimized than a hybrid boot like the Tecnica Cochise. Now, the Zero G gets some significant updates to increase performance. As I’ve been on the hunt for a touring boot upgrade, I’ve been psyched to get to spend some time in this boot for most of my touring season. Let’s dive into my experience in our Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro review.
Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro Review: Field Notes + Specs
Tecnica is releasing four new boots: a Zero G Tour Pro in a men’s and women’s (130 and 125 respectively) and a new Zero G Tour Scout (120 and 115). The regular Zero G Tour comes back unchanged from 23/24. I’ve been riding in the women’s Pro in a 24.5, my normal ski boot size. I’ve been testing it with my touring setup, a Moment Sierra Tour and ATK Raider bindings, a relatively light setup.
So far this season, I’ve been touring in Nordica’s Unlimited 130 LT, and I found the flexes to feel similar. The Unlimited weighs a little more (just about 200 grams) and has a little less range of motion.
The new Zero G Tour Pro gets a few significant upgrades. They’ve changed the plastic (moving to a Grilamid-based plastic) to create a more consistent and progressive flex. They’ve added more of the Quick Instep material to make it easier to get in and out. Tecnica also shaved some weight and increased the range of motion to 60 degrees. You’ll also find a more aggressive forward lean, at 14 degrees (and 16 with a spoiler).
As for fit, Tecnica keeps the stated last at 99mm, but says they adjusted the mold to be a bit less aggressive of a fit. Specifically, I feel that over the instep and the heel pocket. The old Zero G had a pretty “committed” instep, that even lit up my relatively low-volume feet.
Overall, these updates are very focused on retaining the inherent DNA of the boot, while boosting uphill and downhill performance.
Fit
I’ll preface this all with the classic bootfitter disclaimer: the best boot is the boot that fits your foot. No amount of tech or skiability will get you where you need to be if the boot is a completely different mold or shape than your foot. If you’re close, you can often make adjustments to make it work. But, an ultra-wide foot or ultra-narrow foot going into a boot that’s shaped the opposite will require more work than worth whatever tech you’re interested in.
Now that’s out of the way, some background on my feet. I have a fairly low-volume foot considering my length at 25.5/25. I was downsized early in my ski career to a 24.5, and that’s where I’m happiest. At 24.5, my width and instep are pretty proportional with the length of my foot, aside from my tiny heels and ankles that always cause a bit of heel lift or rotation without modification.
The stated last on this boot is 99mm, and that feels about right to me. I never skied in the old Zero G Tour Scout W, but I did try it on several times. The new boot feels moderately roomier than the old version. I notice it most over the instep area, which always felt a little low in the old boot. The toe box feels a touch more roomy, which I appreciate. The changes aren’t drastic, but enough to make the boot more comfortable for more folks. I think it doesn’t cut out the folks who like the old fit, it just makes it slightly more comfortable for long days out in the mountains.
The only issue I’ve run into is with the heel pocket. But I have exceptionally low-volume ankles. I’ve solved that problem easily by riding with my GFT Zipfit liner, which has inordinate amounts of cork in the heel to solve the ankle problem. More on that below in the downhill performance section.
Uphill
This boot is incredible on the uphill. The upgraded range of motion (55 to 60 degrees), is noticeable with both front and rearward motion. It rotates through the range of motion smoothly.
I also like the buckle system. There’s a hook at the front of the buckle notches that works well to hold your cuff in place so your buckles aren’t flapping in the wind, and still utilize the full range of motion. The buckle wires are a little tricky to get used when adjusting them for transitions, but you get the hang of pulling them off the notches.
At 1290 grams, it feels plenty feathery for uphill travel. I have no problem spending all day in this boot, and going up for second, third, fourth laps, or for big spring missions.
Despite the roomy heel pocket, I never noticed it on the uphill. Whatever that mold is doing to hold you in place worked for me, and I haven’t gotten any blisters or any other hot spots.
Downhill
As expected, this new boot steps up performance on the downhill. It feels supportive, while also not being a hard or rigid flex. During challenging snow conditions (every lightweight boot’s nemesis), the boot felt consistent and predictable. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “damp” like an alpine boot might feel, but there’s no doubt it supports aggressive skiing through rougher snow.
I’ve taken these boots inbounds for a few laps, and have very much enjoyed those turns. The boot puts me in a good position to get forward and isn’t too upright. I feel like it provides good lateral power transmission while I’m edging on firm snow and again remains consistent and smooth to flex into.
On the downhill is where I noticed the heel pocket size. If the skiing was a little choppy, I could feel my heel moving around a bit more and power transfer was more difficult. Again, I don’t expect this to be an issue for most folks given my dainty ankles. But, it was something I experienced.
I typically keep minimal pressure on the lower shell buckles on my alpine boots, as those are sized pretty snugly. Since I was getting some motion in the heel, I tried buckling the lower shell tighter, which made a big difference and didn’t affect the fit. Once I started tightening those more than I normally would out of habit, I noticed much better performance.
If anything, this should encourage folks who have more average-sized feet that you can get into this boot and be comfortable. I never noticed the roomy heel in smooth snow conditions, it’s just when the snow demanded a bit more reactivity on my end. And again, after dropping my Zipfit in there, I’ve been happy with the performance and fit for more aggressive ski lines.
Downsides?
As many folks know with the current Zero G, they can be tricky to get into. Tecnica claims they’ve made this easier by increasing the amount of quick instep tech (softer plastic right over your instep), but they’re still a bit tricky to get on. I have good luck by putting the boot in walk mode for entry, so I have more leverage to get into the boot.
I also did notice in very cold temperatures (mostly with wind chill bringing temps down) the boots would stiffen up, or at least feel less progressive. Flexing into the boot properly can feel a bit more difficult in challenging snow conditions if the flex is at your top end. That said, I was pleasantly surprised that the boot flexes similarly in normal cold temperatures as it does in warmer temperatures. That gives me a ton of excitement for the spring when my old touring boots would turn to mush.
Bottom Line
For women who are skiing hard and can never find a light touring boot supportive enough for their skiing in the backcountry, I think you’ll be impressed with the performance of this boot. It’s always hard to “rate” touring flexes the same way as alpine boots given the weight discrepancy. But, this boot is certainly on the “pro” side of flexes. I found it comparable to my Nordica Unlimited 130 LT.
Most importantly, the boot hits a weight category that opens travel and terrain options, while maximizing performance on the downhill. Of course, an ambitious soul can lug up their crossover boots on long days. But with the new Zero G Tour Pro, it’s not necessary. The Zero G is consistent, provides a solid fit, and helps you ski the way you want in the terrain you want. In this weight class, this boot gives me the confidence to ski how I’d like to that no other touring boot has so far.
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