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Head Stratos Pro vs UPZ RC-10 FIT


cail

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I'm looking for anyone that has tried both of these boots on and is willing to comment on the fit? I had a pair of the red UPZs back in '07, from what I remember they were fairly tight/narrow. I currently have Head Stratos Pros, the width is good. I'm considering a pair of the new RC-10s... I'm wondering if they still fit fairly narrow, especially in the forefoot. Thanks!

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I started in the Head's but found them way too roomy and generally a higher volume boot despite the correct mondo sizing, 27.5...just lots of slop. I switched to UPZ RC10's (mondo 27.5) and found the fit just right for my foot (regular "D" width, not a particularly high instep either). I ditched the stock Flow liners as they were causing major pressure points. It's too bad because the construction is superb and the liners fit very well at home but didn't perform well (for me) on the mountain. I'm using old Raichle wrap thermo's now and that seems to be a good combination, although I'm still thinking of investing in some newer Intuition liners. I also really like the flex of the UPZ but I'm very curious to see how a BTS-type mechanism would perform on the boots. Only real negative I find with the boot is that I find the 5 buckles very annoying. I usually end up having one very loose (doesn't impact performance) after getting the boot snugged down to my liking however I suppose it's nice having the option for different shaped feet.

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I have wide (between D and E) 25.4 feet and use Head Stratos 24.5 and UPZ 25.

Both UPZ and Stratos doesn't feel narrow in toe areas. UPZ boots have much narrower heel area though. I like it...

Surprisingly both boots have same liner length, i.e, UPZ boots are of right size whereas Deeluxe and Head boots may be half to one finger too big, so one may need to down-size. I use 24.5 zipfit Gara liner on Stratos and will use 24.5 Gara on UPZ 25...

Spring system of UPZ works like BTS with smaller range of movement but with added advantage of easier forward lean adjustment and walk mode. With BTS one can change forward lean setting with spring combinations and lower nut adjustment but more fiddly. But in terms of flex during riding I like Bomber BTS better, very smooth... So no one system is perfect...

But have the boot shells changed in terms of size over the years? I don't know but it's unlikely...

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Spring system of UPZ works like BTS with smaller range of movement but with added advantage of easier forward lean adjustment and walk mode. With BTS one can change forward lean setting with spring combinations and lower nut adjustment but more fiddly. But in terms of flex during riding I like Bomber BTS better, very smooth... So no one system is perfect...

+1 on ease of forward lean adjustment and walk mode (a nice bonus when putting on/removing). Regarding the spring mech, I don't find a significant difference when adjusting the spring but I don't necessarily see it as a setback either because the boot flexes nicely for me. Having said this, I like the flex, feel, and performance of the UPZ far better than the HSP but that's probably largely related to the better fit and more efficient transfer of power to the edge. Sorry, getting OT...

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