Boot:Roxa R3 130 TI I.R.
Well, kinda, sorta, not really.
When I first skied the R3 130 five years ago, it was a decent 50/50 boot.
Listen to them, tip them, etc.
That said, I have weird and messy feet.
The R3 is heat moldable, but thanks to sizing up, I have just molded the Intuition liners.
Theyre plenty stiff for my somewhat chunky self.
So Ill just say that I usually get along well with 130 flex boots from other brands.
The R3 130 skis like a 130 boot.
It can drive big skis in weird snow just fine.
It has a hard and soft setting it’s possible for you to change with an allen wrench.
I ski mine in the hard setting.
Uphill Performance
This has typically been the weakness of the R3.
Its tricky to make a three piece boot with a simple walk mode that actually goes uphill well.
The new R3s walk mode is unchanged.
These arent dainty walking slippers.
That said, the new hinged tongue gives the boot even more rearward ROM than the previous version.
The new tongue means that it tours much better than its main competitor, the Full Tilt Ascendant.
For big days with long flat approaches and exits, the R3 is not my top choice.
Options
The R3 is available with either a tongue or wrap liner.
More boots should offer that choice.
I personally go with the wrap.
Weight
This is newschoolers, we dont care about weight, right?
That aside, the R3 is competitive.
The 27.5 Roxas weigh only about 70 grams more than my 26.5 Dynafit Radical Pros.
The claimed weight for the 26.5 is exactly the same as the Radicals.
The new version with the hinged tongue gains about 16 grams over the last version according to my scale.
Compared to the Full Tilt Ascendant, the Roxa is around 300 grams lighter.
Thats over half a pound per foot.
Compared to the Dynafit Radical Pro:Ive spent a bunch of days in Dynafits Radical Pro this year.
Its my favorite touring boot ever, and Ive got a review coming for NS.
I wouldnt love to daily drive the Radical Pro inbounds at a mountain like Jackson Hole.
But I wouldnt hesitate to do so in the R3.
Its easily adjustable and secure, but makes for very fast transitions.
Ive retrofit them onto several other boots with great results.
Compared to the old R3:This ones easy, it skis the same, but walks better.
So if you liked the old one, this one is the natural upgrade.
And, since its just the tongue that changed, you could potentially just upgrade those.
Who should be lusting after this boot?
This is my “trying to show off the boots for the camera” stance.
It’s not pretty.
Its a great companion for a binding like Shift or Cast.
So many people buy touring gear unsure of how much theyll actually use it in the backcountry.
And when they get super light gear, they end up sacrificing inbounds performance.
But with the R3 130 TI I.R.
Roxa has done exactly that, and I commend them for it.
