"Allo, Allo...The DYNAFIT Ultra 100 - First Impressions
Posted on November 06 2020
Over the last year I have grown increasingly fond of Dynafit Shoes.
My previous model, the Alpine Pro has found a regular place in my shoe rotation. Somewhat Salomonesque but a really solid, reliable, precise shoe that I have grown to trust to cope with pretty much anything that can be thrown at it.
The big plus has been Vibram Megagrip, so whenever the weather goes bonkers, this is a shoe I have I have turned too and have enjoyed the experience.
For that reason we have decided to bring Dynafit back into the shop and the first model we have brought in is the ULTRA 100.
As the name suggests this is a shoe that is designed for longer distances and has significantly more cushioning that my Alpine Pro's.
First thing to say about Dynafit Shoes is that they run small for size so you will need to go up at least half a size in the ULTRA 100.
They are also a precise fit, so if your pinkies have got used to wide toe boxes these will feel cramped but sometimes this is an advantage when you want foot placement precision.
This German brand is also not short of build integrity. Built like a "backstein scheisse haus" comes to mind with lots of overlays which I think are intended to keep the muck out of the shoes but also keeps them looking sharp. Slight downside is all the overlays add to the weight so there is something of a trade-off there. The shoe comes in at 300g compared to say a Salomon Ultra 3 at 290g so not so crazily heavy.
One thing to state immediately is the ULTRA 100 does not have Vibram Megagrip. However, what they do have is POCOMA outsoles. POCOMA is a swiss brand that have built their reputation on developing ski-touring skins. These are rubber skins that provide the grip between the foot and the ski when ski touring. So they really know a thing or two about grip. So far I have not been able to fully test the grip in wet weather but the dampness encountered has not caused any problems. The blog will be updated as soon as a real test possibility presents itself.
So the runs that I have done in the shoes have been good, if relatively dry tests. Straight out of the box I did a 27km run on relatively easy trail and catchwater. The amount of cushioning is immediately more plush that the Alpine Pro and what I was pleased to see was that the forefoot rock protection was much better than the Alpine Pro. This has been a bit of a criticism of the Alpine Pro to date.
The Ultra 100 felt stable and comfortable and over the more technical parts of the course, nicely stable. They have something called a Heel Preloader. Not really sure how that technically works but my heel did feel nicely nested in the rear of the shoe.
6mm of drop is lower that the 8mm on the Alpine Pro and welcome as I have moved more and more to lower and even zero drop shoes.
Some people have complained that the "Salomon-like" lacing strings on the Alpine Pro are not as well developed as on Salomon shoes. They will be reassured to learn that the ULTRA 100 uses good old fashioned laces.
One slight criticism I would make is that the heel collar rides quite high and I found it irritating my foot slightly just under my ankle, but only on my right foot. I suspect this will improve as the shoes wear in but these days we expect perfect performance straight out of the box.
So overall, a very capable shoe which gives a feeling of being competent, but firm. A bit like Helga from allo, allo :-)
So listen very carefully, we will say this only once, (well maybe not) we have no hesitation in recommending this shoe with the proviso that we need to give them a really good test in the wet.
We will update the blog as soon as that can be done.
Check them out here:
For all you Herr Fliks out there, go HERE
https://gone.run/collections/trail-shoes/products/dynafit-mens-ultra-100
For all you Helga's, go HERE
https://gone.run/collections/trail-shoes/products/dynafit-womens-ultra-100
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