Dalbello Quantum Free 110 Boots

At only 2460g / 5.4lb for the pair, Dalbello’s new Quantum Free 110 are lightweight ski touring specific boots that border on being Rando ready. For most of us though the Quantum Free 110’s will be used for long days in the backcountry and multi-day traverses which is exactly how I tested them.

The Quantum Free 110’s use Dalbello’s innovative bonded shell construction which creates the shell from two halves. By fusing these two half-shells together Dalbello is afforded greater freedom in the design of the shell and can incorporate an anatomical heel cup which provides better comfort and therefore performance. This design also allows the shell to be lighter as each half of the shell is created with less material. Dalbello chose to use polyamide with carbon fibre for the shell since it’s super light and also incredibly stiff.

Another area of weight savings is in the Quantum Free 110’s tongue—because there isn’t one. Instead, Dalbello uses a softshell-like fabric to keep snow at bay but it provides no support or flex control, this is provided by the two-piece Dual Link Cuff and the ski/walk mechanism. This innovative design was first used in Dalbello’s Quantum Asolo Boots which we reviewed last season and can also be seen in other Alpine Touring (AT) Boots like the Scarpa F1 LT Boots, Arc'teryx Procline AR Carbon Boots and the Atomic Backland Carbon Boots. 

This two-piece shell and cuff construction reduces weight while maintaining rigidity and provides an impressive 65° range of motion in walk mode.

The lower of the two buckles on these boots have a lightweight cable wrapping over the forefoot and a second buckle which is located on the upper cuff which has a built-in catch so that it can be unbuckled for climbing without becoming unclasped and therefore losing your buckle position. Above this, you’ll find the minimal powerstrap that further enhances the boot’s performance and lateral stability. Together these two buckles and powerstrap provide a pretty firm foothold and support which leads to good ski control and a smooth and comfortable walk mode.

Dalbello has upgraded the Hike / Ride Mechanism on the back of the Quantum Free 110 Boots from the one found of the previous Quantum Asolo Boots as well. This new mechanism has a stronger spring action so it closes with authority and the new locking latch ensures it will never become unlatched during descents.

On the inside of the Quantum Free 110s, you’ll find the heat mouldable Ultralon Foam IF Touring Sport LIners. These are minimal weight touring liners that provide support and comfort in a thinner lightweight form.

For grip in packed couloirs, rocky summit ridges as well as slippery lodge cafeteria floors, Dalbello incorporated aggressively lugged dual-density rockered Vibram soles that meet ISO 9523 dimensions so they are able to be used with hybrid touring bindings and crampons.

Cuff – Polyamide Composite
Shell – Polyamide Composite

• Dual Link Cuff – Walk mode offers a huge 65˚ range of motion and excellent lateral support
• New Hike and Ride Mechanism – Stronger spring action and new locking latch
• New Free Buckles – Ultralight buckles with top buckle reversed
• Power Strap - 25mm Velcro Strap
• ISO 9523 Vibram Dual Density Sole – Stiffer components at binding connection and excellent durability.
• Tech Fittings

Below you can see the forefoot buckle closed and open as well as the cuff buckle closed and open, both use a light weight wire design.

Every bit of the new Quantum Free 110 Boots screams lightweight, from the Polyamide Composite cuff and shell to the two buckle design, and even the minimal power strap. It’s designed primarily as a dedicated touring boot for multi-day traverses, long days in the backcountry or even rando racing. Dalbello reduced weight everywhere they could on the new Quantum Free 110s with the goal of not sacrificing on performance—and for the most part, they succeeded. At just 2460g / 5.4lb per pair for a size 26.5, these are seriously light boots and with a cuff rotation of 65°, they are definitely made for crushing large amounts of vert.

Other boots in this ultra-light category would be the Atomic Backland Carbon boots, the La Sportiva Skorpius CR Boots, Scarpa’s new F1 LT Alpine Touring Boots, Dalbello’s Quantum Asolo Boots, Fischer’s Travers Boots and the Salomon S-Lab X-Alp Boots. All of these boots use a similar two buckle design with either a forefoot buckle or BOA-like system to help position your foot snuggly into the boot's heel pocket.

I personally much prefer the wire and buckle system like that on the Dalbello Quantum Free 110s over a BOA system as it can apply much more force to really clamp down on your forefoot and effectively position your foot. I did, however, find that since the Quantum Free 110’s don’t have a tongue and instead use a softshell fabric and a small plastic piece, my foot would become sore after prolonged use. This could be because of the high arches in my foot or the fact that the 100mm last was on the narrower side for my specific foot shape. For this, I had to dock the Quantum Free 110’s on their comfort but everyone’s foot is unique so this is only my individual experience.

Since climbing ability is an obvious plus for these lightweight boots, let's talk downhill performance. With an impressive out-of-the-box foothold (thanks to the two-piece bonded shell construction) my foot was snuggly seated in the heel pocket which I did find to be more anatomically correct than other one piece shell boots. Forefoot hold was also impressive given the boot’s minimal design so I was able to effectively transition power from my feet via the boots to the skis. Where I would have liked more performance, however, was in the boots flex. I found the Quantum Free 110 a little soft when the snow became variable or the terrain challenging. In untracked pow, of course, there is no problem with softer flex boots such as these and in this weight category, it’s hard to find any boot with a higher flex rating than a 110.

If you are looking to lighten the load and have bigger days in the backcountry then the best way to achieve this is to reduce the weight on your feet—as they say, ‘one pound on your foot equals 10 on your back’. While you may have to settle for a softer flex to achieve this kind of weight savings in a boot you won’t have to forgo any performance due to fit.