RTP of choice?

[Spuddy]

I recently replaced my RTP, I’d been using the same one that I had from an HO Extreme so that has to be at least 25 years old. It was getting worn and needed to be replaced. The issue is I got the HO RTP to replace it and have tried two different sizes and have the same issue, it feels to small and at about ball 4/5 I can feel my foot is not in place. Anyway a long winded way to ask does anyone have any favourites when it comes to RTPs? Thank you,

[BMG73]

Wileys

[aupatking]

There’s a pretty good discussion about the RTP on here somewhere. I just tried to move from R-style to RTP with the HO. So far, unsuccessfully. Had the same problem with my foot moving. The last thing I read is one of the Adams talking about what Andy told him, so from me it’s all hearsay but here goes: strip off the pretty padding, drill one more set of holes further back and move the strap one hole set backwards. Put some skateboard grip tape down. I didn’t take before pictures of it on my foot but now it fits way further up my foot (as one of the guys said it should) and feels way more secure dry land testing. Ive been clearing debris from hurricane Sally so haven’t had a chance to try it yet but I’m fairly certain it’s going to be a marked improvement

 

[ballsohard]

@aupatking does the grip tape feel comfortable for long sets?

[jeblanc]

I really like the lace adjustable rear toe plates. I use the one made by Connelly, but I'm sure the other brands such as HO or Radar work great as well. You just slide your foot in place and lace it up tight. Once I got it to where I wanted at the beginning of the summer I haven't had to readjust it since.

[aupatking]

@ballsohard I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. It feels really comfortable, dry land testing

[Wish]

https://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/21304/in-search-of-the-perfect-rtp/p1

[Spuddy]

@aupatking thank you, that looks that what is needed I feel at the end of the set it’s just my toes in the strap, what you have looks way better as it covers the top of the foot.

[DHski]

For someone buying a new RTP in the future do you think you would get a similar effect by just buying one size larger HO RTP so your foot could slide further in?

[Spuddy]

@DHski I did go up a size larger and it’s still not fitting properly

[aupatking]

@DHski notice how far back the toe strap is now mounted, but my toes are still at the forward edge of the plate. Now imagine how little of my toes would be sticking out if I moved it back forward. Now, add back the 1/4 inch of padding under my foot and it’s even less.

After looking at how my foot fits now, I wonder if my toes really stuck out at all before B)

Not knocking HO’s product, at all, I actually love it now. This is a picture of an HO Pro riders rear toe. Looks like he’s done roughly the same thing with his. It makes me wonder why they don’t offer it this way. Except it doesn’t have the “finished look” of the product off the shelf. It does, however, perform much better now.

 

[Skoot1123]

This will be one of my winter projects.

[LakeboyWWK]

I started using the Wiley RTP on universal plate on my Syndicate Omni this year and love it. I moved the strap back and removed the smaller overlay off the top.

 

[ballsohard]

Will and JT have full-on custom RTP's whereas Jaime utilizes a stock one (or close to stock)

 

 

[dchristman]

Interesting that all are using the HO/Edge front but none are using the HO RTP. I have been using the HO RTP for over 10 years. I have no problem with the soft pad rather than grip tape, but I have ripped out the toe rubber a few times jamming my foot in. I like the profile on the hold-down bars, but I think the self-tapping screws with courser thread rather than bolts that go all the way through with finer thread like the Wiley's may contribute to that issue.

[Chef23]

I remember being at Travers and watching JT put bondo on his Reflex binding plate to build stability. It seems like that was a precursor to the HO Edge.

 

The rear toe is interesting. It seems like getting your foot in farther might offset the fact that the padding under the foot is gone. I have a Radar RTP I don’t love I might have to muck around with it over the winter.

[braindamage]

The radar artp has been great for me. Adjustable and cradles the heel just a bit. You just have to tuck in the laces.

https://radarskis.com/products/artp-boot

[Slalom.Steve]

It seems from this thread and the other RTP thread that a good number of amateurs and pros who use a RTP prefer something with a very thin, non-padded footbed. Then why aren't any of the brands making one like that? D3 only has a padded, contoured one. HO and Radar offer mostly padded, contoured ones - they both also offer a simpler flat one, but they still look pretty thickly padded. The thinnest I found is maybe the GOODE RTP.

 

I know the padded contour maybe looks nicer/fancier, and a company can charge more for a more "heavy-duty/complicated" product, but it seems to me the ski community is driven by performance, performance, performance. So what's up?

 

 

@Than_Bogan - I seem to remember in another thread you (or maybe one of the other Denali dudes) saying that arch support in front boots is actually detrimental, and something flat and is ideal, giving the most direct contact from the foot to the ski. Is that correct? If so, does that sort of principal extend to RTPs? Would you say that padded and/or contoured RTPs are detrimental?

 

[DoubleB]

I tried a Connelly Sync ARTP and it felt terrible to me. I like my RTP to feel really snug and the ARTP had no stretch, so to get it feeling snug it was really uncomfortable. I switched over to a rubber non-adjustable Radar RTP and like it much more.

[jhughes]

RTP choice and fit makes a big difference and is often neglected. I recently replaced mine with the D3 version and almost immediately skied better and more consistently, just because it was new (not saying the D3 version is somehow magic or anything like that). FWIW I have mine tight enough that it may take a few good kicks to get it in all the way and my big toe is usually in contact with the back of the front boot. Front to back mounting on the plate the rubber strap is in the stock position.

[C5Quest]

@aupatking Hows that HO RTP working out?

[Stevie Boy]

I use a HO RTP, can never get one to suit my foot, so I buy XLarge and cut it to suit, shame you can not get holds of the Material, then you could produce a few, I am sure there is a market or at least you could copy one that you customized earlier.

One of the pitfalls of using RTP how do you know your foot in the same place every time ?

That could be a project !

[vtmecheng]

I had the same issue with the rubber RTPs not fitting my foot well. It was always too tight at the front and lose at the rear. Ended up with a Radar boa ARTP and so far it’s great. Fits perfectly, easy to adjust between passes if I want, and my foot doesn’t move a bit. I also noticed that the strap sits further back than my old HO and I really like that.

[C5Quest]

My Wiley rear boots is worn out and was becoming very loose. I put on a radar boa HRT tonight and skied well. Was a little concerned as I was waiting to get pulled up my heel was fairly loose. But it skied well and didn’t have an issue . I’m a size 9 and would fit better somewhere between a small and the standard size. The Wiley and a standard rear toe plate have me flat on the ski. The Radar HRT has some padding and adds some height. I think it helped me keep my weight forward as my offside improved some. Will take a few more sets to make that call. I moved the HRT forward on the metal plate and cut off the excess foam pad to get closer to my reflex front boot. Only down side was now I slide the reflex boot in at an angle to get under the release mechanism. With the HRT closer to the front the release doesn’t freely fall back enough to put the front boot in from the straight down position.

[aupatking]

@C5Quest I couldn’t be happier with my RTP after my modification. I still like the R-style more, so I’m looking for a heel cup to add, like Freddie Winter did on his, but for a strictly RTP, this is the best I’ve found

[Tracks72]

I struggled with this for years… I have a 10.5 4EEE foot so often when I get the RTP where it needed to be on the ski my foot was cramped into an uncomfortable place. For years I used Wiley RTP. A few years back I got to borrow SKI with a Radar ARTP Vector I really liked it. Was hard getting used to my foot laying on the ski vs the Radar having a nice padding. I recently switched to the ARTP BOA Boot and love it. When you’re carving there is a unique feeling of placement and I feel really settled into the ski. I truly think this helped me ski better too.

[Mrs_MS]

HO RTP ROCKS