Intro

Roxa’s freeride-touring R3 130 TI boot has been available in several iterations for a while, with a few revisions over the years. Previous versions have stood out for their quite stiff, more linear-feeling flex patterns; being available with wrap or tongue Intuition liners; and coming in at a weight comparable to mid-weight touring boots. At the same time, many skiers have enjoyed using the R3 130 for both resort and backcountry use, or even purely as an inbounds option.

Designed as a three-piece “cabrio” shell, the R3 130 is reminiscent of the Dalbello Lupo or Full Tilt Descendent series, and like those boots, the previous R3 130 required the tongue to be removed to utilize the boot’s full range of motion when climbing. While that makes for longer transitions, it adds the benefit of being able to dial in the flex pattern via aftermarket tongue options that Roxa sells. And despite on-paper similarities with other 3-piece boots, the R3 130 has always stood out by being significantly lighter than most other 3-piece touring boots. 

The big change for the 22/23 R3 130 is a switch to a new hinged two-piece tongue, which Roxa says adds a notable increase in range of motion on the uphill without needing to remove it (but you can still remove it for extended range of motion).

Roxa markets the R3 130 TI as a 50/50 boot of sorts, and we’ve recently seen it used in settings as diverse as the Freeride World Tour to remote backcountry peaks…That’s certainly enough to intrigue us. We started spending time in the new R3 130 this past spring and will have more to say in the future, but in the meantime, here are the main details.