With the launch of the Lupo a few years ago, Dalbello brought a pioneering boot onto the market. Thanks to the removable tongue, it was stable with perfect flex on the descent and, without a tongue, it was drag-free to walk in and quite light on the ascent. Now suddenly there's a Lupo without a tongue, the Lupo Air. Can that work well? Yes, it works well. Simply different. The flex of the Lupo Air is no longer controlled via the tongue but via the shaft. This is actually very similar to what many manufacturers already do, e.g. Salomon with the legendary MTN Lab touring boot. Sure, it won't be the same flex for die-hard Lupo fans. But after a day of looping on the Urnerboden, we came to the conclusion that the Lupo Air also deserves its name. Not least because the Lupo Air also comes very close to the optimum compromise between ascent and descent. 67 degrees of resistance-free freedom of movement (27 degrees to the rear and 40 to the front) together with the amazing weight of 1.4kg (size 27) make it hardly noticeable on the ascent. On the descent, it provides good support thanks to the sophisticated instep buckle, the ultra-wide cuff buckle and the sporty fit. With its Grilamid shell and shaft, it offers plenty of stability and, with the low pivot point typical of Dalbello, a pleasant flex. While the Lupo is actually a pure freeride shoe, the Lupo Air plays in the category of pure touring shoes like the Maestrale, although it has not completely lost its Alpine DNA.