The new Tecnica Cochise 130 HV is one of the three big boot stories of the year for our test team (see the home page blogs for that discussion). Why is our test team so excited about the new HV Cochise? Because it's a tech compatible, 102mm boot--and not some pretend AT brand 102mm that actually fits like a narrow boot. The Tecnica Cochise HV line-up represents a three model phalanx of legitimate wide rides that will suit skiers with thick feet and legs who want to haul their high-volume carcasses over hill and dale in the pursuit of sick pow or aerobic health. Or perhaps the skins and the touring is purely aspirational--and that's okay--the Cochise is one of the few freeride boots that really do ski as well as all-mountain alpine boots without walk modes, so it's alright to pay a few extra ducats for tech fittings, just in case the granola calls, but mainly use that T-Drive, locking walk mode to saunter up to the bar. It is a truly multi-use ski boot.
But wait, there's more! The Cochise 130 HV is available all the way up to a 32.5 and that's a rarity in the freeride boot world too. Do humans that large tour? Of course they do--think of the distance they can cover with the long legs attached to those massive feet.
Yes, these developments are somewhat pedestrian--big last widths and big sizes, but that's what gets our bootfitter tester types fired up (true, they're nerds), but they uncovered other more traditionally exciting things about the Cochise HV as well.
Namely this wide body rips, they said. It was pretty well unanimous that it skis as well as the 99mm Cochise, both in its power and torque quotient and it's quick response to transitions and steering moves. The only thing that would hamper the connection of body to ski or slow the transmission of messaging would be a lack of girth--there's some room there that needs to be filled for the true performance limit of the Cochise 130 HV to be approached. They also liked the simplicity of design and functionality of features--it's a boot, with four regular buckles and a hike mode. Okay, the microscopic lock switch on the cuff release lever is damn small and is a bare-fingered adjustment, but if that's the Cochise's big flaw we're doing pretty well, folks.
Our testers still like a polyurethane lower shell (CAS dimpling is useful) and we can deal with a polypropylene cuff just fine. GripWalk works without issue, and while testers said the cuff's range of motion while released is a bit limited, they remind that this isn't one for the uphill-rad and Lycra-clad but rather aggressive descents and all-day adventures found near the chairlift.