While the Fischer RC4 105 LV BOA is a Vacuum boot and one of the unique qualities about the Fischer Vacuum molding system is that it can compress the shell around the foot, actually making a heel p
The Rossignol Pure Elite 120 returns this season unchanged but that didn’t stop it from winning the narrow all-mountain category, again, just like last year—and that makes perfect sense to us.
Yes, it’s unanimously loved for its beautiful exterior, visually, but testers say that beauty is much more than skin deep, heaping tons of praise on the interior creature comforts of this any-terrain, any-speed tool of mountain domination. It’s surprisingly easy to slide on for a 120-flex, testers agree, with a smooth and silky glide to enter the boot that then disappears during buckle-up and leaves testers with a firm-enough grip on the foot and leg without any slippery slop reported. Testers agree that the Pure Elite 120 sits right in the middle of the narrow class fit spectrum. Its fit scores in the toebox, forefoot and instep were all dead-center in the narrow all-mountain group. So let it be said for the record, a boot doesn’t have to be the narrowest to be the best of the narrows. Some testers wished its heel pocket was tighter, but of all the easy fixes available to a bootfitter, that’s one of the easiest, so we’ll let it slide this time.
Testers say a boot this sort of luscious, lipstick red better ski as good as it looks—and apparently it does based on the fact that its highest scores were in the performance metrics. In fact, it maintained a perfect 10.0 for its stance and balance as well as logged another perfect score for edge power. Testers say it doesn’t take a skier as flashy as the boot to enjoy what it’s got to offer, saying it has huge bandwidth to suit a wide array of skier abilities and styles, from the aggressively game intermediate up through top semi-pro, best-on-the-mountain types. That is, so long as they get along with the 120-flex, which testers say is every bit of that but properly cushioned against the shin with a progressive flex feel that comes to stop without folding, pinching or feeling abrupt.
The seasoned expert is who the Pure Elite 120 is made for, clearly, because our very good skiing test team loved how tactile and nimble it was underfoot, claiming it had an extrasensory feel for the snow surface. But they also said it drove an edge like the hammer of Thor, no matter what width ski they were on and no matter the snow surface or terrain. Testers called it one of the most-balanced and well-rounded boots for both fit and performance at the test. They did say it responded best to an assertive pilot who knew what she was doing but they allowed that it didn’t punish mistakes or general laziness and green circle lollygagging, calling it a perfect all-day, all-mountain boot for all comers.
The new Alltrack 130 HV BOA marks an interesting new approach for Rossignol's crossover alpine-freeride line. It incorporates the easy entry technology pioneered in the uber-easy-on Vizion boots to allow for a combined ease of entry with a cuff-releasing hike feature--this, with the overriding goal of maintaining alpine-level, 130-tier performance standards. Our testers said mission accomplished on all fronts.
First, testers want to talk about the high-volume fit found in the Alltrack 130 HV BOA--they say its plush and warm and comfortably wrapped around all contours. They loved the 102mm-style room for the toes, forefoot, instep and calf (enough for big, solid guys) but they appreciated a little more control in the fit for the ankles and heel. Testers spent a lot of time discussing the wooly, nappy liner material that felt good against the sock and struck a nice balance between smooth and grippy--just enough glide for a supremely easy entry (enhanced by the rearward-opening cuff technology) but enough friction on the foot and leg to keep things locked-in during aggressive skiing.
There was some skepticism about the easy-entry walk mode of the Access category Vizion boots mission-creeping its way into the strong-descending All-Mountain Traditional test category, but it didn't take long for the Alltrack 130 HV BOA to dispel those concerns. Testers loved how strong it felt while keeping a ski on edge through tricky snow at speed but they said it was light on the foot and pretty agile for a wide ride as well. They appreciated the stability offered by the polyurethane shell but felt it paired well with the lighter and snappy feeling polyolefin cuff. Testers felt the 130 flex was up to snuff for bigger skiers who might find themselves in the HV model but they felt the tongue cushioning and ergonomic flex feel offered plenty of room for lighter weight skiers to get on board.
The BOA seemed to suit the nature of this boot--easy to use in all respects, they said, from entry, to closure, to skiing and possibly hiking or apres-partying. The BOA reel was a convenient way to close up shop around the meaty hoof, testers said, and they noted that it had no negative bearing on the way the boot went on or came off. They thought a little pink on the knob worked with the grey and yellow look, too.
Some skiers may take one look at the bold, bright, brash, retro and really yellow livery of the new Rossignol Super Hi-Speed and wonder, can I pull that off? They might hesitate a moment before grabbing it off its boot wall shelf, thinking, am I a good enough skier to wear a yellow tribute model? Our test team says yes and yes--and they say the second yes is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy with the Super Hi-Speed. They say it makes a skier better--and better enough in no time to merit the hue.
Testers said that the new Super Hi-Speed took a very good Hi-Speed Elite 130 and turned it up to 11 with a new liner that's slightly firmer in its hold on the foot and slightly thicker in its exterior lay-up, which means tighter. And yes, this particular yellow pigment is widely known to amplify the edge-driving power of polyurethane. Tester say that it had a knack for putting the skis precisely where they wanted, and for holding them there in solid defiance of whatever deflecting, crispified crud they'd sent them through.
Yes, we understand that it's the skier that sends the message to the skis, but we also know that the boot is the conduit through which all messaging flows. Some boots offer low fidelity, like two tin cans and a string, while others provide fiber optic level transmission of movement between body and ski. Some of this is born of fit--which testers say is perfect for the all-day, all-mountain narrow fit (just a bit more breathing room in forefoot and toebox). Some of this is a product of shell construction and how the shape and plastic work together to create a magic called progressive flex (testers say it's a strong 130 that feels great on the shin). And some of it is derivative of a harmonious blend of stance angles, closure system and features. Testers said the Super Hi-Speed put it all together well.
The whole kit just worked for our test team, many of whom forgot all about the fact that they were testing a boot and commented that they were just ripping around, finding good lines and untracked snow. They also forgot that it was yellow. But then they remembered and simultaneously decided that they were skiing well enough to deserve it.
The Nordica Sportmachine 3 105 BOA W was one of the highest scoring boots of the entire women's boot test and one of the favorite wide all-mountain boots that our team tested. They say its fit is big, big, big, but with adequate hold on the foot and leg to ensure accurate placement of the skis right where they're wanted. They were unanimous in their appraisal of the Sportmachine 3 105 BOA W as one of the best-skiing wide models they've ever tested.
One tester compared it to the perfectly toasted marshmallow--slightly crispy on the outside, warm, gooey and delicious on the inside. The liner feel is dreamy against the foot and leg, testers agreed, and they loved the way it contoured around typical bony and wide spots without feeling overly boxy. They say that big volume feet and legs need this boot, and this boot needs those thick feet and legs to unlock its full performance potential.
Testers gave the Sportmachine 3 its second-highest score (9.67) for Edge Power and Stability. Its top score (a perfect 10.00) was for its Convenience, Warmth and Features. We'd say this backs up the toasted marshmallow comparison. What its Quickness and Steering score of a 9.33 says is that there's potential there for more--that is, if a skier has the mass to fill up the interior space of this wide one. It's not uncommon for agility scores to suffer at a boot test where many of the testers are of average or low-volume foot and leg shapes, and while they do an admirable job of testing boots outside their fit wheelhouse, we do see that quickness scores can lag in the wide last group of boots.
One of the things that fueled a perfect ten for Convenience, Warmth and Features was an unimpeded entry into this model. Testers said it went on as easily as any boot they've tested--no BOA-related hindrances here--and they liked how it got closed up. Simple, straightforward and easy to make small adjustments to BOA or buckles, in equal measure. Testers say that the calf fit is appropriately open in stock form but they called out the cuff's calf adjustment that opens its circumference even more, with a rearward flaring tilt to accommodate the most challenging calf fits.
They said the performance was so incredibly predictable and reliable that they took this boot everywhere, pushing it up against its rev limiter for high speed runs on hard snow and high impact bang-abouts through bumps and crispified melt-freeze crud on spring mornings during the test window. Testers loved how this wide boot skied, period, and say that any good skier with wide feet and thick calves should flock to this one.
The Nordica Speedmachine has always been on or near the podium for our women’s test team and this year marks another repeat medal performance as one of the top boots in the stacked, medium-width, all-mountain category. All new this year is the Speedmachine 3 115 W BOA DD, and our team says yes, it has some bodacious curves, but that’s not what the DD means. That’s Nordica-speak for a BOA system on both the shell and now, the upper cuff too—Dual Dial—and testers definitely dig it.
While there was some skepticism about the BOA, top and bottom, with testers’ initial concerns focused on ease of entry, our crew was wholly won-over by the Speedmachine’s perfect execution of the whole package, from getting it on to skiing it down and, reluctantly, taking it back off again.
The classic, soft and silky, yet firm Nordica liner feel remains intact on the DD, testers assured, and they went on to mention that the exterior cork cladding on the liner’s ankle and heel zones remains a favorite design element for liner feel and function. One tester commented that the cuff BOA was attached slightly farther back on the cuff than other dual models tested, and she liked how that teamed with the liner to create a smooth wrap on the leg and a perfectly matched and comfortable grip along the shin for all flexing movements.
The Speedmachine 3 DD’s cuff is described as perfectly tall, which was meant to say, not too short, plenty supportive and ready to crush some serious terrain at speed. Our test team are generally happy with the shorter (than men’s) women-specific cuffs in the test but they will let it be known when one fails to set a proper fore-aft stance or evenly distribute flex pressure along the shin—none of those problems were reported with the Speedmachine 3 115 W DD.
Where the BOA-encircled cuff helped power-up forward flexing moves and controlled skis of a variety of widths while on edge (and edge power marked its highest score at a near-perfect 9.80), testers said that the lower boot felt directly connected to the ski and offered a sensitive feel for the snow. The heel and ankle pockets were comfortably but reliably held in place, testers reported, while the forefoot and toebox were open enough for their feet to spread and find the ground without numbing compression or cold toes. They were impressed with the combination of comfort and control, and they liked the easily tuned tightness made available by the lower reel, which they could back off a click at a time or pop it out into a fully released mode for a chair ride if needed.
The Nordica Promachine 115 W pleased our test team with its very snug but comfortable, narrow, all-mountain fit. It remains one of the few boots that manages to nail the low-volume fit tension target but does so with shell shaping and just-enough liner cushioning to provide a virtually hotspot-free out-of-box experience.
Our fit scoring is done on a 1-5 scale where 1 is World Cup race boot tight and a 5 is rental boot loose. A 2 would be the consumer narrow boot fit tension target--however, it's increasingly rare that a so-called narrow (96-98mm) boot receives a preponderance of 2's on test forms. That's not the case with the Promachine 115 W. Its cumulative average fit score out of eight fit parameters was a 2.08. Interestingly, the Promachine 115 W's highest score was logged in the initial Dry-Fit criterion--that's the fit right out of the box. One of the tightest but one of the most trouble-free fits of the test--in fact, only two other boots in the women's test, in all categories, scored higher in that initial fit parameter.
Testers love the snug heel and ankle fit that remains firm as the liner warms up--owed to the liner's exterior cork laminate, testers say. But they also like the snug padding throughout the rest of the lower boot's fit that offers a just-cushioned-enough feel against the foot, lower leg and shin to keep the fit close but with a shock-absorbing feel that helped power up aggressive lines through gnarly chunderized off-piste plunder. While the Promachine offers close-to-race precision and power on hard snow, it's equally at home charging through the woods or dicing up tricky snow.
The firm but progressive flex feel was noted several times for how it generated useful energy for explosive rebounding at turn exit followed by a clean ski engagement at the start of the new turn. High-powered without getting nervous or difficult to manage, they said, reiterating that its balance of on-snow skills was matched by very few boots.
Nordica's Machine family is one of the best collections of all-mountain boots we've ever tested, and recent years have shown a series of improvements to all three widths that branch off from the Machine family tree. This year's test of the lower-BOA powered, wide-lasted Sportmachine 3 130 BOA didn't fail to back up that claim, earning a gold medal for its performance and reminding testers that a wide fit doesn't mean having to accept lesser performance.
Testers thought that the Sportmachine did a good job of maintaining a place among the performance-wides by not straying into massive bucket fit proportions, yet it remains properly differentiated from the venerable medium-width Speedmachine line. Some testers thought that the heel pocket was possibly a little too performance oriented for a wide load, but they also found that the fit there (and over the instep, which also received some too-snug comments) relaxed with some time spent charging around the mountain.
The fit is open in the toebox and forefoot and then again it flares at the boot top to accommodate thick and muscular calves. Testers thought that the fore-aft stance and height of cuff was upright and solid, a good match for a big skier looking for a supportive all-mountain wingman for less-smooth missions, off-piste. The lower BOA system worked well for our test team, who didn't report any issues with the rotary dial closure and found that it added to a convenient set of functional features designed to get skiers out on the hill without much fuss.
Testers commented several times about the plush liner feel that made for an inviting first fit but remained cushioned and comfortable out on the hill. They also said that the confident skiing in short turns or long ones was a pleasant surprise in a boot as comfy and warm as this one. One tester said that this boot marks one of the rare few that he could put on straight out of the box and ski well in any condition with zero bootfitting modifications required. Not a bad endorsement, that.
The "C" in the Speedmachine 3 130 BOA C's model name stands for cuff, as in that's where the BOA reel is located. This stands as Nordica's flagship performance model, as their view of things says that a BOA dial on the bottom is for convenience, a BOA on the cuff means performance and BOA top and bottom is both performance and convenience oriented (they give those a DD suffix, for Dual Dial).
Our test team's take on BOA and its placement is that it takes more than location to make it a performance or convenience feature--some boots with a lower BOA are not convenient because the device's presence there impedes entry, while other boots with a BOA on the cuff may not ski as well as others, no matter how many times you crank the clicker.
So, what does our test crew think of the Speedmachine 3 130 BOA C? They love that it still fits like the best of the Speedmachines we've ever tested (and we've tested a lot of them over the years). They love that it skis as well as, or perhaps better than, the last Speedmachine 3 130 they tested. And a lot of them love the cuff BOA--with caveats.
A lot of our testers approach testing a boot with a starting perfect score of 10.00, and they deduct demerits as they run into its less-than-perfect traits. It's a rare thing that a tester reaches the end of their test tally with an untarnished ten, but it happens. It happened with one tester for the Speedmachine 3 130 BOA C. The others found minor flaws here and there, but mostly here--that is, with regard to ease-of-entry. Almost every other tester issued score demerits for the cuff BOA getting in the way of an expected, easy, Speedmachine glide right into the boot. This dropped the boot's Convenience score to an 8.50--respectable, but still its worst score. If it had been judged on its other five score parameters it would have averaged out at a 9.64 and been the All-Mountain Traditional category's highest scoring model, tied with one other.
This brings us to why cuff BOA is deemed a performance feature--we think it may be because it's just enough of a hassle to weed out non-performance-oriented skiers. Skiers who want the fit (and therefore, performance) benefit of a snugly, evenly wrapping cuff, one click at a time will sort out the spaghetti bowl and get the thing on their foot, closed up and ready to go. We could be wrong, we're just spit-balling here, but the point is that the only place the Speedmachine 3 130 BOA C received any sideways glance was for its ease of entry and most testers admitted it wasn't so bad.
The thing that testers spent the most time commenting on was how comfortably, perfectly, snugly medium the Speedmachine fit them, in every fit zone. It remains one of the 100mm last standards of the industry for fit, and testers say it skis equally well. The current Speedmachine is the best-balanced it has ever been, they say, and they don't mean stance. Testers say the balance between cushy comfort, firm grip on the foot and leg, solid edge driving power and rapid-response quickness and steering is so evenly blended that they mostly forgot they were testing a boot and found themselves just ripping around, having a great time on the hill.
Testers pretty much say critics will have to get over any negative bias about BOA, because it's likely here to stay. They say, more specifically, that you really have to get over it if you want to ski hard in a Nordica Speedmachine, because to completely avoid the dial, you'll have to dial it back down to a 100-flex level. There you have it, you're now a BOA-hostage to perfection of performance and fit if you want an expert level Speedmachine. And testers say it'll be just fine.
The Nordica Promachine 130 has been a perennial favorite of our test team but this year it has ascended to the top of our list of flawless boots that remain so—as it bravely refuses to chase new, superfluous tech in the name of attracting a new crop of fickle feature followers. Appropriately, this year it also topped the field of narrow all-mountain boots (albeit by one-hundredth in a tight field) which was good to see after several years on lower steps of the podium.
What makes the Promachine so good, year after year, without fluffing and preening? Testers say it’s an evenly matched blend of high performance and just enough comfort to satisfy the expert skier who wants warmish toes in an all-day charger, but just barely. Testers say there’s just barely enough shape in the shell to accommodate all their bony spots and normal curves. They say the liner is just barely cushioned enough to ward off collisions between foot and plastic. The result of these two minimalist half-nods to luxury is maximized transfer of foot movement and drive directly to the ski.
This hints a bit at the skier (of many sizes, as it’s available down to a 22.5 and up to a 30.5) who’s attracted to the Promachine 130—this is a skier that isn’t necessarily anti-tech, just one that’s staunchly anti-new-for-the-sake-of-newness. If we were talking cars this driver wouldn’t want a TV-sized flat screen on the dash or a dial-a-gear selector. Similarly, the Promachine is all boot—overlap polyurethane shell and cuff, four buckles, a cam buckle powered strap and a couple liner pull loops that won’t be needed by this kind of skier to put the damn thing on. Also of note, not a single cable or knob is in sight from the range’s flagship 130 down to the bargain 90-flex. Good skiers (and our entire test team) appreciate that the Promachine will put a ski exactly where the pilot has directed, for better or worse, and while skilled inputs are rewarded with a skier’s best turns ever, mistakes are still forgiven, if with an imagined eye-roll of disdain from a boot that was clearly expecting more. The Promachine doesn’t hand out participation awards, and there are zero excuses available for someone who fails to ski well in this boot.
This is hardly an old-school, spartan throw back—the TriForce shell design remains cutting edge for maintaining thick plastic in structural, power zones and a thinner lay up for better fit wrapping, easier entry and weight savings. The updated liner sports an anatomically milled and cork-clad ankle and heel pocket with a comfy-enough interior material with a texture that grips the foot better than most for a slippage-free interaction with the sock.
In short, the Promachine design is elegant in its simplicity and our team hopes Nordica won’t change it much going forward—if they plan to we’ll give you the head’s up so you can buy two pair now and stash one in the back of the closet.
If there was a competition to see whether the fit story or the performance story would be the front pager for the Shadow 115 MV W, they’d have to share the space as a tie, and testers reiterate these are non-fiction accounts. They say believe the Shadow hype because it’s for real.
One tester said for an ideally consistent, medium-width fit from toe-to-heel and top-to-bottom, the Shadow MV was the best-in-test. Testers found virtually no flaws in its proper distribution of curves to match the shape of the foot and they also said the cuff height was just-right for a solid base of fore-aft support without creeping up too high on the calf.
The stretchy, shape-adaptable Auxetic liner morphs and wraps the foot, giving way to wide or bony spots without feeling stretched tight against those areas. Hotspot-free was a comment made several times by testers. While some testers mentioned the length fit ran a touch short, it wasn’t enough for them to considering going up a size and risk losing the smooth grip on the heel and ankles that they universally loved. It was apparently a minor concern, given the perfect 10.0 testers gave it for fit.
The flex feel of the Shadow 115 MV is both a fit success and a byproduct of the shell’s performance-minded design elements. The RBT, or Reactive Boost Tongue, cushions the shin with a gas-bubble filled interior tongue material that testers loved for the padded push they could exert against the cuff without any bite. For testers this soft feel against the shin married-up with the firmer, shorter flex travel of the cuff for an ideal blend of shock absorption and ski tip response.
This is the essence of Shadow’s performance claim, that less flex input is required to produce big ski control results. The way the cuff is fixed to the lower shell at four points with two elastomer dampeners provides an immediate linkage of foot to ski without feeling rigid underfoot, and the cuff’s rear spine and lower shell interact along the gliding tongue-in-groove Suspension Blade. Testers report (again) that this cuff-to-shell configuration offers a very smooth-feeling but shortened flex range that communicates both fore-aft and lateral messages to the ski immediately.
The Shadow’s do-more-with-less-effort boast is legitimate, said testers, who gave it two more perfect scores for its balanced stance and quickness. Several testers also admitted that they skied better in the Shadow than in their own daily drivers--and most of them mentioned they’d be changing boots going forward.
In sifting through testers' First Impressions commentary, two elements dominated the discussion--one, half the tester pool mentioned that the Shadow 115 W LV's fit with more room than most other low volume models, and two, almost all testers made some mention of how much they liked the matte finish dark purple cosmetic.
In keeping with the chronology of the test experience, testers' first impressions continued with mentions of how easy the Shadow 115 W LV was to get on the foot (the majority of testers rated entry and exit as easy) and the fact that the length fit is slightly shorter than the norm, per size. Testers didn't feel it was short enough to merit sizing up, but some felt they might need a grind or stretch down the road if the liner didn't break-in substantially.
Once the Shadow 115 W LV was on testers' feet and headed out the door for on-snow tests, its scores all started ramping up. The skiing experience in the Shadow is one of testers' favorites, each year since its debut, and this past Spring was no different. Testers say it skis with power and accuracy of race-level piste-oriented boots but with a luxury level that exceeds all expectations, based on how well it skis. Testers gave their highest performance scores in the Edge Power criterion, where they say that the boot's design leverages more power to the ski edge with less effort put into making turns. Easy to ski in less-than-easy terrain and snow conditions, they said, claiming that the Shadow LV is one of those boots that instantly makes skiers better.
The Shadow's shin fit and flex feel remains a high point for testers, who say the cushioning and pressure distribution along the shin is perfect for comfort without feeling overly padded or bulky in the cuff. The cuff height and stance positioning is similarly without flaw, said testers, who used goldilocks references for both cuff elements.
Testers say that the Shadow offers broad spectrum versatility, both in terms of terrain and snow surface applications but also with regard to audience. They reported that ex-racing experts looking to maintain performance levels but add some creature comfort will love the Shadow, but they thought that the ease of use and comfort would make this accessible to motivated intermediates looking to step up their all-mountain game. Of course there are softer flexes available in the form of 95- and 85-flexes but our test team thought that the 115 was easy enough to manage and would be impossible to outgrow.
A boot brand’s marketing department likes to tell a story to sell their products. The Lange Shadow boot really has two—one, that in practice gets the boot sold, and another that guarantees it won’t get returned!
This first story is all about the liner and it’s a short story—one word, in fact. Auxetic. That’s the term for the hexagonally-shaped etching into the exterior fabric of the Shadow liner which allows it to bend around the foot’s bony prominences without simply distorting fabric. Testers say it’s an interesting feel upon the foot’s first entry into the boot. Initially the foot slides in easily. Then it feels much like slipping on a brand new wetsuit bootie—stretchy, padded and snug. Though the primary difference between the Auxetic liner and a wetsuit bootie (aside from the fact that most of us won’t ruin them by peeing in our ski suit) is that this stretchy, bendy, evenly snug fit experience seems to happen every time the boot goes on, over its entire lifespan. This, according to testers who have done long-term testing on this model over the course of 100+-day seasons.
While the silken, anatomical first fit of the Shadow’s liner gets the boot out the ski shop door, it’s likely the Shadow’s performance story that tells the tale of why skiers (and testers) fall in love with this boot. Testers said again, after this year’s testing, that they really do ski more accurately and powerfully with less effort expended in the Shadow. They assure that this story is not fiction, and they point to the Shadow’s unique attachment of cuff to lower shell via four anchor points and a rear gliding tongue-in-groove structure as the key to how it transfers more energy to the ski with less skier effort. Testers cite a shorter range of flexion but say the boot’s flex doesn’t feel abrupt, just more effective—a little goes a long way, essentially. This do more with less performance platform, coupled with the warmth and cushioned feel of the Auxetic liner placed the Shadow MV 130 into testers’ top slot for all-day, all-mountain crushing (in comfort).
Though sometimes a luxuriant fit fails to translate into rapid-fire edge changes and a strong connection to the carve, testers gave the Shadow’s Quickness & Steering score a perfect 10.0 and its Edge Power score a 9.83, cementing its boot unicorn status for our test team.
