The flagship women’s narrow Fischer offers a unique host of features that will appeal to a hardcore and specific-fit-focused cohort of skiers.
This year’s testing conditions were highly mixed, from spring morning boilerplate groomers to deep dust-on-crust and rapidly thickening tracked-up crud. None of this mattered to the Dalbello Veloce Space Dual 120 which banged-off turns across each surface with similar ease and confidence-inspiring predictability. Testers put the boot to the test against other similar models with higher flex indexes and it came out on top, which only added to their appreciation of the mighty 120-flex Dalbello.
The Veloce Space Dual generally impressed testers all over again this year, and just as some things improve with age—wine and whisky come to mind—so too did Dalbello’s double BOA 101mm, garnering the highest score of any medium width boot of our annual test this time around. Testers said the tested 120-flex skied as strongly, quickly and predictably as any of the perennial big name, 130-flex models that have dominated our podium in the past. What changed from last year? Nothing on the part of the boot, as it returns in the same form as this past season, but tester perceptions may have changed with regard for dual BOA configurations and certainly the testing conditions were different this time around.
Dual BOA often poses a challenge for boot-donning, and the Veloce Space Dual falls into this camp of minor cable-ridden entry hindrance but our test team says it’s the cost of entry (pun intended) just like a cover charge at a popular nightclub. Testers also shrug it off, reminding that dual BOA models are generally positioned with stiffness and price to attract a skilled demographic that can probably handle a little entry challenge in exchange for a superior on-snow experience—which the Dalbello provided. As one tester so humbly put it: if I wasn’t so strong and experienced the tricky entry might have been an issue.
Our top-scoring boots don’t come with fit glitches—that’s what quickly drops a boot lower in the rankings. Testers praised the Veloce Space Dual for its standard-setting fit map for the average foot and leg and cited not a single fit demerit once they had it on and done up with the two reels—unanimously perfect fit scores. Note that they also gave it special credit points for a superior fit along the shin and just the right amount of toebox room.
When testers consider a boot’s value, it’s not simply about finding a lower price but rather about identifying boots that exceed expectations at a given price point or performance tier. The fact that the Dalbello Veloce Space Dual bested stiffer boots that come with a $200 tariff (and without dual BOA) made it our best buy of the test. Considering that there’s also a 110-flex Veloce Space Dual for over an additional hundred-bucks off, this range is a great place to start (and likely finish) for the budget-conscious but skilled skier.
The all-new Nordica Promachine 3 115 W has been redesigned to make a strong boot even stronger on edge, a quick boot even quicker to transition between turns, and while the narrow Promachine fit remains mostly (thankfully) unchanged, the new powerhouse has gotten lighter on the foot.
The rebuilt power plant relies on the featherweight and extremely rigid 3Force Frame sub-structure that’s co-molded into the lower shell—it’s this internal chassis that adds the 3 to the naming scheme. This minimalist, exoskeleton-like framework is buried within the surrounding polyurethane of the shell, making it laterally and torsionally stronger than in the past and simultaneously shedding some weight. Testers said that the boot is shockingly reactive to edging and steering inputs—quicker than the previous version, and it was damn quick already.
Testers thought that the lateral stance angles of the new Promachine 3 cuffs were a touch more bowlegged than in the past, which set them up for aggressive inside edge engagement. This strong bias to the inside edge in addition to the new 3Force shell’s rigidity made for deeply scribed carves on firm, smooth surfaces but required extra effort to disengage the inside edge and a bigger move to find the outside edge of the inside ski, testers said. Most testers played with the dual-sided cuff alignment feature to find a flatter, more neutral feeling ski. They love the cam buckle style power strap to lock the leg and boot together in a gap-free lever for tipping the ski over and holding steady through aggressive arcs—it’s available on the tested 115-flex but steps-down to a Velcro strap in the line’s three softer flexes.
The updated Promachine 3 liner maintains its external cork laminate cladding, which testers love for its positive connection between liner and shell, with no shearing or slippage to sap energy intended to reach the skis. The liner continues to work in concert with the Promachine shell shape to create one of the tightest narrow class fits available but with surprisingly few complaints of hotspots. That has historically been one of the Promachine’s super powers, and testers say that it hasn’t lost it in current form.
Testers claim that the 100mm last Nordica Speedmachine 3 115 W BOA DD is the ultimate manifestation of middle-of-the-road shape and snugness of fit. It’s designed to suit the average shape and volume foot and leg but offers enough hold on the rearfoot that pressure-sensitive, narrow-footed folks will still ski well and it offers enough width and instep height that high-volume skiers who are tolerant of compression can pack themselves in there and enjoy the elevated performance that comes with that. It’s a wide variety of feet and legs that find comfort in the Speedmachine 3, testers agree.
Regardless of where a skier’s tolerance for tightness puts them on the perceived comfort spectrum, a boot shell that mirrors anatomical curves and a liner that cushions the foot’s wide and bony spots from that hard environment are essential. Testers say that’s where the Speedmachine 3 excels—once the foot drops into place within the boot’s confines, all is well, all is held and there’s enough breathing room for areas that need it (toebox, forefoot, instep, calf).
Testers say that getting into those confines was a bit of a challenge with the tested 115-flex, DD version (which means Dual Dial, aka BOA on both the cuff and lower shell). First, stiffer flexes will always be more difficult on than softer flexes in a given model. Second, testers agree that BOA on the cuff will always be a bit more difficult than BOA on the lower shell in a given model. So, the mack-daddy (or mack-mommy, rather) model we tested is naturally going to be trickier than the 105-flex DD that’s also available. Even easier-on would be the 105-flex with buckles up top and BOA on the bottom. Skiers have lots of options in the Speedmachine 3 range.
That said, even with a comment like, aneurism-inducing entry, that same tester gave our test boot perfect 10’s across the board. The takeaway--if you want a 115-flex you may deal with a little bit of struggle before you’re rewarded with the snuggle that is the amazing medium width fit of the Speedmachine 3.
Additionally, testers say a large part of the reward structure here is how well the medium-width Nordica skis—always has and still does, and they say that the 115-flex skis as well as any boot in the entire test.
The 3 in the name means 3Force Frame shell construction, which is the same lightweight and rigid sub-structure co-molded into the polyurethane lower boot found in the narrower Promachine 3 and wider Sportmachine 3. The Speedmachine received that construction update first, and it was so well-received that the other widths in the range followed suit. This might mean that the Speed’s up for another update, so testers suggest going and getting the one that’s available right now—it may never be better.
The new Nordica Promachine 3’s fit has not changed much (thankfully)—this is still one of the most snug all-mountain narrows on the market, and it still impresses us with how hotspot-free the fit is, given the close confines of this low-volume boot.
The 3D Lace Cork Fit liner has much to do with fine-tuning the already anatomical fit of the shell—it still offers the thin veneer of cork through the ankle and heel area but the addition of the lace-up closure it now creates a closely-matched fit for the lower leg shaft, especially down low where it transitions into the instep. Testers loved the improved containment the lace-up system offered but they didn’t love the strings attached to entry, which is now more of a challenge than it used to be.
Testers say the entry struggle is a fair trade for the gap-free fit the revised liner offers in the 130-flex (only), especially for the very slender-legged--they also concede they’ll keep the laces on just to have a reason to park the lace-lock car in its custom garage built into the top of the tongue, which is cleverly positioned to fill the common gap space between the tongue and cuff, cleanly eliminating any excess free-flex there.
The Promachine was the last of the ‘Machine family to get a “3” added to its name—and we’re sure that Nordica was dragging its feet, trying to figure out how to improve a boot that really needed no improvement. Now the Promachine 3 is here, and lucky for us (and low-volume, advanced and expert skiers everywhere) it’s changed in ways that bring even new levels of performance to the table.
The 3 refers to the hard chassis update that integrates the light and stiff 3Force Frame into the lower shell—it’s a very light and very stiff boot-skeleton of sorts that gets co-molded inside the lower shell’s softer polyurethane, strengthening the boot’s energy output and increasing responsiveness while shaving weight and maintaining the good shape-wrapping qualities of the Promachine that have always impressed our test team.
Testers noted that the Promachine 3 feels a bit edgier than the predecessor Promachine, by way of its more tipped-out cuff geometry. For some testers this translated to massive inside edge power that they loved for carving on-piste, and for others it necessitated maximum cuff adjustment to neutralize that hookiness for a flatter, more off-piste oriented set-up.
The Lange Shadow 115 W MV’s winning off-the-shelf fit is improved this year by a liner update that increases the ankle and heel hold via new internal padding which both provides better grip for the rearfoot and reduces pack-out by 15% in this critical control zone. Testers immediately approved of this subtle but positive fit change that translated into instant performance gains for them as well, citing a more accurate and stable feel through variable terrain and even more precise placement of ski edges on hard snow at high speeds. Testers liked the improved heat-moldability that comes with the new EVA foam blended ankle pockets, which for some were a touch too snug to start. They also say that heat molding the liner makes a positive improvement for toe length, as the initial fit can feel a little short.
We would be remiss to mention the Shadow liner without discussing the hexagonal etching on its exterior material—this Auxetic (yes, that’s a thing) design allows for enhanced contour molding that better conforms to the shape of the foot. Testers still comment at length about how well the liner both grips the foot and offloads pressure on bony prominences. They call the Shadow a hotspot-free model and compare its liner feel to putting on a dry, warm wetsuit booty.
One tester described the skiing performance of the Shadow W MV as smooth and effortless, yet reactive and powerful. This does a good job of encapsulating the nature of the Shadow’s on-snow character in few words, and they help explain why testers called this boot their top pick for expert-level performance and technical carving at this year’s boot test.
The Shadow’s cuff design is about doing more with less, and our test team is all about high-performance--and doing as little as possible to get it! Why waste energy that could be spent making another run, hiking a boot-pack to a killer stash or apres-sending? The multi-point cuff anchors and rubber-bushing-dampened fasteners create a shin-comfortable, yet short-travel flex feel that testers love for how it translates a small forward movement into immediate ski shovel response.
This controls the ski through variable terrain with confidence but it also serves to engage the ski tip earlier and more predictably at the entry phase of the turn, which makes for rounder and higher-edge-angle arcs. Testers commented again this year that they simply ski better in the Shadow boot—more powerfully and more precisely, straight out of the box.
While it’s not a brand-new model, here are three words that underscore why the Lange Shadow 130 MV was a tester top pick again this year: updated Auxetic liner. We’ve raved about the Auxetic liner in the past—its namesake feature is the hexagonally etched exterior material (you can see this) that allows the liner to bend around the curves and prominences of the foot and ankle in a surprisingly accurate way. Without feeling bulky or overly padded, the foot is spared of hotspots and yet simultaneously held closely.
Testers have described the Auxetic liner experience as wearing a silky-snug (and dry) wetsuit bootie, and their only two gripes in the past have been that it felt too comfortable, (which we interpret as slightly roomier than expected) with the exception of the toebox length, which testers say runs slightly short. This year’s liner update solves the excessive room issue without losing the comfort—slightly firmer ankle and heel padding that offers a 15% reduction in pack-out sealed the deal for our testers, who said this tweak ticked the last checkbox in the Shadow’s registry of perfect elements.
What skiers consider comfortable is wide-ranging and subjective—for some it means extra room and copious padding from a fluffy liner, but for others it can mean a closely-snug shape match to the foot and leg with appropriate clearance for bony points. The first favors the casual skier who may not venture into tricky terrain that requires a direct transmission from body movement to ski response. The second is a performance-oriented approach to comfort that pays heed to the fact that having to over-buckle a loose boot to gain a close fit will distort the boot’s shape and typically lead to an uncomfortable situation.
The Lange Shadow is a boot that understands the relationship between comfort and performance for the skilled, all-day, all-mountain skier—well shaped and snug. It also serves as a benchmark example of a boot that prioritizes both the shape of the shell and the construction of the liner as the way to deliver a performance-comfort combination without requiring a compromise on either.
We have spent quite a few words describing how well the Shadow boots ski, and we have relied on our testers to corroborate Lange’s claims that the Shadow does more with less, by way of the cuff’s multi-anchor, rocker-arm-style design that translates a smaller forward flexion movement into a more responsive and precise-feeling ski.
This year’s test provided the perfect proving ground for the Shadow’s performance claims—a lot of new, dense snow on top of frozen spring groomers created the potential for a tip-deflection nightmare as speeds and tracked up conditions increased through the day. Testers unanimously commented that the Shadow planted the ski shovel into arc after arc regardless of the chunderized piles where other test models got bucked around and required additional attention to manage each turn.
They said the Shadow’s on-snow performance level matched its comfort game by combining the ease of traction control and an automatic tranny with the fun and driver-control of a 6-speed manual. The ski boot comfort and performance combination, exemplified.
Testers said (really) winner, winner chicken dinner for the looks of the Rossignol Pure 95 Pro BOA. Then a tester commented, I hope it fits as well as it looks. And then another tester said, I hope it skis as well as it fits!
They didn’t have to hold out hope for long, as both the above questions were answered with a resounding yes by our team.
The creamy orange soles on the white and red exterior set the stage for an alluring boot experience, and testers said the fit was dreamy in its cushioning and openness over the top of the foot. They say it’s on the roomy side of the medium-width group, and they liked the BOA located on the lower shell for how it enclosed the foot without crushing it, top-down. They were also appreciative of the new Velcro over-toes shim that can help close-up the fit in the toebox without relying completely on cable cranking, which eventually will catch bony, high arched folks across the midfoot before the toebox feels much closure. A simple solution, well-executed in shape and size they said—and they reminded skiers not to accidentally toss it with the box as it’s pretty innocuous-looking for how useful it might end up being. Testers were pleasantly surprised that the heel hold was solid, given the roominess and cushioning elsewhere in the lower boot, and said it helped fuel accurate moves when called upon.
The Pure 95 Pro BOA’s skiing attitude matched the dreaminess of the fit. Testers said it was easy and cruisey, but didn’t spend all its time in la la land—they said it responded readily to aggressive edging inputs and was stronger of flex than its 95-badging would suggest. Normally an 800-dollar boot wouldn’t sound any value bells but in an era where boot price tags are commonly exceeding a cool grand, testers suggested that this one offered more bang for the buck than they’d expected.
The Pure 95 Pro BOA’s report card wasn’t entirely covered with butterflies and unicorns. Testers complained that entry wasn’t the easiest of the test but they still scored it in acceptable ranges. A few testers commented that they’d like to see Rossi move away from the split-decision style power strap which they say is more gimmicky than functional for closing the fit at boot top.
Testers allowed that these were minor citations amongst an otherwise glowing report for the new lower-BOA Pure Pro that led with looks but didn’t disappoint on its fit and skiing acumen.
The Hi-Speed 120 HV BOA is all new for Rossignol, with the adoption of a BOA closure on the lower shell and a completely revised liner--our test team was blown away by the improvements made to an already favorite model. One tester called it the best 102mm last boot ever made, period and another expressed his surprise in more simple fashion, saying, wow, this boot rips!
The model we tested was a 120-flex and testers thought it skied as strongly as other 130-flexes in the test, while maintaining a 120-target flex feel that was comfortable against the shin and offered a proper amount of travel in flexion but without collapsing when taxed. The other available flex, the 100, should similarly punch above its weight class, testers surmised, theorizing that it could be the wide-footed bargain-hunter’s find of the season.
Those who were first into the HV BOA noted an initial snugness along the lateral side of the foot, but this more medium-width feel soon relaxed as the liner warmed up over subsequent test runs and allowed the foot to spread and seat to the floor of the boot in a comfy, neutral-feeling way. Translation: don’t be led astray by a more-snug-than-expected initial fit if you’re the first (paper wad in the liner, hang-tags on the shell) to try on this boot in a shop.
The recent Rossignol 102mm boots have trended toward the performance-fit end of the spectrum (meaning, a bit tight) but the new HV BOA hit the fit tension target for testers who loved the combination of rearfoot control without pinching and an expansive forward cabin that still perfectly skirted excessive bucket-like width. They found that the lower BOA closure offered an easy way to make small modifications to the wrap around the forefoot and instep without hindering entry, which they said was as easy as they come.
The all-new R-Go Fit liner is available in all Hi-Speed models this year and testers were impressed with its new interior feel—easy to slide on but then slightly grippy against the sock, holding the foot right where testers wanted it to stay, with a firm-enough feel against the ankles and around the heel that seemed to move with them but without loss of retention. The exterior of the new liner is also substantially revised to better marry-up against the shell, locking in the connections between body, liner and shell for improved edge control and steering moves. There’s also a nifty Velcro shim included in the box to increase snugness over the top of the toes for those who need it, rather than relying entirely on BOA reel tension which can over-tighten the bony top-of-foot zone.
Testers couldn’t say enough about how strongly and precisely the Hi-Speed 120 HV BOA performed on a variety of different snow surfaces. They say the stance is right on the money for a buckle-up (or BOA-up) and go, on-hill experience that complements its ease of fit and glitch-free descent performance. Testers said this was a no-brainer go-to for any skier looking for a higher volume fit without skiing compromises. No hassles, no issues, all fun.
The Rossignol Hi-Speed 140 Elite LV is a boot that doesn’t make promises it can’t keep, meaning, what you see and feel from the first try-on is exactly what you get on snow, without a bunch of post-purchase fiddling, heating and molding to get there.
While it’s not an all-new model, some key updates have breathed surprising new life into this perennial favorite. The improvements were simple but substantial enough that the Hi-Speed Elite LV was testers’ unanimous favorite and highest-scoring boot of this year’s test.
The now-140-flex we tested is stiffer than it used to be (though there’s a 120-flex version available as well) but it also received some liner changes that brought huge fit and performance gains to the narrow Hi-Speed.
The new R-Go Fit liner has new internal material around the heel and ankle pockets that blends different foams for more-sculpted grip on the foot and a purported 15% reduction of liner pack-out in those critical control areas. The internal material that contacts the sock is also new, slightly thicker with a touch more texture for better performance hold but without restricting entry—testers noticed this most of all, claiming that the boot held them perfectly in place without the slippery feel of previous versions. Additionally, the liner’s exterior material is updated with a thin, rubberized polyurethane film that enhances how the liner molds against the shell itself for an unbroken connection between body, liner, shell and ski.
If this seems like much liner-ado about nothing, testers would strongly disagree, as several of them made mention that these liner updates made more positive difference to this model than most wholesale shell-mold changes they test each year.
Where the Hi-Speed Elite used to be known as the comfy-narrow, now its nickname is the perfect-narrow—firm, snug, consistent in feel, flex and power. Testers said the improved (more snug) fit unlocked power and quickness they’d always suspected was there, which was now front and center in the Hi-Speed Elite experience.
It’s more stealth than flash in its cosmetics, and its name isn’t new, so testers worry that the Elite may not get the respect it deserves—so, they encourage good skiers to take a fresh look at this all-mountain veteran that’s now ascended to the all-mountain podium’s top step.
The all-new Salomon S/Pro Supra C BOA 115 W is unique to the brand’s medium-width women’s range in that it’s the only one of its kind, and testers liked the exclusive experience for how well it skied! There are a variety of S/Pro Supra models, in a variety of stiffnesses, to choose from in Dual BOA, lower single BOA or all-buckles options, but only one cuff BOA build this year, offered only in the 115-flex. This is the new tip-of-the-spear performance model that combines closure elements in a tester-preferred arrangement.
The BOA reel on the cuff is catching on as the more performance-oriented position for the cable constrictor—testers like how it smoothly closes the cuff’s circumference in an even way along the contours of the lower leg shaft. This closure makes for a gap-free and directly-linked lever arm to the ski edge which testers love for its blend of power and precision in and out of turns. Sometimes the cuff BOA adds to the challenge of getting a boot on, but our test team had no such issue with the S/Pro Supra C BOA 115 W.
While a BOA closure on the lower boot is often appreciated as a convenience feature, a lot of hardcore skiers still prefer a couple buckles on the lower shell, and testers said that the adjustable instep buckle on the S/Pro Supra did a fantastic job of helping hold the heel back in its pocket. This rearfoot control added to the crisp feel of the boot when directing the ski, testers said, and it helped fuel the perfect scores rendered for both edge power and quickness.
This was a snug-fitting medium with a slightly restrictive, initial toebox feel, testers reported, but they also said that the liner relaxed pretty quickly upon skiing. A few testers experimented with a typical several-minute liner cook and found that the toebox and top-of-foot fit improved substantially, so recommended that potential buyers give the first fit some time to warm-up around the foot during the initial try-on process. Testers loved the well-shaped fit along the shin and the firm 115-flex feel against the leg, saying it was tall enough for a supportive distribution of pressure without feeling blocky or restrictive of quick moves.
On top of all the fit and descent-performance love, testers also made sure to mention that the Lilac Ash pale pink was one of their favorite hues of the test, which didn’t hurt the S/Pro Supra’s gold-medal status one bit.
Testers thought that the BOA on top, buckles on the bottom configuration on the new Salomon S/Pro Supra C BOA 130 offered a higher level of precision, in both fit and performance, than their past buckle and BOA arrangements. Salomon is positioning this closure combination as a performance-oriented build, as it’s only offered in a flagship 130 stiffness (and for the women’s version only in the top-tier 115-flex).
The wrap of the upper cuff around testers legs was without flaw, they said, and a variety of leg shapes were part of that consensus. They liked the initial fit but liked even more how the cabling snugged-up void spaces first, without overly constricting tighter spots, like the calf. This close-but-comfy fit on the leg translated into strongly leveraged edging moves that ripped through crud and left deeply carved trenches on the groomed.
There’s something about buckles on the lower shell that still appeals to good, technical skiers. Perhaps it’s a matter of habit, how the flip-up to release chair riding tension and the flip-down to signify getting down to business is so deeply ingrained in the core skier’s DNA. Or it could be the fact that two buckles offer more ability to vary fit tension over the top of the foot and toebox. Regardless of the reason, our test team dug this layout, and several guys commented that the closer-to-boot-throat buckle did a great job of retaining the instep and holding the heel back in its pocket.
The performance level here is among the highest in the medium width group we tested, but some testers cautioned that it’s a warm, luxurious and comfortable performance experience. It is not a rough riding race boot that lacks suspension. Cadillac and Lexus were brought up in comparison to the S/Pro Supra’s plush all-mountain character—strong, stable and quick-enough but without any fit hardships to speak of. The liner fit is well-appointed for all-day adventuring, and testers said it was welcoming and easy going from the first slide-on.
Our test team said that a lack of snugness will absolutely not be a problem in the all new S/Pro Alpha C BOA W, calling it the most-snug boot of the test and praising it for a painted-on fit that contoured around every part of the foot and leg for a locked-and-loaded feel which inspired confidence to send it everywhere on the hill. They said even the boot’s unique look was tight. One tester remarked that the radical new shell design (it forgoes a traditional inside ankle pivot point on the boot cuff) looked like a latex cat suit wrapping her curves perfectly.
The polyurethane ExoDrive cuff swells over the inside ankle bone area in shapely dome, sans hardware, then continues down to merge cleanly into the lower shell and where it anchors with two Powerlink screws at the base of the shell, near the boot sole.
This cuff redesign is an example of form and function working together, in this case to connect the edging movements of the skier’s leg to the ski’s inside edge in seamless fashion, and testers agreed it does. Side-to-side moves were met with an immediate response from the ski, they said, calling its edging game a rapid-fire blend of sensitivity for the snow surface and absolute trench-gouging power. Testers said that the cuff-only BOA closure enhanced the wrap around the lower leg and suited a slender leg shape best, though they claimed there was enough flare at the boot top for a more average-size calf as well.
Testers said the lower instep and flatter foot profile will find instant control created by an instep buckle that’s mounted close to the throat of the boot at the base of the shin in concert with the CF Expert liner that put a serious clamp-down across the top of the foot. Some testers said the fit was excessively tight in this zone and so we did some additional testing after heat-molding liners and they found that the fit relaxed substantially right where they needed relief.
Testers had much praise for Salomon’s willingness to get creative with their narrow overlap design and also with their choice of the Lilac Ash hue, which testers were impressed with—almost in equal measure to the Alpha C BOA 115 W’s fit and performance.
