Testers loved the Tecnica Mach BOA HV 105 W for its ample volume and plus-size curves, and that's without their huge appreciation for how the BOA closure system put a new spin on the Mach1 wide rid
Last year our testers found their favorite wide Roxa boot ever in the R/Fit W 95 and this year it returns with the addition of GripWalk soles. It has an ample toebox and forefoot for impressive spreadability, testers agreed, and it skis with more gumption than they expected out of a 95 flex (it’s stiffer than that they say). They agreed that the cuff is slightly taller and more snug than average for the category, so will favor the longer more slender legged. It’s a traditional polyurethane build but testers say it’s light on the foot for all-day charging.
Wide in the front (toebox and forefoot) and tapering to a more snug rearfoot (but not too tight in ankle and heel) and then most close up through the cuff, testers said the average to slender legged with wide feet will find a perfect fit match here. The flex feel is stronger than the 95 rating would suggest, testers agreed, and that plus the cuff's slightly taller than average height made this a strong lever for edging moves and pressuring the shovel.
Testers liked the tall cuff's leverage over the skis' edges and said that strong skiing moves yielded the best results--suggesting that less aggressive and shorter skiers may prefer the softer 85 flex version of the R/Fit W. Straightforward and honest skiing is what this traditional design delivers and testers were just fine with that.
It's a pretty stripped down feature platform--four buckles, two liner pull loops, a Velcro powerstrap and GripWalk soles get you where you need to be (and a set of alpine DIN soles come in the box). There is a calf adjustment mechanism to open up a bit more room at the boot top.
The Gist
A lightweight, roomy, comfy, easy-on, go-everywhere, do-everything, what else could you want kinda boot is how testers described the new R/Fit 130 IR. Roxa took last year’s 120, juiced up the horsepower a notch and threw in a full-thermo Intuition liner for a more personalized (and more open) fit. Testers said that without molding it’s on the snug side of the wide group, but they loved the evenly anatomical contours and just enough grip on the heel and ankle. They said the flex feel is progressive and strong but still cushioned just enough against the shin. They dig the rip cord style quick-release on the cam buckle power strap that’s going viral this year (no pun intended).
The Fit
The Intuition Roxa (IR) full-thermo liner gives the initial fit a very cushioned feel and should morph into a more contained fit, post molding. Testers also noticed a little shearing of the liner inside the shell during flexion that should lock-out after molding to the interior shell shape and skier's foot. That said, testers like the 102mm fit, which they say initially feels to run to the snug side of the widebody traditional group. Enough room for the average to wide foot but not a bucket to house the meatiest of high volume hoofs. The flex feel is a legit 130 indoors at room temperature and testers liked the even, progressive feel of the flex upon the shin. The Grilamid cuff feels thin and crispy-edgy to the hand on buckle-up but testers said the flex feel once buckled was solid and damp.
Performance
Based on testers' experience with 120-flex version of the R/Fit last year, they expect big improvements. Their only real complaints last year were a slightly collapsing flex under heavy hits in rugged terrain and a too-open heel pocket, even for a wide ride. The step up to a 130 flex fits the bill for testers who skied the 120 flex last year and wanted a little more fore-aft backbone and torque at the top of the turn.
Cool Features
The R/Fit series is a straightforward line up--four buckle overlaps with traditional tongue liners, and our testers like that just fine. The boot comes mounted with GripWalk soles and both a set of alpine DIN soles and a set of groovy-looking Velcro rear spoilers come in the box for a more forward leaning stance. the quick-release pull tab on the cam lock power strap is awesome but we have to give props to Dynafit who did it first, before K2 last year and Roxa this season--imitation is the purest form of flattery, and it's obviously not patented. So, good for us!
The Dalbello DS Asolo 115 W brings a traditional, 4-buckle overlap narrow width made with polyurethane in the shell and cuff. Bravo! Testers felt the Grilamid-built Asolo Factory was good for the weight-conscious, but they'd prefer a couple hundred more grams and the dampness and stability of PU, thank you very much. Take the creature comfort of the women's medium width DS, keep its Power Cage shell construction that maintains strength while reducing weight, add a little of the race-bred fit characteristics from the DRS line (while keeping the convenience and traction of GripWalk soles) and you've got one in the winner's column. And it's an all-new liner this year.
In virtual lock-step with our men's testers, women agreed that the fit this year in the DS Asolo is leaps and bounds better than last year's strange fit (some aggressive and grabby lumps here and there, they said). This time around it's a snug one again, but in a smoothed-out and even fashion, except for the heel pocket and Achilles tendon area where they said it's particularly snug but not painful. Flex feel is on target for the 115 rating and possibly even a touch stronger. They liked that it fit traditionally in length, meaning not overly long, and they mentioned that the cuff is not overly tall on the leg either, so a stiff boot that lots of women will be able to get out over the top of and not always be pushed back onto their heels by a too tall cuff.
This year's polyurethane construction smoothes out some of the jitters testers felt in last year's Asolo factory, citing a damp stable feel regardless of snow surface. The quickness remains unaffected and they say the increased comfort made for a better all-day experience.
We think the DS Asolo 115 W's coolest feature is its traditional, straightforward approach to a top tier performance boot. Four-buckle overlap construction in polyurethane throughout, simple 40mm Velcro power strap, removable Velcro rear spoiler, dual liner pull loops, elliptical cam lateral cuff adjustment, bolted rear spine and race-bred buckles--nothing fancy, nothing extraneous. Yes, we like the revised IF liner with its Ultralon tongue padding and sure, GripWalk soles are nice for apres strolling. Testers also said the sublimated purple/black hue was cool.
The Gist
Year after year, test after test, the Mach1 MV 105 W has amazed our test team by how well it pairs comfort with downhill performance and this year's all new version is no different. One tester said of the MV, there's a magical power fairy onboard for translating its luxurious fit into deep trenching edge engagement. Another’s comment was that the MV takes any skier to the next level. A third said, cushion that rips. All mentioned that the polyurethane shell felt strong underfoot, and they agreed that it has a bit more instep room than many and now an even better fit across the bony top of the foot—a plus for high arches.
The Fit
The new mold shape for shell and cuff in the new MV boots increased the anatomical sculpting for the average width foot shape and opened up more room in the toebox while straightening and increasing the height of the cuff. Also improved this year is the liner, with more surface area for C.A.S. (Custom Adaptive Shape) custom modifications and a larger and better shaped soft area over the top of the foot. Testers have always praised the MV for a nice blend of cushioning and retention and they say that is not lost with this year's revisions.
Performance
As with the MV 105 W of the past, on-snow this new boot takes no prisoners--unless that's what you want. It can go either way--total domination on-piste and off-, or it can simply cruise from late-day start to early-apres toddies. One of the keys to the Mach1 line's success is its neutral stance set up that allows almost any skier to buckle-up, click-in and get to shredding without having to modify style or terrain selection. Testers continue to mention that they instantly felt dialed and recommended it to any good skiing gal looking to up her game—or one who just wants to keep on doing what she's doing.
Cool Features
One of the coolest features of the Mach1 boots is the fact that many of their design elements are created with the help of a few of the best bootfitters in the USA—Project 165 is Tecnica's partnership with select bootfitters and their collaboration has been evident in the last couple seasons for Tecnica. One of their Women to Women crew is an ABB tester—Samantha Tischendorf! The Mach1's Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) shell construction offers pre-dimpled areas on the shell where a heat stretch is more easily accomplished and will hold better over time. The C.A.S. liner this year is more highly shaped to match the foot's anatomy and is both moldable and grindable, due to its firm EVA foam construction. The C.A.S. Cuff Adapt feature utilizes a taco-shaped heating pad that warms the low-temperature plastic calf insert and liner to a molding temperature, and then simply wearing the boot will move the cuff to an ideal position for both slender or thick lower leg shapes.
The slender foot gals get another upgrade to the Mach1 LV W this year with a new heat customizable tongue that molds to the shin both internally via a layer of EVA foam and externally by way of highly adaptable Surlyn plastic (also found on the rear part of the cuff where it can be molded to better match the lower leg and calf). Testers universally applaud the step up to 120 flex in the Pro W as a solution to the 105’s occasional fold-over fails for aggressive skiers in rugged terrain. It’s one of the tightest in the rightest of ways, they say.
Testers are stoked with the LV Pro W's out of box fit, calling it consistently low volume and tight everywhere with just enough extra room for the toes. But they are equally impressed with the various fit adaptations that are available for different needs. The rear spoiler style Cuff Adapt feature can be heated and auto-molded around the calf area, either opening up more room or better wrapping the slender leg shape. There is an additional cuff volume reducing kit that can enhance that tightening effect at the boot top as well. The new C.A.S. (Custom Adaptive Shape) Tongue is also low-temp heat moldable to the leg volume and shin shape via a highly adaptable internal foam layer and a moldable outer plastic called Surlyn (the same stuff used in the rear Cuff Adapt feature). The revised cuff design last year plus the new tongue design this year have eliminated our testers' complaints about an uneven and sharp shin fit in the women's low volume line up. Testers still say the ankle pockets and heel area are ideally snug without feeling harsh, and the fit over the bony top of the foot is as good as it's ever been in the Tecnica women's narrows.
Our test team's hard chargers and the long-legged were huge fans of the Pro's 120 flex for driving aggressively through chopped up mank at speed, saying they loved the way it drove big skis exactly where they pointed them without collapsing in flex on heavy hits. They said the quickness and agility factor was equally high, however--this is not an overly damp beast of a boot, but a well-balanced all-mountain attacker. Our slighter and less aggressive testers found the 120 flex to be a little more than they needed and recalled having more fun in the 105 flex LV last year.
One of the coolest features of the Mach1 boots is the fact that many of their design elements are created with the help of a few of the best bootfitters in the USA—Project 165 is Tecnica's partnership with select bootfitters and their collaboration has been evident in the last couple seasons for Tecnica. One of their Women to Women crew is an ABB tester—Samantha Tischendorf! In addition to the fit customizing features listed above in the Fit description, the C.A.S. shell remains in play this year with its dimpled areas to reduce mass in common heat stretch zones to make for easier and more permanent punches (with a bootfitter's help) and the C.A.S. liner revisions made last year remain as well, with more grindable, moldable surface area and a larger, better shaped instep cutaway over the top of the foot. The 45mm non-stretch power strap is affixed with a metal cam style buckle using the Power Lock hook that avoids having to feed the strap end through the cam buckle each time. The lambswool and Celliant (incorporates thermoreactive minerals to help increase circulation, they say) liner does seem warm, testers say.
The Gist
The medium volume Mach1 MV line-up got Tecnica’s revision love this season with an all new mold shape for the shell and cuff, along similar lines to the LV’s more anatomical shape makeover last year, and testers it say nails the right mix of tight here and relaxed there for the average foot. Unique to the MVs is the new T-Drive shell-to-cuff connector technology which anchors the boot spine with loaded-up energy and simultaneously allows for softer, better wrapping plastic over the top of the foot. Testers say the combination creates a more lively, stronger feel and a higher comfort level, too.
The Fit
The first notable impression comes with sliding the MV on the foot--much easier than the previous generation MV due to softer plastic over the top of the foot. This also lends to a more wrapped, domed feeling over the top of the foot which doesn't collapse onto the instep during flexion thanks to the restraint of the T-Drive cuff to shell connection. You can flex the old MV on one foot and the new MV on the other and see a visible difference in how the new cuff doesn't collide as much with the top of the lower shell, distorting the lower's shape. The new MV 130 fits taller and more upright in the cuff than its predecessor, and while testers never had a problem with the old cuff's stance or power they say the slight change now is noticeable and in a positive way. The lower shell is curvier than in the past, meaning it wraps around the foot's natural contours a little more, for a slam dunk out-of-box fit that testers loved. The C.A.S. (Custom Adaptive Shape) liner is also revised, with more grindable and moldable surface area and a larger and better shaped instep cutaway for the bony spot over the top of the foot. Testers say the flex feel is firmly 130 and even along the shin.
Performance
Testers have always praised the Mach1 MV 130 for how well it pairs top tier performance with high levels of comfort, and that tradition continues still. Testers liked the additional leverage the taller cuff applied to the ski edge and the slightly more upright position felt more natural for testers who said it enabled earlier engagement of the ski shovel and less fatigue overall.
Cool Features
One cool feature of Tecnica's boot development story is Project 165 (named for their boots' orange hue) that incorporates the input and product testing skills of several top bootfitters from the U.S. and Canada--one of them is a veteran ABB tester, Greg Hoffmann! The Custom Adaptive Shape bootfitting features are essentially same here as they are on all the Mach1 boots for men and women—the C.A.S. shell is dimpled in common fit problem areas to aid with heat stretching and the C.A.S. liner is both heat moldable and grindable. In addition to these helpful fitting tools, the Lift Lock buckles are handy—they stay locked open when pushed to their end stop and the Power Lock power strap hook-in-loop connection sidesteps having to thread the strap webbing through a cam-lock buckle every time.
The Gist
Last year the Mach1 LV 130 gained new momentum with its mold makeover, testers said, and pushed it onto the podium in the All-Mountain narrow group. It's unchanged this season and they still like the revised, taller-feeling cuff and its firm but well-distributed feel against the shin. The Custom Adaptive Shape liner employs more customizable material throughout and testers appreciate the tongue’s revised design over the top of the foot. Its stance and balance scores topped the field last time around and testers say its power and quickness is still limited only by the driver. One tester summed that up--skis like it should, fast!
The Fit
Given that some testers said it wasn't as tight as it should be and others said it was too tight, we figure the Mach1 LV 130 must be just right tight! Testers were in agreement that the new shell shape had a more squared off toebox (which they liked) and a slightly taller and more upright feeling cuff (which they also liked). The revised CAS liner offers more customizable real estate but more importantly has a larger and better shaped soft area right over the bony top of the foot, which was universally applauded. Flex feel is firm against the shin and for sure a 130, but progressive in nature and evenly distributed they said.
Performance
Like all the Mach1 boots past and present the Mach1 LV 130 skis right alongside the best boots on the market, with many testers saying they'd drop their current rides to make this their daily driver in a heartbeat. Testers continue to prefer tried and true polyurethane for all-mountain charging, and in the Mach1 LV it feels both lively and classically damp. Testers had no complaints about the stance angles or how this boot handled in any terrain at any speed.
Cool Features
One cool feature of Tecnica's boot development story is Project 165 (named for their boots' orange hue) that incorporates the input and product testing skills of several top bootfitters from the U.S. and Canada--one of them is a veteran ABB tester, Greg Hoffmann! The Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) bootfitting features are essentially same here as they are on all the Mach1 boots for men and women—the C.A.S. shell is dimpled in common fit problem areas to aid with heat stretching and the C.A.S. liner is both heat moldable and grindable. In addition to these helpful fitting tools, the Lift Lock buckles are handy—they stay locked open when pushed to their end stop and the Power Lock power strap hook-in-loop connection sidesteps having to thread the strap webbing through a cam-lock buckle every time.
The Gist
Testers who loved the new S/Pro medium width all-mountain boot last year but wanted a touch more room--everywhere--get it this year in the new S/Pro HV 90 W. The entry and exit is even easier than the medium S/Pro due to increased instep height and testers say the forefoot and toebox room is massive but not quite cavernous. They like the more open calf fit of the HV, though the upper cuff still grabs the leg with performance-minded intentions. They said the flex feel is even and feels a touch stronger than the listed 90 rating and said this was the highest performing wide ride from Salomon they've ever tested.
The Fit
The forefoot and especially the lateral border of the foot has a more ample fit than expected from a 102mm last, which, along with an open and tall feeling instep fit makes for a great fit match for the thickest of feet. Testers said the ankles are well-contoured for an anatomical grip but not as snug as the medium width S/Pro. Similarly the HV's cuff fit is slightly more open than the medium width S/Pro, and flared at boot top to accommodate the muscular calf, though testers say the cuff fit sits on the snug side of the wide last category average, while the lower boot sits to the wide end. The Custom Shell HD feature offers easy fit adaption as needed--our tests have shown positive, if subtle, results for opening up the fit in tight spots and improving stance alignment.
Performance
As with S/Max and medium volume S/Pro, the HV is built on the Coreframe chassis which utilizes a stiff insert as a way to provide rigidity and power to the edge in a lightweight, thin shell wall design. In the S/Pro HV 90 W the shell is polyurethane with a fiberglass Coreframe insert and a polyurethane cuff. Testers have liked the power to weight ratio in all the Coreframe boots and mention that tactile awareness of the snow surface is very high, but manages to avoid feeling twitchy.
Cool Features
Kaprolene is the additive to polyurethane that allows for Custom Shell molding. Now in certain models within the S/Max, S/Pro, S/Pro HV and MTN lines the Kaprolene used is pre-mixed in precise amounts into the polyurethane itself rather than as a somewhat random additive at the time of plastic injection. This creates a more predictable and defined molding response which, when used in these thin shelled boots, drastically reduced cook times from ten minutes to only two, molding from five minutes to only three and cool-down to five minutes. Our tests showed legit results without a degradation of performance, post-molding. Salomon now offers a kit for bootfitters to drill out the Oversized Pivot cuff hinge point and replace it with a lateral cuff adjustment for skiers who need more stance angle adaptability than the Custom Shell molding process will provide.
The Gist
The debut of the women’s S/Max was met with widespread tester approval last year and it returns unchanged for another go this season. While some boots are powerful but heavy, and others might be agile and light, yet unstable, testers said that the new S/Max 120 W combines all performance elements in a perfectly even blend. They also like its true to narrow class fit—very snug in all the right places. One tester said, look out ladies, there’s a new boss b!#(% in town--powerful, driven, and tight. Very quick Custom Shell HD molding made subtle but good changes, they said.
The Fit
Testers put this on the tightest end of the narrow class for its fit in the lower boot and cuff. It's a true narrow and testers with slender legs and narrow heels absolutely loved the evenly contoured grip on every nook and cranny. Our thicker legged testers didn't like the cuff fit as much. Testers said that the shape is anatomical in every way, so long as the calf isn't too big, though Custom Shell HD molding could open that up a bit. The instep fit is close and testers said the flex feel is firm (a real 120) but evenly distributed on the shin. A few testers commented that it was not the easiest on or off in the group.
Performance
Our test team loved how this boot skied everywhere on the hill, from firm groomers to dicey crud. They called it light and reactive but simultaneously stout and damp. Some testers felt the flex lacked a little rebound, but all appreciated the 120 flex power and relayed that transitions turn to turn were synaptically quick.
Cool Features
One tester said the best feature of the S/Max 120 W was the fact that it was a real boot without a bunch of girly fluff and B.S. And along those lines, the features are stripped down here. Yes, it can be custom molded--the Custom Shell HD process is fast and effective for subtle shape changes our tests have shown. Testers like the Sense Claw 45mm cam buckle style power strap for cranking the cuff closure and dual liner pull loops are nice for getting this one on.
The Gist
Our test team was stoked to get our feet into the new S/Pro HV 130 to see how the first true performance wide ride from Salomon since the Mission RS would feel. It's design is modeled after the popular S/Pro medium width, but opened up in width, instep height and cuff circumference. Testers loved the way the amplified room along the lateral border of the foot let it sit flat to the floor with room to spread out and said that while the cuff grips the leg closely it flares enough at boot top to handle the bigger calf that probably goes with this foot.
The Fit
The forefoot and especially the lateral border of the foot has a more ample fit than expected from a 102mm last, which, along with an open and tall feeling instep fit makes for a great fit match for the thickest of feet. Testers said the ankles are well-contoured for an anatomical grip but not as snug as the medium width S/Pro. Similarly the HV's cuff fit is slightly more open than the medium width S/Pro, and flared at boot top to accommodate the muscular calf, though testers say the cuff fit sits on the snug side of the wide ride average, while the lower boot sits to the wide end. The Custom Shell HD feature offers easy fit adaption as needed--our tests have shown positive, if subtle, results for opening up the fit in tight spots and improving stance alignment.
Performance
As with S/Max and medium volume S/Pro, the HV is built on the Coreframe chassis which utilizes a stiff insert as a way to provide rigidity and power to the edge in a lightweight, thin shell wall design. In the S/Pro HV 130 the shell and cuff are polyurethane with fiberglass Coreframe inserts. Testers have liked the power to weight ratio in all the Coreframe boots and mention that tactile awareness of the snow surface is very high, but they manage to avoid feeling twitchy.
Cool Features
Kaprolene is the additive to polyurethane that allows for Custom Shell molding. Now in certain models within the S/Max, S/Pro, S/Pro HV and MTN lines the Kaprolene used is pre-mixed in precise amounts into the polyurethane itself rather than as a somewhat random additive at the time of plastic injection. This creates a more predictable and defined molding response which, when used in these thin shelled boots, drastically reduced cook times from ten minutes to only two, molding from five minutes to only three and cool-down to five minutes. Our tests showed legit results without a degradation of performance, post-molding. Salomon now offers a kit for bootfitters to drill out the Oversized Pivot cuff hinge point and replace it with a lateral cuff adjustment for skiers who need more stance angle adaptability than the Custom Shell molding process will provide.
The Gist
The Pure Elite 120 has always earned its highest marks for its balanced stance, rapid-fire quickness and its high level of comfort, warmth and convenience. Testers remind not to let its fuzzy, furry liner fool you into thinking that this isn’t a top tier performer. They say it’s one of the stiffest and strongest of all the women's all-mountain boots, and while it is the roomiest of the narrow class in virtually every fit parameter, it doesn’t stray into true medium volume. Ease of use, good looks (testers like this year's graphic update) and great skiing get it perennial gold.
The Fit
Testers agree it's one of the roomiest of the narrow category—borderline medium—with a tall and upright feeling cuff and a roomy toebox (length, width & height). A few of our low-volume testers successfully dropped down one size in this model. On the whole, testers don't mind the extra room, and they say that the anatomical shaping is spot-on for the human foot and leg. They all love the faux fur, and universally praise the evenly progressive flex feel, if firm, at a legit 120.
Performance
Our taller, more aggressive skiers loved the Elite 120's tall, upright and stiff cuff in their normal size—they had the long leg leverage to get over the top of this boot and uncork its raw power and quickness. So too, did the shorter testers who were able to size down and get a lower cuff fit. Average height and shorter testers who stuck with their normal size felt a little pushed back onto their heels by the cuff and commented that they wanted a little heel lift to help put them in the driver's seat. Every tester, to a woman, agreed this is one powerful and responsive ride.
Cool Features
The fuzzy liner is made with Merino wool, so high warmth scores were not a figment of testers' imaginations. A set of GripWalk soles is available as an accessory (nice for walking, compatible with GripWalk bindings only).
The Allspeed Elite is narrow, the Allspeed Pro is medium and the Allspeed is wide. Every year testers comment that while the lasts get wider, they maintain the performance lineage across the board--stance angles, closure, energy transfer to the ski all remain standard for each model, and a skier can choose the best match for his foot and leg. Testers dig the Allspeed 120's tallish cuff against the leg and a strong but energetic flex feel--not rigid, not soft but somewhere right in between with a proper stopping spot, short of feeling overflexed. The fit over the midfoot and into the instep is generous and combined with the well-flared calf fit produced enough room for some real manly men here, they said. As always, the polyurethane construction in shell and cuff equated to damp stable skiing that adds up to confidence in all conditions.
It's a wide ride with plenty of volume, its liner is cushioned and soft, and yet the Allspeed 120 has enough grab on the foot to enable high-end skiing movements and control big skis. One of our testers summed-up the Allspeed's classic fit like this: "It's like hugging a big, curvy, hot chick and feeling the softness and the firmness in all the right places." Regardless of the hashtags we still think that's a good way to say it. Testers also say the cuff is tall, upright and that its fit is open enough for big-dude legs.
Testers are impressed with how strongly this boot skis--a toughened up 120 flex they said, but testers also cite the dialed stance angles and high torsional and lateral rigidity that tips a ski on edge and manages it there through a variety of terrain at virtually every speed. Several of our testers mentioned throwing everything they had at it and it never failed.
The price is one its best features—best bang for your buck of the entire test, one tester said. But the fact that there's a 100-flex and a 130-flex version of this (oh, and an 80) means the options are many for high-volume foot and leg guys. It does have a Thinsulate liner, but if you're buying this boot we're betting you don't get too cold. This year GripWalk soles are available as an improved strolling add-on, for use with GripWalk compatible bindings.
