The perennial favorite Mach1 MV W has returned but in a burlier, badder build--the 115 flex model!
The 2019/2020 Fischer RC4 Podium GT 110 was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional narrow category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The 2019/2020 Dalbello DS 110 W was tested in the women's All-Mountain Traditional medium category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers called the DS 110 W a lush, curvy, perfect fit with additional cush. Sounds good doesn’t it? Big-boned but beautiful, they said, it was the second roomiest medium width in the group except for its calf fit, where it tapered slightly. Thicker feet and insteps will love the room there and will be able to tap the quickness that low volume testers found a bit lacking. Strong to the edge and dependably solid in the transitions between turns, was the word, with an upright stance for burn-free quads.
The Fit
The crew agreed that the DS 110 W runs long and on the roomiest side of the medium last width group, with the majority of testers using lots of evenly distributed 4's in the Fit Impressions matrix (3's would be standard fit tension scores for a medium). But they didn't necessarily complain about the extra room, just noted that a wider, thicker foot would do well in the lower boot and average to thicker legs would fit nicely in the cuff. The liner feel was widely praised for its initial cushioning and level of luxury.
Performance
Testers thought the flex was a bit under the 110 mark and found it preferred a lighter touch with the shin. They loved how the DS 110 W rolled side to side in flawless edging transitions from turn to turn, especially on predictable surfaces. Cruisey, predictable fun for intermediates and light-touch experts who place a premium on comfort was the consensus.
Cool Features
The Power Cage shell and cuff construction utilizes a framework of thicker, stiffer polyurethane in the boot rail (very bottom) and into the rear spine of the boot to provide power and stability where it's needed while incorporating a thinner, softer polyurethane in less critical areas where better wrapping for improved fit is needed—seemed to work for testers. The DS's single sided upper cuff adjustment is renamed Intuitive Canting—not our favorite terminology—meaning that three words (Neutral, Sport & Race) are used to describe the cuff positions 0.0, +0.5 and +1.0, respectively, achieved via the rotary cam mechanism. The boots come set to the 0.5 "out" Sport position. The Variable Ramp Angle feature is an insert that increases the bootboard ramp angle by 1.0-degree.
The 2019/2020 Dalbello DS Asolo Factory W GW was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional narrow category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The 2019/2020 Atomic Hawx Magna 105 S W was tested in the women's All-Mountain traditional wide category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The Atomic Hawx Magna 105 S W wowed our test team for its big bang for the buck, saying that this boot skied better than many All-Mountain boots they tested which cost two -hundred dollars more. They gave this boot its highest scores for Convenience, Warmth and Features as well as Edge Power.
The Fit
It's a wide ride, but not excessively so, testers said. They all loved the plush and inviting liner feel on first slide-on (which is super easy they said) and comments about all-day comfort, no unbuckling required and extra warmth were abundant. Testers checked the like box on the cuff's upright stance and highly cushioned tongue fit against the shin. While the fit is roomy-slipper all the way around, testers sensed enough contact at the heel and ankle to suggest that this one could ski.
Performance
And ski the Hawx Magna 105 S W did, testers said, who were all pleased with its ability to go anywhere and do anything at workable performance levels. The stance is neutral (if a bit upright). The power on edge is adequate. The quickness turn to turn was decent but very predictable and smooth, they said. And the flex, while softer than billed, they said, had a progressive feel and a functional stopping point.
Cool Features
Testers agreed that one of the boot's best features was its price, but they also like the Memory Fit auto-molding capability of the shell once it's been cooked in the Atomic convection oven—not necessary but a great solution for the thickest of feet and legs for finding an even, comfy fit. Helpful stance adjustments are also found here—the Power Shift feature (which accounts for the "S" in the model name) allows for adjustment of the forward lean and/or stiffness.
The 2019/2020 Atomic Hawx Prime 105 S W was tested in the women's All-Mountain medium width category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
One of our favorite women's boots over the years, the Hawx Prime W, went and took a risk, changing its very mold, adding an S to her name and following in slender sister Ultra's tracks, slimming the shell wall and cuff construction for the sake of weight reduction. We thought she looked good before, but we gotta hand it to her— according to our test team the new Hawx 105 S W fits better, skis better and does both at a fraction of its former weight.
The Fit
Testers (still) found a substantial amount of room in the toebox and the forefoot—a Hawx Prime hallmark, but (still) discovered teamed with an evenly snug fit in the heel pocket and ankles—even more so than in the past, they said. They liked this blend of warmth and comfort where needed up front combined with performance controls at the rearfoot for good skiing moves, though they mentioned that for a performance boot the liner feel is definitely on the plush side. Testers liked the way the boot top is flared enough for the bigger calf without a loss of fore-aft positioning, though testers concurred that the skinny legged needed to max the buckles. The stance is a touch upright—no quad burn here—but testers felt the fore-aft position was good.
Performance
The revised Hawx Prime 105 S W got highest marks for quickness, steering and agility—this is a light and responsive ride that favors an accurate sortie on the slope, not a bludgeoning onslaught. The flex feel is long and springy and the close fit through the ankle and heel allowed for powerful lateral edging movements. Heavy handed forward flexing by our most aggressive testers was met with some surrender.
Cool Features
For women with wide forefoot and a bigger calf, the Hawx Prime W line-up deserves a close look—it fits generously in those spots to begin with and the Memory Fit shell-molding feature allows those areas to be expanded using just the skier's foot and leg in the boot to get the job done in a matter of minutes. The Power Shift feature (which accounts for the "S" in the model name) allows for adjustment of the forward lean and/or stiffness.
The 2019/2020 Atomic Hawx Ultra 115 S W was tested in the women's All-Mountain Traditional narrow category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Stripped and ripped—right down to the bare essentials of what makes a ski boot great, testers said. They liked the thin but well-shaped liner that provided just the right amount of padding for comfort without muting the connection of the foot and leg with the shell, and said that the boot and body felt morphed together into one cohesive performance unit! The lighter weight of its thin shell wall polyurethane construction appealed, but testers praised that it skied race-boot strong without race-boot pain.
The Fit
Narrows should be narrow, that's our stand, and here's what testers said about the Hawx Ultra 115 S W's initial fit: Great for the true, narrow foot. Great, narrow, firm fit. Well-defined heel pocket. Good low-volume, snug, firm fit. Locked and loaded! Testers gave it such even fit scores, right down the narrow side of things, that the averages for five cards were the same as for fifteen. The team agreed there's a little bit of extra room in the toebox and at the calf and that's about it—evenly snug-side everywhere else. They all loved the spring-loaded flex feel, solidly in line with its 115 billing, but a couple mentioned that the calf fit was a bit tall and jabby against the back of the leg.
Performance
Extremely energetic was the consensus among testers, who enjoyed how the lively forward flex (powered by the thin shelled polyurethane cuff) loaded and released energy with every turn. Feedback levels were high—with testers saying that they could feel every ripple in the snow beneath them, perhaps to a fault, with a few testers saying the transmissive, high energy feel could get jittery at times. Power to the edge was immediate and unfaltering.
Cool Features
For those who find perfectly snug just a little too constrictive, cooking the shell via the Memory Fit customization feature is a slick way to open up a little bit of extra room everywhere without blowing out the fit. Aside from being able to modify the flex and forward lean with the Power Shift (which accounts for the "S" in the model name) mechanism on the rear cuff and make lateral stance changes with the on-board cuff adjustment, canted sole shims are available in 0.5- to 3.0-degree increments as an optional purchase.
The 2019/2020 Tecnica Mach1 HV 130 was tested in the men's All-Mountain Traditional wide category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers say again that the Mach1 HV 130, is the perfect example of how the DNA of a top-shelf narrow boot should be passed down to its wide-last brother after their tests were concluded this year. All the dominant family traits (stance, power, quickness, comfort) remain intact, and without any downside, testers said. Huge scores were awarded for both its overall wide body fit (curvy not fat!) and its ski-driving power. Quickness scores were still above average—testers say fill with foot to improve on that.
The Fit
The Mach1 HV 130 (and 120) are the "performance wides" of the now two-tiered HV group. The Mach1 HV 130 is distinctly wider and more open through the instep and at the boot cuff than its narrower bro, MV in about the same amount of differentiation as the MV is from the LV, testers said. The Mach1 HV 130 is designed to perform as well as both the other Mach1's and as such has a still-firm feel in the ankle and heel. Testers said this is no bucket, but will make a lot of thick footed rippers very happy. For those looking for a boot where the premium is placed on comfort with some limited trade-off in performance, the Mach Sport HV boots (not tested) may offer a perfect match.
Performance
Testers were hopeful that the 103 mm Mach1 would deliver on the performance promises made by virtue of their experiences with the LV and MV Mach1's and they were not disappointed. Test forms were filled with many comments that the line-up had not lost a step in stepping up the volume of fit. Solid, powerful, quick were oft-used terms to describe the HV's descent attitude. Some testers said the flex was a little shy of the 130 mark established by MV and LV.
Cool Features
The Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) bootfitting features are the 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 2019/2020 Tecnica Mach1 LV 130 was tested in the men's All-Mountain Traditional narrow category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The all-new Tecnica Mach1 LV 130 gained new momentum with its mold makeover, testers said, pushing it onto the podium in the All-Mountain narrow group. They liked the now 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 loved the tongue’s revised design over the top of the foot. Its stance and balance scores topped the field and testers said its power and quickness would be limited only by the driver.
The 2019/2020 Salomon S/Pro 130 was tested in the men’s All-Mountain Traditional wide category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
One tester called the all-new Salomon S/Pro 130, whipped cream on a steak! Meaning it’s smooth and creamy and dreamy, but there’s some real meat in there too! This is a completely different Pro for Salomon, easier to get on, more height through the instep and lateral side of the foot—but with an S/Max styled cuff that grips the leg and ankles with a serious performance grudge. The S/Pro 130 combines that upper boot with the comfort and room of the lower to offer a great blend of arc and ahhh.
The 2019/2020 Salomon S/Max 120 was tested in the men's All-Mountain Traditional narrow category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The Fit
Testers used a preponderance of 2's to score the fit of the S/Max 120, meaning evenly snug but not race boot plug tight. Testers felt that the even grip on the foot and lower leg was similar to that of the S/Max 130 Carbon, but slightly relaxed due to a softer liner and a bit more flexible shell. The S/Max 120 will appeal to a broad spectrum of skiers, so long as they're on the low volume end of the shape spectrum. Testers with wide forefeet, high insteps and big calf muscles were not dialed right off the rack in this one—some opted to custom mold the S/Max 120 and were pleasantly surprised with how well the new, faster system worked to even out the fit kinks.
Performance
Our lighter weight testers preferred this one over the much stiffer feeling S/Max 130 Carbon, and as one might expect, several of our testers who loved the S/Max 130 Carbon found this softer brother lacking in power and support by comparison. The general attitude on snow, however, is the same—agile precision and rapid response to foot steering paired with power on edge (for most). The polyurethane lower boot with a fiberglass Coreframe is paired with a polyurethane cuff on the S/Max 120. One tester suggested that heavier-handed skiers bump up to the S/Max 130 or S/Max 130 Carbon for their stiffer plastics and beefed up Coreframe inserts.
Cool Features
Kaprolene is the additive to polyurethane that allows for Custom Shell molding. New this year in certain models within the S/Max 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 the thin shelled S/Max and MTN 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. This year Salomon 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 process will provide. Cantology cant shims are available for the S/Max boots but require over-plating and routing along standard race boot protocols.
The 2019/2020 Roxa R/Fit 120 was tested in the men’s All-Mountain Traditional wide category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers said the R/Fit line-up’s BioFit shape is a game changer for the brand! Thin shell wall polyurethane is used in the lower boot, incorporating “pre-punched” areas for common fit issues and the cuff is made with crisp-responding Grilamid. By the numbers it’s a wide but a well-sculpted one, testers report. They liked how this lightweight drove the ski but gave it highest marks for its rapid reaction to steering commands—accurate and agile they said. A slightly loose feeling heel was its only real demerit.
The 2019/2020 Rossignol Allspeed Pro 120 was tested in the men's All-Mountain Traditional medium width category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The steady and always ready Allspeed Pro 120 re-claimed the podium and turned a lot of our testers into admitted Rossi fans at this year’s test. Testers report it remains one of the very best of the comfy-sleeper-class of boots, meaning you don’t expect it to perform as powerfully or as accurately as it does considering its high comfort quotient. Testers said don’t let the well-shaped and cushioned first fit fool you—this one friggin’ rips. They gave it high marks for its dialed stance, too.
The Fit
Aside from agreeing that the Allspeed Pro 120 (like most other Rossi's) fits a little longer than most other models in the group, everything else got chalked-up right down the middle for a perfect mediumish fit tension throughout the lower boot, instep and up into the cuff. Testers called the heel and ankle pocket accurately snug and said there was just enough room at the forefoot for the ball of the foot to spread to the floor for balance, but with no remaining slop. Balanced containment, one tester called it—and all echoed that it had a nice blend of cushion and proper grip on the foot.
Performance
Complaints on the Allspeed Pro's on-snow performance were virtually non-existent. Smooth and predictable. Muscular and athletic. Lively and nimble. Testers found that it did it all, and without much adjustment. Test forms universally mentioned that it made skiing fun and easy.
Cool Features
Aside from Thinsulate Platinum laminates used in the liner and an option to slap on GripWalk soles (for use with GripWalk compatible bindings), the features are standard fare, four-buckles, Velcro powerstrap, single side cuff adjustment and two liner pull loops.
