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
The 2019/2020 Tecnica Mach1 MV 105 W was tested in the women'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 Fit
Fit scores came in dead down the middle for a medium-width, with a few testers mentioning that it might trend a touch roomier than the category average. Most of the crew thought that the cuff height was right on the money, while a couple said it trended a bit taller. There were zero complaints about a too-tight calf, but with its moldable plastic insert at the back of the calf good skiing gals with muscular lower legs should keep this boot in their top tier for Fall try-on.
Performance
On-snow this 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 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 crew is an ABB tester—Greg Hoffmann! 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 is 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 2019/2020 Tecnica Mach1 LV 105 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
The all-new Mach1 LV 105 W’s revised shell (taller cuff, more anatomical shaping in lower) and liner (more customizable material and better instep pocket for the top of foot) made for an instant hit with testers who pushed it straight onto the podium in a highly stacked field. The stance angles and properly snug low volume fit (lots of 1’s and 2’s on fit impressions scores) were ideal for our testers who said that this boot simply made them ski better, straightaway. And they look good, they said.
The 2019/2020 Salomon S/Pro 100 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 loved Salomon’s launch of the new women’s S/Pro 100 for its newfound room along the lateral border of the foot, additional ceiling height through the instep and its slightly more slender cuff grip along the leg shaft. It’s easier to get on and off than its predecessor medium width X-Pro, and testers said this new one snaps off crisper turns and drives the ski with a more direct-drive connection between movement and response. Custom Shell HD molding opened-up the calf fit for those who needed it.
The 2019/2020 Salomon S/Max 120 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
The debut of the women’s S/Max was met with widespread tester approval. 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 2019/2020 Rossignol Pure Elite 120 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 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 2019/2020 Nordica Speedmachine 115 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
Our test team liked the step up to the 115 flex women’s Speedmachine this year, saying the additional horsepower drove big skis well without feeling unmanageable—and so stepped it up to a second place finish in the group. They loved the vertical room over the top of the foot and said that the ankle pockets are firmly performance oriented (read: mold the 3D Cork Fit liner). They appreciated its useful features, like the Power Driver power strap spoiler, adjustable calf and a functional cuff adjustment for dialing lateral stance angles.
The 2019/2020 Nordica Promachine 115 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
Edged for first place in the group by a mere two-hundredths and sporting a nearly perfect score for edge power and stability, testers said the Promachine is an absolute powerhouse that most claimed needed not a single fit modification out of the box. Lively and balanced, they said it’s also tall and firm against the leg, and they liked that just fine. This is a real skier’s boot, and one that appeals to the kind of shredder that might often opt for a stiffer men’s model.
The Fit
Testers used lots of evenly sprinkled 2's (1 tightest, 5 loosest) to rate the Promachine's fit in both the lower boot and the cuff. It's not race boot tight, but just right tight for the category, they said. Its tightest score was for the heel pocket and its roomiest was for the calf—that's a fit blueprint that will work for a lot of women. One tester whined about the heel pocket being too tight around the Achilles tendon, but our custom tests showed the 3D Cork Fit Primaloft liner did a good job of opening the fit where needed without losing a firm grip elsewhere, so we told her to quit whining.
Performance
Though testers called it the perfect mix of power and agility, it received a perfect score average for Quickness , Steering & Feel so apparently testers corroborated Nordica's claim that the thin shell wall Tri Force construction lightens the boot and provides better ground feel without a loss of torque. While the boot's lightness was noticed, it wasn't the primary element that testers were attracted to. They were far too focused on how well they skied everywhere on the mountain on the Promachine 115 W to worry about the boots myriad other good features, of which less weight certainly is one.
Cool Features
Testers like the rolling, grippy stride of the GripWalk soles that come mounted on the boot and noticed (and appreciated) the soles' aqua highlights that matched the rear spine and Power Driver power strap plate (which they also liked for its shin pressure displacement). Our techie testers also appreciated the full complement of useful stuff, like dual lateral cuff adjustment, a removable Velcro rear spoiler, two liner pull loops and four easy to use buckles (yes, with aqua highlights).
The 2019/2020 Lange LX 90 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
One tester said of the new LX 90 W, fits big but skis small—meaning, skis as well as the narrow class which historically has out-performed the wides. Not so anymore. The fats ski every bit as well as the skinnies now, and this newcomer smoked the field. Testers loved the close-to-snow feel through the bottom of the shell, calling it agile and in-tune. Another said its edge power was alarmingly awesome for a 90-flex wide. Easy on, easy off, warm and looks good—a no brainer for the big foot ripper.
The 2019/2020 Lange RX 110 W was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional medium width category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers call the RX 110 W the industry standard for how a medium width performance boot should fit and ski. One tester said, The boot’s best qualities? All of them—the RX delivers every year, again and again. There were virtually no negative comments out of all the test cards, with unanimous agreement on its super neutral, dialed stance angles and a near perfect score for edge power and stability at speed. They call its V-shaped fit (party in the front, business in the back) flawless—first place.
The Fit
Testers say the RX 110 W is a benchmark for medium width fit characteristics without giving up on performance goals—meaning Lange hasn't blown-out the toebox and forefoot and fluffed-up the liner just to attract the wannabes. Testers say this top-shelfer fits like a Recaro seat built around the foot—firm and close in the heel and ankles and boot throat, like a custom foam liner a couple testers said. There's just enough room elsewhere to suit the average, medium-volume foot and leg, but without namby-pamby down comforter pandering. This one grabs on and holds ya. You're skiing all day, not mucking around in the lodge!
Performance
It's Lange's story again this year and it's where this medium really elevated above the rest. The pre-sculpted 3-D liner's exterior matches the interior of the shell in a mirror image, mating the foot and leg to plastic and transmitting every skiing movement to the skis. Testers said the boot knifed through all manner of junk off-piste and drilled hard snow like a power tool. The delivery to the edge was impressive, they said, but easily matched by the boot's snappy energy and feel for the snow underfoot, too. This power and agility combo can be attributed to the RX (and RS) line's Dual Core shell and cuff which utilizes a unique production method to sandwich a less-dense plastic within the shell wall itself to create a more energetic, resilient feel—testers gave the nod to it again this year.
Cool Features
The RX 110 W is about what matters and nothing else—so you get a Velcro power strap, 4 aluminum buckles (2 are easy-open ones on the bottom, nice with gloves on), a single-side cuff adjustment mechanism and replaceable Max Grip soles. The option is there to upgrade to GripWalk soles for 50-bucks if you have appropriate GripWalk bindings to suit. Oh, and the Dual 3-D Pro liner has Thinsulate in it. Sure, warmth matters.
The 2019/2020 Lange RX 110 W LV 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 bottom line is that testers love the way they ski in the RX 110 W LV. They say there’s something about the combination of its dialed stance angles, strong Dual Core polyether shell and cuff, and its anatomical shape that produces the best turns of the day. Testers love that it has one of the most-snug fits in the heel pocket of any boot in the class, but without being crushingly tight. The instep and navicular have a bit more breathing room, as does the calf, they said.
The Fit
Testers for the most part loved the liner construction in the RX again this year—almost like a foam-injected liner some said--firmer where it counted (heel and ankles), but softer in areas where some cushioning is nice (at the forefoot and over the top of the instep). They said the liner's rear control zone was almost too tight initially but felt those areas auto-mold with some wear time, and all agreed that the snug fit there was perfect for the category. This was one of the most-snug fits of the group—not race boot tight, but close, and testers loved that. The stance angles are neutral, testers reported, but they note that big calves don't fit well here and drive the leg a bit too forward. Thicker legs may want to opt for the medium-width RX W rather than the narrow-class RX W LV.
Performance
Like cornering in a Ferrari, one tester said of the RX 110 W LV—quick and aggressive with no play in the steering column. Another said, Responsive! Does what I want it to do--like a good man. Across the board testers commented on how snappy and reactive the boot felt edge to edge and how firm but elastic the flex feel was. Both of these characteristics can be attributed to the unique Dual Core plastic injection technology found in the RX (and RS) boots. A softer density plastic is sandwiched between higher density plastic throughout the shell wall, which is impressive in execution alone but even more surprising to find that the claims of increased energy and snap are for real!
Cool Features
A monoinjected polyether shell and cuff is a nice feature if there's going to be any bootfitting happening—this construction makes grinds and shell punches a snap for good bootfitters. Pretty basic, functional feature fare here. A single-side cuff adjustment and Max Grip soles are nice to have. GripWalk soles can be purchased as an accessory for use with appropriate GripWalk bindings.
The 2019/2020 K2 Anthem 110 MV was tested in the women'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 Fit
Our test team's fit scores in the toebox and forefoot averaged out to a 3.67 (1 tightest, 5 loosest), and then tapered progressively back to a heel pocket of 2.83 and then flaring back open at the boot top to a 3.33. What do all those numbers mean? Testers translate the data to say the Luv MV's shape is well-adapted to the foot and leg, wrapping all the usual contours with a nice blend of plush and firm from the liner—just shifted a bit toward the roomy end of the spectrum. Lots of space for additional warmth that will suit the higher volume foot type well, they said. Given the removable spoiler (which most testers preferred removed) and the Luv's calf-room expansion adjustment, the Luv 110 MV is a super option for thicker-legged skiers, testers said. The generous out-of-box fit and the ability to expand it further via oven-cooked custom molding make the Luv worth a serious look from good skiing women who might normally limit their choices to wide last boots.
Performance
Testers were unanimous that the stance (sans spoiler) was on the money, giving the boot's dynamic balance the highest score of the five score categories it was rated on. Testers loved the Luv's lux liner feel against the shin and all agreed that the flex feel was solid, progressive and on-target for the 110 rating. While the Powerlite Shell is light (1650 grams in a 26.5) by way of thinned-out, stiff polyurethane construction (favored by most bootfitters), testers said less about its heft and more about its edge power, predictable stability at speed and its ease getting on and off—three things that often don't go hand-in-hand with new, lightened-up designs. Most testers described the Luv 110's performance attitude as solid, reliable, predictable and stable, rather than jittery or hyper-active, but the majority opinion was that if the foot properly filled the shoe it was properly quick edge to edge.
Cool Features
For their rather understated, classic exterior appearance, the Luv boots have a lot going on. The light weight Powerlite shell is custom moldable by way of the typical oven-cook-and-wear process, though testers said it would be unnecessary for most and a clear second choice to a custom molding performed on the pre-shaped LuxFit Pro Ultralon liner (which all testers agreed is far superior to K2 liners of the past) which would provide an enhanced fit match without risking excessive roominess from shell-cooking (our tests showed it works, for sure—almost too well). The women's calf adjustable rear part of the boot cuff is a slick design and easy to adjust, and the dual lateral cuff adjustment mechanisms are solid, though a little tricky for first-timers to sort out, and this year they are anchored internally with traditional, toothed T-nuts (bootfitters in the K2-know appreciate this). The grippy soles are both replaceable and cantable.
