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 Head Recon 130 LV 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 2020 K2 Recon 130 LV returns with an updated, tighter fitting Ultralon liner over last year’s debut, which testers appreciated, especially in the well-shaped heel pocket. However, it remains what testers called the most comfortable boot in the category, and it retains it’s slimmed-down, thinned-out all polyurethane shell construction. Testers agreed the Recon 130 LV is an easy-on, trouble-free fit as well as a point-and-shoot performer everywhere on the hill that manages to pack just as much power as heavier models.
showed off its completely new shell shape, slimmed down, thinned out and packing a fully sculpted full-thermo Ultralon liner at this year's boot test and flummoxed testers with the question: Can a boot be too comfortable? Apparently it can be, as testers handicapped the LV's scores slightly for feeling a bit too much like its medium width brother, MV (who, if he was a real brother, would no doubt be claiming his initials are for More Virile). Otherwise, it's the perfect boot, they said! Tough crowd, our test team.
The Fit
Testers say the fit is on the money for its anatomical curves and nice blend of both cushion and grip in the PrecisionFit liner, just a touch too open across the board to suit the narrow last test category, having wandered too far into the medium width fit tension neighborhood. Not that this is a bad neighborhood, it's just that K2 already has a medium width Recon that pretty well hit the bullseye for that slot. So, this fraternal twin got picked on for being too comfy—'tis a shame, considering that a couple testers said this was the best-feeling K2 boot they'd ever put on their feet. Fit Update: K2 tells us that the Recon 130 LV liner has been re-designed since our boot test to snug-up the fit across the board.
Performance
Testers were in lock-step that the Recon 130 LV has a perfectly grounded stance, quickness Bruce Lee would approve of and a strong, stable attitude while on edge at any speed, on any snow, through any terrain—all heightened by the fact that it does it with less mass. 1650 grams worth of real boot is how one tester described the thin polyurethane newcomer. Testers felt that some performance got siphoned off by the uncharacteristic room in the lower boot, and with a slightly thicker, denser liner that would come back in badass spades.
Cool Features
K2 built the Recon with four different stiffnesses of polyurethane in a variety of different shell wall thickness--going very thin where possible for weight reduction but keeping things thick in areas critical for power and stability. Testers thought they accomplished this mission and were appreciative of the bootfitting-centric material that will support all common heat stretches and grinds (where the shell wall is thick enough). Still at play for K2 boots is the Powerfuse Spyne, which links the cuff to lower shell in a firm but slightly elastic fashion—not blocked and locked but neither is it free to dump forward. The K2 dual upper cuff alignment system is still effective and still a bit of a puzzle for first-timers, though now they are anchored internally with regular T-nuts (bootfitters in the know thank you for that, K2) and the Recons also have cantable soles. The PrecisionFit liners are still full-thermo Ultralon affairs, but now they are anatomically sculpted and, testers said, vastly superior to K2 liners of the past. The Recon shell is designed to be wholly moldable by wearing after an oven-cook, which we tested. The shape and volume change was dramatic but easily over-done. Testers suggest molding the liner first, then later consider oven cooking the shell if the overall fit still feels too tight.
The 2019/2020 Head Edge Lyt 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
The Edge lives on! But testers agreed that the all-new Edge Lyt 130 is the best version of Head’s wide line we’ve ever tested. Testers could find no fault with this boot for the intended wide-ride target skier—its liner is lush but not spongy, it’s flex feel is solid but even on the shin and adequately cushioned, its ability to transmit foot and leg movements to the ski was top notch. For a light weight model, its edge power and stability were a welcome surprise. Bravo Head!
The 2019/2020 Head Nexo Lyt 130 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 2020 Head Nexo Lyt 130 returns this season with a revised shell construction that solidified its flex feel, and testers appreciated the difference, calling it a legitimate 130 with a more progressive range of motion. This also improved the fit against the shin over last year’s version. Testers note that Head’s numbers don’t lie—meaning it fits true to size and last width indicators--an increasingly rare phenomenon in today’s boot world! Light underfoot (Grilflex plastic), surprisingly strong on edge and hyper-agile, testers said.
The Fit
The thin shell walled lower boot and Perfect Fit 3D Evo Custom liner combine to place a close-to-skin grip on the foot, testers said, who cited a snuggest side of medium width fit around the foot, throwing scores of 2's and 3's out of 5 toward the lower boot. Testers made particular comments about the well-shaped, snug fit of the ankle and hell pockets, as well as a toebox that they said was "perfect" for a modern medium width. The upper cuff flares from a snug wrap just above the throat of the boot to a more open boot top where testers with thicker calves appreciated the extra room. Several testers commented about an inconsistent fit against the shin, noting either an edgy feel down low or a gappy feel up high—most said that this improved with skiing and with the various custom fitting processes available.
Performance
Testers liked the direct connection to the ski that came from a snug fit in the lower boot and the thin feeling, stiff Grilflex plastic in the lower shell. They said turns were easily tuned into the snow and were quickly connected from arc to arc through a variety of snow and terrain. Testers with slender legs found that the open cuff fit put them in a bit of a search for the fore-aft sweet spot, but once there could tip and rip laterally, laying deep, gouging trenches with confidence. Testers with thicker legs felt placed right where they wanted to be, front to back. Testers who went through Liquid Fit liner injection process noticed performance gains in terms of improved steering and edge feathering movements as the result of a more snug heel and ankle area.
Cool Features
The use of Grilflex (a polyamide plastic like Grilamid) with Graphene powder additive in the injection process of the lower shell and Grilflex in the upper cuff makes the Nexo Lyt the only All-Mountain boot we tested with all polyamide construction. Most other brands are steering their lightest materials toward hike-mode models. Testers would agree with the Head hype that the Graphene additive seems to give the boot a more damp feel—similar to polyurethane but with the benefit of lighter weight. Testers universally approved of the Liquid Fit injection process, finding it an immediately discernable fit enhancement. The process involves injecting the ankle and heel area on both the medial and lateral side of the liner with a syrup-like material that fills thin, hollow packets there. We tested this liner customization extensively at the boot test this year and testers like the simple and intuitive nature of it—you wear the boot while it's injected and choose when to say, "When!" We found it easy to decide when enough was enough for a better fit in the ankles and heel, but just in case you overdid it, it can be easily removed. We did some long-term testing on the injected liners and found that the material did not sag or ooze out of place over time—pretty cool stuff.
GripWalk soles are available as an accessory purchase. Lightweight Superleggera buckles are cool, we think, and there's two liner pull loops, a Velcro power strap and a single side cuff adjustment. For the stance-challenged skier needing help beyond the cuff adjustment, Head's canted soles are available as an additional purchase.
The 2019/2020 Head Nexo Lyt 130 RS 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 Nexo Lyt 130 RS hits a bullseye on the middle ground between their Raptor and Head’s existing medium width line-up. Testers loved the combination of Raptor-like lower boot fit (tight!) blended with lightweight, thin shell wall Grilflex plastic for an agile All-Mountain attacker. The innovative Liquid Fit injection liner allows for quick heel and ankle snug-up (we tested it and approved) but testers didn’t feel much need to employ it off the rack, suggesting skiers wait for a bit of pack-out if all is well to start.
The 2019/2020 Full Tilt First Chair 10 was tested in the men's All-Mountain medium width category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers liked the 2019 Full Tilt First Chair for its snug (when tested in their regular size) and thickly padded and comfortable grip on the foot and its very lively feel underfoot. Testers still feel overly forward leaning but appreciated the cam-lock Cinch power strap for restraining some forward travel. Due to the short sizing in Full Tilt's line-up, some testers went up a size and found more typical medium-width fit tension and a slightly taller, more upright cuff feel.
The Fit
Testers felt the lower boot was much more snug than the cuff, which offered some unwanted play for slender legs. They liked the strong connection of foot to ski, though preferred it after full liner molding, which allowed the foot to seat a bit more deeply into the base of the boot, due to the thickness of the liner underfoot. Molding the liner with toe caps opened up some needed toe room as the boot fits shorter than average out of the box. The flex feel is even, cushioned and long in travel, testers agreed. Testers suggest sizing up to gain toe room and a more medium width fit.
Performance
Agility and quickness are the First Chair's forte, according to testers who liked its lateral moves and shock absorbing flex—fun in the bumps and tight spots, they said. They felt the boot was less of a powerhouse than it was a nimble freerider, partly due to the more forward than average cuff angle, which detracted from a more strongly stacked leg position, they said.
Cool Features
Testers like the newer version buckle system with the Widetrack buckles for their improved ease of use.
The 2019/2020 RC4 Podium GT 140 VFF 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 2019/2020 Dalbello DS 130 was tested in the men's All-Mountain medium width category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers again used apex predator descriptors to call out the Dalbello DS 130’s strong edge work--but with comments that it’s less like a cheetah and more like a big, well-fed lion. It ambles through large radius turns at high speeds as if it were born to—solid, strong and drivey, like a souped up Mustang, said one tester. Most testers liked the dark green. Hulk. Strong. Smash--that’s how another tester put it. Instantly comfy, though a bit on the roomy side of medium, most agreed.
The Fit
Testers unanimously checked the easy entry and exit boxes for the DS 130 and they liked the simplicity of the closure system. They also unanimously say the boot runs long, fit wise, to the point where skiers traditionally somewhat in-between sizes might be able to drop down a size in the DS. The overall fit in both the lower shell and in the upper cuff was anatomical in nature, matching the curves of the foot and leg well, but in an outsized way—testers used a lot of 4's to describe the DS's fit tension, where a 3 would indicate ideal medium fit tension. A couple testers couldn't get over this fact, but the majority simply made the observation that it sits on the roomy side of the category and moved on to enjoy the luxurious feel of the cushioned liner and its stellar downhill skill set.
Performance
The DS 130's stance angles allow for a balanced starting position that rewarded good skiing movements, testers said, and lots of "ideal" boxes were checked for flex feel and liner tongue cushioning during flexing movements. Testers had virtually no complaints about edge power and fore-aft support, citing a solid-as-a-rock boot spine and an excess of torsional and lateral rigidity to hammer an edge home on the hardest snow and hold it there. A few testers commented that the extra room in both the length and height of the toebox and throughout the instep meant a loss of foot retention resulting in some forward foot slippage, sending the hips back—a thicker than average foot will do well with this fit, so wide footers shouldn't be scared off by the 100 mm tag.
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 Atomic Hawx Magna 130 S 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
There were lots of Flintstone and Sasquatch references in testers’ reviews for the Hawx Magna 130 S this year, so we’ll let it continue to wear the category’s Widest Boot championship belt for another season! Though we should revise the title to read: Widest Boot That Still Skis Like a Champ because testers say there is absolutely nothing wrong with how this boot stands or tips to rip. Best have a lot of volume in foot, instep and lower leg to truly tap the torque reserves here, they said.
The Fit
The fit is large, Marge! One tester said he felt like a single bean in a very large burrito. Another said if you're foot is shaped like a potato, you're in the ballpark. Still another simply wrote: canyonesque. We like that, so eloquent. There are plenty of skiers with wide feet, high insteps and big, muscular calves. Those can be comfort deal-breakers and make skiing a total drag. The Hawx Magna 130 addresses all those issues, with a comfortable flex feel and enough backbone to support the big dude attached to the big feet.
Performance
It's Magna—not magma or magnum—so it skis not like a volcanic explosion or a dirty Harry 357, nor an over-sized condom, but rather like the perfect combination of the three. Testers say it's strong enough, quick enough, and slippery enough to manage all terrain and snow conditions for a variety of different skiing styles. Testers agreed that the edge power is there once the boot rolls a ski up on edge, and given enough foot and leg volume to fill the canyon, quickness and steering marks would go up. A few testers thought it had a slightly over-edged feel (inside edge bias), which a cuff adjustment should sort out for any in the same boat.
Cool Features
For a skier with a calf and instep so megalithic that the Hawx Magna 130's out-of-box fit is still too tight, he's in luck! The Memory Fit customization features allows the shell to expand around the foot and leg automatically after cooking the shell in an oven for five minutes—a great way to improve the fit at those tricky-to-modify areas. The 3D Gold Liner is loaded with Thinsulate for additional warmth. 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 130 S 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
Last year’s completely re-made Hawx Prime 130 S returns unchanged this season and for good reason. Testers said that its winning combination of light weight, instant comfort and strong skiing skills remains intact. Testers say the thin-shell wall polyurethane puts the foot in direct contact with the ski and snow surface and gave it high marks for it feel and precise steering moves without getting twitchy. Snug heel and ankle pockets provide a solid anchor within the medium width fit through the rest of the boot.
The Fit
The new Hawx Prime fits the same as ever in the toebox and forefoot, according to our team who threw 3's and 4's at that area, but it tapers to a closer fit at the throat of the boot where the base of the lower leg, ankles and heel are held a bit more closely than in the past—testers gave those zones 3's and 2's. Anatomical wrapping would sum up the way the new Hawx Prime 130 S contours around the shape of the foot and leg. Testers liked the way the shell and liner worked to accommodate common bony spots like the ankles and also praised the way the slightly taller than average cuff flared progressively to suit the calf muscle. Thinner, stiffer plastics seem to get a little more stiff in the cold, and testers mentioned that taking the boots off was a bit more difficult than putting them on.
Performance
The new design brings a new feel to the Hawx Prime experience—edging movements are now much more crisp and reactive than in the past, testers reported, and fine tuned steering movements are now rewarded with immediate ski reaction without any slop-induced lag. The creature comfort of the medium width Hawx remains, but comes with newfound performance gains. Testers liked the stance angles of the boot board ramp and cuff, and also liked the fact that dual cuff adjustment and forward lean adjustments are still on board.
Cool Features
Testers liked the no-slip soles and the lightweight, wide but minimalist Velcro power strap with its simple pulley loop. Memory Fit shell molding is cool for auto-customization of the fit by cooking the shell in an oven, though few testers found the out-of-box fit problematic enough to consider it. 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 Tecnica Mach1 MV 130 returned again to take its place amongst the very best of the medium width All-Mountain boots at this year's test with a score that put it in silver medal position in a very strong field. Testers cite its nearly perfect blend of stance, performance and comfort elements as the key to its success for a variety of foot shapes, skiing styles and in all manner of snow conditions. While the Mach1 MV 130 comes with a full slate of cool bootfitting features, few testers mentioned needing them given the clean out-of-box fit.
Testers approved of the boot's firm grab on the heel and ankles achieved by the well-mated shell and liner shape, but they also liked the way the fit tension relaxed toward the forefoot and toebox—well suited to the "V-shaped" foot, they said. A few testers noted a more-snug-than-medium-width fit over the top of the foot at the instep, though some found that this pinch point relaxed with some wear time. The lower leg shaft is encased in a firm and anatomically shaped cuff, which testers liked for a direct connection to the ski. They mention it has a firm feel against the shin at first, but appropriately so for a 130 flex.
The stance geometry is dialed, according to testers who unanimously gave fore-aft and lateral angles "ideal" scores. This, combined with a firm and progressive flex feel and an immediate edging response to lateral moves earned the Mach1 MV 130 high performance scores. While testers gave it solid-sole Frontside boot style power ratings, they like the off-piste tuning of its grippy plates for a slightly more dampened ride through chop.
The Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) bootfitter-centric toolbox is well crafted for simple fixes of common problem areas, but few testers reported needing to implement them. The C.A.S. shell is marked by dimpled fit zones where heat stretches would commonly be needed. The reduced mass in those areas makes for a more-defined stretch and better retention of the modification over time. The C.A.S. liner's signature exterior is made of a dense microcell EVA foam which can be heat-molded or ground upon to offload pressure on hotspots.
The 2019 Tecnica Mach1 Pro W LV pleased testers with its comfortable liner and strong 115 flex that delivered smooth, solid turns through soft, variable terrain and over hard surfaces alike. One tester claimed that these were sexy enough for super models, and another said they provided everything a ripper girl could want, so we're going with that—looks good, skis well. This is a true narrow fit in the lower boot, they vouch, noting that the forefoot is quite tight on the bony points and will need a light grind or punch for all but the most slender of feet. Bravo, we say—narrows should be narrow!
In combination with a narrow-snug fit in the lower boot—particularly in the heel pocket and forefoot-- the upper cuff remains remarkably comfortable along the calf, which testers widely approved of. Women with narrow feet and slightly thicker lower legs should not be scared off into medium-width territory, as this one may suit nicely. Several testers mentioned that the top of the shin fit was a bit edgy feeling, but each was won over by how well the boot performed on snow—meaning it wasn't a fit deal-breaker for them.
Our test team applauded the 115 flex—perfect for solid skiers who have a history of over-powering women's boots at the 100-105 level. There were no such comments here. While firm in its flex-feel, testers commented that the power supply was predictable and smooth, not harsh. This was easily tapped power that did testers' bidding in a variety of conditions.
The signature Mach1 Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) technology is expanded here beyond just the pre-dimpled stretch zones for common fit problem areas and a moldable-grindable EVA liner. Here the calf is moldable—both shell and liner, simultaneously—by way of the C.A.S. Cuff Adapt feature. A unique heating pad warms the low temperature plastic insert (and liner) to a moldable state, and then the boot is worn to match the cuff to the leg. The cuff can reduce its volume by 5 percent for slender legs or increase its volume by 10 percent for thicker legs. This is the sort of bootfitter (and skier) friendly feature that Tecnica's Project 165* team is becoming known for.
*(their bootfitter consultants group, one of which is on our ABB test team: Greg Hoffmann)
