The perennial favorite Mach1 MV W has returned but in a burlier, badder build--the 115 flex model!
The Head Formula 130 MV GW is one of those boots that testers say shouldn't ski as well as it does for how cushy, comfy and convenient it is--but it does! Head has revised the Formula liners to a place where they provide a praiseworthy blend of comfort and control, testers say, calling this version the best all-mountain performance medium they've ever tested from Head. Where many boots either occupy one end of the spectrum defined by creature comfort while others live at the other end, in the pure performance cul-de-sac, the Formula 130 MV splits the difference nicely. The scores back that up--its highest scores (4.90 & 4.80 out of 5) were found in the Convenience, Warmth & Features category and the Edge Power category.
The Formula's chassis is modeled off of the Raptor WCR boots, with a new polyurethane plastic blend that testers like for its resilient and energized flex feel and that bootfitters like for its easy grinding and stretching character. The stance map is neutral, with just a hint of extra leverage to the inside edge with a 0.5-degree tip out of the cuff. Testers loved the dynamic and technical feel of this boot, whether it was driving a piste ski on hardpack or a fatty in pow. There were virtually no complaints about the fit or performance of the Formula 130 MV, save a few mentions that after on snow testing the fit opened up to a "generous" medium width for some testers.
The features kit on the Formula boots is well-crafted and useful, testers said, highlighting the snap in cuff adjustment disks that move the upper boot 1-degree in or out and fit enhancement features like the Form Fit shell morphing oven-cook option or the ankle and heel filling Liquid Fit injection. Bootfitter testers remind skiers that Liquid Fit works best if the boot is properly sized to begin with (it won't fix a too-big boot fit) and is most effective after the liner has been broken in with several days of skiing prior to injection. Testers like the 50mm Velcro strap with the gliding PowerPlate that allows for broad distribution of pressure at the boot top. Some testers miss the double pulley style Booster strap found on other Head flagship models and a few still gripe about Spine Flex buckles, but these were minor concerns amidst an overwhelmingly positive response to a solid performer.
Testers loved the Fischer RC4 95 HV for how thick and pillowy it felt against the foot and leg, with plenty of room at the forefoot, instep and calf for the typical higher volume foot and leg. They were surprised (and a little concerned) by how tightly the heel was gripped in this 102mm wide ride, but for women who have a wide forefoot and thick calf paired with a slender heel testers said this was a match made in heaven. It was not much of a surprise to see that our test team gave the 95 HV's Convenience, Warmth & Features score a perfect five, but it was a shock to see it match that 5.00 in the Quickness metric--for the target audience at a 95-flex, testers said it was spot on for an accurate steering response.
The RC4 95 HV's fore-aft stance was a touch more upright than some, which testers thought paired well with the ample room at the cuff that accommodated a thick calf--the muscle mass of which usually drives the leg a bit more forward, in this case ending up right where it should be rather than flexed into a quad-crushing wall sit. The side-to-side angles were neutral and offered easy edging for our test team, which was fortunate as there is no on-board cuff adjustment mechanism in Fischer's RC4 HV boots.
This is a Vacuum model, which Fischer downplays a bit nowadays, happy instead to focus on its good, out-of-box fit that usually doesn't require any messing around with ovens and pressurized bladders, but for those who needed some tweaking--say, a more relaxed heel squeeze--this is a fantastic fitting tool when handled by a Fischer dealer with the right equipment for the job. Our tests of the Vacuum fitting system over the years have yielded very positive results, but as with any bootfitting modification, the skill of the fitter is at least as important as the implement or feature.
The new Fischer RC4 105 MV BOA VAC GW impressed our test team not just with its encryption styled letters and numbers naming scheme but for its simplicity of design and straightforward on-snow character. The MV sits in between the LV with its ZipFit liner option and the 95 flex HV widebody cruiser, and testers thought it filled that niche. They gave the MV fit scores that put it on the roomy end of the medium width group, but they did like the way that the new BOA lower boot closed down, a click at a time to snug the fit around the foot.
It took our testers a little bit of fiddling to figure out how to dial in (literally) their preferred BOA fit, and until they realized that the tension could be backed off one click at a time rather than popping the reel to release all cable tension they cussed a bit. Once testers had played with it a bit, they turned into BOA fans for the most part. They said that in the RC4 105 MV BOA the cabling did not seem to impede entry and exit.
With neutral stance angles and a cuff height that testers called ideal, the RC4 105 MV BOA was easy to access for good skiing, they said, and they especially liked the flex feel against the shin which they characterized as on-the-money for a 105 flex. Testers appreciated the no fuss 45mm Velcro power strap and traditional buckles on the cuff. The insert-style cuff adjustment feature is solid, if tools-required, and they liked an option to Vacuum mold the boot, though there was no immediate need to expand the shell, testers said. They suggested going LV if the relaxed fit of the MV felt a bit too comfortable out of the box.
Fully automated vehicles may still be a ways off, but testers said that the full auto-pilot ski boot is here and it's called the Fischer RC4 105 LV VAC GW! Perfect scores for both edge power and quickness supported testers' comments that this boot skied well no matter what the ski, snow surface or terrain. Testers said that while the 105 performed more strongly than the flex index would suggest its greatest strength was its seemingly automated turn entry and strangely intuitive forgiveness of mistakes--like it knew what was being asked of it, they said. Easy to ski, fun to ski was the mantra.
This is a consistently snug, low-volume fit, testers agreed, which is nothing to sneeze about any more. So those skiers who have struggled to find narrows that actually fit as such can add this one to their short list for early season try-on. The stance angles were right where testers wanted them to be and the flex feel against the leg was ideal, they said. For a 105-flex narrow class fixed-cuff boot, testers said it went on and off more easily than expected.
There wasn't a BOA option on this model and testers were just fine with that, happy to slide in and buckle up using four normal buckles and a 45mm Velcro power strap. Nor was there a fancy ZipFit liner option for this boot and testers were okay with that too. In fact, they were provided a ZipFit prototype to test with this shell and they actually preferred the stock liner--so the takeaway is that this one's a beaut right out of the box! Speaking of out of the box fit, this is a Vacuum model that can be extensively modified with a variety of proprietary Fischer Vacuum tools--and we've had great success over the years testing this feature--but testers said this one's damn good just the way it is.
This boot's full name reads like a cross between Elon Musk's kid and a Spanish royal--but like any good code the Fischer Pro MV ZF BOA CFC GW is packed with secret meaning designed to explain exactly how it managed to kick so much ass at this year's boot test.
The Pro is used to indicated a 140-flex step up from the other similar MV's in the line-up this year--testers loved how stout this Pro was, without losing a progressive and even flex feel against the leg. The MV identifies its internal forefoot width of 100mm and testers said it was fairly well placed in the middle of the fit tension range for medium width boots. ZF might get german transmission geeks excited but here it means ZipFit liner, which is offered in two Pro models this year and also as a standalone product for separate purchase. BOA as a modifier is pretty straightforward--this is one of them reel-spinner boots we're hearing so much about and it's a feature that testers said worked just fine here, not out of place at all. CFC is not an ozone-depleting aerosol but rather a Carbon-Fused-Cuff that bolts onto a regular polyurethane lower shell (no Vacuplast found here), and is basically another way of spelling BEAST, our testers confirmed. GW is not an ex-president but stands for GripWalk soles that come mounted on this model.
There's a lot to be found in a name, but testers found that there was even more to unpack once they'd gotten this boot on their feet. One tester said that it had multiple fit personalities, from its inititial out-of-box fit to its on-snow break-in period to its polished persona after a more formal liner molding session--and none of them were bad! The ZipFit offers some entry challenge to be managed, with the overwhelming preference being to put on the liner, snug the laces, then ram the foot-liner combo into the shell, plug boot style. It's actually pretty easy once the method has been practiced a few times, and for those with knobby midfoot bumps that chronically get whacked on the way into boots, a laced-up liner protects that spot quite well, even during the most violent shell entry ramming.
Once inhabiting the inner shell sanctum with cuff buckles and BOA done up, the ZipFit exerts a firm squeeze against the rear foot and base of the lower leg, yet flares into the forefoot and toebox as well as the calf for some additional breathing room there. The firm cork-flow ankle pockets of the ZF liner begin to warm and conform (slowly) as the skier wears the boot, and after a couple runs the fit had improved substantially for testers. Skiers trying on this boot in consideration for purchase should be mindful that the liner's shape will somewhat match the last person who tried it on, and give it a little bit of time to warm up before rendering judgment. Many of our testers went so far as to heat mold the ZipFit liner, using both a convection oven and a hot stacks, and found that both methods were beneficial to a more personalized fit, though the convection oven warmed the liner liner exterior in addition to its insides, which made for a more locked-in match with the shell's interior shape and less internal shearing or slippage during aggressive skiing.
The polyurethane lower shell and polyurethane with infused carbon in the cuff meant business, testers said, claiming that this MV skied as strongly as any boot in the group, powered by traditional, damp and stable plastic. It's perfect score for Anatomical Fit was matched with another 5.00 for Quickness and Steering, so testers backed up their positive comments with top tier metrics as well. They liked the pro-level features like a fat power strap with a cam lock buckle and rigid cuff adjusting inserts (non-neutral inserts available separately). They liked the Boa too, quite a bit, for a new way to close up the fit of the lower boot--but that's what it was, a new take on tightening an already great boot, not the one thing that made it special.
How did that song go, don't worry, be happy, or something like that? The Fischer RC4 130 MV BOA VAC GW perfectly embodies the gist of that tune, according to testers who said it was a no-hassle slam dunk for off the shelf fit and instant skiability in all-mountain conditions. The universally liked how easy the boot went on and closed up around the foot and leg in an intuitive fashion. The Boa reel did not impede entry they said, and the slender-footed testers said that it did a masterful job of tightening the lower boot around them without distorting either shape or flex feel. The consensus among testers was that the RC4 MV handled itself admirably in a variety of conditions, for a variety of foot and leg shapes and skiing styles.
The RC4 130 MV BOA VAC's biggest problem may have simply been that it was tested up against big brother RC4 Pro MV. That big, bad bird of prey essentially booted this fledgling out of the next with its 140 weight power and a Fischer factory ZipFit liner--so perhaps the test team's comparative analysis may have cast some shade unfairly on the 130 MV, as testers noted that the MV's stock liner, while dreamily draped around the foot, lacked a little heel and ankle hold and testers felt that it moved around inside the shell until it was properly heat molded (this, in direct contrast to the grip of the Pro's ZipFit liner). This extra movement in the boot's control center contributed to some lack of transmission to the edge for testers but they also found that after heat molding the foot-to-liner-to-shell connection was more direct.
Testers heaped praise on the RC4 130 MV BOA for its forgiving (almost universal) fit and similarly adaptable skiing character--everybody commented that it did everything asked, caused no trouble and inspired an easy going confidence no matter where they pointed it. Their favorite on board feature was the Boa closure on the lower boot but they also like the option of Vacuum fitting if needed, though few fit comments suggested much need for that. The revised cuff alignment inserts are solid and simple, but not included in the box. For those who go the 130 route and then wish they had that bird of prey level heel and ankle hold, the ZipFit liner is available as an aftermarket purchase through Fischer.
It's nice to see that as much as things change and evolve, some things stay the same--in a good way. Take the Fischer RC4 Pro LV ZF CFC GW for example. Yes, the name is new and a bit cryptic, but the character of the new RC4 very much stays true to its heritage. We've always counted on the low volume RC4 to set the fit tension standard for what is a true narrow, and this year's test showed that remains true. The RC4 Pro (the pro means it's a 140-flex) LV had the tightest fit scores in every single tested fit zone of all the narrow All-Mountain entries this year, with a particularly tight fit identified at the navicular, heel and ankle pockets. Did some testers with prominent ankle or navicular bones complain about that? Yes, they did, but that still made them happy, because narrows that don't irritate those testers' particular spots should be called something else, namely mediums.
However, testers said that much of the initial harshness of fit on bony prominences began to vanish with time spent in the boot as the ZipFit liner (that's the ZF in the code name) became warmed by the foot. They said that some movement and pressure from the act of skiing further improved the fit, as the firm cork and resin filler used in the liner slowly migrated to match the skier's shape. Testers also conducted some secondary tests where they cooked the liner using both a hot stacks and a convection oven and reported the best results of all for fit, and while they didn't go so far as to say a full-blown liner molding was requisite, their elevated praise for the positive changes it brought on makes us feel like it should be the first thing someone does once they plunk the money down for this one.
Stance and performance feedback from testers also harked back to RC4s of old, but in a subtle way. This RC4 Pro LV offers a slightly stronger inside edge set-up than most of the all-mountain narrows we tested and a slightly more forward leaning cuff angle, but not by much. The RC4 of old was raked very aggressively forward and had a tipped out cuff that was almost unmanageable in off-piste terrain. This modern take on the venerated model will favor the technical skier who spends a fair amount of time on hard snow, at high speed but who will tear off into the junk on the sides of a run with high edge angles and a commitment to the outside ski rather than a park-influenced swivel and schmear. If the out-of-box stance is too aggressively forward and outboard for skiers looking for a more relaxed quad and flatter ski, both are easily adjustable with Velcro rear spoiler and fixed cuff adjusting inserts (of which the latter do not come in the box).
For skiers who need a bit more help for their navicular or styloid process hot spots, an 80-degree (C.) convection oven and Vaccum mold is not an option on this solid beast. It's a polyurethane lower shell coupled with a carbon-infused polyurethane cuff (the CFC in the code name)--so, more traditional bootfitting methods will be required to bend this one to a skier's will and shape. Testers were just fine with this, as they said this more traditional plastic build (and stiffness) put skis on edge in serious fashion and helped maintain a stable attitude over unpredictable surfaces regardless of mach-level. Not surprisingly, the RC4 Pro LV's highest score was for Edge Power, with a near-perfect 4.91.
The new Dalbello Cabrio LV 95 W was awarded a gold medal this year by our women's test team who liked the revisions made to this alpine-centric three-piece go-everywhere boot. They liked the spiral wrapping liner for its use of recycled material and its welcoming maw, which offered a smooth and well-padded slide into and out of the boot. They liked how well the 3DensityWrap Sport W liner was pre-molded for immediate comfort without heat molding--though a few of our testers did anyway (more on that below).
The Cabrio LV 95 W got our testers' attention with its accommodating initial fit but they also liked how it got from turn to turn in reliable fashion, without surprises or drama, easily cruising the entire mountain regardless of terrain type or surface. Some of our testers, especially shorter women, mentioned that the liner extended pretty high up onto the leg, in a firm and slightly abrupt grip around the calf--those who heat molded the liner found that this remedied much of that. The fit is a generous medium width, they said, with extra room through the instep and that slightly more snug area at boot top. Tall, slender-legged skiers with a higher, thicker instep would find a dream match in the Cabrio LV 95 W, testers said.
Testers thought the 95 flex was a little spongy for hard charging, and thought that while less aggressive skiers would be dialed in the boot we tested, they suggested that more demanding descenders should step up to the 115 flex in this same model for an additional C-note.
Testers liked the Dalbello Veloce 105 W GW when it debuted last year, but they liked it even more this time around, elevating it to gold medal status for its surprising power packed into an underrated 105 flex rating. Testers say the Veloce 105 W is a bit of a sleeper with regard to fit too, with unanimous agreement that it fits more like most current narrow lasts, especially in the heel pocket. The over-performing flex feel (it's pretty firm for 105) and narrower-than-billed fit actually cost the Veloce some demerits, score-wise, for missing the bullseye on consumer targeting, but this doesn't change the fact that the boot fits and skis really well, they said.
Our test team gave the Veloce's toebox and forefoot snug medium width scores along with the fit for the calf, but narrow fit tension was the average elsewhere in the boot with the lateral column, instep and heel fit scores being the narrowest of all women's medium boots and in line with the narrows. Half the testers made mention that the toebox seemed to run a little longer than average. The boot's fit wasn't bad at all they said, with it offering enough curvature in most places (except the navicular), it just was not what would be expected of a 100mm last.
But this boot skis, they said! They hammered on it everywhere they could, and its edge power score was its best performance metric--it's a stout and stable all-mountain ride they said. They gave the boot's warmth and convenience score its other highest mark, citing the Veloce's straightforward entry and exit as well as its traditional four-buckle closure system as a reliable and functional benefit--no surprises. Its subdued black with gold highlights was a hit with testers for its goes-with-everything agreeability.
Testers liked Dalbello's new alpine-centric three-piece Cabrio LV 130 and called it a good step forward for their all-mountain range. Some of our test team's old-school 4-buckle overlap purists can be hard on a three-piece design newcomer but even those guys admitted that the Cabrio LV 130 could put a ski on edge and stand on it. Especially fond of the Cabrio LV's power and stability were some of our bigger, taller testers who really liked how far up the leg the spiral wrapping 3DensityWrapMax liner extended, providing a lot of leverage to the front of the ski and a securely upright starting point to their fore-aft position.
The spiral wrapping liner is a firm one, testers agreed, and several testers (especially the shorter guys) found it a bit abrupt at boot top. However, the out-of-box pre-molded shape was surprisingly good elsewhere in the lower leg, ankles and lower boot. A few testers conducted a variety of liner molding tests, both in a convection oven and on a hot stacks, and the consensus was that shin fit issues were hugely improved and even the stock, too-tall feel for some testers was reduced by cooking.
Testers generally agreed that the boot's power stemmed mostly from the tall, strong cuff but some thought that the lower boot wasn't as connected to the ski, and as such the boot's quickness scores lagged a bit behind its power grades. As always the three-piece shell combined with a spiral wrap liner added up to extremely easy entry and exit, which testers liked quite a bit. Testers liked the fact that the liner integrated recycled material into its construction. The "moss green" and black cosmetic paired with the muted grey liner didn't win any beauty pageants, but testers' pant cuffs managed that just fine.
Sometimes a boot gets robbed at our boot test, and the Dalbello Veloce 130 might just be one of those models. When we went back through all the test forms and took a close look at testers' written comments it was apparent that there was very little wrong with it, in fact, testers heaped praise on the boot again and again. And yet our testers' scores didn't mirror their words. The obvious conclusion is that the Veloce is a great boot but somehow we failed it. Perhaps it's the green? Perhaps its name is too difficult for Americans to say: Veh-low-chay. Whatever the reason the Veloce 130 received a gold medal last year and a silver this time around, we're sorry Dalbello, but results are results and now we'll try to talk our way out of trouble.
Easy to move to next edge in heavy snow. Reacted quick without any feeling of ski disconnection, like the ski was a part of you. That's what one tester said of the Veloce 130 and another echoed that praise for its off-piste performance: It stood out in the heavy snow conditions, I felt I could motor through anything without getting bounced around. Most of testers' comments about the Veloce 130's performance were like this, revolving around its bankable stability and powerful transmission of energy to the ski's edge, and yet its quickness score was actually its highest performance metric. So, at least testers were in agreement that the Veloce 130 went everywhere they pointed it and got the job done without any fuss.
Fit-wise, testers agreed that this is a snug fitting medium width, with one of the most snug instep fits of the 100mm boots we tested. A few testers commented that there was a tight area over the top of the toes, which would most likely be resolved with a toe dam grind on the shell if a typical liner heat molding session didn't take care of it. Other than that, fit commentary and scores were positive and described an evenly distributed snug-medium grip throughout the lower boot and cuff with few hot spots of note. Several testers commented that the boot's out of box anatomical fit was its best quality.
On further examination of testers' comments it's clear that there wasn't a problem with the green, as explained by one tester: Looked good. Felt good. Skied good. With that said, we promise to work on our Italian pronunciation for next year's test.
In an ongoing trend of narrow boots feeling less and less narrowish, the Atomic Hawx Ultra continues to represent for the remaining, truly low volume options on the market. Our women's test team unanimously made comments about how properly snug the Ultra 115 RS W felt, both indoors and out. Testers said it fit like a glove, and felt like a comfortable cast. They mentioned that the forefoot and instep offered just a touch of fit-forgiveness that aided in maintaining sensation and warmth but agreed that the grip elsewhere remained almost race-boot-like tight. Its snugness scores were the tightest of all the women's boots we tested this year, but that wasn't a bad thing at all--testers gave its Anatomical Feel & Initial Fit score a perfect 5.00, so women with narrow feet looking for real heel hold should put this at the top of their try-on list.
The Hawx Ultra 115 W GW's tight-and-right fit set the stage for its high performance marks, with its quickness scores topping out at another perfect 5.00--testers cited a heightened feeling connection with the ski and snow stemming from the boot's marriage to the foot and leg. Testers said the liner felt lean and firm, though not harsh, and they praised the way its multiple pull loops helped with entry as well as seating the heel firmly into its pocket, where it stayed put. Thanks to liner revisions, this year's RS version of the Hawx Ultra was notably easier to get on than predecessor iterations that offered a painful barrier to entry that was the boot's only real flaw. This would explain the many different ways testers used to describe flawless this time around. The non-RS version of the Hawx Ultra 115 W offers an even easier entry and exit, but also tunes down the performance level a notch.
Testers had nothing but positive comments about the stance set up or the power and stability the boot demonstrated at the highest speeds on firm pistes or through muddled junk--and not surprisingly it gained some of the higher scores in the balance and power categories. Testers said that this flagship model, while firm flexing as billed at 115, would serve aggressively minded intermediates who were looking to step up their game.
