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 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.
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.
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.
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 2018 Tecnica Ten.2 85 W is a cushy-cozy cruiser full of calf-love for intermediate and advanced skiers seeking a killer deal. Testers loved the massive amount of room in the cuff—enough for the thickest of legs, they said, and they praised how well this softy skied on-piste and off. We don't only test a brand's highest performing models—this 85 flex has a bigger, stiffer sister at 95—because some skiers are looking for an easier-going flex at a more affordable price. The Ten.2 85 W was one of the best-scoring of the women's so-called "Soft-Value" entries this year.
Testers said that for as roomy as the cuff was on the lower leg, the lower boot still managed to control the heel and ankle for strong skiing movements. They also loved the plush feel of the Merino wool liner draping across the foot. The instep fit on the Ten.2 is one of the highest available, so high-volume feet should gravitate this way.
The Ten.2 85 W punched above its weight class, handling strong carves on firm snow and higher speeds just fine, though testers caution that the forward flex won't hold up to bigger, stronger skiers—they should bump up to the Ten.2 95 W for a little extra fore-aft support. But for those who roll with a little more relaxed attitude, this 85-flex will more than deliver, and at a super price.
This boot is made for the thicker-legged gal (or those who just don't like too snug a grip on the leg shaft), and with an eye toward even more calf caressing, here you'll find Tecnica's Cuff Adapter feature, an Allen key adjustment that opens the calf fit an additional 12 mm.
To cruise, or to charge, that is the question, one tester said, and that query crystalizes the consensus of our test team that the 2018 Tecnica Mach1 105 W MV splits the difference between a performance boot and a comfort boot seamlessly. Its fit is contoured and the grip is firm against the foot and leg, but with an amount of cushion that makes the initial slip on inviting and warm. They said to put boot to bindings and head it downhill and discover that balanced turns come effortlessly, with minimal inputs, but then roll the dial to max and find that this boot's top end may exceed yours! As with so many boots that appeal universally, some testers wished it was more creature comfort while others wanted more ski crushing power—that's an indication that this one's slotted right where it needs to be for most accomplished women skiers.
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 this year's version is updated with a moldable plastic insert at the back of the calf, so good skiing gals with muscular lower legs should keep this boot in their top tier for Fall try-on.
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.
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. Two of their crew are ABB testers—Nick Blaylock and 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. This year's 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 all-new 2018 Tecnica Mach1 Pro W LV impressed testers with a revised and more-comfortable liner and a stronger 115 flex that delivered smooth, solid turns through soft, variable terrain and over hard surfaces alike. One tester claimed that these were "Wonder Woman's boots," if she were a skier, and another said they provided "everything a ripper girl could want," so we're going with that—skis well, in a nutshell. 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 (newly) 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 bump up to a 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. Now 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, two of which are on our ABB test team: Nick Blaylock and Greg Hoffmann)
The 2018 Tecnica Mach1 130 MV returns 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 the top 25% of a very strong field. Testers cite its nearly perfect blend of 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 130 MV comes with a full slate of cool bootfitting features, few testers mentioned needing them given the clean out-of-box fit. One tester summed it up as such: "Well, you put it on and go rip—if you don't love it, you suck."
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 were calling it the Orange Crush for how tight this 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 130 MV high performance scores. While testers gave it solid-sole Frontside boot 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.
What do testers like most about the 2018 Tecnica Mach1 130 LV (aside from a consensus that it skis like a thermonuclear weapon of downhill domination)? They like that this narrow fits like a narrow! Meaning, there's an obvious differentiation between the fit tension (squeeze factor) of the medium-volume MV and this narrow class LV. The anatomical shaping for the wider points of the foot's anatomy is still here in the LV, just slimmed down to grab a hold of the foot and leg with the death grip of a zombie reaching up through the dirt. And that's a good thing!
Most testers had a few minor hotspots at the typical locations, depending on their particular fit issues—and they made mention of these mainly in the form of praise. Meaning, they cited the boot's tightness as a virtue, and agreed that in the narrow width group, some bootfitting should be needed for all but the most slender of kangaroo feet. Fit scores were evenly arranged along the tight side of the spectrum, however, indicating that the anatomical shape is right, with curves where they belong to better match the shape of the human foot. More than a few testers mentioned that the tongue and flex feel is firm against the shin—not in a problematic way, they said, but they cautioned that the boot is not for sissies.
Strong like bull. Sports car flat cornering. Pure polyurethane power. Testers loaded their test cards with comments like these about the Mach1 130 LV. Many mentioned that this boot drove the ski on hard snow as strongly as the race-bred boots of the Frontside category, but managed off-piste junk with ease and forgiveness. Virtually all testers approved of its stance angles for athletic skiing.
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. These top-shelf niceties are found on the Mach1 130 MV as well.
While the 2018 Scott G2 120 Powerfit is a modern design with a revised, fully thermo-formable liner, testers comment on (and appreciate) its old-school sensibilities. It doesn't pander to the no-touchy-my-toe, no-squeezey-my-foot trend like so many other brands. This narrow group rip-shoe is true to the definition of "narrow last," say testers, one of whom mentioned: "There isn't enough room for a molecule of air between my foot and the shell!" It's the narrowest boot of the all-mountain fixed cuff field, and they liked it for that--and for the fact that it skis like fighter jet when strapped to a skilled pilot.
The G2 fits short, narrow and close over the top of the foot, in the ankle and heel and up through the lower leg shaft, with a cast-like grip on the calf to boot. This fit wasn't for everyone—our lowest volume testers with high tolerance for compression simply loved it, while others squealed a bit and wanted liner molding, shell grinds and the like.
The G2 120 has a springy, energy-laden flex feel that testers said seemed as strong as many of the 130's we tested. There's a G2 130 Powerfit available, but it'd be a stout beast of a boot. Most felt that the 120 was an ideal blend of progressive flex with strong transmission of movement laterally to the skis edge. Quickness and agility scores were through the roof due to the shrink-wrapped fit—no loss of movement here.
Ha! What features? You get four buckles, a power strap and a Velcro rear spoiler. Don't ask for a cuff adjustment—ain't one. The liner has two pull loops—that's pretty sweet—and the Ultralon foam liner is highly moldable (recommended).
The all new 2018 Salomon X Pro 100 W comes toughened up to a 100-flex, which testers liked for its solid feel on edge and firm, supportive feel against the lower leg. Not changed is the characteristic X Pro medium-width fit that suits almost every foot.
Few outliers, fit-wise, with the exception of a wide-ish toebox (not a bad thing) and a bit snug heel and ankle (not a bad thing)—all other fit zones came in with right-down-the-fairway medium width scores. Testers like the cozy, initial fit—a Salomon liner standard—and found the closure system easy to manage.
Reliable, consistent power and easy transitions turn to turn found here, testers agreed, saying that this boot is perfect for the intermediate who's stepping up her game and doesn't need her gear getting in the way. Testers remarked that the price paid for stability and predictability was some lack of snap and agility, but not enough to scare anyone away. Prefer a dreamy G.S. turn over a spastic short-radius? Perfect, this boot's for you.
Salomon's Custom Shell 360 heat molding system is a great way to open up the fit in tight spots and slightly improve the boot's stance alignment for a specific skier. The X Pro 100 W is also available in a Custom Heat model (at a higher price tag), and it's white!
The all new 2018 Salomon X Max 120 W takes its former 110-self and bumps the flex dial up to a legitimate 120-flex (which our taller, more aggressive testers loved) and also rebuilds the lower shell using stiffer polyamide plastic for better transmission of energy from boot to ski. Testers unanimously said this boot skied like a mofo—but a few said it hurt like one, too.
The use of polyamide plastic has a side effect of slight shrinkage after injection molding, which makes the lower shell slightly tighter than the polyurethane boots built off the molds last year. To compensate for this the liner is made thinner, with less padding. This equaled some harsh foot to shell interaction for testers with bony prominences, i.e. hotspots, and a consensus that the toebox and forefoot was one of the tightest of the category. Our very slim-footed folks had no complaints—in fact, they loved how tight the fit was on all parts of the foot and lower leg. One other common complaint was that the tongue was firm, bordering on sharp, up against the shin. This is not a once-in-a-while soccer mom goes skiing kind of boot, testers caution, but a serious performance tool for low volume feet or discerning skiers who know the bootfitting game.
This is where the X Max 120 W excelled for our test team—every single tester praised how well this ski put a ski on edge and hammered it home. They liked the quickness of response to steering inputs. They liked how stable it remained through jumbled off-piste junk. They liked the precision that came from such a tight fit which easily unlocked tight and tricky situations on snow for them.
This is a stripped-down performer without too many gizmos, though testers appreciated the cam buckle powerstrap (not found on the 110-flex version), and if there was ever a reason to employ Salomon's Custom Shell molding feature—the slightly too tight everywhere fit is it. The 10-minute oven cook works wonders for slightly opening the fit throughout as well as honing the boot's stance angles specific to the skier.
Surprising sleeper, said testers about the 2018 Salomon X Access 80 who were shocked at the 300 dollar price tag (one tester was guessing 500 by the way it skied). They said it showed more backbone than expected at a mere 80-flex and maintained just enough hold of the heel and ankle to provide adequate tracking while the rest of the foot and leg enjoyed the spacious 104 mm last.
Evenly wide everywhere with a hint of connection at the ankles and in the heel pocket—this is a comfy boat for high volume feet, or those who would rather ski in Crocs or flip-flops if they could. The flex feel was appropriately cushioned by the liner's plush tongue, and while soft, the X Access 80's flex didn't collapse and managed an eventual stopping point.
This is the high-volume intermediate skier's ideal ride said testers who thought the neutral stance angles, anatomical (if huge) fit, and functional flex feel would add up to instant improvement of both technique and comfort—for a street price (MAP) of 250 clams. Damn!
The coolest feature here is really the leftover dough a skier will have to upgrade skis and maybe outerwear, but this is a legit four-buckle with a Velcro powerstrap.
The 2018 Salomon X Max 120 returns revised but still a favorite amongst testers who appreciate the narrow, sculpted fit that hugs the foot closely for maximum feel underfoot. This year the lower shell utilizes polyamide plastic in the bottom portion to increase stiffness and energy transmission with some weight savings. This plastic shrinks after being molded at the factory, making the shell slightly tighter, so a new, thinner, less-padded liner is used to conserve the X Max's 98 mm last fit tension. This closer-to-shell feel gives the new X Max 120 a bit more Spartan fit character, which turned off a few testers but most felt it upped its performance game.
Testers gave the X Max 120 evenly narrow (that means tight) scores throughout the lower boot and up into the narrow gauge cuff, with mentions that the heel and ankle pockets are particularly tight—tight enough that some testers shed a tear or two. Our previous tests of the X Max 120 have produced similar results, and our custom liner and shell tests have yielded improved fit in those too-tight areas. Testers liked the extra fit freedom in the toebox, which was the only area that didn't ring the snug bell out of the box.
The lack of bulky padding in the liner gave a more connected and in-tune feel between the foot and the ski, testers agreed, and quickness scores were top notch. At the 120 mark, some of the taller, heavier testers folded it over a little bit, but most liked the spring-loaded flex feel for it's accurate and spritely drive to the front of the ski. There is a 130 flex available.
Salomon's Custom Shell 360 oven-cook and molding feature works like a dream when the boot fits just a little too tight, everywhere even after heat molding the liner. We recommend trying a liner cook as a first step to relax the fit in the ankles and heel.
The all new 2018 Roxa Trinity is the traditional-cuff version of the new R3W boots (the 105 and 95 have hike mode features) and therefore is the third in the series—get it, trinity? However, testers had a much different take on this unique 85-flex than they had on the R3W's.
Our crew liked the narrow-class fit characteristics of the Trinity—snug enough everywhere in fairly even fashion with a little extra room in the forefoot and then again some in the toebox. Testers agreed that the tongue was firm against the shin, bordering on sharp, and they also found it fit a bit tall against the leg.
Testers did not like the way the Trinity flexed, or rather how it failed to. Even in soft mode, testers said the little 85 flex felt like a brick wall against the leg. This limited normal skiing movements and tanked the Trinity's performance scores. The R3W 105 Ti that testers admired for its long-travel flex feel is a hike mode enabled cuff built on a Grilamid lower shell. The Trinity is a fixed cuff model with a polyurethane shell and cuff. We can only guess at whether that played any role in changing the feel of this boot so drastically.
The bottom buckle of the Trinity is flipped to close medially—tres avant garde!
