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
Testers liked the highly padded liner feel of the 2018 Roxa Bold 120 I.R. and thought it was well-suited to advanced intermediates looking for warmth and comfort at a strong flex tier.
Many testers found the "V" shape foot was reversed in the Bold 120 such that the toebox and forefoot were tighter than common medium-widths while the back half (instep, ankles, heel) fit more similarly to the wide-last group. This didn't translate into good fit scores overall, though entry and exit were favorites among the test team.
Testers praised the raw edge power the boot could generate laterally—solidly built and a bit tipped-out in its cuff angles resulted in aggressive inside-edge carves. They didn't like the boot's forward flex pattern as well, finding it abrupt and unpredictable for smooth transitions and off-piste charging, preferring to stay on smooth surfaces where testers let them arc. Quickness turn to turn was there, but a little muted by the heavily padded liner, testers thought.
Comfortable cushioning and warmth were the ticket here, and the Intuition liner offers high molding capability.
Testers were on board with Roxa's new 2018 Element 120 I.R., and drank the Kool-Aid for this unique, low-profile and lightweight three-piece, fully buying in for how it fit and skied.
Testers said this 99 mm last stands by its numbers, delivering a closely snug fit throughout the lower and upper, which testers liked—they also liked the slightly more relaxed (mediumish) fit at the instep and on the navicular bone. They weren't as stoked on the firm liner feel against the shin during initial try-on but found that it softened some with time skiing.
Lateral quickness was catlike, testers reported, and the ease of roll edge to edge was noticeably good. Testers felt that the combination of the shell's forward lean angle (upright) plus the double layer of the Intuition spiral wrap liner stood them up a little too tall, and they found it hard to get out in front of the boot and off their heels. They thought both the on-board forward lean adjustment and full molding of the liner would remedy this.
The use of Grilamid in the shell and the upper cuff is still unique, but gaining momentum—it doesn't always work, but testers felt it did here, providing a lightweight but strong and snappy package. The inverted toe buckle closes on the medial side to avoid damage incurred on the lateral side, according to Roxa. Sure, okay.
The 2018 Rossignol Alltrack Pro 110 W was the highest scoring boot in the women's On-Off Area medium category—for the fourth year in a row! That says something about its combination of fit, performance and tester-favored features for women skiers.
Our test team says the Alltrack Pro 110 W fits like a glove—a medium-width one. No bothersome hotspots, no pinch points, a calf fit that suits average bodies and a flex feel that's cushioned enough and progressive. They love the white fur liner, even if it's a little over the top, and say the boot's a dream to get on and off.
From relaxed cruisers to hard-charging ex-racers, every woman likes the turns they lay down when they're wearing the Alltrack Pro 110 W. They say turn initiation is automatic, deep carves are stable at speed and off-piste carnage is tamed with ease. Some say the cushioned, fuzzy liner might rob the boot from a little quickness, but a happy trade for most. Very few testers have much good to say about the hike mode range of motion when the cuff is released, but they do appreciate that this boot doesn't ski like a boot with a hike mode. They say look at the cosmetics to know the difference—that's a bar mode, not a hike mode.
The Thinsulate Platinum liner is warm as well as fuzzy, which testers liked. The boot soles can be swapped for WTR (Walk to Ride) compatible ones, which will improve walkabouts and require a WTR binding—or they could hit the skin track with an A.T. frame binding.
Here's one you can take anywhere and be balanced, comfortable and ready to rip, said testers of the 2018 Rossignol Pure Pro 100. Its classic looks go with every outfit, the liner is warm and cozy, it's easy to get on and off—and it skis as well as anything in the category. What's not to love?
Testers say this runs a bit on the roomy side of the medium-fit group, with plenty of room at the forefoot and in the toebox, especially in length—they say if there's a boot you might go down a size in (if you're on the cusp) this one's worth trying. The ankle and heel are snug enough, but slender feet would probably do better in the Pure Elite (the narrow version). The calf is furry (liner) and open enough for thicker legs, they report.
Testers put the stance a touch on the upright side, which they liked for a long leg and no quad burn, but a few mentioned they wanted a heel lift to help get out over the front of the boot. They thought the 100 flex was on target, perhaps even a little stronger, with a nice progressive feel on the leg during flexion. Side to side moves were rewarded with solid, stable edge power. Testers were split on whether this was a quick boot or perhaps happier in medium- and long-radius turns, so we'll say it's "quick enough."
The fuzzy liner (which testers like for not being too fuzzy) is made with Thinsulate and Merino wool, so high warmth scores were not imaginary. A set of WTR (Walk to Ride) soles is available as an accessory (nice for walking, compatible with WTR bindings only). Testers also thought the price tag was a nice feature--$100 less than its direct competitors in the medium-width group.
One of the 3 top-scoring boots in the women's All-Mountain narrow group, the 2018 Rossignol Pure Elite 120 returned to impress our test team this year. Unchanged this season (and why would you?), the Pure Elite 120 garnered praise for its solid, stable 120-flex horsepower combined with its high comfort-quotient. One tester requested a couch made from its yummy fluffy liner material.
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.
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.
The fuzzy liner is made with Thinsulate and Merino wool, so high warmth scores were not a figment of testers' imaginations. A set of WTR (Walk to Ride) soles is available as an accessory (nice for walking, compatible with WTR bindings only).
In the All-Mountain wide-last group of 7 boots, the 2018 Rossignol Allspeed 100 was edged-out for the gold medal by only 1/100th of a point. Why do we want to crow about second place? Well in this situation second isn't first-loser when you consider that the Allspeed 100 was a "Soft-Value" entry and the boot it essentially tied for first was 30 flex index points stiffer and cost 200-bucks more!
It's a wide ride with plenty of volume, its liner is cushioned and soft, and yet the Allspeed 100 has enough grab on the foot to enable high-end skiing movements and control big skis. One of our testers summed-up the Allspeed's fit like this: "It's like hugging a big, curvy, hot chick and feeling the softness and the firmness in all the right places." Testers also say the cuff is tall, upright and open enough for big-dude legs.
Testers are impressed with how strongly this boot skis for a 100 flex. It's probably a bit mislabeled (110ish is more like it), but testers also cite the dialed stance angles and enough torsional and lateral rigidity to tip a ski on edge and manage it there through a variety of terrain at virtually every speed. Several of our testers mentioned throwing everything they had at it and it never failed.
The price is really its best feature—best bang for your buck of the entire test, one tester said. But the fact that there's a 120-flex and a 130-flex version of this (oh, and an 80) means the options are many for high-volume foot and leg guys. It does have a Thinsulate liner, but if you're buying this boot we're betting you don't get too cold.
Testers didn't vary their scores much on the 2018 Rossignol Allspeed Pro 120, using a lot of 3's (medium) and "ideal" checkboxes to describe its fit, flex and stance. A few testers claimed this one was the benchmark model that all other medium-width performance boots should be judged by. They saved the hyperbole for how well this one skis.
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.
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.
This year's Allspeed Pro 120 comes with a pimped-out paint job, and testers liked the flame orange buckles on top—though one tester was bothered that they were hidden under his pants, as though he'd borrowed his girlfriend's underwear, he said. So that's something to consider. Aside from Thinsulate laminates used in the liner and an option to slap on WTR (Walk to Ride) soles, the features are standard fare, four-buckles, Velcro powerstrap, single side cuff adjustment.
This is the third boot test go-round for the unchanged 2018 Rossignol Allspeed Elite 130 and testers voted it into the top25% of the all-mountain narrows, even though the consensus was that it didn't feel too narrow. They didn't quite call it a medium, but it definitely rides the fit fence between width categories, they said.
Not that anyone was really complaining—they loved how easy on and off it was and appreciated the extra room over the instep and at the boot top for a calf muscle. They notice most of the extra room in the toebox (in length, width and height) but found the fit tapered to the ankles and heel appropriately for a performance fit. A few testers mentioned sizing down successfully, so for skiers right between sizes, that's a worthwhile consideration. For the level of performance found here, testers said the comfort quotient was top of class.
This boot rips everywhere was the general vibe from testers—smooth, predictable and stronger-than-expected. The stance is a little on the upright side, with a tallish feeling cuff, so testers mentioned that the cuff generated a lot of power. Testers liked the flex feel—smooth and progressive but with a legitimate 130 backbone to it (don't let room temperature flexing fool you, it's all there out in the cold). Stance-wise, it's all neutral in all directions, so send it, testers said.
The revised power strap webbing and roller-cam buckle create a ratchety-style grip when tightened that doesn't back out till you say so, which testers liked. The Thinsulate liner is warm enough and the EVA foam ankle pockets mold nicely for bony points. There's a set of WTR (Walk to Ride) soles available if long strolls through paver plazas are part of your game (compatible with WTR bindings).
The new 2018 Nordica Sportmachine 95 W is good for intermediates to advanced skiers alike, testers said. They were impressed at how well this wide ride did all over the mountain and they scored it higher than a lot of the medium-width boots that cost $150 more.
This is where this boot will shine for so many women skiers, they said, noting that the boot is roomy, but in a curvy, athletic way—it's not just a cushioned box. The average or more slender-footed folk on our team said the heel was a bit loose, but it should be on par for the higher volume foot. The calf fit was appropriately flared open at the boot top for thicker legs without losing a fore-aft connection to the ski, and the flex feel was a dream according to testers who said it was on-target at 95 but was even and balanced throughout its flex range. This is a wide boot that will promote better balance and good skiing movements they said.
Surprised—that's what several testers said about the Sportmachine 95 W's performance. They were in lock-step agreement that there's something about the Sportmachine 95 W that makes it easy to roll over on edge. They said transitions were sleek and seamless and the edge power, once there, was deep-rooted and stable at all speeds.
The Sportmachine 95 W has the same trick Infrared shell molding system developed specifically for the Speedmachine boots—the infrared heater brings the shell up to ideal molding temperature and a suction-cup of varying sizes and shapes is applied to the hot shell and the suction pulls the punch into place. The only real disappointment in the system is the fact that it will be rarely used here, since the boot fits so well out of the box. The Adjustable Calf Profile (ACP) is a simple way to open up the calf fit using an Allen key.
The 2018 Nordica Speedmachine 105 W returns this year to even higher levels of tester stoke, finding its way onto the podium amongst a very large and strong group of medium-width All-Mountain boots. Testers praised its ease of fit, warmth and convenience and all-around-the-hill skiing skill set. This one has broad appeal for a variety of ability levels and foot types, testers said.
The Speedmachine 105 W nails the medium-width fit profile according to testers. Perhaps a little on the roomy and relaxed side of the group, they said, but with enough firmness in the ankle pockets (thin and sculpted cork panels are used on the liner there) and instep to retain the foot for controlled skiing movements. The initial liner feel against the foot is classic Nordica—silky, padded and well-draped against the foot. First fit impressions were universally positive, with comments about fitting a variety of feet well being widespread. Flex feel and stance marks were similarly good. No problems!
Testers thought the Speedmachine 105 W was supremely capable in all manner of snow conditions and terrain, but perhaps not as strong or quick as one or two other models in the category on account of the cushy liner and extra room in the lower boot. They were okay with this trade-off for the Speedmachine's luxuriant feel, and thought it a minor demerit that most wouldn't even notice. Transitions turn to turn were effortless, thanks to its neutral stance angles, and testers found that it was responsive in short turns and long turns alike.
The Tri-Force shell design keeps thicker plastic where it needs to be for power and stability and thins the plastic of the lower shell in areas where more flexibility and foot-wrapping needs to happen—this shaves some excess weight and also enables the Infrared bootfitting system to work properly. The Infrared heating system warms the thin areas in common fit problem areas to molding temperature, and then a vacuum driven suction cup is placed on the tight spot and the shell stretch is sucked into position.
Warning: not for newbies! Testers say the 2018 Nordica GPX 105 W is like a fine wine or a 911 Carrera S--easily wasted on the uninitiated—so strong, so fast, so elemental in its design. If you're good, then you're good. If you're looking for thickly padded, warm and sadly compromising, well, then, keep on looking.
This narrow lasted, four-buckle overlap fits like a glove everywhere but the heel, where testers were a little disappointed in the lack of retention. Easily solved with some L-pads and a bootfitter's help, but come on, right? We mean, the GPX W is descendant of heel-nipping Dobermann stock. For shame, Nordica! But seriously, we pick on this one fit zone because everything else here was just so damn good, fit-wise. Testers felt like they were cybernetically merged with this boot, connected to their skis by it like no other. Yes, the flex feel is firm. Yes the liner is thin and the shell's right there. And yes, testers liked both those things.
Quick, light, responsive, accurate, powerful, solid, aggressive, they said. Testers dig the way this boot digs trenches--without too much fuss. For as strong as this boot is, they said it has an easy, forgiving and obedient attitude underfoot. Several testers mentioned that the forward lean angle was too aggressive with the rear spoiler in—so they pulled it out and felt dialed. A miracle!
Yeah, sad to say, one tester wanted a fuzzier liner. This is not that boot. But it is bitchen in black with some powder blue buckle highlights. And the Full Motion Pivot cuff adjustment is a cool alignment tool that can help better balance knock-kneed and bowlegged skiers under the guidance of a skilled bootfitter.
The all-new 2018 Nordica Sportmachine takes the success of the Speedmachine and doubles-down on it by adding a 2 to the last width to nail a great-performing comfort ride, said testers who liked the combination of convenience, high-volume and straight forward skiing in this new 102 mm all-mountain boot.
Take the roomy toebox and forefoot of the Speedmachine and blow it out a little more—testers said the tapered grip on the ankle and heel is not nearly that of the medium-width here, and they felt that the relaxed fit tension worked well for the meaty-footed target. Testers did not have any fit zone complaints—other than a lack of general contact if they had an average to lower-volume foot—and said that the anatomical shaping matched the foot shape well, just on a large scale. Super easy to put on and take off with an easy to operate closure system—what's not to love here, testers said.
Gets 'er done everywhere on the hill, they said, but maybe not with the quickest cadence turn to turn. The Sportmachine loved its medium and long radius turns and was smooth and stable, which testers approved of, but they said there's definitely a little turbo lag and slight disconnection from the ski when compared with its more slender brother Speedmachine. Stance angles were neutral, if a little bit upright for the guys with average to slender calves. Big calf muscles have room here and will put the leg just a bit more forward, testers ventured.
The Sportmachine 130 has the same trick Infrared shell molding system developed specifically for the Speedmachine—the infrared heater brings the shell up to ideal molding temperature and a suction-cup of varying sizes and shapes is applied to the hot shell and the suction pulls the punch into place. The only real disappointment in the system is the fact that it will be rarely used here, since the boot fits so well (and already huge) right out of the box.
