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 ML-3 returns unchanged but our test team ran it through the wringer in rigorous fashion, testing it both off-the-rack and after custom modifications—it remains a great solution for skiers seeking a supreme walking boot and a unique downhill solution.
Testers love the smooth, easy going feel of the inner boot and its dual Boa closure zones that allowed for personalized fit tension throughout. They were less enthusiastic about the overall fit when mated with the open chassis frame, citing a few hot spots, notably at the navicular bone. Tester agreed that the calf fit was open and great for women with higher volume legs. All agree that the fit runs short—sizing protocol for the ML-3 is to go up one size larger than normal.
As they have in the past, testers were impressed with the lateral power of the Apex design—the rear frame that supports the back of the inner boot is rigid and transmissive. They said that edging is strongest and most consistent when the leg remains in the sweet spot of the frame, i.e. engaged against it, which a few testers mentioned put them on their heels. The forward lean and lateral angles are both adjustable.
The ML-3 has an adjustable flex feature involving different density elastomer shims for the rear control arm. The liner is thermo-moldable, which testers liked.
The Hawx Magna 90 W is ideal for women with wide feet and bigger calves looking for a comfortable off-the-shelf fit and solid all-mountain performance. It doesn't hurt that it practically puts itself on the foot.
The Hawx Magna has huge volume throughout the lower shell, testers said, but with enough anatomic shape to follow the foot's curves and hold the heel and ankle for skiing movements. The cuff is upright and open, ideal for big calves. The entire shell can be Memory Fit heat molded if there is a need for more room. Testers said it would take a massive foot to require more room.
Strong snow management skills considering its cushiness and massive volume, testers said. Great lateral balance and an even flex feel made turn initiation automatic and helped maintain a smooth and stable ride regardless of speed or turn shape.
As with other Hawx models, the Power Shift feature can alter forward lean angle (three positions) as well as tweak flex.
Fits so many different feet and legs and suits many different skiing styles—the Hawx Prime 100 W sets the bar high for medium-width versatility.
Medium to wider feet and thicker legs did best in the Hawx Prime (Prime is new name indicating medium width in the Hawx line) but the well-padded Thinsulate liner did a great job of cradling lower volume foot and leg shapes. Some testers felt a lack of anatomical shape at the forefoot (flat and tight against bunions) and wanted to fire up the oven for a Memory Fit shell test, which some did to an improved fit at that location after five minutes cook time, two minutes molding and two minutes cool-down.
Testers love the feel of the lower boot on the snow—the legendary Hawx flex sole still impresses with how it bends to match the arc of the ski and tap into a deep and lively feel from turn-to-turn. The upper cuff was a little lacking in power at times for some testers on hard snow but for an all-mountain SUV with auto-pilot predictability they were okay with some minor on-piste performance compromises.
In addition to Memory Fit as a shape shifting element, the Power Shift feature allows for three-position forward lean tweaks and a hard or soft flex setting.
Our female testers are a tough, skeptical bunch. New-fangled plastics and high-falutin' gizmos don't impress them much. Unless, of course, the boot fits great and rips. The new Hawx Ultra 110 W made quite an impression on them because it's got all those attributes and wraps them in a noticeably lightweight and compact package.
Snug everywhere except the toebox where there's some welcome wiggle room. Despite its smaller than average boot sole length, the Hawx Ultra somehow manages to supply a little extra length, width and height for the toes while maintaining category-standard narrowness elsewhere. Fit notes were repetitive, all reading "ideal, ideal, ideal, ideal" for flex feel, tongue cushion, cuff height and stance.
There's no point in fussing with backcountry-boot-inspired plastics like Grilamid (similar to Nylon, super stiff and thin-walled) if it doesn’t make the boot ski well. In this case, it sure did. Testers could feel the thin-wrapping feel of the Grilamid cuff and easily noticed the lighter weight both in hand and on the foot. They said it skied stiff and snappy with a resilient, powerful feel that was highly reactive. The lower shell is traditional polyurethane, but with varied shell wall thicknesses to reduce weight and increase power while providing a shorter boot sole. Well done, testers said.
Memolink is a plastic additive used in Hawx boots as well as a few others in the Atomic line. It allows for shell molding to the foot and leg shape. Our tests have shown subtle results that even out peak pressure points and slightly increase volume. The Power Shift mechanism tweaks forward lean angles and modifies stiffness. Most testers didn’t monkey with it, finding the boot well set-up as is.
The DMS W 100 is a great technical boot for frontside skiers with thicker, higher volume feet than can't typically get into the frontside category (usually narrows). This one skis strong and with more volume than billed.
The consensus among testers was that the overall fit of the boot was a generous medium-width and many testers scored the toebox, forefoot and instep fit as that of a wide ride. The forward lean was slightly more raked forward than the category average and testers liked the flex feel which was on-target for a 100 flex, they said.
The rearward support was solid and laterally the DMS W 100 puts a ski on-rail with the best of them, testers said. They gave it reduced quickness and feel scores due to the excess room up front and through the throat of the boot. They did like the warmth and relaxed fit, in general, but thought it missed the target for the category.
The My Fit System is a liner and shell molding option, available on 60% of Dalbello's line, which is cool, but testers say it would take one heck of a thick foot and instep to need it here.
The Luna 80 knows its job and performs it well. It’s built for less aggressive skiers who possess wider feet and ample calves. Testers have applauded this one alongside boots 30 flex points stiffer and $300 more at the cash register for the last three years running.
Roomy everywhere, testers say, with a skooch of extra space for thicker ankles and heel. The liner is exceedingly soft but still supportive. It embraces the foot in an open-armed, loose sort of hug. The three-piece (aka cabrio) shell construction eases entry and exit and testers liked its even, long-travel flex.
A fun and poppy ride no matter where you venture. Testers were again pleasantly surprised by how well the Luna 80 skied on variable terrain, in different snow conditions, through a variety of turn shapes and at a wide range of speeds. Not for expert skiers but it might help to make one out of a gung-ho intermediate, testers said. Stance angles are neutral and create a good starting point for a variety of different styles.
Flex and calf volume adjusters and a walk-mode all come with this one for $400. Sweet deal.
The lightest and softest model in the DaleBoot line-up. The VFF is a great option for lighter weight and less aggressive skiers looking for a fully custom boot with a long and lively flex pattern and the warmth and easy entry that come with the three-piece shell and Intuition liner combination.
Both the lower and the upper boots are custom made for every customer. Dealer partners take measurements and tracings of the foot and the boot is built at the Salt Lake City factory and shipped back to the dealer for final fitting of the Intuition liner and fine-tuned stance alignment utilizing DaleBoot's own snap-on canted soles. We tested the VFF built as a wide last, and while our test model hovered in the 102mm range, the boot can be made as wide as 112mm or as narrow as 92mm. You read that right. A whopping 30mm of differential.
The VFF is light and lively with a uniquely tuned-in feel for the ski and snow due to the three-quarter length bootboard. It puts the forefoot in direct contact with the shell floor. The flex is soft and long in travel but progressive. It has a stopping point that can be adjusted from a flex index of 80 to 100 using the Variable Forward Flex cable adjustment. Testers liked the dynamic, snappy feel of the VFF on smooth surfaces and said it handled off-piste challenges well given the soft and comfy ride.
The coolest feature of the DaleBoot is that it's a one-off build for each skier and for one price includes Intuition liner molding (with a variety of styles, volumes and densities), stance alignment and any additional fit fine tuning needed.
The Delight 85 InTemp has a built in heater element that thinly wraps the top and sides of the toebox, not underneath the toes, for creating an all-day, radiant heat blanket over the piggies.
The cuff is low on the leg and much softer than the 85 flex billing, testers said. It has an upright starting position that testers said would be supportive for low-intermediates and beginners. The lower boot fit was inconsistent off the rack, testers said, but mentioned that it evened out to a generally wide fit all over after liner molding.
The Delight 85 is quick and playful in easy-going (low edge angle) turns, testers noted. It failed to control the ski's edge angle at turn finish and when taxed at speed or on harder snow. Testers agreed this is a great cruiser for aspiring skiers seeking a warmth solution.
Did we mention that the Delight 85 InTemp has a bitchen heater system? The battery is stealthily stowed in a compartment at the back of the liner cuff and the large button is waterproof and easy to use.
A good value for thick-footed cruisers looking for agility and ease of use in a cushy package. The RC Pro W 90 Thermoshape received high marks for predictable turns and business class creature comfort.
Testers say this fits much wider in the lower boot than a 100mm boot should. That doesn't make the fit bad, just mis-labeled. Wide, high-volume feet and average to wider calves will do well here. Testers love the cushioned, well appointed liner (fur) and thought the closure system was simple and straightforward (easy buckles with gloves on).
Cruisemobile, one tester called it, saying that the cuff wasn't strong enough for hard-chargers but would respond to less demanding instructions all around the hill just fine. Testers liked the playful flex feel and neutral stance set-up and pointed to the RC Pro W 90 Thermo as a great option for intermediates looking to become better skiers in comfort and warmth.
There are three other RC Pro W Vacuum models available (90, 100 and 110 flexes) and these could be a good step up from the Thermoshape version, but at a premium Vacuum price.
A low volume charger straight out of the box with an option to substantially modify fit with the Vacuum process. The Trinity 110 Vacuum Full Fit's big three for our team was: fit, performance and one pink buckle.
Testers liked the evenly snug lower boot fit and the way the stove-pipe shaft lined the lower leg. Bigger calf testers needed to remove the rear spoiler (which most testers did anyway to straighten up the very forward stance angle). The length fit is shorter than average, testers said, and will remain so. While this is a Vacuum model, based on our previous Vacuum tests skiers should not count on the Vac process increasing length fit much.
Because Fischer didn't provide a Vacuum system for the test, we had to focus our Trinity test effort on straight out-of-the box fit and performance. Testers almost across the board chose to remove the rear spoiler and many moved it in front of the tongue as a way to straighten up the too-forward stance. Once they did, performance scores rose.
In the real world the easy way to solve that problem would be to Vacuum mold the Trinity 110 using the 14-degree forward lean setting during the process. Testers love the energetic, snappy flex feel of the Vacu Plast shell. It’s lightweight and lively from turn-to-turn, they said, affording precision execution of expert level moves with plenty of horsepower on tap.
The 2Zone Vacuum Full Fit system allows the skier to determine how snug or how relaxed the fit will be in both the rearfoot (heel, ankle, instep) and cuff as well as in the front of foot (toebox and forefoot). It's possible to exert different levels of pressure on the rearfoot for a snugger-than-stock fit while achieving a more-open fit up front. Stance angles are altered to suit the skier's anatomy automatically, but it's critical to select the right forward lean angle (we've almost always liked the 14-degree setting in past tests) and a proper, neutral stance width (the width where you want your skis to be flat).
To achieve truly wide-last room, skiers may need to go a size up in the Plush 6. Testers said it runs a snug-medium in the lower boot and big calf skiers had trouble getting it buckled. Custom liner molding was key, testers said.
Short and tight with snug closure over the top of the foot and a means-business wrap on the lower leg shaft—testers were happier with the overall fit after full liner molding using toecaps and pre-padding prominences. After molding testers still called this an easy going medium—wide last status is achievable by going up a size and molding the liner, they said. Testers liked the molded feel of the thick liner underfoot—good shape adaptation for skiers without custom footbeds.
The Full Tilt M.O.—too forward and too soft for our testers. One of our custom testers swapped on a stiffer tongue (a #8 that comes stock on the men's Descendant) and was immediately impressed with the taller stance and firmer, more supportive flex. Lateral moves were consistent and easily engaged, but the Plush lacked the turn finish of narrow sister Soul.
There is an adjustable forward lean mechanism, but with limited range to straighten the cuff. There is a lateral cuff adjustment that could be tweaked for more edge power and the shock-absorbing bootboard could be swapped (via the spare parts order sheet) for a rigid one for a bit more power under foot.
Slender legged, skinny-footed lightweights who seek the bumps and pow will find this boot their, well, Soul Sister. It wiggles its way from summit to lift maze with quick lateral moves and a super long travel and soft flex that benefits from a light touch to the front of the boot.
Length fit is short and narrow-class snug throughout the lower. The spiral wrap Intuition liner rings the leg shaft like a boa constrictor. Testers liked the fit better post-molding. The process helped the foot seat into the floor of the shell and relaxed the bulk along the lateral side of the leg where the liner overlaps double up. Testers got used to the old-school Flexon style buckle adjust tracks and swinging cables after some fussin’ and cussin’.
Light and agile with a long-travel flex, said testers. Lighter weight testers with low volume feet and slender legs liked it best. Bigger testers folded the boot over like a soft taco. Those with thick calves had a hard time buckling the boot and were pushed too forward into a semi-wall-sit position.
The petite testers in the “like” column said the flex was super soft and the stance overly forward. They liked the boot for its quick lateral direction changes and ability to absorb mogul hits. Switch skiing and jib-centric testers approved its park-quotient but similarly wished for a more upright stance and stiffer flex and suggested upgrading to a stiffer tongue and removing the rear forward lean wedge at the base of the cuff.
Testers loved the look and the Intuition liner's extreme moldability. The cuff adjustment mechanism is old-school and a little tricky to set. Enlist professional bootfitting help to make the adjustment and don’t lose the bag of parts that come with it.
