Dalbello's Veloce line for women runs from its stiffest model at 105, down to its softest at a 75-flex. The brand submitted the Veloce 95 MV W for testing this year and it represented the range quite well by stomping all over other substantially stiffer models in the category and receiving a gold medal alongside some perennial heavy-hitters. The Veloce 95's total score average of 4.70 (out of 5.00) was on par mainly with 115-flex boots, and its supporting scores told the same great fit, comfort and convenience story that testers' comments did, with a Convenience Warmth & Features score of 4.94 and an Anatomical Fit & Initial Feel score of a perfect 5.00.
The Veloce 95 MV W impressed every single tester who got into it with its snug-medium fit, saying that it hit the 99mm fit tension target right on the bullseye--they loved the cushioned but firm-enough feel against the foot and leg, with a particularly nice feel from the memory foam tongue against the shin and over the top of the foot. But testers didn't fully appreciate what the Veloce 95 had to offer until they got it on snow and made some turns. Testers agreed that it put the edges against snow with the power and stability of boots 20-flex-points stiffer and 200-bucks more expensive, and it wasn't just a dull and clunky sledgehammer but rather it was quick and precise underfoot at performance levels to match its power quotient.
Another common refrain from testers was the Veloce 95's ease of access, and they didn't mean that it was easy to put on (which it was) but rather they meant its ability to communicate any skier's different style to the skis in a functional, efficient way. They said its stance balance home base was right on the money and didn't require any special moves or learning curve to figure out what the boot wanted. Testers just buckled up, clicked in and went skiing, everywhere. They forgot they'd saved two bills on the 95-flex and continued ripping. Many testers made note of the boot's huge performance bandwidth and broad appeal to a variety of skiers, like: This boot is fantastic--it will make any gal happy, from intermediate to advanced.
Were there some caveats to go with all these kudos, sure, but not very many. A couple testers commented on the somewhat rounded, old-school toebox shape that put a little squeeze on the sides of big and little piggies, but agreed they were not deal-breakers, and given that the lower shell is traditional polyurethane would offer easy fit solutions in a grind or stretch. A couple testers found that the lower ankle pockets were a bit firm at the start of on-snow testing but reported that with some warm-up and wear time those issues improved substantially--again, easy fit solutions with a bootfitter's help, if needed.
Testers unanimously approved of the berry and black cosmetics, they didn't mind the amount of fur on the liner, and they gave two thumbs-up for two liner pull loops, dual cuff adjusters and GripWalk soles. At a list price of 600-bucks there’s huge bang for the buck available on all tested elements of the Veloce 95 MV W, testers agreed.