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 new Advant Edge 85 W was a pleasant surprise. It’s roomy and upright yet skied joyfully all over the mountain with unflinching confidence. A big value for big feet and legs.
The cuff is tall and upright but its open fit accommodates larger calves. In fact, skier with larger volume calves will find themselves in a slightly more athletic and forward position in this boot. The liner lower is well padded with a cushy, easy-going feel. A "guaranteed no hot spot" fit, testers said.
Stouter than its advertised 85 flex. Combined with the upright and tallish cuff, that made ankle flexion a challenge for some of our lighter weight testers. One took advantage of the two-position flex adjuster to soften it and reported good results.
Laterally, the Advant Edge 85 W was a beast; testers were impressed with its strength and stability on edge at high speeds, even on harder snow surfaces. It wasn’t super quick but testers said it’s a tactile boot that follows commands accurately.
Head’s Form Fit shell can be molded to open up volume in tight spots. Testers said it would take a really wide foot and big calf to need it. Nonetheless, a great option for some. The Perfect Fit liner also heat molds to the foot and inside of the shell for a locked-in match between foot and boot.
The Vector Evo 110 W combines a silky interior feel with a silky on-snow demeanor. It’s a well-balanced comfort and performance package that will work for a wide variety of skiers looking for a medium width boot.
Dead-even medium fit tension scores throughout the lower boot and upper cuff with the exception of the heel pocket. Several testers mentioned it felt a little looser than it should.
It also had a touch more room at the calf as well (a good thing there, testers said). The liner is exceedingly cushioned and has a smooth, slippery feel that most testers liked. Some felt their foot sliding around a bit while skiing. Team with a grippier sock material.
Testers said the boot felt a little softer than billed. Note that the flex adjustment comes set at the softer 100 flex out of the box. If more resistance is preferred, it’s easy to make the adjustment in shop during try-on.
Most testers felt the cuff angle was quite upright. They liked that fairly straight stance angle for long swooping carves and softer off-piste conditions but some yearned to be a little more forward to speed up the turn intervals on firmer snow. Testers liked that they didn't have to unbuckle at any time; it’s ultra-comfortable, they said.
The Form Fit shell and Perfect Fit liner work as a team to match the foot shape. They also mate well, marrying the exterior of the liner to the interior of the shell for a more secure translation of foot movements to ski. Testers said out-of-the-box fit is so comfortable it requires a pretty thick foot to need shell molding. Most testers found the Spine Tech buckles cumbersome to fiddle with.
For all-mountain skiers who refuse to sacrifice performance, the Spyre 100 is a strong skiing medium width for shredding steeps and stomping landings (with a few easy trades made on fit and convenience).
Initial fit for most testers was tight in the toebox and tight over the top of the foot. The Intuition lower portion of the liner opens up substantially with full thermo-molding, and our custom tests showed that both those issues were greatly improved by the process. The liner tongue is well cushioned and testers liked the progressive flex feel of the Spyre 100. Testers were unanimous in their opinion that the K2 is not one of the easy ones to get on and off.
Stance-wise many testers thought the boot too forward-leaning with the thick rear spoiler installed and pulled it out for a more upright stance in line with category average angles. Once they found their fore-aft sweet spot, testers couldn't say enough about how well the Spyre skis—light and agile underfoot coupled with a damp and easy power band for accessing power throughout the turn.
Testers like the dual-sided cuff adjustment mechanisms and the fact that the thick rear spoiler is made of an easily grinded material for dialing in a perfect fore-aft set up. The Intuition lower liner is very moldable and with toecaps and pre-padding for bony spots the comfort factor skyrockets.
Returns unchanged except for updated paint job. And that’s for very good reason, testers said. One tester wrote, “[The RX 110 W] blows away the competition." It was neck and neck at the top of the medium-width division with Tecnica’s Mach1 105 W MV.
The RX 110 W has classic Lange medium-width RX line fit profile. It’s on the tighter side of the medium group with a noticeably firm grip on the heel and ankle and welcome additional room over the top of the foot and in the toebox. Testers said it's not super easy to get on but the glove-like fit makes any tussling worth the effort. One called the initial fit “locked and loaded, ready to go off.”
How many ways to say, "It rips?" We're not sure but testers used these descriptors: OMG, buttery, efficient, eager, perfect, nimble, solid, fluid, consistent and bam. We'll just go with that.
Our test team thinks the coolest feature of the RX boot is its virtual lack of cool features. They liked its elemental nature. It just fit well out of the box and skied well from first turn to its last.
Testers said the SX 90 W was the best performing of the All-Mountain women's wides. They liked that a boot with extra room at the instep, calf and forefoot can put a ski on edge and perform all over the hill.
Volume-extended versions of the medium width RX boots, SX models are more open in the toebox, forefoot, instep and calf. This works well for good skiing women with higher volume feet and legs who want secure heel and ankle hold for precision skiing.
Flex was on target, testers said, and comfortable against the shin throughout its range. Not the easiest boot in its class to get on, testers said, though they felt the performance it delivered was a more than fair trade off.
Shines in all turns, all snow conditions and terrain. Testers found zero flaws with its performance game. Solid on edge and in quick in transitions, it steers accurately given the generous volume. Testers said the Lange performance force is strong in this one. Stance angles are neutral and on the upright side. Women with thicker calves will put the leg shaft right where it belongs. Otherwise the slender-legged can have their bootfitter add a custom spoiler.
Testers loved the colors and the clean, simple cosmetic scheme. Pretty basic design: single sided cuff adjuster, 35mm Velcro power strap with four buckles.
For intermediate and low-advanced skiers with big feet and big calves, the Cruise 75 W is tougher than it sounds, flexing more like and 85 or 90 flex and stable enough at speed and through chop.
Huge everywhere, with a slightly more snug heel (good thing), especially at the calf where there is also more room available via a calf fit expansion adjustment (good thing). Some testers said the buckles got tangled with each other, but all said entry and exit was a breeze. A couple testers complained about a sharp shin fit.
Firm flex feel loads some gumption to the ski, testers said, and with enough foot to fill the fluffy container, quickness isn't out of the question. Just fine for tooling around the groomed with the occasional jaunt off piste, they agreed. Plenty of power for $349, that's for sure.
The ACP (Adjustable Calf Profile) is a sweet feature that's easy to use for further opening the calf fit to massive proportions. The Cruise line-up features Nordica's Natural Foot Stance, a slightly more duck-footed (abducted) stance, which works well for more duck-footed folk. If when standing you make your feet parallel (like a parallel skier) and you feel instantly knock-kneed or heavy under the little toe side of your feet, this is for you.
Longer legged, slender calved, narrow forefoot ripper girls will say yes to this address. The GPX 105 W features a charger's cockpit that strafes all snow and terrain.
The boot received evenly narrow-ish fit scores across the board, with recurring comments that the heel felt a little loose. That’s easily solved by having a thicker heel or a bootfitter installing custom L-pads. Testers felt the boot cuff rode a little tall and fairly tight on the calf with the rear spoiler installed. A few thought the stance was a bit on the forward-leaning side, so pulling or thinning the spoiler could resolve both issues.
Descended from the Dobermann, the GPX 105 W can, of course, ski with the best of them. Technical, aggressive skiers liked this boot best. It responded well to a firm tone and skilled movements. Testers liked its stiff even flex feel against the leg. It's powerful but light, quick but stable.
For alignment range of motion, it's tough to beat the Full Motion Pivot upper cuff adjustment mechanisms. It rotates the cuff or tips it laterally with the same gizmo. We like it. Shock absorbing bootboard and grippy soles make for a damp, off-piste ride at speed.
So many good elements come together here. The out-of-the-box fit was among the best, testers said, if a bit too roomy in the toebox and forefoot for a true medium width. The flex feel is dreamy and the cosmetic touches impressed. As did the Speedmachine 105 W's dedicated Infrared custom fitting system.
While testers felt a little disconnected in the toe and forefoot zones, they mentioned that the cork liner heel and ankle pockets retained the foot well and that firm contact at the instep held them where they wanted to be. Flex was long travel with well-distributed pressure along the shin. Testers thought it a little softer than its 105 rating, some noting they would probably opt for the stiffer 115 flex model.
Laterally, there was no shortage of stiffness with which to lever the ski up onto edge and hold it there. Testers were impressed with its speed and hard snow game, but were just as keen on how well it dialed it back and feathered on-and-off edge with finesse. This is a boot with a wide performance bandwidth that will work for many different types of skiers, they said.
The new, stiff Tri-Force shell spine and lower rail construction (like a cuff-to-sole "L" shape) work well to maintain a rigid skeleton while shedding overall weight. The lower shell is molded with thicker areas for a strong power link and thinner areas for weight reduction and easy shape modification.
Using a proprietary Infrared molding system, the thin areas are heated where needed for additional room and a suction cup is affixed to the area. It pulls the shell material outward, rather than the traditional push from the inside, to accommodate for bony prominences.
With a tall cuff, an upright stance and 120 flex stiffness, the Pure Elite 120 demands a good skier be at the controls. And it doesn't hurt if she's taller and stronger than the average cruiser. Testers especially noted the strong power delivery that comes from engaging the tongue.
Testers said the fit is roomier than expected for a narrow category boot. Several felt the toebox, forefoot, ankle and heel all fit a touch generous, and considering a size-down or a thicker sock. Our average and thicker-footed women liked the fit as is. True low volume feet and legs may not get the grab they're looking for, but just about anybody else will be comfortable here; don't be scared off by the 98mm tag.
Edge power and stability through variable terrain was without comparison. If you can get into the front of this boot and drive it (a few testers said they wanted a bit more ramp in the bootboard), you will be well rewarded, said testers of many shapes and sizes. Those that filled the available volume thought the Pure Elite 120 was quick as a whip; the slim-footed swam a bit edge-to-edge.
The stiffness can be detuned by removing the rear spine anchors. Ankle pocket fit is enhanced greatly with liner molding.
Rossignol's flagship medium-width women’s model is versatile in fit and performance, testers said. They gave the Pure Pro 100 top marks for its furry (but not overly slippery) liner feel, fore-aft support and balanced stance.
Testers noticed a lot more room in the toebox and forefoot than many of the other mediums we tested. It’s also tall over the top of the foot, making it a great option for skiers with high, bony insteps. It was snug at the ankle and heel but not uncomfortably so. Across the board testers liked the tongue contact; it’s well-contoured with a cushioned shin feel.
They gave it high marks for warmth, noting the additional toe room and Merino wool liner construction.
With forward lean slightly more upright than the category average, testers found it ripping happy in softer snow and making long drawn-out arcs on groomers. They widely praised the Pure Pro's on-edge facility and tenacious lateral grip. Some testers felt the upright cuff and low ramp angle put them a bit in the backseat, nothing a little heel lift couldn’t easily solve.
Ah, the furry liner. Some liked it for its looks, others for how it facilitated a smooth glide on and off. So everybody said OK to fur. Fake fur, that is. It’s a changing world. Flex can easily be softened with the removal of a spine anchor screw. Single-sided cuff adjustment provides adequate stance adjustment range.
A good option for cost-conscious cruisers looking for easy access to all-mountain terrain, the Eden 85 handles itself well under an intermediate's guidance.
Testers gave the Eden 85's fit the most-improved award this year, though there were still some fit zone gaps in the ankles and heel and remained a bit tight in the toebox, they said. The liner feel is slipper-like and the closure was straightforward with easy to use buckles. Warmth was at a premium given the cushy, thick liner.
Testers said this was a great steery, schmeary model that cruised groomers and light crud just fine so long as the speed was kept in check. The stance was fine and neutral, though the flex range was blocky and limited, preventing smooth flexing moves for dynamic skiing. Testers said if you gave it the right direction, it followed instructions, but it wasn't leading the charge down the hill.
There's a flex adjustment here that can be used to free up the flex range—worth trying.
A fit pleaser. The X Pro X80 W has enough handling capabilities to take intermediates anywhere on the mountain. Warm as can be and a breeze to get on and off, testers said.
“Pro” in Salomon-speak indicates a medium width model. But with Custom Shell’s ability to expand its volume, this boot suits many more feet than average. The off-the-rack fit is evenly medium with a snug heel and ankle. If this causes a bit too much tingling, the full shell molding procedure should be undertaken to even fit tension. The upper boot molds as well, so large calves getting an initial squeeze will find comfort post-molding.
Soft but with a flowing, even flex feel that makes for smooth skiing. It's upright and relaxed, but testers thought that appropriate for this target skier. Bigger calves will push that lower leg a bit more forward and still find a good balance point. Great for cruising and a good platform for improving, they concurred.
Custom Shell molding can open the fit throughout. The process is simple and straightforward. Heat for 10 minutes, wear-and-mold for 5 minutes, cool down for 5 more. Our CS tests have shown subtle stance improvements can occur as well.
