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 polyurethane, three-buckle isn't just the slower-heavier brother of the Scarpa SL and RS, it's also softer and cheaper—so this boot is perfect for us! We might be slower, heavier, softer and cheaper than real backcountry skiers but we're into earning some fresh, too, dammit, and the Freedom fits the bill there. It doesn't hurt that the toebox and forefoot offer a little extra room to spread out beyond the medium width fit tension felt elsewhere in the boot.
Testers still found the Scarpa edge power on tap here, even though it's toned down from the Pebax and Grilamid versions at the 120 flex above—the softer flex and more damp construction saps a little snap from the otherwise totally respectable power plant. Great for cruising all-mountain in bounds and more than enough mojo for day trips in untracked pow.
The range of motion of the Ride Power Block is on par with the best of the Adventure category, though here in the Traditionalist group it's geared toward apres and gear-schlepping as much as it is for possibly setting a skin track.
Testers find the lateral stance a little bowlegged on a flat surface, which translated into a lot of inside edge bias—like SL and RS versions, but the less stiff and transmissive construction dampened that a little bit. The fore aft stance is upright and the cuff fits tall on the leg, and coupled with the softer flex to allow flexing movements that got skiers where they needed to be.
The Evo 120 takes the power of the frontside-oriented Bold 130 and adapts it for more creature comfort and all-mountain handling—with a walk-mode feature thrown in for increased mobility and base-area convenience.
Testers liked the open and anatomical fit through the toebox and forefoot—a big improvement for Roxa in fit this year—slotting it right down the middle of the medium-width fit tension range. This is a firm-feeling 120-flex, testers said, with a dense liner feel against the shin and a brick outhouse range of flexion. Bigger more aggressive testers appreciated the support, while our shorter and less aggro guys suggested the Evo 110 would be the call.
Lateral moves were rewarded with a strong and stable arc, but testers all noted that the cuff geometry is set-up a little on the bowlegged side, which produced more inside edge bias than most were looking for without modifying the stance via the onboard cuff adjustment.
Testers loved the ease of entry and exit of the Freebird and claimed its long flex range was its best attribute. A lightweight and sensitive-to-snow freeride boot with more forward lean angle than most, our bigger heavier guys didn't get quite enough support here, driving knee toward tip easily.
Snug heel pocket and more snug than expected, even for its 99mm last width, testers felt that it transmitted foot movements to ski nicely. Laterally, this is not an edge-driving trencher, but is better suited for buttered moves on softer snow or park features.
Our test team gave a thumbs up for the value offered by this 75 flex that brings a lot of performance to the table for high volume beginners and intermediates. The toebox and instep are particularly roomy, and the calf is flared open for shorter or more muscular lower legs. Combine these easy fit zones with an easy slide on and off and skiers won't have much to complain about here.
Testers recommend stepping up to the 85 or particularly to the 95 flex versions of this boot for more accomplished skiers with similar fit needs.
There is something mystical about the Mach1 105 W MV. It could be how all those letters and numbers in its name combine, Ouija board code style. Or it might be that women testers with a very wide variety of foot and leg shapes and different skiing styles all somehow managed to love its fit and absolutely freaked out about how well it skied.
Tecnica would explain this by pointing out how the Mach1’s interior and exterior shape closely hews to the anatomy of a foot. The company would note that its liner shape and construction mates closely with the contours of the shell's interior. And our test team would buy that; they’re pretty tech savvy.
But the curves in the CAS liner and shell are readily apparent even to the naked eye. That level of detail led to universally sky high fit scores. There’s additional room for the toes, lateral side of the forefoot, navicular, ankle bone points and Achilles tendon. Our thicker calf testers wished they had a bit more room up top.
Testers loved the stout, true 105 flex. It was solid and progressive without any collapsing or feeling of being under-powered. More responsive than virtually every other women's medium width boot in the test, the Mach1 W MV had the second highest fit and performance score out of all women's boots tested.
The new low volume (LV) sister to the already tester-loved Mach1 MV has arrived and re-set the bar for burly amongst women's specific boots—the Mach1 LV means business and is looking for some tough ripper chicks to properly tap the power and quickness found there. Testers say slender footed and legged girls better man-up, err, woman-up if they want to fully appreciate what this one has on offer.
It's tall, firm and stiff against the shin, they said, and you'll either love that and drive forward into powerful turns, or you'll back off the throttle and miss out on all the fun. Our crew was unanimous in their appraisal of the LV as a much tougher animal than the more creature-comfort-laden MV. They loved the snug fit throughout but noted a friendly fit over the top of the foot and instep where slightly more room keeps the blood flowing to the toes. The calf fit favors slender and tall legs—one of the fit zones that sent some of our crew back to love on their favored MV's.
There was full agreement that the Mach1 105 LV is one of the strongest skiing boots of the test this year—no speed limit and no terrain to stop its descent. But tapping that juice required commitment.
Chicks who rip demand a boot that can match them turn for turn on the whole mountain—that's what the G2 90 Powerfit M does, pure and simple. Tougher than 90 would suggest with plenty of rearward backbone and a fit that grips all the right spots yet leaves room for wiggling toes—testers had little to complain about here.
The revised Ultralon foam liner is fully thermo-moldable, but testers loved its silky feel on the first slide in—which they said was a snap—and found that it improved its already good, wrap-around feel in just a few runs. They loved the cushioned-enough shin fit which paired well with the shell's smooth range of flexion. A couple testers felt the cuff was a tad low, and the "M" indicates that it is the shorter cuff Scott offers. Stepping up to the G2 110 gets a taller cuff and a strong 115-ish flex feel based on our previous tests.
The boot is lightweight and supple feeling but generates some serious juice for driving an edge, testers said—our theory is that it's related to Scott's unique Powerfit plastic injection technology which allows for areas of variable density within one injection—essentially softer and stiffer areas without having to use completely different plastics to achieve it.
The price and flex of the X Pro 80 W slotted it into our test's Soft Value sub-category. Testers are asked to judge these boots on their own merits, for the intended market of less aggressive or lighter weight skiers. Outside of that caveat, they must succeed or fail based on all the same metrics as other boots in the category. The X Pro 80 W was one of only a handful of these that earned medal status, and it was well into the top tier, score-wise, in the All-Mountain Traditionalist category.
Sure the comfort here works for a lodge bunny, but our testers put it through the big grinder and this 80-flex held true with a soft-side flex but one that doesn't fold.
It has all the qualities of the very best boots. Its anatomical fit matches the curves of the foot and leg; in this case, thicker feet and legs. Its stance set-up allows for a just-strong-enough athletic stance without burning the quads and a neutral side-to-side position that helps turns flow like a spring creek winding down a mountain.
Our test team has rated the X Max 110 W highly in the past. It returns this year with a more anatomically shaped liner that was warmly received. So warm a reception that it garnered the highest total score awarded to any women's boot.
How dat? Well the liner's pre-shaping made for a super sweet ankle and heel pocket fit, testers said. The flex feel of the overall package was even and snappy (if a little softer than the marked 110) and long in its range. But what really sealed the deal was how it managed to accommodate so many different foot shapes through its shape-shifting Custom Shell 360 process.
Many testers tried the process after first testing the boot in its stock form. Several recorded stock fit issues like a tight toebox and forefoot and a squeezy fit in the calf and lower leg shaft. Granted, those were testers with wider feet and calves than you'd expect to fit perfectly in a narrow category out-of-the-box boot.
The Custom Shell results were consistent and virtually all positive: the lower shell and upper cuff transformed substantially to better match the foot and leg shape of our testers. That gave them a better balanced stance and bumped up performance scores. The only tester that didn’t bump up her marks after molding was one with very low volume feet. She said the boot felt slightly roomier after molding and she preferred the stock fit. She gave it perfect scores when skied stock. That leads us to suggest that women with low volume feet consider skiing the boot stock before undertaking the custom molding process.
For the money, aspiring all-mountain rippers will not go wrong with the Kara 105, testers said. They liked the evenly smooth medium-width fit that got better as the Ultralon Tech liner warmed up and said its lateral command of the edge was predictable and confidence-inspiring. They also liked the walk mode feature for its ease of use, even if its released range was a bit limited.
For a three-buckle overlap testers were impressed with the power it leveraged to get skis carving—while not the quickest turn to turn in the category it was capable and handled what the test team threw at it. There wasn't a consensus on the boot's flex feel—with some finding no issues and others citing a softer than advertized flex and abrupt stopping point.
This well-cushioned park cruiser impressed our test team with its long-ranging flex feel, but that also distressed our more aggressive all-mountain riders who folded it right over. So, best for lighter weight and less demanding skiers looking for a light weight wide rider.
The forefoot and toebox was suitably roomy for the wide last category, testers said, but they found the calf a bit pinched and the cankle area particulary tight prior to heat molding the liner.
Set up to butter and schmear, rather than carve trenches, this steery and agile boot would be best suited on rails and boxes or in softer snow conditions testers said.
The deal-breakers for a lot of women when looking for that perfect new boot are: tight toes, loose heels and a calf fit that bites—those are non-issues with the Pure Pro 100. This medium width manages to grasp the heel and ankles in a manner that says, time to ski, and yet maintains wide-load-style width for the forefoot and toes. Many testers cited wide category width up front and also at the boot top, which flares open for muscular calves while maintaining enough height for stable, strong skiing.
Testers like the fore-aft starting position—tall but with enough flex range to move throughout the turn. They found the lateral set-up neutral, and testers with thick enough feet to fill up the lower boot found it quick side to side, while our skinny-footed folk lacked the same immediate transmission of energy.
The ease on and off was a nice bonus, as was the additional warmth element of Merino wool in the Optisensor liner.
