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 Plush 6 is the replacement of the former Mary Jane and takes up the top stiffness spot in Full Tilt's wide-last women's line. The boot is completely new, and testers loved the wide but anatomically contoured fit in the lower boot and applauded the well cushioned tongue that distributed pressure along the shin nicely.
The Plush, like the rest of the Full Tilt gang, runs shorter than most, which had many testers considering stepping up one size to gain toe room and also a bit more width and a taller fit against the lower leg, which testers said was a bit lower than average for the category.
The flex feel is well, plush, and long travel. So long, that our testers thought they were dropping a knee to make a tele turn at times. In its present form the Plush 6 is for lighter weight or less aggressive skiers, but with a stiffer aftermarket tongue this could be an all-mountain option for thick-footed rippers.
The light feel underfoot, warmth and supreme ease on and off impressed our test team, and for the right skier, this could be their dream boot, and perhaps a firmer flexing version will show up down the road.
The Zephyr 11 impressed testers with its even, medium off-the-rack fit, feel and clean connection to the ski. Testers really got wound up after the Vacuum molding process. That’s when they started recording super-dupers and phenomenals on their test cards. And these are serious, professional skiers. It racked up serious scores too—a perfect average score in the custom testing component drove its aggregate score into the top 25% of all boots in the category.
The medium width Vacuums have historically done well without Vacuum molding. Their stance set up is neutral from the get-go and the fit works for many feet. So it was interesting to see what really changed to make it go from great to super-duper-great.
One tester’s form explained it well; her fit scores got more in-line, meaning that looser spots got snugger and tight scores mellowed. She noted that while the out-of-box skiing feel was really good, after molding she noticed a "flatter" feel underfoot and better translation of movement to the ski. Those comments are consistent with our Vacuum tests on other models, too.
A couple of stock mode testers mentioned an upright stance. One liked it and one felt a touch back. Vacuum molding fixes that; stand where you want to ski and there it will be.
The Trinity 110 remains a top level performer for women with a variety of foot and leg shapes. Our custom test team was comprised of women with slender and higher volume lower legs, and all of them found a comfortable fit in the upper cuff of the Trinity (which off the rack favors a skinnier leg). Though the boot is slotted as a narrow last, our wide forefoot folks did great here—a testament to the shell-widening skills of the Vacuum Full Fit process.
Testers who were fitting fairly snugly in the heel and ankle to begin with (prior to Vacuum molding) were able to feel a subtle increase in tightness in those areas when electing higher molding pressure settings. Testers who were in too large of a fit to begin with didn't perceive a noticeable difference—the takeaway there is that for the Vacuum molding's tightening affect to be useful the boot needs to fit pretty close from the outset.
Stance alignment improved with Vacuum molding in all our custom tests, both fore-aft and laterally. The hard plastic inserts that allow for lateral cuff adjustment should be set up for the skier's leg angles prior to molding to achieve the best results, stance-wise.
As with previous tests of the Trinity, testers love the way it moves on snow—strong on edge and lightning quick through transitions turn to turn. A light feeling boot with heavyweight power, testers say.
The Fischer Thermoshape models are not Vacuum technology boots but designed to fit well and ski well right out of the box. Our test team agreed. The fit is even and consistent, if fairly roomy as one would expect for a 103mm last, testers commented. The stance is upright and the flex is stiffer than billed, so testers put this at the top of their list for intermediate skier value.
Easy to get on and off with a plush-feeling liner that sports a seamless tongue design for smoothly contouring over the top of the foot, testers gave the Cruzar W 8 high marks for creature comfort and warmth.
Our test is always sprinkled with good deals and sleepers that surprise testers with unexpected performance. The Luna 80 was both: a shocking, stunner-sleeper of a good deal. A Soft Value entry, it scored fourth highest of all boots tested and you'll find it in most ski shops selling for less than $300.
This is the little three-piece that could. Our testers couldn't believe the agility and straight-up power that this 80-flex exhibited in all sorts of conditions and turns. They loved that it made slow speed skids, medium cruise-carves and flat-out railed screamers. An 80 flex!
Testers said it slid on easy, buckled up cleanly, fit like a well-contoured wide boot (bigger than its 101mm tag would suggest) and came off like butter when it was all over. Luna means moon. That’s fitting as our test team was over it for this one.
The new Avanti W 95 rides the fence between narrow and medium fit tension (as you might expect with a 99mm last) and has an anatomical fit that grips all the right spots and relaxes where room to spread out is needed.
The luxuriant and cozy liner was a hit with testers, and with the silky, cushioned feel against the foot and leg coupled with an upright, relaxed stance they pegged this as a classic cruising boot that will appeal to many groomer-centric skiers.
Testers familiar with the women's Mantis boot (which this replaces) said that this is less performance and more comfort than the predecessor model, which worked just fine for our test team.
Testers liked the new more open and accessible Hawx Magna and were impressed by the power that this 90-flex wide last generated. Testers said it's more sporty than expected for a 102mm boot and responsive to pilot inputs while maintaining a massive amount of room in the toebox and forefoot.
The instep is particularly roomy, and is probably the key reason a skier might opt for the Magna over the traditional medium-width Hawx (which already fits on the relaxed side of 100mm)—that and a savings of $125 over that slighter stiffer sister model
When testers with the widest feet and biggest calf testers join testers with the narrowest feet and slimmest calf in agreement, we know something special happened. The Hawx 100 is as universal a fit as you can find. So many of our testers feel ideally contained, neither cramped nor loose. It just works for all of 'em, skiing with enthusiasm all over the mountain.
More than any other Atomic we tested, it seemed to improve after undergoing the 12-minute Memory Fit heating process. Testers described fit easing exactly where needed; several noted a more even and better seated feeling in the heel pocket. One tester marked down perfect scores on the stock test; after heating she said it was "more perfect."
The Hawx 100 W manages to ski stronger than expected given its cushy-warm interior and gold eyelets on the power strap (which our testers felt excessively glitzy). Most felt it rode with great stability and delivered more horsepower than its marked 100 flex. More predictable and cruiser-like than lightning quick, one tester said it was able to “go for it everywhere with spunk.”
Improvements to this year's ML-3 garnered the best scores ever received for Apex's women's line. Testers liked the addition of the forward lean adjustment which allowed for accommodation of anatomy and preference for getting dialed front to back. The more-snug interface between the soft inner boot and the exterior chassis was also acknowledged for how much better the boot seemed to transmit energy to the ski.
Testers who conducted liner molding tests approved of the amount of change found there for evening out firm fit areas and allowing the ankles and heel to find a better seat. Some testers felt the heel pocket was a little vague off the rack, and after some custom liner padding were much more secure. All testers liked the dual Boa closure of the inner boot and appreciated the spring-loaded "coiler" Boa reel upgrades this year.
While testers cite the boot's primary strength comes from the rigid exoskeleton when the leg shaft remains aligned with the cuff, making lateral moves to roll the ski up on edge powerfully, they note that the multiple soft internal layers and long chassis sole length have a muting effect on feel for the snow.
Testers universally agree that the inner boot is the ultimate apres-ski crossover boot, and a few gave it a shot in their snowboard set-up with excellent results.
Testers like the Zay for its strong skiing character, light and agile feel underfoot and progressive flex feel that's tied into the radial cable closure system. They like all these things especially in the 130 flex, where the strength and power is commanding enough to outweigh some of the remaining convenience and finish complaints that remain present on the ZR platform (i.e., it's still tricky to get on and buckled up).
Testers favored the ZR 130 flex at this year's test because it was entered in the Technical Frontside category, where the Zay is operating within its wheelhouse. The All-Mountain Traditionalist category necessitates a certain level of intuitive ease of entry and, well, a traditional skier target that the Zay doesn't immediately hit the bullseye on. Let's face it, the 130 flex Technical Frontside customer is willing to work a bit to gain the performance output that effort will yield--the 110 flex All-Mountain Traditionalist guy may not.
All that said, testers loved the improvements brought forward this year in the form of a completely redesigned and hot-spot free liner and a new modern look for the shell's exterior. They like the boot's sensitive roll side to side that's enhanced by the unique dual density bootboard (softer medial side, split longitudinally with a firmer lateral side) . More technically skilled skiers on the lighter weight end of the spectrum will most appreciate this boot, testers said.
Note that while testers universally did not like the super slippery sole plates installed on the ZR 110, Zay reports that production models will offer more grippy material.
Some wide rides are too, well, two-dimensional. They blow out the toebox and forefoot to hit a last width target but forget about the other bits that are usually over-sized as well. Not the really-tough-to-type Ten.2 120 HV. This is a three-dimensional site plan suited for the big skier.
The instep ceiling is vaulted and the calf fit is flared; high volume feet and legs will find their anatomical match here. The 120 flex is legit solid, built to handle the beat-down applied by big dudes. Got a really big calf? Pull the Velcro spoiler. Got a tight ankle joint (meaty feet guys ain't generally yoga masters)? There's room for a heel lift.
Testers liked the way this one skied. While many wide boots are difficult for slender-footed testers to find center, nobody had trouble zeroing in on the Ten.2 sweet spot. Its stance angles are balanced and its construction is tuned for performance skiing.
It's far from a bucket boot. Let’s spin the vocab dial and call it a spatially-enhanced all-mountain crusher that's agile enough so long as a skier's got the flesh to fill it up.
The medium width Mach1 130 MV returned to the stage and received another standing ovation. Actually, we’re not sure the applause ever stopped from last year’s test. What did testers like about the newly re-named MV? What didn't they like would be an easier question to answer—nothing. "Medium-class standard bearer" and "100mm benchmark" were a couple of the recurring themes on test forms. Unanimous love for this easy-fitting, strong skiing, go-everywhere and do-everything four-buckle overlap was the word.
Perhaps the only complaint testers might have had was the complete lack of opportunity to put any of the Mach1 MV's array of custom fitting options to work. Neither the grindable-punchable, Microcell CAS (Custom Adaptive Shape) liner nor the new, easier punching dimple-zone CAS shell got any real play because the boot just fit everybody’s foot too well out of the box to bother with any of it, testers claim. We did put the CAS system to test with the 130 LV version and we loved it.
It makes virtually any discomfort easily disappear. The punchable, grindable Custom Adaptive Shape (CAS) liner and punch-prepped dimple-zones of the shell are uniquely designed to adapt to common fit issues with traditional bootfitting tools. The shell looks a little like Seal's face but those pock-marks serve a purpose beyond fulfilling a Heidi Klum fantasy. The dimples make stretches more defined and permanent. The exterior of the liner is also built to be heat stretched and ground. Many of our testers are professional bootfitters and they were unanimously impressed by the ability to make space specifically where needed while leaving the rest of the fit alone.
Liner alterations improve the anatomical shape-matching of the liner and shell to the foot's common contours. It wraps like a relaxed-fit glove but with a little extra room at the bony ankle points as well as at the 6th toe and toebox. That’s perfect for average feet but also accommodative of thicker, wider dogs too.
Gushing about fit is all well and good. How did it ski? Even better, showing a characteristic flair for unflappability all over the hill. Dead-flat and neutral feeling underfoot it rolled up on edge like magic and hooked into fat carves with absurd confidence. It’s easy to ski but powerful and agile. “Stupid fun,” one tester said.
