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
Testers loved the new fit and performance elements in Salomon's all-new S/Pro Alpha 130 EL (there are so many!) and had virtually zero complaints outside of those about yet another arcane boot naming structure and some testers' resistence to its very Smurfy blue. Several testers called this the best Salomon they've ever tested and virtually all of them applauded the S/Pro Alpha's arrival as an improvement over the previous S/Max narrows--and we thought those were pretty great too! The Alpha's highest score (a 4.80 out of a perfect 5.00) was awarded in the Anatomical Fit & Initial Feel parameter, which points out one of our testers' favorite aspects of this newly classic Salomon--the dialed fit.
Yes, testers also said the performance was top tier within this most competitive group of skilled descenders (4.60 for all performance metrics) but they all spent more time talking about the new fit map of the S/Pro Alpha. Most noticeably, the fit over the midfoot and through the instep is improved--taller, with better shaping over the midfoot bump (cuneiform bones) area with a new adjustable-customizable tongue and an instep buckle that has been moved closer to the throat of the boot and is also adjustable in its mounting position. Testers unanimously praised the design tweak for its simultaneous ability to offload pressure over the top of the foot while sucking the heel deeper back into its rearward anchor position. One tester felt that the instep buckle collided too much with the lower cuff buckle while closing up the overlaps but with some practice the buckling was not an issue of concern, the rest said. There is more vertical space over the toes, which most testers liked for warmth and free wiggling, though others felt they wanted to add a pad to the top of the liner to prevent unwanted rearward shifts--easily accomplished with a bootfitter's help. Testers agreed that the cuff fit was slender, tall and slightly more upright than the group average, and therefore its off-the-rack fit favored the longer-legged and those with lower-volume calves. Testers reminded that Custom Shell HD molding does treat the thicker calf well.
Stance-wise, testers were impressed with how this new narrow sat the fence between Frontside category piste power and an All-Mountain, more off-piste oriented neutral stance set-up. The lateral angles put the ski ever so slightly on an inside edge but not so much as to lock-up edge feathering or prevent a more surfy approach to terrain. Testers point out that the return to an adjustable lateral cuff mechanism (buh-bye Dual Pivot, we won't miss ya) on the Alpha makes quick stance angle adjustment a snap and will get most skiers where they want to be side-to-side without any other fuss. The fore-aft set-up is on the upright end of the spectrum, and shorter testers mentioned getting pushed back on their heels a bit. Testers point out that Custom Shell HD molding can offer some subtle stance angle customization, or a skier could employ a small spoiler between liner and cuff behind the calf to solve this issue.
So, the EL in the boot's name (BTW, Alpha means narrow S/Pro, HV means wide S/Pro, S/Pro sans prefix or suffix means medium) indicates Expert Line, which means that the buckles and cuff fasteners are all removable rather than riveted and that the power strap is an elasticized cam-buckle job, along with a tongue that can be adjusted for position and is also able to be dismantled in order to achieve some additional fit tweaks over the top of the foot. We think those features are all cool. Just EL? We say, El mejor!
Testers agreed that the Roxa R/Fit Pro W 105 was one of the coolest looking boots of the test, and on top of that they liked its energetic, spring-loaded flex feel that enabled quick moves and a spritely feeling return to center every turn. One tester said this was the best Roxa overlap design she'd ever tested. They also appreciated the top-tier raft of features that they've come to expect from the category's best boots: dual cuff adjustment, dual liner pull loops and custom-moldable Ultralon ankle panels, GripWalk soles and a traditional polyurethane build.
Testers were also in agreement that the length fit is short--so much so that a couple testers suggested skiers size up. However, any time a model fits shorter or longer than the category average it opens fit doors for those skiers who chronically find themselves in between sizes. Testers said that there was a pretty firm hold-down over the toes and the midfoot, but more relaxed fit through the ankles, instep and calf. For the right shape profile, this could prove a fit match made in heaven, though testers said that it missed the average shape bullseye on initial fit. They mentioned that wear time improved the fit tension inconsistencies, so a liner heat molding should be in the cards on this one, they thought.
Power to the edge was substantial when positioned to push against the ski, according to testers who gave more props to the R/Fit Pro W's flexy-springy cuff energy that generated a lot of rebound pop and an agile, attacking fore-aft feel. Testers said that the rebound energy bordered on nervous, but for active skiers who can harness this whip it could be a source of all-mountain fun.
Our test team has observed Roxa's boot lines evolve over the past decade or so and testers are impressed with the traditional overlap design of the R/Fit Pro range. Testers say it fits in alongside the top players in the All-Mountain Traditional category with a full complement of functional features like dual cuff adjustment, dual liner pull loops, GripWalk soles, a two-position instep buckle and custom moldable Ultralon liner ankle pockets. Testers liked the feel of the foot's connection to the snow through the lower shell for making quick moves through all-mountain conditions.
Testers were mixed in their opinions of how well the shell and liner fit the average foot shape, as some mentioned a tighter toebox and forefoot with a more relaxed heel and ankle pocket fit. Most were in agreement that the instep and cuff were fairly open in fit, relative the average for the medium last group. Testers with chronic ankle bone issues and thicker calves found the R/Fit Pro 120 a fantastic match for their fit needs. The liner fit improved for testers throughout their on-snow testing, indicating that the overall fit would improve with heat molding the liner.
Testers found the connection to the snow and terrain well-linked and positive underfoot when standing over the boot's powered-up sweet spot but slender legged testers found themselves seeking the upper cuff's best positioning, whereas the thick-legged felt locked-in where they needed to be for fore-aft balance and a position to attack tricky terrain with.
We had expected Rossignol to submit the Pure 80 in the wide-last group of the All-Mountain Traditional category but a lack of availability meant that we had to test the 70-flex version of it. This isn't a problem for our test team, who might be used to seeing women's boots in the 100-110 flex on average, as they know that a large part of boot testing is understanding the target audience for a given model. However, this doesn't give a boot a pass on how it fits, stands, flexes and performs on descent--it just might require a ratchet-down on testers' expectations as it's not a boot designed for high level skiers. With all that said, the Pure 70 was a sleeper in every sense of the word. It won the category and received four perfect scores, out of five, for Anatomical Fit, Dynamic Balance, Quickness and Convenience.
Our test team said that the Pure 70 was not a bucket, fit wise, and managed to contour around good anatomical shapes, if pretty darned roomy. They commented that the hold on the ankles and heel were enough to render a sense of control even when the room elsewhere was open and airy. The calf fit was slightly more snug due to a slightly taller fit than expected for the category, but the slightly tall and slightly upright cuff set-up worked well to buttress the better-than-70 fore-aft support while skiing in all-mountain conditions. They didn't mention anything about the new shell shape revisions or hinge-point change in the new Pure line, specifically, but they said that it flexed better and skied better than the soft flex wide rides from Rossi in the past.
Testers liked the fact that the 102mm Pure does come in a stiffer 80 flex which would work well for women looking for a little more flex support, and they noted that there is a heated version of the boot though their warmth scores were good as it was. They didn't know if anyone needed the comfort of the 60-flex given the level of fit luxury they found in the test model, and at a list price of $350 the Pure 70 was already the best deal of the boot test by far.
While the boot's name, Pure Pro 100 has been around for a few years, this season marks a completely new shell and cuff design (new molds) and all-new liner to suit. Testers loved all the changes and also what didn't change. The 100 mm Pure boot was known for its easy going, comfortable fit with lots of faux fur and a little extra toe room, all of which tended to keep it just out of the tip top tier in the performance score categories. The new Pure Pro 100 has kept a lot of the easy: easy on and off, easy to fit without hot spots, easy to stay balanced. But it has upped its game in terms of how its fit is more closely matched to anatomy rather than reliant on liner cushioning. It no longer fits longer--at least not any more than other models in the group. And it transmits movements to the ski with less slop in the liner linkage--testers said that the liner felt married to the interior of the shell for a zero-delay feel for the snow.
Testers also said that the 100's flex feel is changed for the better--a little more substantial than billed but still evenly cushioned along the shin and able to maintain even pressure distribution between shin and tongue throughout the flex range. They said the fore-aft positioning is slightly upright and a little tall feeling on the leg, both of which enhance the feeling of a 100 flex that punches above its weight class. One of our testers with a keen eye for calf room said that while tall on the leg, the flared cuff shape suited a higher volume leg well, and she noted that while a slender legged skier might need to adjust the cuff to its slightly more forward leaning position, the thicker calf would probably do the trick for a perfectly balanced fore-aft stance.
Testers rewarded how this 100-100 fit and skied with four perfect 5.00 scores out of five. The boot skied at the top of every testers ranking list in the medium width All-Mountain category, and as such it was not a surprise that it took the top spot out of 9 very good boots. What did surprise our testers in the end was that the Pure Pro 100 received the highest score in the entire women's test field--and the men's as well. Tip top.
The all new Rossignol Pure Elite 120 LV did not disappoint testers who have come to expect that the flagship women's Rossi will bring some sort of cosmetic excitement to the test. The bright lipstick red called out to testers like a fresh, new bloom to a hummingbird, as one tester after another grabbed it and took it for a test spin. Out of over ten separate tests of the model, all but one made some positive mention of the new look. Of course it didn't top the All-Mountain narrow category on looks alone--in a statistical feat it received 4.92's (out of 5.00) across the board in all five test parameters to rack up the second highest average score of the women's boot test (it's medium-width sister Pure Pro beat it by .03).
Rossignol's women's flagship narrow has always fared well with our test team, though always with the caveat that it was roomier than it should've been for a 98mm model. Those comments are no more with this all new shell and liner--testers call it an anatomically sculpted narrow, meaning tight where it should be but contoured around common bony prominences. This virtually hot spot free fit situation created some surprisingly comfortable commentary but never was there a complaint about it treading into medium width territory. Testers say that the height of the cuff is slightly lower feeling than before, and noticeably less furry in this iteration. They liked the firm feeling liner that provided better performance grip but with enough cushion that the control wasn't a trade for comfort. Testers were split on whether the split (both medial and lateral closures) Velcro power strap(s) were help or hindrance, but otherwise they loved the simple and traditional batch of features on board.
Beyond the fit equating to performance, the new shell design's higher and more forward placement of the cuff's hinge point impressed testers with the smooth and natural flex feel it produced. An even shin fit and progressive flex feel has always been a hallmark of the Rossignol women's line, but testers said that this new Pure Elite took those elements to a new higher level. While testers said the boot performed well in equal measure for power and quickness (recall the 4.92's) a few mentioned that it continued to improve the faster and harder it was pushed, suggesting it had no limit to its top-end beyond the skier who was driving it. Stance-wise all the Rossignol boots share a similar set of angles internally for the boot board's ramp, the cuff's forward lean angle (though it's adjustable in this version) and the cuff's lateral geometry--all of those work together to produce a comfortably athletic stance, testers agreed.
If the test team hasn't heaped enough praise on this boot there is one other fact worth mentioning--it was the most highly sought after model of the entire test for personal acquisition (i.e. purchase, trade, theft)--and while imitation is supposedly the highest form of flattery, at a boot test intentions of theft rank pretty highly too.
Some of our veteran testers will put one model on a left foot and a different model from the same category and width on the other foot for the sake of a close comparison of two similar boots. Here's what one tester said about his head-to-head match up between the Rossignol Hi-Speed 130 HV and the Nordica Sportmachine3 130: "I thought I was headed out to watch a pillow fight between a couple cushy buckets but then the pillow fight turned into a full-on brawl and they started kicking each other's asses! The Rossi won, but not by much--who knew wide boots were so much fun!" At the end of the test the Rossignol did take first place in the All-Mountain Traditional, Wide category, just edging out the silver medal Nordica by nine hundredths of a point. Testers unanimously loved the Hi-Speed HV's blend of comfort, balance and skiing performance, with another veteran tester calling it "The best wide boot I've ever tested."
The all-new Hi-Speed design brings a slightly lighter, more reactive feeling construction to the mix this year in three different widths--testers liked the HV for a noticeable increase in room throughout the boot in comparison to its medium width version, but no so much room that the fit became boxy or completely absent of control. Our highest volume testers said there was still some room to spare for the truly fat of foot, but they liked the way the liner and shell worked together to maintain a hold on the rear part of the foot and lower leg below the calf for control over the ski. Testers said the connection of liner to shell improved the connection of foot and leg movements to the ski, even when the contact was lacking due to a lower volume foot testing a high volume boot.
While there are several 130 flex wide rides on the market that can hold up to the load a large dude can place on it, less common are boots with that kind of stability and power that also feel quick. Testers liked the Hi-Speed HV's ability to feather the edge and guide the ski and said the transition time between turns had no noticeable turbo lag--they gave the Quickness parameter an average 4.80. But yes, Edge Power did get a perfect 5.00.
Testers said the stance is suitably upright to handle a big guy's big calf and not be pushed into quad-smoking, over-flexed territory and laterally the neutral cuff angles worked well for managing a flat ski on demand without any struggle to find a solid edge.
Was it easy to get on? Yes. Was it warm on a cold day? Yep. Testers said all the essentials were in place and the on-board features were functional: dual liner pull loops, lateral cuff adjustment, forward lean adjustment, flex adjustment, GripWalk soles.
Rossignol's quest for a medium width all-mountain performance machine that will compete head to head with the likes of Lange RX, Tecnica Mach1 and Nordica Speedmachine appear to have been realized with the arrival of the Hi-Speed Pro 120 MV. Testers ranked all four of these models at the very top of a large heap within two-tenths of a point of each other at this year's test and said that this was the brand's best boot ever released in that highly competitive category.
Gone were the caveats about Rossignol's roomier-than-average fit tension--this was a tight, performance narrow that grasped the foot and leg everywhere in a comfortably snug embrace yet without hot spots in typical bony or wide zones. Testers were impressed that the Hi-Speed Pro combined surprisingly smooth and easy entry and exit with a stronger-than-120 flex feel that never collapsed on hard hits or during aggressive skiing. They said the cuff fit in ideal fashion against the shin, around to the calf and they liked the angles both front-to-back and side-to-side. They appreciated that the cuff is doubly adjustable in forward lean angle as well as adjustable in both lateral geometry and flex, but they didn't feel that any adjustment was needed beyond the out-of-box set up which they called dead on the money dialed.
Rossignol's use of Dual Core plastic injection, first started in sister brand Lange's models, continued to impress our test team with the boot's snappy, resilient quickness and accuracy that doesn't sacrifice traditional polyurethane and polyether stability and dampness. This new Hi-Speed line also utilizes and interesting sandwich of different density plastic material in the cuff construction as a way to increase flex rebound energy and simultaneously improve smoothness of the flex feel. While we don't fully understand the engineering of this manufacturing magic, we can attest to the resulting feel and performance on snow which would support those rebound and smoothness claims.
The cuff's attachment to the lower shell remains adjustable in lateral angle, which we applaud, but it was also moved up and forward from its previous Allspeed location to better match the anatomical hinge point of the ankle, which our test team liked. The so-called Generative Design of the shell employs a lattice-work of thickened ribs in structurally critical zones to create a transmissive and stable feel at high speeds, on hard snows and through funky terrain while keeping other shape- or entry-prioritized areas rib-free to maximize wrapping and flexibility. Testers said all this marketing fluff bore fruit for them in terms of it being easy on and off and easy to ski well in those aforementioned situations.
Testers were unanimously excited about Rossignol's new Hi-Speed alpine boot line-up, especially its flagship narrow offering in the Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV GW (that's a mouthful). While our testers have liked the Rossi narrow of the past for its, well, mediumish comfort and convenience, they were curious to see what fit tension adaptation may have evolved with this latest generation for the brand. Testers say, first, it's tight like an LV should be. Second, they say it skis like, well, kinda like a Lange, its perennial boot test winning sister brand. Third, testers say it manages to retain its Rossi-ness in that it's still easy to get on, convenient to close up and adjust, all-day warm and supremely neutral of stance.
While Rossignol has avoided the gravitational pull of the lightweight boot game (thank you for that, Rossi, BTW), it does utilize a thicker lattice-work of plastic in critical transmission and stability areas of the shell, and in the carbon models like this one an additional structural element in the form of carbon fiber shards are injected with the plastic into the foundational lower part of the shell. The plastic elsewhere in the lower boot is slightly less reinforced to enhance shape-wrapping, ease of entry and yes, some minimal weight savings. The shell and cuff are both Dual Core constructions, utilizing a less-dense plastic sandwiched between higher density stuff, all within the thickness of the shell wall itself to create a snappier, more energetic transfer of movement from skier to ski. We have tested non Dual Core models against identical Dual Core ones in the past and can attest that it's not just marketing mumbo jumbo.
This year's new liner design was a hit with testers who applauded the seamless toebox for its comfort and newfound warmth and the ever-improving ankle pocket design which is more heat moldable than ever with a new, Rossi-branded liner cooking tool that helps heat up the liner's exterior in addition to its inner surfaces. Testers loved the snug but well-matched shape right off the test racks but appreciate the targeted molding options in the liner.
Stance and performance wise testers lodged nary a complaint. Out of 15 individual tests, seven perfect scores of 5.00 were filed for the boot's Dynamic Balance, eight perfect scores were logged for Edge Power and also eight perfect scores given for Quickness--the boot plain skis, testers said. In fact, the only boot in the narrow group of the All-Mountain Traditional category to outscore the Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV was its big brother Lange RX 130 LV, but only by a tenth--oh well, this is often the way it is with siblings.
Testers said that the search for a $500 wide lasted boot that truly accommodates a large calf and still holds up flex-wise is over! The Nordica Sportmachine 95 W is massively roomy in the lower boot and in the cuff, with additional calf adjustment available if it's needed, testers said. They also loved the solidly even flex feel that did not collapse under heavy burdens--it's way stronger than the 95 flex index advertising, they reported.
Our test team said that the fit is very open throughout the boot, from bottom to top, but has good anatomical shaping for the high volume foot and leg that might fill it. Testers agreed that the flex feel was one of the Sportmachine's best qualities, saying that it had a solid, reliable feel and didn't fail under aggressive flexing or on unexpected terrain impacts. The Sportmachine 95 W's edging work was damp and stable and the boot's quickness was hinted at but our testers said higher volume feet would take up the ample space and quicken the pace turn to turn. Testers said the fore-aft stance was upright enough that it would take a high-volume calf to feel ideally balanced--a much better set-up than a too forward one resulting in burning quads on run one.
The liner is silky and soft against the foot and leg, testers said, with plenty of cushioning and insulation for a warm day on the slopes. Its ease of putting on taking off was almost hands free, and testers said the buckles and power strap were simple and straightforward to deal with. It's not a surprise that the Sportmachine 95 W's Convenience, Warmth & Features score was a perfect 5.00.
Consistent, uniform, predictable, stable. These descriptors came up repeatedly in testers' reports after putting the Nordica Speedmachine3 115 W through its paces at our boot test this past Spring. For a medium-width fixed cuff boot these words are like A-plusses all the way down its report card. Testers said it schooled virtually the entire class of medium width contenders in this very competitive group with its ideal blend of creature comforts, anatomical fit and expert level downhill performance. Everything the do-it-all 100mm all-mountain ski boot is supposed to do, testers said the Speedmachine delivered on in flying colors.
Testers much preferred this year's liner to last year's, and were unanimously impressed with its silky feel against the sock and smooth entry and exit that somehow didn't feel overly slick while skiing or walking. The ankle pockets were properly located and firm enough for control over the ski without feeling harsh against bony points and the heel was appropriately snug for a 115-flex level performance tier in a medium width boot, testers said. They loved the cuff height on the leg and said the tongue's shin fit was ideally cushioned throughout the flex range, which they said felt on-target for the specified stiffness.
Testers said the Speedmachine3 115 W was one of those boots that just enabled instantly good and balanced skiing from the first buckle-up, without fit or stance alignment hassles. They drove it everywhere on the hill and found themselves paying attention to tighter lines and finding better stashes, not figuring out its quirks (there were none). Some testers mentioned that the damp stability and inherent predictable feel of the Speedmachine may have robbed a slight bit of agility and quickness but not enough to dampen their fun. For a trouble-free all-mountain performer they said there are very few any better.
Over the last several years there has been a ski boot trend of building supposedly narrow boots that for all intents and purposes fit like medium widths. We continue to call out these poser-narrows as we can. The Nordica Promachine 115 W is absolutely not one of them. This is a narrow's narrow, made for real skiers with low volume feet and legs--the kind of body that belongs in a narrow lasted ski boot. Our fit scoring is calculated over eight different fit zones, from toebox to heel pocket to calf, on a scale of 1 through 5. A "1" indicates the sort of tight fit you find in a World Cup race boot. A "5" indicates the sort of roomy fit found in, say, a packed-out rental boot. New testers are instructed that the ideal medium width boot might receive mostly 3's, whereas the wider 102mm last should receive 4's while the 98mm gets 2's. What did the Promachine 115 W get, averaged over the eight fit zones? A 1.96.
Not to belabor the point, but even though one of our testers complained that her navicular and arch were being crushed by the Promachine's tightness, she noted that it wasn't a problem with the boot but just a mismatch for her more mediumish foot--what was the Promachine's score for Anatomical Fit and Initial Feel? It received a perfect 5.00.
Did the snug fit equate to high power and quickness scores? Duh, yes it did! This is a boot built to ski, first and foremost, testers said. That it is fairly easy to get on and fits without typical hot spots is a fortunate secondary benefit. The construction and materials are derived from the race-bred, Frontside Dobermann boot, so with that sort of engineering heritage Nordica would have to really screw things up to not have a ripping all-mountain model in the Promachine. Testers mentioned that it has a slightly taller than average cuff height against the shin and it's also a touch upright in angle and it's stout--so, shorter, lighter and less aggressive skiers experienced some challenges getting out over the front of the boot and staying in the driver's seat.
