While the Fischer RC4 105 LV BOA is a Vacuum boot and one of the unique qualities about the Fischer Vacuum molding system is that it can compress the shell around the foot, actually making a heel p
The Salomon S/Pro Alpha 130 EL impressed our test team even more than last year with its nearly flawless combination of narrow class fit and no-compromises downhill performance. Testers scored it well enough for a tied first place finish in the most competitive All-Mountain narrow category and said pithy things like: The ski reacts with subservience to this boot.
We tested the Alpha last year when it was first released, and our love for it was not a fluke, as evidenced by this year's second look and testers' sophomore love fest. What our testers loved this time around echoed their first--a classically Salomon liner feel mated to a powerhouse of a boot without performance flaws.
The fit is shockingly soft and smooth against the sock, from first slide-in to taking it off at the end of the day, testers said. And yet this silky, well padded, anatomically draped and painted-on liner feel didn't equate to a constant re-buckle on pack-out. Testers said it managed to hold fast to the foot and remain consistently tight, while simultaneously caressing the foot. In a boot fit brain tease, our testers were forced to confront the fact that they were calling this boot TIGHT (in all caps) while at the same time calling it COMFY (yes, caps again). There were no mentions of hot spots about the S/Pro Alpha 130 EL. There were multiple mentions of how well the Alpha contoured over the top of the foot and transitioned through the instep and into the boot throat, then on up the leg shaft against the shin. This midfoot to shin transition is one of the best our team's ever felt in a narrow, 130-flex boot. It's snug but somehow ideally shaped for a variety of different insteps and shins. For skiers with chronic instep and shin issues this boot is a must-try-on, according to our testers.
Somehow such comfort didn't deduct from the S/Pro Alpha 130's power on edge, which was given a perfect 5.00 after eleven testers each had their way with it. It's quickness score received a 4.89, so that didn't suck much either. Testers noted that the lateral stance is ever so slightly inside-edgy, which translated into massive trenching power but made for a slightly hooky or locked-up feel in soft snow slithers. These picky testers said it was within the range of an easy cuff adjustment using the eliptical, metal-to-metal adjustment mechanism. Testers say the stance is a touch upright, with a slightly lower-than-average internal ramp angle feel, which leveraged big power to the shovel once a skier made the move forward, but they caution that less assertive skiers will need to get on their A-game to stay out in front of this boot when it's time to go.
Testers dig the bootfitter-centric features, like the moldable Talyn liner tongue and fully dismantleable (totally takeapartable?) buckle and cuff attachment hardware, and they appreciate the placement of the instep buckle closer to the actual instep and with additional adjustment on that location. The 50mm cam buckle power strap does the job for our testers. And the blue? Well, we suppose nothing's perfect. No offense, Smurfs.
The Roxa R/Fit Pro W 105 caught testers' eye with its Ocean Blue cosmetic and Coral highlights, but they ended up liking it most for its solid lateral movements game, saying it was both quick to transition and solid on edge through varied terrain and snow surfaces.
Testers thought that the fit map was unique in that it trended to the snug side of the medium boots tested alongside it and it had both a short toebox feel coupled with a less-than-tight heel pocket. Testers wondered if adding some fill pads at the front of the liner's instep area might better hold the heel in place and simultaneously open the fit, lengthwise. They said the ankle pockets were nicely located and sculpted and testers liked the snug but comfortable fit through the instep into the lower leg shaft. The calf was on the narrow side of medium for our test team.
The R/Fit Pro W 105 came with some useful features like double sided cuff adjustments (though testers liked the boot's stance straight out of the box), dual liner pull loops and GripWalk soles that came mounted on the boot but with Alpine DIN soles in the box as well.
Testers liked how easily the boot skied in a variety of turn shapes and sizes and thought that it would be a great option for a lot of different skiers once the liner got heat molded.
Testers who had tested the R/Fit boot previously said that this year's R/Fit 130 was the best version they've tested. They liked this year's clean finish and well-executed details like the quick-release rip cord on the cam buckle power strap, dual sided cuff adjustment and dual pull loops on board the Ultralon 4D Biofit liner, but what they liked best about the R/Fit 130 is how well it motors through whatever they point it at. It's a polyurethane-powered all-mountain damp destroyer, they said, citing its unflappable, dependable attitude in both short and long turns.
Testers found the fit was a little less polished but it got the job done for most of our average volume feet and legs. Testers said that the fit is slightly shorter in length than the norm and slightly cramped in the toebox, but had ample room at the forefoot. Testers noted that the cuff accommodated medium to large calves quite well but left our slender-legged guys clanging around a bit, searching for support from buckles and straps. A few testers mentioned that the flex feel was firm (as expected for a 130 flex) but also started out with a bit of shin bite at the boot top. They followed-up to say that after skiing a few runs this fit zone did improve.
Testers extrapolated that the 120-flex R/Fit might offer a slighter softer feel against the shin and still punch well above its weight class based on the solidity of the 130 we tested--and save an extra 75-bucks. Another option Roxa offers at the 130-flex level would be to opt for the Intuition (I.R.) tongue-style liner for a $50 up-charge.
Our women's test team is an open-minded bunch--they've given lots of different types of boots a fair shake over the years, whether they were overlap designs or cabrio-style three-piece constructions, or even removable soft boot exoskeleton affairs. They're an inclusive crew, and now it's clear that they are also, absolutely not, flexist. The Rossignol Pure 80 was far-and-away the softest model tested this year, but testers said that for its intended target it delivered on all criteria: fit, performance, stance, features and convenience. They gave it a near-perfect 4.80 (out of 5.00) which put it in the company of the test's best perennial performers.
With only two caveats (they hated the grey color and said it was a little more snug than expected for a 102-mm) lobbed in the Pure 80's direction, testers overwhelmingly loved this boot for how it over-delivered in every way, but with particular regard to it's flex-index rating and price tag.
They said that the shape was well-mapped for the wider foot and thicker leg, though a couple testers said it trended to the snug side of the wide ride group. They thought the heel and ankle pockets were appropriately snug for the target and liked the flare at the boot top for a thicker calf and the room at the forefoot for a broad spread there. They thought the liner's fur accents were a nice touch but not quite enough to compensate for the dull grey exterior--though, they did say the color-way played into its stealthy price-point sleeper persona.
Testers loved how well this boot skied, with virtually all testers registering some level of surprise over how strongly the supposed 80-flex drove skis through a variety of terrain choices and snow surfaces. They said the stance was balanced, the steering response was near-immediate and the stability was confidence-inspiring. They said the Pure 80 is a no-brainer for any thick-footed intermediate or cost-conscious advanced skier looking for a comfy-warm slam dunk boot buy.
Of the Rossignol Pure Pro 100, one tester commented that it was easy to find one's balance in this boot, and sure enough it's Dynamic Balance score came out to a perfect 5.00! Virtually every tester commented on the Pure Pro 100's instant comfort and ease to get on and off, and whatdya know, another perfect 5.00! There were no deal-breaker issues here, nor any unwanted surprises. Many testers called it a perfect medium width fit and said it was exactly what they expected out of a 100-flex all-mountain boot.
Skiers should not be lulled into a lazy dream state by the Pro 100's easygoing entry and exit attitude and silky, teddy-bear-soft liner feel (one tester said the boot was so comfortable she needed to head to the bar), because this boot skis with the best of them. In fact, its performance metrics were higher than most of the medium width all-mountain group's entries in the 105 to 115 flex index range. Testers said it's not a sports car but rather a luxury sedan that has a sport mode you probably won't ever use--but you could. Their favorite thing about this boot (aside from their love for the liner's furry luxury) was that it was just completely problem-free. There wasn't a thing about it that wouldn't let them recommend it to a friend. Okay, a couple said that the heel pocket could be a little tighter, but that's an easy fix with a bootfitter's help, so we'll ignore that.
Testers loved how they skied in this boot, from the stance to its stability on edge, and they didn't call its cosmetics boring--black and chrome works fine for them, apparently. Simple, comfy, good-looking--and it skis well too. That was enough for our team to put this one on the category podium.
The Rossignol flagship, narrow women's All-Mountain model has created a bit of a niche in the last several years among our crew--testers have come to expect a graphically stunning boot (be it luxuriant fur, sophisticated accents or flashy wall colors) that also happens to shock with how strongly it skis. The Pure Elite 120 has been a boot skied by the best athletes on the hill but also committed intermediates that are looking for a step-up without hampering their fun with the status quo. Add the fire engine red coloration and let's include confident to the mix of adjectives that describe the current Pure Elite 120 skier--you better either ski as good as this boot looks or think you ski as good as this boot looks when you click into your bindings.
Our testers were very impressed with the Pure Elite 120 last year and that didn't change at this year's test, nor should it have, as the boot returned to the test unchanged as well. Last year testers were immediately drawn to the vibrant red cosmetic (we said then, like hummingbirds to a feeder) and after skiing it made it the object not just of their affection but also of their attempted thievery. When testers were thwarted in their larcenous plans at the end of our test period a few of them went out and bought the boot for themselves--know that this act is borderline heresy for ski industry veteran insiders who can usually finagle an angle on equipment freebies or at the very least steep discounts--and we think that paints a very clear picture of the allure of this boot. Voting with one's dollars may be more telling than giving high scores.
All that hype aside, this is just a ski boot after all, and that's one of the things that testers like--for all its flash, it still fits right, stands right and skis right. Testers gave its stance angles a perfect score and a near-perfect 4.83 for Edge Power as well as its Convenience, Warmth & Features score. Our thick-legged testers say that while it's a properly snug narrow, there's enough flare at the boot top to caress (rather than crush) the calf. This is one of those boots that testers wait to test until they're going out on a photo shoot or a three-run backside mission with some hard chargers--they know it won't let them down or bring them to tears and they can just enjoy the ski experience. And isn't that what any good skier wants--a tear-free epic day, all around the mountain?
Testers remain split on the split power strap, with some finding the dual pulley Velcro useful in its varied placement options and others calling it silly, gimmicky, stupid and fiddly. They all do like the little rooster logo on it, though. Other features are refreshingly spare for our team: single cuff adjustment, single tongue pull loop, GripWalk soles (white!). Steal one if you can, testers suggest, but they assure that it's worth the money if you have to pay for it.
Over 70% of our test team awarded the Rossignol Hi-Speed 130 HV GW a perfect score of 5.00, and we think that's saying something. Not only did it top the wide last field in the All-Mountain Traditional category this year (well, there was only one entry there) it was the second-highest scoring boot of the entire men's field, across all categories--and we know that's saying something.
Testers agreed that the Rossi Hi-Speed 130 HV is exhibit A in our current evidence box that supports our contention that now is the best boot era ever for the thick-footed, skilled skier. Wide-lasted boots continue to get better and better, offering the right fit for the wide side without a lot of bootfitting effort and without sacrificing proper stance and on-snow performance. Most brands offer 102-mm boots, but only a handful offer an all-mountain line-up of narrow, medium and wide lasts that hang together in well-differentiated fits but mirror-image performance levels, per stiffness. Rossignol is one of those, testers say.
What's so special about the Hi-Speed HV? Well, nothing really and everything because of that. It is not a fancy-featured model, testers assure. It has a Velcro power strap, four buckles, a cuff adjustment and GripWalk soles. It goes on and off easily without having to manage any cables or laces. It closes up using a traditional buckle configuration with a similarly traditional liner to pad the inner workings of the shell. It stands in a balanced and therefore inconspicuous way. It matches the movements of the lower leg while skiing, hinging properly at the ankle joint during flexion and it engages the skis' edges predictably, in both directions. It is black with a little bit of red. That the boot is unremarkable in these ways primarily means that it is not problematic in any way. Said another way, the boot is flawless in its simplicity, and our test team liked that a lot.
Yes, a couple testers thought there were some spots that were more snug than expected for an HV model, like against the navicular bone and over the top of the foot, but theirs was a minority opinion and they were admittedly minor level complaints. Some testers still wish for flat Alpine soles instead of GripWalk, but again, a minority viewpoint at this stage in the game. The majority of testers overwhelmingly loved this one and suggested that any skier with thick feet should put it on his short list.
Testers say the Rossignol Hi-Speed Pro 130 Carbon MV GW is consistent in fit and performance--it's a no-surprises, bankable boot sitting square in the middle of the Hi-Speed range, between the narrow Elite and the wide HV. Testers say that this three-model line up is ideally spaced, or differentiated, from each other fit-wise but virtually identical in how they each ski. Testers say the idea of "pick-your-width" boot shopping is exemplified in the Hi-Speed line, as there is no performance trade-off for increased width or warmth.
The Hi-Speed Pro sets a standard for medium width fit for many of the test team, who praised the boot as virtually flawless in fit for the average foot and leg. They like the balance the liner strikes between its soft address of the foot with more firmly structured and sculpted pockets for the ankle bones and heel. Testers had virtually no fit issues that would require a bootfitter's help, other than one tester who thought it ran a touch looser than he liked--in this situation a shift to the narrow Elite would be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Testers say this is a legit 130-flex that offers an evenly distributed pressure against the shin and a flex feel that doesn't collapse, even under a serious pounding from a large driver. Stance-wise, testers also found no fault, enjoying the position the boot placed them in for front-to-back and side-to-side movements. Quickness, power and balance scores were all 4.63's, further supporting testers' assessment of the boot's reliable on-snow attitude.
Features were simple but useful: liner pull loops, GripWalk soles, cuff adjustment, Velcro power strap. Testers liked the subtle but stylish Rossi striped pull loops and power strap graphic.
So few complaints from our crew on this one--what's not to like about that?
The Rossignol Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV GW returned unchanged to our boot test and our team again put it at the very top of the competitive narrow All-Mountain Traditional group. Well, it was fourth down from the top, but it was out of the first spot by only 0.03 points, so we're calling it a virtual four-way tie for first there. Last year's debut of the Hi-Speed line impressed testers with a closer, more anatomically sculpted fit and quicker, more energetic response to the edge. Those elements struck testers again this year.
The Hi-Speed Elite offered a tightening-up of Rossi's narrow performance offering (predecessor Allspeed Elite) and yet testers say that the Hi-Speed Elite still trends toward the slightly roomier side of the narrow last group. Not by much, testers said, but Rossi has not lost its comfort and warmth edge over the competition, even as it hammers a ski through variable terrain or drives it in a gouging arc against hard snow. Testers love the just right liner that's firm enough in the heel and ankle without offending bony points, and they said that the feel against the foot from the first slide in was top of class.
The closer fit of the Hi-Speed Elite bumps its quickness scores--testers awarded it a 4.83 there, but it's A-game is in its brutish power against the ski edge where testers gave it a perfect 5.00. This is one of those boots where testers mention that it skis surprisingly powerfully in comparison to its pleasant fit and entry-exit demeanor. Its carbon infused polyurethane cuff is stiff and transmissive and the polyurethane lower shell remains damp and stable. This is a solid-feeling boot that reminds good skiers what real boot plastic in proper shell wall thicknesses feels like (feels good, is what they say).
The Nordica Speedmachine 3 115 W took top honors in the medium width group of the All-Mountain Traditional category, the most heavily populated segment of the women's test. First place here combined with Nordica's other first place in the narrow group for a two-entry sweep of the category. Testers were not surprised by the Speedmachine's high scoring results, it has done well in boot tests previously in a variety of different iterations, but this year a few of our boot retailer testers were asking, why don't we sell Nordica? And some of our other testers whose own boots are of other brands were asking, why don't I ski in Nordica?
These are good questions without good enough answers, probably, because the Nordica narrow and medium width All-Mountain boots have rarely disappointed--they remain one of the categories' benchmark models year in and year out at our test for a consistently good fit that pairs with top rate performance on snow, and they don't come with any surprises to throw a skier off her game. Testers loved the way the Speedmachine worked with their particular skiing styles, many of them citing that they simply buckled up and went skiing without having to worry about an off-the-mark stance or unexpected flex feel. Intuitive, easy and fun were some of the descriptors that came up repeatedly.
Our team was similarly in agreement that this medium width ran more snug than expected in both the lower boot and upper cuff, and had a particularly tight heel and instep fits in the group, which translated into high scores for ski control but resulted in slight demerits in comfort and bloodflow for the target, average foot shape. Granted these were not major concerns for our team as it didn't bump the boot from first place, but fit did represent its lowest score, whereas it got a perfect score for Quickness & Steering. Testers universally praised the Speedmachine 3 115 W's feel for the snow underfoot, which they characterized as tuned-in and quick to respond. They also heaped compliments onto the boot's progressive flex feel that addressed the leg shaft in an even (if firm) way.
The takeaway for testers was that the Speedmachine remains a no-brainer for good skiers who don't want fancy features and would rather just put on a boot and go rip anywhere on the mountain without any boot related fuss.
Our women's test team has put the Promachine 115 W through the ringer before and absolutely loved it. That was the sentiment this time around, too, with our testers giving it a nearly perfect 4.94--in fact, five of the seven women who tested this model gave it a perfect 5.0, and incidentally this was the highest scored boot in the entire test across all categories, including men's models. One of the Promachine 115 W's most endearing characteristics is its generally flawless nature. One tester summed it up nicely: there's nothing wrong with this boot. See?
But it goes far beyond that, into the psyche of the skier, and those who haven't tested many boots may not understand this as intimately as veteran testers do, but boots can either make you or break you as a skier. We're talking good skiers, here. Some boots reduce the best skiers on the hill to struggling advanced intermediates! Well, not really, and to watch a great skier testing such a problematic boot you wouldn't see an obvious struggle, but that's what the skier will tell you--the boot made them unsure of themselves, tentative, and sometimes downright scared. Other boots may not have such a negative effect on a skier but require the athlete to change her approach to entering a turn or force her to make some extra movement she'd otherwise not bother with. And then, there are boots that go on and then promptly disappear. They are put out of mind as the skier discovers that they first and foremost fit properly but they also respond exactly as directed. Not only do these top tier boots not interfere with a skier's movements and intentions, they actually seem to anticipate them and even enhance them--these are the great boots that top each of our test categories, and the Promachine 115 W topped the most competitive category of all. There are no bad boots in this group, but the Promachine sat at the peak of the heap.
The Promachine 115 W is not for everyone--it's a real narrow boot, averaging the tightest overall fit in the women's narrow all-mountain group. But that said, for those with low volume feet this is a dream fit. Testers said that the shape is well contoured for the typical bony parts of the foot and the liner is well-enough padded to insulate and lock-in the foot. Testers said there's enough flare at the boot top (and a removable rear spoiler) to accommodate normal legs, but the lower boot is designed to hold onto the truly slender-of-foot and those skiers who want serious heel and ankle hold for absolute ski-driving control. The polyurethane shell and cuff are designed to be worked on with a variety of common bootfitting approaches, so skiers caught in between the fits of the narrow Promachine and the medium Speedmachine should opt for the narrow one (with a punch list) if the priority is performance.
One of the few critiques of this boot was also a compliment: it's stiff, one tester said. This shouldn't be a shock, as a 115 flex, but so few boots back up the advertised stiffness that it can come as a surprise to testers when one does. This boot suits the expert skier, first and foremost, but testers said it was easily accessed and didn't require mach speeds to perform--so, they suggested this would be worthy of aggressive intermediates looking for an instant step-up in their all-mountain performance game.
Sometimes, testers find that the marketing department wasn't so far off. Here's what Nordica says about the Speedmachine 3 120: "No matter the terrain or the conditions, Nordica’s all-new Speedmachine 3 120 unlocks everything the mountains have to offer...Confidently ski anything and everything with Nordica’s Speedmachine 3 120." Our testers agreed. They mentioned multiple times and in multiple ways how versatile the boot was all around the mountain and they similarly reached consensus that the boot was confidence inspiring--really, it came up in their test comments a few different times!
The Speedmachine 3 120 was not a boot that was new to our test team--they've tested it before, but this time around they found that the liner construction had been perfected over the past generation and delivered classic Nordica, plush-feeling and easy to get on and off but without a too-soft build that didn't hold the heel and ankles and suggested early pack-out. Testers called the fit a perfect medium-width blend of contouring for wide and bony spots with a firm grip where it counted in the rearfoot, without drifting into narrow boot territory. The lower shell and upper cuff provided no glitches or flaws to consider--it's a tried-and-true polyurethane machine that's been bred to perform properly, and testers couldn't dispute this. The test team had very few critical remarks to make about fit or performance.
Testers were not disappointed by the 120-flex entry, even though it went up against mostly 130-flexes in the category--saying that it held up to pretty much everything they threw at it. One tester said he could get the flex to collapse but he had to try pretty hard (and he could stand to shed a few pounds). Testers love the neutral stance and the well-distributed flex feel against the shin. But what testers loved most about this boot were the things they didn't have to think about--they didn't have to think about how to get it on and buckled up, they didn't have to think about making any special moves to get the ski to respond, they didn't have to think about making fit adjustments or fussing with features. They just put the thing on and went skiing, and had a great time. This defines what makes a great boot for our test team--brainless fun with no drama and no bootfitting to-do list.
