Sometimes the score profile tells the whole story about a boot.
We had to look back into the archives to check if there was ever a time the RS 120 SC had been entered in our annual boot test that it hadn’t at least been on the podium, if not on the top step. We were not surprised to discover that in the last ten years of testing, every time it was entered it ended up on the podium, and it earned the top spot 66% of the time. What is it about the RS 120 Short Cuff that is such a winner for our test team? Simply put, they say that they make the best turns of the test period in this boot, especially if it’s with a sharp carving ski, on a firm smooth surface, going really damn fast.
Our testers represent a broad range of different skier types, from ex-racers and coaches to certified instructors, to all-mountain explorers and pow skiing specialists—but they’re all accomplished skiers who always get their own boots dialed and they know when something’s off with a boot, whether it be a fit, stance or energy transmission issue. When they test the RS 120 SC, testers first make note that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it—not with fit, not with stance, not with transmission of movement to the ski. Secondly, they cite how well they ski in this boot.
Sometimes it’s best to hear it straight from the of the testers’: One said, “Like a race car, built for speed and function.” Another said, “Skiing this boot feels like my foot is attached to the ski without a boot surrounding it--so in-tune with the snow.” A third, “Stabilizing and sturdy--an anytime-anywhere boot--photoshoot worthy!” A fourth, “A power house of a boot--can handle anything you throw at it.” And finally, “This is the Ferrari of boots! I had a blast with the level of precision and control it gave me over my skis.”
While the tester consensus is that performance is the priority with the RS 120 SC, there are no fit deal-breakers either, they said. It’s a snug fit but not bone-crushingly race-boot-tight, and they mention that last year’s improved fit over the top of the foot remains a huge boon for those seeking less-tingly toes. On a scale of 1 to 5 for fit tension (1 is World Cup race boot tight and 5 is rental boot loose) the RS fit scores over eight different zones averaged a 2.0, right on target for a 97mm last. The tightest score was for the ankle pockets at 1.85 and the roomiest spot was over the top of the foot at a 2.50.
Is this a boot for casual cruisers? No. Testers said this boot is for skilled skiers who place a premium on how well their gear lets them ski—and they say that any performance deficiencies cannot be blamed on the boot.
While its blue hue may change every few years and the fit evolve in subtle ways, the Lange RS 130 LV remains the blue boot that coaches, athletes and high performance cord-carvers refer to by nickname. Every real skier seems to know that this is a boot that comes with no performance compromises—it’s a heritage that’s been re-established over the past decade and while this current iteration bears notable upgrades over past models it remains both a tester favorite and a slam dunk for those seeking a truly low volume fit without much fitting fuss.
This remodeled RS hit shelves last season but not everyone has one yet and testers say skilled, technical skiers who trend toward trenching on smooth, firm surfaces should seriously consider it.
The fit was revised via both shell and liner updates to provide a lower instep fit that holds the foot down and back but with an eye toward the liner’s tongue shape that manages to not crush the bony top of foot while controlling it. The heel pocket was made deeper to the rear and more anatomically shaped, which testers said locked it in with a solid grip that didn’t pinch the sides or back of the heel. The liner’s pre-formed ankle padding provides just enough shape to offload pressure points without bulking up the fit or dulling the connection between the foot and shell, and testers liked the taller, stiffer liner cuff that improved the wrap around the lower leg and added to an aggressive, driving fore-aft position. Note that a rear spoiler comes mounted on the boot but most testers preferred the stance with it removed.
Testers used terms like precise, powerful, unflinching, controlled and energetic to describe how the boot links their movements to the ski. Several testers mentioned that while its thicker, traditional polyurethane construction and solid (read, slippery) sole might pigeon-hole the RS 130 LV into the almost-race, Frontside boot category, they had a fantastic time driving a variety of ski widths through softer snow and varied terrain surfaces. The only time testers say the blue boot reminds them of its World Cup DNA is when they click out of their bindings and can easily boot-ski down to the hot-walk, and perhaps when their piggies say it’s time for a cup of hot chocolate.
Lange has almost outlived its shin-bang reputation and we’re sorry to even bring it up, but the point is that the flex feel of a modern Lange is the benchmark for appropriate contouring, cushioning and a progressive throw that loads energy to the ski many thousands of times a day without abusing the shin. Testers point to Lange’s proprietary Dual Core dual density plastic, the cuff’s revised and adjustable Race Flex connection to the lower shell and the liner’s World Cup Tongue as the design trio that powers the modern RS’s fantastic flex machine—testers were effusive in sharing their positive flex feelings.
To loop back and put a final, finer point on the Lange RS 130 LV’s performance character after much discussion of its fit and flex, testers awarded perfect 10’s to the RS in the three performance-oriented metrics of Dynamic Balance, Edge Power and Quickness. And sure, its fit and convenience marks were also high enough to put its overall score at 9.70, the highest in the entire men’s test.
Our test team has had a years-long love affair with the Head Raptor for how well it skis--and that continues into the coming season after its most-recent gold-medal appearance at our boot test. However, now the fit is included in the love-fest, rather than remaining something a bit, meh, that its stellar skiing compensated for.
This newest generation Raptor WCR 115 W is a sophisticated blend of frontside performance with modern amenities for the technical skier who wants it all--easy to get on and off, warm all day, race-boot level ski power, and all of that coupled with a properly snug, narrow-class fit that comes without a massive bootfitting punch-list. Yep, testers say it's all of that now, with a few additional lovely bits thrown in for good measure.
Damp and surprisingly strong on edge for how easy the entry and fit experience was, testers commented, and they said another surprise is how quick and reactive the boot feels, given its underlying, solid-damp edge power. Its race-boot level descent skills tended to sneak-up on testers who were seemingly lulled into an assumption of possibly detuned output by the Raptor's creature comforts. Testers assured that it's a legitimate frontside ripper with a mean trenching streak that it likes to show off.
Fitwise, the Raptor WCR 115 W continues to sport a long-feeling toebox and extra room in the forefoot, with a tapering grip that closes progressively tighter to the rear, locking the heel and ankle into a comfy vice for no-excuses edge control. Some bony ankle testers mentioned the inside ankle pocket might need a little help from a bootfitter, and high-arched and knobby instep testers felt that it was pretty snug over the top of the foot. But these fit issues were classed as minor and all fixable--and generally expected in narrow, performance boots.
Testers noted that the tongue feels tall on the lower leg, which helped spread shin pressure and supported a fore-aft stance that some testers felt hedged a bit more forward-leaning than the current standard--not a bad thing in a Frontside-focused boot. Laterally, testers like the strong stock set-up with the cuffs tipped slightly outward (0.5 out) but with the ability to move them one degree in either direction in half-degree increments.
One of the little niceties that testers mention are the replaceable toe and heel plates, which provide a little more traction than offered by the solid sole versions of yore (and still found in the stiffer, unisex units), and these can also be swapped for factory Head GripWalk soles as an aftermarket purchase.
The Head Raptor WCR 140S continues to impress our test team with its Frontside performance capabilities packaged in a fit that works well for a lot of expert skiers. Testers say don't be scared by the 96mm last badging, as the forefoot and toes have a little extra breathing room for warmth and sensation. That said, the test team agrees that the closure on the lower leg shaft, instep, ankles and heel means serious business.
The entry is shockingly good for a narrow 140-flex piste-beast, and testers love the traditional four-buckle overlapping closure that feels like home to them. They pat themselves on the back for helping to usher out the Spineflex buckles on every other model of Raptor, save this one, yet they still grumble about them. The extended length toebox has remained a hit with testers who appreciate a little freedom of movement of the piggies, though our purists who require crammed toes in a narrow boot still lament those numb days of Raptors, past. So, yes, the Raptor is a more gentrified thing these days--but only with regard to fit, as its performance remains at the tip of the spear.
Creeper-carver, one tester called it, and he didn't mean it was a creepy stalker but rather that it's carving prowess sneaked-up on him in surprising fashion. Testers don't feel like they have to work very hard in the Raptor WCR 140S to leave deep trenches in their wake, regardless of the snow's hardness. Simply tip and stand against the ski and the boot seems to do the rest. Transitions between arcs are smoothly managed, without excessive rebound energy to harness, but the crispness of engagement as the boot rolls over is second to none, they say. Testers bring up the revised polyurethane plastic blend that entered the Raptor scene a few years ago as the source of its resilient and damp-feeling energy stores. Testers comment that the forward flex feel always seems to have a little more travel than expected for a 140-flex, but that the lateral and torsional power and stability out-performs that number.
This Raptor can be drilled-and-pinned for a stout 150-flex but few testers mention needing more oomph. If anything, testers remind folks that there's a 130-flex available that can be bumped up to a 140, if needed, and that step-down will save 50-bucks, ixnay the Spineflex buckles and gain a very cool new Speedblue colorway. But we digress--the point is that the Raptor WCR 140S offers plenty of beef for the biggest and strongest of skiers in its stock form, with some added spine available as needed.
What testers say you do get here, and at the 140-level, is a slippery-ass boot sole, and they mean it! A lot of coaches and instructors will opt to have aftermarket Head Vibram lifter plates installed as a way to ensure a little more secure strolling about on different surfaces. To get a more factory-fitted grip sole a skier has to drop all the way to the WCR 120 and he'll lose the Liquid Fit liner in the process. Speaking of Liquid Fit, a lot of folks love the ability to have their liner's heel and ankle area pumped with special Head goop after the liner has been broken in a bit, but technicians caution that it's a subtle addition that won't make up for a boot that was purchased a size too big.
The martini olive colored chassis with pimento buckle highlights set the stage for a very sophisticated, yet simple, boot experience for testers with the Dalbello DRS 110. Much like a dry martini, the DRS 110 was not a thing of adornments and frills but rather one of substance, and those with an already-acquired taste for a straight-up performance boot found an immediate test favorite there.
Testers said the fit and skiing experience of the DRS 110 is elemental, possibly as in basic, or perhaps as in force-of-nature, because the DRS 110 is both straightforward and very powerful--and yet somehow it avoided feeling harsh in either fit or on-snow behavior. They say the fit is on target for a 98mm last--snug everywhere but without causing numbness or hot spots and with a touch of extra room-to-breathe in the toebox. They like the tall-enough cuff feel on the leg (it's not a lower-cuffed model, though one is available for short legs in the step-down 90-flex version) and they say it's just-soft-enough that they can move through the flex range in a supple, dynamic way that didn't lock up their joint chain or pitch them into the backseat.
This is a go-everywhere boot that's supposed to stay on the groomed (on account of its solid sole), but just like our test team, it doesn't do what it's told. This is an all-mountain scalpel, testers said, and they praised how damp and compliant it felt hammering through variable terrain and thicker snow surfaces. True, its forte was driving a carving ski on smooth surfaces where it helped leave deeply scribed arcs in the spring corduroy, but testers said that it would appeal to technical skiers who aren't afraid to go venturing off-piste.
While they called it a classic four-buckle boot that's not for beginners, testers did think that it offered more bandwidth than expected for motivated intermediates looking to step up to a new level with their skiing. Just a touch softer than 110-flex and easy to get on, it was a convenient and well-mannered cross-mountain weapon they said. A lot of skiers are going to like this one, was a tester comment that we think summed things up quite well.
For many testers their approach to testing a boot is to start with a perfect score and then as they encounter issues, the demerits are logged in the minus column. The Dalbello DRS 130 may have had an unfair advantage straightaway, as testers commented that the martini olive cosmetic with pimento highlights instantly said, Bond, James Bond to them by way of demerit-free introduction. From that point forward the DRS 130 marched along with a nearly perfect test appearance across all criteria and testers.
The initial impressions lodged by the test team were resoundingly positive. Very tight, everywhere--amazing fit! Seems lighter and the shell seems to fit more closely than previous models. Wow, a frontside boot that's easy to get on and comfortable! First impression--this is gonna be fun!
Testers loved the close 98mm fit that provided a secure grip along the entire foot, through the instep and into the leg shaft with minimal interference on prominent bony spots. One tester mentioned that the snugness approached true race boot levels in the ankle pockets and over the instep but he also said that it did so in a well-shaped way that avoided peak pressure on bony points and also improved with some time in the boot. This is not to say that the out-of-box fit lacked anything--testers gave both the initial fit and on-snow fit the exact same high score of 9.33.
Testers called the DRS 130 an all-day technician that would prosper under the direction of a skilled, expert skier. The on-snow performance score highlight was a perfect 10.0 for Quickness and Steering, but edge power levels were top-notch and testers said the boot was ideally balanced between damp stability at speed and rapid fire responsiveness when needed.
Several testers used that P-word (perfect) to describe a variety of the DRS's elements, from fit to stance to performance. They also issued a couple skier cautions. One tester put it this way: Perfection! This is a high-performance boot meant for high-performance skiing--if you aren't an expert, this boot is not for you. Another tester was a bit more positive about its accessibility for a variety of good skiers: Just perfect. There's nothing wrong with this boot. If you can't ski well in it, you suck.
The all-new Dahu 02X LV 110 brought a very narrow fit to the table for testers, who liked that the Dahu line now offered two distinctly different fit profiles in the same three-piece, modular design. Testers gave the 02X LV narrow fit scores throughout and said that the instep and ankle pockets were snug enough out of the box that all but the lowest-of-volume feet would be craving a full liner mold to relax the performance fit just a touch.
Testers continue to praise the uniquely "custom" feeling Dahu stock insole that provides well-cushioned arch support and they similarly shared unanimous approval of the long lace run on the inner boot liner (called the Cambium Boot in Dahu lingo) for how it wraps the lower leg and connects the tongue to shin in a well-distributed way. This inner boot fit along the shin complements the progressive flex that testers mention when inner boot and exterior shell come together, buckled up for skiing. The 02X LV's flex feel is one of its best traits for combined performance and fit, they say.
Speaking of the inner boot and exterior shell coming together--that is the unique super power of the Dahu concept. The liner can remain mated with the three-piece shell, where the underside grooves of the Cambium Boot's outsole interlock with the ribbed structure of the exo-shell's base, in which case testers simply loosen the laces to get in, then snug them up, stowing the rolled up coil of laces in a handy elasticized pocket on the tongue, close up the shell around the inner boot with two oversized buckles and a traditional Velcro power strap, and then off they go, time to ski. Or, a skier could choose to wear the inner boot separate from the shell for ease of walking or driving, then slide it (still on the foot) into the exterior frame, buckle and go. A pretty cool solution for any skier who wants or needs to be as ambulatory around a ski resort as they may be actively sliding on snow.
Testers liked the side-to-side moves of the 02X LV, citing a predictable and smooth roll-over, edge to edge, between turns, and across the board testers rated the lateral balance as "neutral." There was less agreement on the fore-aft positioning, where testers mostly approved of the cuff's forward lean angle but several had issues with an overly high-feeling ramp angle underfoot. Some suggested that this was the silver bullet boot for skiers with limited range of motion in the ankle joint, as it would be supremely easy to get on and then ideally balanced once locked into the shell for skiing. For skiers looking to reduce that ramp, testers suggested that the thicker stock insole be swapped out for a lower heel elevation custom footbed or perhaps have a bootfitter grind the stock insole thinner under the heel to reduce the internal ramp angle.
Testers like the new narrow fit option offered by Dahu's 96mm LV. The new 02X LV 135 provided the closure for the narrow foot and slender leg that was lacking in the previous, one-width-fits-all approach that Dahu offered. Testers say that the low-volume fit combination created by the outer shell and inner "Cambium Boot" was on target for the advertised 96mm last, locking in the heel and ankle nicely but maintaining a bit of wiggle room in the toebox.
The other noticeably new element on the Dahu was how the two buckle straps now remained affixed to the medial side of the exo-shell. Testers preferred this for a less fiddly entry and closure process than they'd experienced previously with the fully releasable straps that took a bit of careful management.
Speaking of entry and boot system closure, the Dahu offers a unique take on this that requires a bit of attention for first-timers but avails some benefits not found anywhere else.
The liner, or inner boot, or Cambium Boot (depending on your parlance preference) is able to be worn on its own as a walking or driving boot, and testers agree it's a damn fine boot, in and of itself. The materials and design are top-shelf and testers dig the long, well-padded tongue that mates up with the shin by way of a lot of lacing eyelets that help snug the cuff around the leg shaft in a natural-feeling way. This inner boot can be slid into place within the exterior three-piece shell where it seats to the bottom in an interlocking fashion where the inner boot's outsole tread interfaces with the bottom structure of the shell. Sliding the foot and leg (inside the liner) into the shell takes a little practice but once the proper angle-of-attack is found it poses no issue.
The Cambium Boot can also remain planted in the three-piece shell (which hinges open much more than most cabrio styles) and be loosed-up by releasing the lace lock and spreading the liner--this makes entry shockingly easy. Testers found that leaving the liner in the shell made the most sense, unless there was a need to exit the shell for any walk-around activities, be it for working at a ski resort or more effective kid- and equipment-hauling from vehicle to lift or to ski school meeting places.
The closure system is straightforward with two oversized buckles and a powerstrap, and testers particularly liked the way the flex feel remained comfortable against the shin once the plastic environment was brought to bear against the inner boot.
Testers thought that the 02X LV skied admirably, with consistent and predictable edge changes and a progressive-feeling flex that offered no surprises. They report that there is a certain bulkiness to the design that mutes a bit of feel for the snow, but in a comfortable and vibration-damping way. While testers liked the fore-aft positioning of the cuff and the fact that it can be modified with a different forward lean bushing, they were less enthused about the boot's internal ramp angle, which they felt was higher than the norm. They mention that for skiers who struggle with boot entry and skiing balance due to limited ankle joint range, the Dahu may be an answer to both their prayers.
Speaking of blue, one of our veteran testers had an infamous blue heeler whose whole attitude could be summed up in three words: more, now and mine! The gold medal Frontside category Salomon S/Pro Race 140 is a lot like that--it's more than the All-Mountain Traditional category narrow S/Pro Alpha 130 across the board: more snug, more responsive, more stiff, more better. Salomon absolutely did not throw out the baby with the bathwater (that's a kinda gnarly old saying, isn't it?) in the move to produce a step-up to this true near-race piste-performer.
The Race 140 keeps all of what testers have loved about the Alpha--it's damn comfortable while being damn tight, which is a feat of inspired shell shape paired with top tier Salomon liner tech. The extra padding through the shin and instep serves to fill unwanted gaps without feeling bulky or restrictive of flex. The power of the S/Pro Race 140 is shockingly strong on hard snow and at the highest speeds but in the same easy-to-access way that impresses us with the Alpha 130, just with more of it. One tester said the tight but just-cushioned-enough fit inspired him to crank the speed metal and rail and another tester compared the Race 140’s cornering accuracy: like being on roller coaster rails. A lotta railing going on here--for skiers with a penchant for steep tipping against carve-induced G’s, this one will suit.
The Race 140's higher-than-expected comfort level (for a Frontsider) somehow did not come with any associated demerit for quickness of steering or edge change--now, is when you can expect the ski to respond to skier inputs, testers report. The comfortable fit is not derived by soft fluff and liner fill but by a well-executed shape match for the foot and leg as well as between the liner and shell. Testers had few complaints of hot spots nor a need to size down or over-buckle to gain a properly near-race fit tension for laying deep trenches on the hardpack. The fit is shockingly snug where it counted for testers to put the ski on edge with precision placement. One tester commented that the Race 140's heel pocket was the tightest of the entire test, and another described its fit tension as severely solid.
The other shock upon reviewing tester comments was the lack of complaints about numbness or cold, yet another testament to the well-shaped nature of this blue badass of a boot. Tight equaled right for testers when it came to their quickness ratings (over 13 tests, its Quickness & Steering score remained a perfect 5.0) and they logged plenty of comments (as snappy as it gets, so quick edge to edge, extremely reactive) put a finer point on its now-level responsiveness.
Okay, so almost every tester identified the same challenge to their "making it mine," in its ease of entry and exit--or rather its lack thereof. Not every tester had a big problem with this, and some offered the caveat that one of the defining characteristics of the true Frontside boot is thicker plastic and a lack of gentrified frills, hence the tougher slide in and out. However, some veteran testers pointed to the on and off struggles as their barrier to entry, so to speak, of personal possession. The other half would be willing to grunt through the entry for the sake of the what the S/Pro Race 140 offered on snow. So what’s our final stance on it? We can tell you what our heeler owner would have told those entry-exit challenged testers: everyone knows blueies will nip--just deal with it.
What's the ripping female skier looking for in a performance Frontside boot? According to our women's test team they're looking for everything the guys get, with perhaps a fit nod to a couple typical shape differences, like a slightly thicker, lower calf muscle as compared to the average male leg shaft and a tighter heel pocket is always nice. Well, that's exactly what they get with the new Lange RS 120 SC, and while this one is all-new this year it's not drastically different when it comes to fit and ski prowess because it's back into gold medal status again in this hyper-competitive category.
The SC stands for Short Cuff and most of our test team prefer this to the higher-cuffed men's (or unisex) version of the RS, though a couple of our taller testers do like the unisex boot for its increased leverage over the ski and extra fore-aft support for those long levers below their knees. The unisex RS LV is available in the same 120-flex down to a size 24.5 and the 130 LV is available as small as a 22.5 (but it costs $150 bucks more for those 10 stiffness points).
The SC cuff design drops the plastic height by 12mm, which is enough to minimize the jab at the back of the calf but still maintain a solid feel against the shin and enough support for hard carving at the highest speeds on the hardest snow surface. As proof that the short in SC is not a detriment of any sort for strong skiing women, the test scores for cuff height and fore-aft balance were both rated 100% ideal. Lange doesn't market the SC as a women's boot, per se, as the majority of the customer base are junior racers--it just happens to be one of our women's test team's favorite boots every year, so they claim it as their own!
The lower boot is really where testers found reasons to get excited, fit-wise--it's tight the way good skiers want a narrow Frontside boot to fit but without many hot spots, they said, with an especially locked-in heel pocket. In fact, here's a bit of what testers had to say about the RS SC's revised fit. One said: This boot is the real deal! I love the fit, like a glove for the gal that wants a snug but comfortable high-performance boot. Another: My foot is home! For being modeled after a race boot it is surprisingly easy to wear straight out of the box. And a third: What a great, solid fit! It felt comfortable throughout with a lot of support and a nice tight heel.
Testers across the board praised the tightness of the boot's control zones and the slight relaxation of tension in places where it was needed for bloodflow, sensation and warmth. Lange was one of the first brands to coin the term V-shaped last, which describes a tighter rearfoot (ankles and heel) with a more open forefoot and toebox, kinda like a reverse mullet for the foot--business in the back, party in the front. Our testers' averaged fit scores for the RS 120 SC bear out this V-shape concept on a 1 through 5 scale where 1 is tight like a World Cup race boot, 3 is the target for medium width boots and 5 is the least tight, like a rental boot: heel (1.29), ankles (1.43), instep (1.71), forefoot (1.86), toebox (2.00).
The changes in construction are many, if subtle, in this year's RS 120 SC. The cuff and shell both have redistributed thick and thin areas to maximize power where possible without increasing weight or a lively feel. The heel pocket was revised, as was the instep and fit across the top of the foot. The cuff hinge point was altered to mimic the flex feel of the race boot line-up and the rear anchor point of the cuff now employs a modular carbon or polyurethane plate that can be changed to fine tune the boot's flex. This is only a partial list, as the revisions were extensive (and exactly the same as those found on the men's RS 130 LV that our guys tested). In a nutshell, all of this added up to smooth power delivery with rapid responsiveness to skier inputs, in what most described as a flawless on-snow experience. Testers invariably compared this RS 120 SC to those they've tested in the past or owned previously--same but better in every way was the unanimous takeaway.
How does one begin to improve an already perfect product? We think that was the challenge presented to the Lange RS 130 LV designers, after years of essentially maintaining the status quo with this category-leading model. Over our years of testing this boot (and always putting it at or near the top of the Frontside heap of great boots) our testers have often commented: Thankfully Lange did not change this boot very much....
Well, now they have, and they've gone and changed the whole damn thing--virtually every part of it. So, yes, it's different. And our testers were just fine with that.
If the complaint of a boot being too comfortable is a thing (and it can be with our veteran testers who often lament the trend of narrow boots fitting like mediums) then that was one of the minor demerits levied against the previous RS boot--it was too damn comfy for how well it skied, testers had said. Well, things have changed somewhat. This one is tight, and testers say the fit tension is right where it should be for the fit and performance goals of this nearly-race category. Both the shell and the cuff were redesigned for fit and performance, but most of the fit changes occurred in the lower boot where the heel now sits a little deeper back into its pocket and reduced instep and midfoot height holds it there, planting the foot firmly against the floor where it feels bonded to the ski edges. Testers felt it fit more snugly everywhere in the lower boot, especially against the styloid process and navicular--with the exception of the toebox, where they said there was just enough relief for warmth and a little wiggle.
Testers with known, common bony spots said, ouch, for those particular trouble spots--which was good for them as it indicated that this narrow was truly narrow! When these testers don't say ouch in the narrow group, they shake their heads with disdain and downgrade the fit score. To put a finer point on how well (and snug) the new RS fits, here are its tightest to least-tight fit zone score averages (1 is world cup race tight, 5 is rental boot loose; note a 2 is the fit target for the typical narrow last): navicular 1.43, styloid area 1.57, heel 1.71, ankles 1.71, forefoot 1.71, instep 1.86, calf 1.86, toebox 2.00. Don't misunderstand--testers said this was a comfortably tight fit, largely due to the revised liner that features a new exterior material modeled after Lange's World Cup plug boots, a new asymmetric, neoprene toebox and changes to both the calf zone construction and milled ankle pocket padding. The few ouch spots testers cited would be typical bootfitter fixes via an easy grind or stretch, they said.
The performance-oriented modifications to the RS involved changes to the wall thickness of the shell and cuff in specific locations for the sake of power generation and stability at speed and a new cuff-to-lower connection point that utilizes a swappable plate (one's softer polyurethane, the other rigid carbon). The carbon-infused insert comes mounted on the boot and testers saw no reason to change it out. They loved the RS 130 LV's quick-twitch responsiveness and energetic rebound feel. They said that the torque and power they felt at high edge angles mirrored what they were used to from the previous RS boots but they said that the quickness and feel for snow was improved greatly in this new version.
Some testers noted that the new RS 130 LV had a slightly more forward-leaning feel than in the past, though there was no alteration made to the boot's stance angles, according to Lange. The deeper heel pocket and taller, firmer calf zone construction of the liner may have contributed to this feeling, but the upshot was that all testers preferred the fore-aft stance with the rear Velcro spoiler removed.
Savvy testers with bootfitting backgrounds appreciated the little changes made to the RS, like a double-screw mounted power strap, removable offset cuff adjustment disks and a fantastically thin 5mm grippy (like Vibram but called MaxGrip) lifter plate accessory option (yes, routing toe and heel lugs back to DIN spec required).
Our testers really wanted to love the new, improved aerodynamic shape and brushed surfaces of the RS 130 LV which were conceived through wind tunnel testing in partnership with Formula1 team Sauber in order to shave off the hundredths of a second that matter on the World Cup. But our mortal crew just couldn't generate the podium level speeds necessary to appreciate them beyond admiration for the cool new look. However, we will say that we were happy to be a an incidental part of this one bright spot for team Sauber, because their F1 season has really sucked.
Our test team gets excited when a 120-flex, narrow last, newcomer shows up in the Frontside category and most of our testers had not been exposed to the Kastle K120P LV, so this was an all-new experience all around. The were drawn to the aqua cosmetic and the stripped-down, old-school race vibe aura that surrounded the boot--at least that what they said. Our team is made up of some very strong skiers--ex-racers, coaches, instructors and shop folks--and they also said they were humbled by the K120P LV.
It's a bear to get on, they admitted, with thick polyurethane shell walls and a low-slung boot throat that thwarted their attempts at casual entry. They needed to get serious and make some noises to get this on--but that's kinda what you'd expect in a room where elite athletes are getting ready to go out and do battle on snow, right? They said the fit is seriously tight in the lower shell. One tester said her heel was clamped in a vice. All agreed that the instep, ankle and heel were all very tight fit zones. Our fit impressions scores run from a 1 (World Cup race boot tight) to a 5 (rental boot loose) and testers will score an "ideal" narrow boot (96-98mm) at a 2. The K120P LV's instep and ankle got rated a 1.75--along with most of the rest of the lower shell--and the heel was scored at 1.5, so yeah it's a tight one, for sure.
Testers said the liner was dense and edgy in places and was in need of a good heat molding to define what were liner issues and which were shell contact problems--they said the fit was very snug and a bit aggressive on bony prominences. Gaining an all-day comfort fit would require a bootfitter's help for all but the most slender and knob-free of feet, testers said. The cuff was upright and stiff and produced a massive amount of leverage to the ski for those who had the oomph to get into the tongue and bend this baby to their will. Narrow heels on a slender foot attached to a ripping skier who is not afraid of a little experimenting would serve as a perfect match for the K120P LV, the test team concurred.
