Sometimes the score profile tells the whole story about a boot.
Like some sort of Bizarro World ski boot, the Redster is now a paler shade of white. But what’s really important is that it’s better than its crimson predecessor. Our test team loved the white Redster as much for what this version lost as they did for what it didn't.
What the new Redster shed was its previously bi-polar fit personality. It’s now much more even-keeled; snug in the heel and ankle but not tortuously tight, with just the right amount of openness in the forefoot. It also sports an updated, fuller bodied liner with a more contained fit up front.
What the Redster absolutely did not lose in this new rendition is its edge-to-edge agility and solid command when railing at speed. The chipped-up carbon fiber that is embedded in the plastic at the heel and rear spine helps stiffen the shell and powerfully connect the foot and leg with the ski.
The most important addition? The Redster’s Memory Fit shell, which after a 12-minute cook-and-cool job conforms around the skier’s feet. We tested this and it works well, generally opening up the fit slightly where needed while maintaining containment elsewhere. Our custom test team noted that with the Redster's improved fit and out-of-box skiability, there wasn't much call to implement the Memory Fit custom molding protocol. But it is a nice feature to have when required.
Fit issues were few but there was one up front. Our testers either loved the Redster's signature roomier-than-others forefoot and toebox for giving their wider feet some breathing room, or lamented the relaxed fit and wanted added fit compression up front to hug their more slender feet.
Our test team unanimously agreed that with the beefy rear spoiler installed behind the liner, the stance was a bit more forward-leaning than they preferred. Thinning the spoiler via grinding or removing it entirely are options for achieving a less-aggressive stance and is a recommended protocol for skiers with wider calves as well.
One tester called it a “chameleon” for how many different foot types and skiing styles the X Max 110 W accommodates. Other testers echoed that sentiment reflecting on the boot's calf adjustment feature and the 360 Custom Shell’s ability to shape around the skier's foot and lower leg shaft when heated.
Our lighter weight testers with low volume feet and average to slender calves most liked the 110 W’s snow handling capabilities. “Lively, responsive, snappy, light” were terms we found amidst the top-notch agility scores and comments the boot received. And while our bigger, taller women appreciated the calf adjustment feature that opens up the fit at boot top, a few felt the flex a little under-gunned and not quite up to its 110 labeling.
Some testers noted that the fit runs long and wide in the toebox—similar to the men's X Max. That opens up a fit option for skiers with wide feet who normally have difficulty finding a happy home of their own in the narrow frontside category. It offers others a chance to drop down a size into a snugger overall fit without suffering toenail wrath.
Some testers with alignment issues were disappointed that the Oversized Pivot attachment points of upper to lower cuffs were not jumbo cuff adjusters (sorry!), but our 360 Custom Shell tests have shown that the cuff will indeed shift angle a bit during molding to better match the skier's lower leg shaft and improve balance.
Raptors are birds of prey characterized by sharp vision and powerful talons and beaks. So we have to say Head nailed it when they named this boot. Take it in a ski race course and you’ll discover how easily it devours the competition. It performs on snow at the highest levels and attracts skiers who are willing to put up with a few inconveniences here and there in exchange for trench slicing skills.
It is fully in its element here in the technical frontside category where no compromises are made for wimpy skiers, cushioning considerations, walking soles or switchy bar modes. This category asks for stripped-down performance with acceptable fit and comfort levels geared toward solid skiers. The Raptor 110 W delivers all of that in spades.
Our testers with a more technical skiing background—coaches, upper level instructors, gals with racing experience—furtively plotted over who would get to steal the boot from our test center. Those with low volume feet and slender legs particularly felt Mr. Right Forever fell from the shelves.
The Raptor W has the shortest length of any boot in this category and fit tight pretty much everywhere. Some testers were able to go up a full shell size to gain necessary toe room without losing much in the way of a snug heel and ankle pocket. (That's a hint, folks; if you're between sizes but don't want a loose heel in that longer size this is a good option to consider.)
Who didn't find love with the Raptor W? Our bigger-calf contingent was pretty much pinched across the board. Not only was the fit constrained—even though the cuff does ride a bit low, allowing for some meat on the bone there—but the biggest calf muscle girls felt over-flexed and were left wanting more support. They found their calves driving the lower leg shaft too forward. Average- to slim-legged women had no such complaints.
It’s certainly not an easy slide-on-and-off model but the vast majority of testers who liked this boot didn't care one bit. And be aware it might also require a session with a bootfitter to get relief at typical bony spots but many boots in this category require a similar commitment.
The all new women's Redster Pro 110 brings three things to the table this year that our women's test team gave big props to.
1. It means what it says about being a 110 flex—and then some. Where many boots collapse when redlined on the hill, the carbon fiber-reinforced Redster remained solid forward, even when pushed by the most aggressive and tallest women on our test team. One said it had “pit-bull power.”
2. This is a performance frontside boot that tall women with average to larger calves will like—and without sacrificing cuff height leverage. Testers said the upper boot flared to match the calf well while maintaining enough height for hard-charging skiing and women with longer, bigger legs.
3. Memory Fit shell opens up a myriad of fit options.
Memory Fit is Atomic’s low temperature molding shell plastic. It takes five minutes for a boot tech to heat it in a convection oven. Then the liner goes in and the entire boot goes on the skier’s foot. The plastic sets in two minutes and then there is a five-minute cool down period.
The Memory Fit process worked well for our custom testers. One said she initially found the heel and ankle areas a bit too-snug but the fit was Cinderella slipper-like after the molding process. Most enjoyed the boot right out of the box so while there molding process isn’t mandatory, it is a nice option for those needing to open up the fit slightly.
Like the men's version, the women's Redster has a characteristically snug heel and ankle fit mated with a roomy forefoot and toebox—just the combination many women are seeking in a performance boot that will see all-day-long duty. The heat-moldable liner has a slightly different lay-up than the men’s with a full wrap of warmth-retaining Thinsulate insulation.
Our testers did not like how the shell's throat tended to bite their insteps during entry. It wasn’t close to a slam dunk on and off. But they liked driving it so much they largely made a note of the nip, buckled up and moved on to lay fat, deep trenches. Cause that’s what the Redster does.
Wow! The tightest of the tight with a power band to match, testers said. This was the narrowest and most true race boot of the Technical Frontside bunch, and as such came with a set of fit challenges to be expected of a real gate crushing machine. It's stiff and snug throughout, with a race-typical thin liner designed not for creature comfort but for maximum transmission of energy and movement from body to boards. Testers cried a bit for their bony prominences and virtually all mentioned needing to send this one to the bootfitters bench for the usual plug-boot prep grinds and stretches in order to begin approaching all day tolerances.
Given that the Technical Frontside category is not a race boot group but rather a tuned-down, "gentlemen's class" piste pounding sort, the X Lab 130 was a little raw compared to the other 97 and 98mm entries there that seemed downright cozy off the rack by comparison. But on the other hand, this baby skis like a weapon. Set up slightly upright and out (bowlegged), aggressive moves forward and to the inside produced early and strong edge engagement without compare. Power was on demand and unlimited, testers said, but tapping it required a strong, skilled pilot willing to commit.
It’s a bit like finding Joan Jett at a debutante ball. The ZR 130 doesn’t quite look the part but it seemed quite comfortable at the Technical Frontside party. Sure it's a little different both cosmetically and in construction—and even its fit profile is quirky—but its dancing skills were quite polished.
Zay is not a household name but it is not brand new either. We gave it a twirl in its infancy last year and we found the still-fledgling design better mannered after another year of seasoning. Testers unanimously approved the all-new liner that vastly improved fit and eliminated many of the hot spots that blared through last year.
The new liner also helped improve the ZR 130's entry and exit scores. It's still tricky, but no longer prohibitively so, especially in a category where on-and-off ease is not a primary concern. Testers were intrigued by the unique cosmetic draping. It’s a micro-thin, bonded laminate that’s neither paint nor pigment and is integrated into every nook and cranny of the shell (think bus wrap).
After looking at the boot, like all our testers you are probably wondering, “Where the heck are the buckles?” Well, Zay eschews the time-honored method for securing the foot in favor of a proprietary, radial cable closure that simultaneously secures the foot in the lower and governs flex. The cables loop the forefoot of the lower shell then route through the sole, out the spine and into a spine-mounted cuff lever assembly.
Cable tension is adjusted through twin thumb nuts on the lever and flipping the lever upward locks the fit. The cable tension also restrains the cuff’s forward travel during flexion. Flexing the boot actually increases cable tension, helping to maintain a more circular shape over the top of the foot as the upper cuff contacts the lower, preventing the boot from collapsing over the top of the foot.
On hill the ZR 130 displayed the goods. Testers said the shell’s unique polyurethane "cast molding" process creates a light, lively feeling boot that is both laterally and torsionally stout—all this with a long, progressive flex that tethers back into the cable system. It's certainly different but it all added up to snappy, stable, high-performance skiability at any speed.
The ZR’s fit, not surprisingly, is also a bit unconventional. Testers said it was very snug at the lower rear (ankles, heel) and up through the lower leg shaft but fit very wide and tall at the toebox with a wider-than-category-average forefoot fit. For the right foot shape this could be a home-run, but many testers felt it was too loosey-goosey up front.
The Bold goes, well, boldly forward for Roxa in the piste-oriented frontside group—it's a strong trenching machine with a lot of backbone and edge bite wrapped in a cushy and open-fitting Intuition liner.
This one offered the most relaxed and squishy liner feel of any boot tested in the technical frontside category—certainly more room in the toebox and forefoot than expected for a 99mm last (their fit scores would call it a "medium"). Yet testers were shocked at the power delivery the Bold brought to bear on the firmest of snow surfaces—the lateral stance set-up is a little aggressive to the inside edge, but acceptably so for an on-piste performance boot. Testers called the fore-aft angles upright but not unworkable.
Quickness scores suffered a bit due to the supple bulk of the liner that sapped some immediacy of movement, but warmth and creature comfort marks were elevated for the same reason. Medium and long radius turns at high speeds beckoned testers—no governor on the throttle with this one, folks.
Testers said it wasn't the easiest boot to get on and off, but that's not so uncommon in the stiff frontside family, and testers managed just fine.
Granted, this is the little brother to the Dobermann GP 130, but that didn't stop testers from calling this Dobie the best yet in a series of recent leaps forward for the race-bred, narrow Nordica family. The new shell shape extends from the top of the line down to the softest 90 flex. It has a shapelier lower that hugs the foot's contours closely. Testers called the 110 one of the snuggest of the narrow class—a great option for lower volume feet and, in this case, lighter weight or less aggressive skiers.
While the letters "GP" are an homage to Nordica Grand Prix lineage they might also stand for Great Price. Testers called the 110 "a ringer," "a sand-bagger" and "a sleeper," thus awarding it the blue ribbon for power-to-price ratio amongst our Soft Value entries at the test. They cited a solid and lively feel underfoot with a smooth and progressive flex feel against the leg. Since our test team thought the 110 skied as strongly as most of the other boots in the frontside category, we can only wonder as to the power band available in the 120- and 130-flex versions.
While the new toebox shape offers a most welcome increase in up-front toe room, the rest of the boot still fits as closely as one would expect from a Dobermann. It tapers quite a bit at the navicular on the medial side and styloid process on the lateral side. Fortunately, those are two of the easiest locations to grind or punch if needed (which will be the case for many feet, testers forecast).
Some testers took to calling it the Little Blue Pill—apt, since the RS140 has done it again and again and again without taking a break. Topping the podium, we mean. The boot makes it ridiculously easy to ski blindingly fast, carve pure arcs across any rock hard surface and crank-off short radius turns at an auto-burst speed. Testers unanimously said the boot was up to any task, no matter what pitch or snow surface they encountered.
They put its power, stability, quickness, and balance scores at the very top of the charts. One tester called it, "Smooth and sensitive yet blindingly powerful.” Several other testers echoed that sentiment declaring it “F1 quick with horsepower to match,” all the while providing daily driver accessibility.
The shell is unchanged from past versions but the lace-up liner has been modified with a slightly thicker and denser foam and flow cork lay-up. That creates a more contained fit, filling in the gaps between shell and foot without creating excess bulk. The RS 140's front-end still resides on the relaxed side of the narrow category fit spectrum; testers noted a fair amount of toe room and forefoot freedom, especially given how shrink-wrapped the fit felt elsewhere (midfoot, ankles, heel and lower leg shaft). The comfort and toe wiggle room belies the power and precision of the RS's on-snow game.
What more can we say about this year-in, year-out podium performer? Let’s start by thanking Head for not messing with a good thing. Lower profile buckles and a cool matte finish are just about enough newness for us. You don't fix what ain't broke, and the only thing that ever seems to get broken by the Raptor is the egos of less accomplished skiers who don’t have the skills to tap the juice on this perennial powerhouse.
It's tight everywhere, but with enough anatomical shape to avoid hot spots or bone-crushing shell pressure. In fact, it’s surprisingly comfortable considering you're buckling up a weapon of mass construction. The stance angles are spot-on (with rear spoiler removed, testers said). The liner is firm but form fitting and well matched to the shape of the shell's interior. But these are minor details in the story arc. It's great that the Raptor 140 RS fits so well, but even if it didn't, you'd forget about any discomfort once you set them to snow.
Testers describe the Raptor as having “limitless” power transmission to the ski edge. Anything an aggressive front side skier demand the ski do, this boot delivers the orders—stat! Poorly tuned edges feel instantly sharp under the absolute authority of the boot's lateral power. Engage the shin and the ski shovel bends immediately. This boot provides a precision link between expert skiers and their high-performance rides. Our testers were happiest keeping those combinations on smooth surfaces as dampening and forgiveness are not the Raptor's forte.
This mouthful-named model returns to claim a place among the very best of the technical frontside boots with a highly-effective custom technology option. Our testers put the RC4 130 Vac through its paces both in its stock form and after full Vacuum molding. Its custom scores for both fit and performance were among the highest of the entire test.
As in the past, the RC4’s crispness and precision wowed testers. They linked carved arcs in such reliable succession that to keep things interesting, they just skied it faster and faster and never did bump up against an upper limit. Liner modifications—a taller and wider toebox and a seamless tongue construction—helped to boost its conviviality scores. It still fits shorter, closer through the instep and lower in cuff height than the category average but testers said this was the most comfortable version yet.
But back to that Vacuum molding process. Testers were once again impressed with how much change occurred throughout the procedure. They noted significant fit enhancements (most testers pre-padded bony prominences for extra interior forgiveness and some placed pads externally between the shell and the Vacuum jacket to enhance tightening) as well as stance improvements. Many of our testers are acutely aware of their personal stance alignment needs and know how they like their boots set up, both for cuff angle and cant. Virtually all of our discriminating stanceaholics said they came out the other side of the molding process with an acutely tuned alignment. That's saying something.
A perfect wingman for precision-minded skiers seeking piste-based ski drivers. The Redster returns largely unchanged from last season and continued to amass another trove of accolades. Testers liked how it skied and how it fit.
There were frequent mentions of the boot's uncanny ability to store and release energy from turn-to-turn and its underfoot syncopation that perfectly matched the bending ski through each carving arc. Give credit to the Redster's carbon-injected rear spine construction and grooved sole flex matrix.
Fit-wise, the Redster is snug at the heel and ankle pockets but has one of the more accommodating forefoot and toebox shapes in the Technical Frontside group. It will house many average width feet, not just super narrow pencil dogs. The Redster's quick-cook Memory Fit feature (five minutes in the oven) opens it up to skilled skiers with thicker feet looking for a performance oriented boot without major fit modification gyrations. Our Memory Fit tests showed a general evening-out of fit tension and easing of minor hot spots. Very bony prominences will, in most cases, still require boot fitter hands-on modifications.
