Head Vector Evo 130

The Gist

Many testers on our team thought the 2018 Head Vector Evo 130 was the All-Mountain medium-width category benchmark for the right sort of fit and performance skiers want from a 130-flex, 100 mm boot. Add to that a fully customizable liner and shell system and it's no wonder that testers expressed broad approval.

The Fit

The Perfect Fit liner doesn't need to be molded—the initial fit is on the money for testers who say it's well built to match the foot and leg. Testers said the Vector Evo 130 manages cushioning in areas where that's nice (toebox, forefoot and over the top of the foot) and maintains a firm grasp on the control areas where needed (heel, ankles and lower leg at the throat of the boot shaft). Not tight, not loose—just right for most testers who said that this model will suit a lot of different skiers, especially with the option to run the shell through the Form Fit oven process to open up the fit for thicker, wider feet and legs. Our custom tests showed noticeable fit improvements without any negative effect on the boot's skiing performance—in fact the post-molding fit scores averaged to a perfect 5.0.

Performance

Testers selected ideal for fore-aft and lateral stance angles, and then ideal again in the flex feel and tongue cushioning department. Testers said the Vector Evo 130 was one of the easiest to boots jump on and instantly excel on snow. According to testers, there was no turn radius, speed or snow condition that knocked the Vector Evo 130 off line—think it, do it skiing. Testers said the Vector Evo 130's high comfort level belies its raw, descending power, and should be skied full-gas, as needed.

Cool Features

The Perfect Fit liner can be cooked without also heat molding the shell, but the customization system is designed to work together to better match the liner's exterior to the shell's interior shape for a better connection of foot to boot to ski. In addition to single-side cuff adjustment, Head canted sole plates are available for Vector Evo models in 0.5-, 1.0-, 1.5- and 2.0-degree increments. These plates are also available for Advant Edge models as well. While not canted, GripWalk rockered soles are also available as an add-on for use with GripWalk compatible bindings.