Roxa R3W 105 Ti

The Gist

The 2018 Roxa R3W 105 Ti marks a brand new approach to women's boots for Roxa, and our test team approved! It's a very svelte 99 mm three-piece (cabrio), contouring closely along the curves of the foot and lower leg, minimally padded with a full-thermo Intuition liner. The Grilamid shell and Polyurethane cuff combine for an optimal blend of light weight and smooth flex feel. The hike mode's range of travel is impressive, testers said.

The Fit

Testers say this is a snug 99 mm and belongs in the narrow group. The toebox is snug, and the shell feels very close to the navicular and ankle bones—most testers had a full liner molding on their to-do lists. The heel pocket is tight but right. The calf offers a bit of relief from the squeeze, so average legs attached to slender feet will do well here. Testers noted a sharp feeling tongue against the shin, and again were hopeful that liner cooking would put that to bed.

Performance

Characteristic of a three-piece construction, the flex feel is long-travel and springy, eventually coming to a stop, but with a range of movement that lets the skier choose where to be in that range. Hanging heavy against the boot will only over-flex the boot and smoke the quads, testers said, suggesting skiers use a light throttle fore and aft to unlock the boot's performance power band. The boot's sweet spot is in the lateral moves, testers agreed, allowing the stiff, thin-shell-walled lower boot to feel the snow surface and sink its teeth in. Transitions between turns were lively and quick and edging response was immediate. Heavy race boot crushers won't like the laissez faire fore-aft attitude here, but those with a lighter feel for flex will find the spot and like it.

Cool Features

Testers like the collection of gadgetry here. The power strap buckle is wide and easily dialed in for tension. The 45-degree second buckle retains the foot at the instep effectively. The ski-hike cuff lock is simple to actuate, and in conjunction with a long and friction-free range of travel in hike mode, they liked the easy roll of the GripWalk soles when walking. Note that the R3W 105 Ti is tech compatible, and that if a skier plans to use them with alpine bindings, be sure those are GripWalk compatible.