The Gist
The all new 2019 Salomon X Pro 90W Custom Heat Connect comes with the blend of ideally cushioned-but-firm medium-width fit and proven all-mountain downhill skills that our test team has come to expect from the X Pro family, but this one comes with a slick on-board heating system that's controlled via a phone app! We weren't sure what our testers were going to think—lame or game? They loved it! And they loved the rest of the X Pro as much as they always have.
The Fit
Few outliers, fit-wise, from what testers expect of a medium width performance boot with the exception of a wide-ish toebox (not a bad thing). All other fit zones came in with right-down-the-fairway medium width scores. Testers liked the cozy, initial fit—a Salomon liner standard and right on target for the 90 flex performance tier, they said—and they found the closure system super easy to manage.
Performance
Reliable, consistent power and easy transitions turn to turn found here, testers agreed, saying that this boot is perfect for the intermediate who's stepping up her game and doesn't need her gear getting in the way or for veteran experts who prefer a slightly more supple flex feel. Testers remarked that the price paid for stability and predictability was some lack of snap, but not enough to scare anyone away. Prefer a dreamy G.S. turn over a spastic short-radius? Perfect, this boot's for you, they said.
Cool Features
Obviously, a phone app that controls the heater system is about the coolest feature ever, right? Well, regardless of your opinion on the matter, our testers said download and operation was a snap, and they thought it was very cool. Salomon was one of the earliest adopters of the whole-shell cook and customize craze, and the 360 Custom Shell fit process still remains one of the coolest fit options for the X Pro 90W Custom Heat Connect. We've found the process most useful when the boot is slightly too tight everywhere after liner molding, but it's also extremely effective in opening up the fit at the instep and at the boot top where more traditional methods may not always nail it on the first try. There's no cuff adjustment here but we've found that Custom Shell molding will allow some stance adaptation for the better when needed.
Kudos
Caveats