The Gist
The slender foot gals get another upgrade to the Mach1 LV W this year with a new heat customizable tongue that molds to the shin both internally via a layer of EVA foam and externally by way of highly adaptable Surlyn plastic (also found on the rear part of the cuff where it can be molded to better match the lower leg and calf). Testers universally applaud the step up to 120 flex in the Pro W as a solution to the 105’s occasional fold-over fails for aggressive skiers in rugged terrain. It’s one of the tightest in the rightest of ways, they say.
The Fit
Testers are stoked with the LV Pro W's out of box fit, calling it consistently low volume and tight everywhere with just enough extra room for the toes. But they are equally impressed with the various fit adaptations that are available for different needs. The rear spoiler style Cuff Adapt feature can be heated and auto-molded around the calf area, either opening up more room or better wrapping the slender leg shape. There is an additional cuff volume reducing kit that can enhance that tightening effect at the boot top as well. The new C.A.S. (Custom Adaptive Shape) Tongue is also low-temp heat moldable to the leg volume and shin shape via a highly adaptable internal foam layer and a moldable outer plastic called Surlyn (the same stuff used in the rear Cuff Adapt feature). The revised cuff design last year plus the new tongue design this year have eliminated our testers' complaints about an uneven and sharp shin fit in the women's low volume line up. Testers still say the ankle pockets and heel area are ideally snug without feeling harsh, and the fit over the bony top of the foot is as good as it's ever been in the Tecnica women's narrows.
Performance
Our test team's hard chargers and the long-legged were huge fans of the Pro's 120 flex for driving aggressively through chopped up mank at speed, saying they loved the way it drove big skis exactly where they pointed them without collapsing in flex on heavy hits. They said the quickness and agility factor was equally high, however--this is not an overly damp beast of a boot, but a well-balanced all-mountain attacker. Our slighter and less aggressive testers found the 120 flex to be a little more than they needed and recalled having more fun in the 105 flex LV last year.
Cool Features
One of the coolest features of the Mach1 boots is the fact that many of their design elements are created with the help of a few of the best bootfitters in the USA—Project 165 is Tecnica's partnership with select bootfitters and their collaboration has been evident in the last couple seasons for Tecnica. One of their Women to Women crew is an ABB tester—Samantha Tischendorf! In addition to the fit customizing features listed above in the Fit description, the C.A.S. shell remains in play this year with its dimpled areas to reduce mass in common heat stretch zones to make for easier and more permanent punches (with a bootfitter's help) and the C.A.S. liner revisions made last year remain as well, with more grindable, moldable surface area and a larger, better shaped instep cutaway over the top of the foot. The 45mm non-stretch power strap is affixed with a metal cam style buckle using the Power Lock hook that avoids having to feed the strap end through the cam buckle each time. The lambswool and Celliant (incorporates thermoreactive minerals to help increase circulation, they say) liner does seem warm, testers say.
Kudos