The Gist
The medium volume Mach1 MV line-up got Tecnica’s revision love this season with an all new mold shape for the shell and cuff, along similar lines to the LV’s more anatomical shape makeover last year, and testers it say nails the right mix of tight here and relaxed there for the average foot. Unique to the MVs is the new T-Drive shell-to-cuff connector technology which anchors the boot spine with loaded-up energy and simultaneously allows for softer, better wrapping plastic over the top of the foot. Testers say the combination creates a more lively, stronger feel and a higher comfort level, too.
The Fit
The first notable impression comes with sliding the MV on the foot--much easier than the previous generation MV due to softer plastic over the top of the foot. This also lends to a more wrapped, domed feeling over the top of the foot which doesn't collapse onto the instep during flexion thanks to the restraint of the T-Drive cuff to shell connection. You can flex the old MV on one foot and the new MV on the other and see a visible difference in how the new cuff doesn't collide as much with the top of the lower shell, distorting the lower's shape. The new MV 130 fits taller and more upright in the cuff than its predecessor, and while testers never had a problem with the old cuff's stance or power they say the slight change now is noticeable and in a positive way. The lower shell is curvier than in the past, meaning it wraps around the foot's natural contours a little more, for a slam dunk out-of-box fit that testers loved. The C.A.S. (Custom Adaptive Shape) liner is also revised, with more grindable and moldable surface area and a larger and better shaped instep cutaway for the bony spot over the top of the foot. Testers say the flex feel is firmly 130 and even along the shin.
Performance
Testers have always praised the Mach1 MV 130 for how well it pairs top tier performance with high levels of comfort, and that tradition continues still. Testers liked the additional leverage the taller cuff applied to the ski edge and the slightly more upright position felt more natural for testers who said it enabled earlier engagement of the ski shovel and less fatigue overall.
Cool Features
One cool feature of Tecnica's boot development story is Project 165 (named for their boots' orange hue) that incorporates the input and product testing skills of several top bootfitters from the U.S. and Canada--one of them is a veteran ABB tester, Greg Hoffmann! The Custom Adaptive Shape bootfitting features are essentially same here as they are on all the Mach1 boots for men and women—the C.A.S. shell is dimpled in common fit problem areas to aid with heat stretching and the C.A.S. liner is both heat moldable and grindable. In addition to these helpful fitting tools, the Lift Lock buckles are handy—they stay locked open when pushed to their end stop and the Power Lock power strap hook-in-loop connection sidesteps having to thread the strap webbing through a cam-lock buckle every time.
