The 2021/2022 Dalbello Panterra 95 W GW was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Walk medium category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers used the words comfortable (or comfy), cushy, soft and warm several times each to describe the new Panterra 95 W. One tester called it a cotton candy pillow, and another called it a marshmallow fluff cloud with a cuff! It hands-down won the testers’ unofficial, most-comfortable-boot-that-skis-well award at this boot test. The test team unequivocally recommended it to any good skier (or one aspiring to get good) looking for a trouble-free wideish medium (or mediumish wide).
The Fit
The cosmetics were cool and the entry was easy—both of those elements bode well for an All-Mountain Walk category boot, and then the overall fit of the Panterra W had testers on the hook. The flex feel was soft and the tongue was highly cushioned, making flexing movements dreamy-silky, testers reported. Some found the flex a little on the soft side for 95 but without any real fit complaint. The fit in the lower and upper boot was evenly wide-medium except for the length fit, which several noted ran shorter than the norm.
Performance
Testers unanimously liked the balance and feel of how the boot moved laterally, putting skis on edge with a predictable and smooth power that made skiing easy all over the hill. Edge power well above the expected 95-flex level, they agreed. There was less consensus on the fore-aft balance, with some feeling like the ramp angle was a little excessive and others feeling the soft cuff allowed a bit too much flex forward—while other testers had no issue at all. The fore-aft takeaway there may be that taller, heavier, more aggressive skiers may just want to step up to the Panterra 105 W GW (for an extra C-note) and solve that softness problem (if that’s a thing) before it starts for them.
Cool Features
The new IF Comp liner incorporates more neoprene in the toebox area and a more matched-to-shell-shape tongue construction this year to which testers attributed to the newfound cushy comfort over previous years’ versions. The Dynalink 45-degree middle buckle works well to retain the foot in the heel pocket without crushing the top of the foot. Testers like the simple Velcro power strap and straightforward cuff release lever switchy pull tab thing—and said it enables surprisingly long and smooth cuff rotation that pairs with the GripWalk soles for an enjoyable stride.
