The Gist
Rossignol hits the narrowish, walkable performance boot market this season with a one-shot solution in the Alltrack Elite 110 W GW. Instead of a 100 flex (too soft) and a 120 flex (sold too few), Rossi offers the GripWalk rolling 98mm in a 110 flex to serve the most good skiers they can with one option. Our test team liked the simplicity, and they said they’d anticipate few complaints about the 110’s horsepower or stability. Testers love the combination of resort luxury (so much fur) with expert skiing grit that’s become a hallmark of Rossignol’s top-of-the-line women’s boots, and they say the Alltrack Elite 110 W GW is a sterling example of that.
The Fit
Per usual with the Rossi narrows, the toebox and forefoot fits almost medium width in its ample approach, but testers all agreed that the fit narrows as it moves back to the rearfoot and grips the ankle heel and lower leg as a narrow boot should. They didn’t mind the extra room up front, especially for any hiking or touring that might be done. Testers loved the silky fur liner material for a smooth slide on and off but had no issues with shearing internally while skiing, nor issues with wadding up or pilling—the Rossi fur’s a fave with testers now. The cuff fits slightly taller than average, they said, and all testers liked the feel against the shin and the boot’s progressive flex pattern that moved readily on ankle flexion without stopping points or shelfy feelings. As with most Rossignol women’s narrows the boot top flares enough for a muscular calf to live there happily.
Performance
While its highest scores were awarded for edge power, testers called the Alltrack Elite 110 W GW smooth and quick before they did powerful. That said, every tester claimed that it was an all-mountain performer at the top of the group—it did have the highest edge power and quickness scores in its category. While few skiers would seek out the Alltrack Elite for its massive range of motion in hike mode, it does what many hike mode boots do not—it skis like a real boot. One of the questions posed to testers about a hike mode boot is whether it “skis worse than”, “same as” or “better than” other similar flex non-hike-mode boots. The answer for the Alltrack Elite was a mix of same as and better than—'nuff said.
Cool Features
One tester said: “Soft tones, fluffy liners. Rossi keeps their game strong for women’s boots and humans looking for a comforting color scheme and feel.” Year after year, the Rossignol women’s boot line continues to impress for its ability to combine creature comfort and luxury with serious skiing performance attributes. They have led the way, almost single-handedly, toward a fur-lined performance ethos--testers obviously approved considering the perfect 5.0 in convenience and warmth. Testers like the grip of GripWalk soles but many question if they actually walk any better with them—but it is the feature du jour, and it’s right here along with a nice single loop tongue pull, Velcro power strap, single side cuff adjustment and four lightly pinked buckles.
