The Gist
Testers love Salomon's shift to a four buckle overlap design in the new Shift Pro 110 W AT freerider. They liked the new, easy slide on and off and particularly got on board the newfound room over the instep and along the lateral side of the forefoot, a la the S/Pro lower mold that it's based off. Testers approve of the stability and snap of the polyurethane and fiberglass Coreframe lower paired with a light and reactive polyolefin cuff which fits closely along the lower leg and is still rigidly connected to the lower with the tried and true Surelock cuff release mechanism.
The Fit
Testers say that the list of fit improvements over its predecessor QST is long--now a more true medium width fit overall, testers say, with a broad fit along the lateral side of the foot and a taller fit through the instep, which along with more compliant material there made for much better entry and exit. The Shift Pro Ws are light on the foot, thanks to thin shell wall construction with polyurethane and polyolefin plastics. The flex feel is firm against the shin but progressive, testers report, and they liked the overall fit when the cuff was released as well. The fit over the top of the foot is even and open enough for good circulation by way of the My Custom Fit 3D seamless liner.
Performance
The testers who were able to get the Shift Pro 110 W on snow this year said that the lower boot feel is damp and stable, by way of the S/Pro medium width alpine boot it's modeled after and that the cuff's snappy flex feel made for agile transitions turn to turn without feeling jittery.
Cool Features
The Surelock cuff release mechanism remains a tester favorite and the touring range of motion it enables in addition to the rolling stride of GripWalk soles and light weight make this a real contender for more extended off-area missions. Testers like the simple 45mm Velcro power strap on the 110 W.
