The 2021/2022 Tecnica Mach1 MV 105 W was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional medium category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
With the highest score of all the women’s boots and the second highest score of the entire test, men’s boots included the Mach1 MV 105 W maintained its position as one of our test team’s favorite boots of the past 5 years. It cannot seem to fail impressing good skiers for its perennially surprising combination of luxe comfort and plush fit with real, ass-kicking downhill performance. This is one of those boots that suits almost every tester to a T (and does it without T-Drive).
The Fit
It’s a generous medium width, testers agree. In fact, the average of eight fit parameters produced the roomiest total of all the medium All-Mountain Traditional boots in the women’s test. That is not to say that testers didn’t like this—apparently they loved this given the perfect score for anatomical fit—but for good skiers caught between a decision to go medium or go wide, this test team would point you straight here. The toebox and forefoot is especially roomy, but the overall fit in the lower boot tapers back to a more controlled fit tension, with the ankle pockets being its most snug fit zone score. The MV’s calf fit is ideal for the average to muscular or thicker calf, our testers raved—and in fact, its roomiest fit zone was at the boot top where it flares nicely. Slender calf testers didn’t mind it but also knew that the CAS Cuff Adapt feature could snug the calf fit by 5% (or open it up another 10%).
Performance
The Mach1 MV’s balanced stance enables all its other performance assets, testers concurred. They said it’s cuff angles and internal angles were all right on the money—and gave it another perfect score for stance. It received an equal number of positive comments about its edge power and stability as well as its quickness and agility—and as such posted scores of 4.86 in both of those categories. Many testers said that this boot skied well above the expectations set by its 105-flex rating, and so we’ll say its price also performs well, at over 100 bucks less than the guys’ top shelf MV Tecnica.
Cool Features
It’s a cool-feature reminder that a well-balanced and properly executed boot with a polyurethane shell, polyolefin cuff and closed up with four buckles doesn’t need much else. It managed to beat its bling-laden and stiffer skinny-sis (okay, only by six-hundredths) without a hooky cam buckle strap or carbon cuff splint. So, here’s to double screwed cuff canting and a single liner pull loop. Keepin’ it simple, keepin’ it real. Nice work Tecnica, again.
