The new BOA-enabled 130 flex Hawx Ultra XTD impressed testers for its narrow fit and agreeable, rally-ready attitude. They placed their highest scores in its Convenience and Features column, citing a relatively easy slide on and off and intuitive and functional closure enabled by the lower boot's BOA reel. With one of the best striding ranges of motion in the freeride group, testers loved the way this boot hiked and toured (again, as it's been one of the top freeriders for mobility several years running).
The thin shell wall and light weight combined with its truly narrow fit character proved a boon to the boot's steering accuracy and quickness but the larger and more aggressive skiers on the test team thought that the flex feel was a bit under-gunned and mentioned the shell sapped a bit of energy on the way to the ski edge. The shorter and lighter testers on the team and those guys with a lighter touch on snow liked its feather weight responsiveness.
Testers said the stance set-up was neutral, as always with this model, and the flex feel along the shin was well distributed, if a little collapsing for the big dudes. Of particular note, stance-wise, was the tuned-in and balanced feel underfoot, especially at the forefoot, which testers mentioned felt especially well connected to the edges. The snug fit was appreciated by the truly slender of foot, but the ankle pockets were mentioned as lacking some curvature, and indeed that fit parameter received the tightest average score of all tested fit elements.
The BOA reel was generally a hit with testers, who didn't find that it impeded entry or exit and they liked the micro-adjustment that its one-click-at-a-time rotation provided. Praise for the power strap was harder to find, with testers liking the lock-release cam functionality but lamenting the flimsy fabric of the strap itself.
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