Our test team likes truth in advertising, and they said that's what you get with the Head Edge 105 W HV GW. Fitwise, it's a wide boot that fits like a wide boot, testers said (which isn't always the case), especially where it counts for the high volume skier leg and foot. Testers said the calf fit was open and properly flared, with enough adjustment in buckles and power strap and enough height on the leg to support a bigger skier without folding over. The instep was adequate to avoid cutting off circulation over the top of a thick foot, and while the ankle and heel pockets had anatomical shape and provide a control center for skiing movements they did so while avoiding any pinching or overly snug zones.
Performance-wise, testers loved the way this 105 flex delivered the goods in predictable, no-nonsense fashion. It's a good, honest ski boot that opens up the mountain to good skiers with the added benefit of comfort, warmth and convenience. They liked the fore-aft stance, which was upright and comfortable but flexed enough for dynamic movements without making those with thick calves suffer quad-burning wall sit exercises on every turn. Testers universally mentioned the boot's surprising quickness and responsiveness to skier inputs--something of a rarity in the truly high-volume boot world.
There's a walk-mode on this model, which put it into our All-Mountain Walk category that features the releasable cuff as a convenience feature rather than any sort of adventure touring function--though hauling kids through parking lots can qualify as some sort of adventure. The walk mode did not create any performance detriment, testers assured, and the Edge 105 W HV's were in line with the best non-releaseable cuff models we tested, so this is a value-added feature that shouldn't necessarily scare off solid skiers who might bear some old grudge against walk mode features.
Easy fit, easy but strong skiing, convenient features. Testers didn't have anything bad to say about this one, which one tester summed up by saying simply, no impediments.
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