Testers said the Head Edge 105 W HV GW is an ideal match for the All-Mountain Access category for its supreme ease of entry and exit, easy out-of-the-box fit for the high-volume foot and it's convenient strolling skills. Oh, yeah, they said it skis damn well too!
The All-Mountain Access category is all about eliminating frustrations with the sport's footwear, i.e. boots. Namely, the inconvenience of hard to get-on boots remains a barrier for skiers who just want to get on the hill and have a good time. The Edge W HV boots are some of the easiest boots to slide a foot into ever made (we've said that before and now we're repeating ourselves, because it's true). Part of that easy slide on comes from a very high instep fit combined with softer plastic at the throat of the boot to help spread open the boot. Additionally, the Edge HV W's walk mode can release the cuff in rearward fashion to aid the entry angle-of-attack for virtually hands-free boot-up.
For skiers with thick, high-volume feet, the Edge 105 W HV offers the cure for numb, cold feet--it's massively spacious and luxuriantly cushioned. Testers were blown away by the available internal acreage of the lower boot and said that for the widest of feet and the thickest of insteps, the Edge should make their short list and will probably make the final cut.
Testers were surprised (and a little concerned) by how narrowly the boot cuff tapered at the top where they found it clamped onto their leg shaft where it felt jabby on the calf. They felt that this fit zone didn't match the rest of the Edge HV's highly roomy and cushioned fit. Given this, testers suggested that the first step for thick-legged skiers would be to utilize the on-board Women's Adjustable Profile rear cuff adjustment to open up the fit there and then follow that with a Form Fit convection oven shell cook that enables a very convenient way to open up the calf fit while the skier stands or sits in the heated-up boot. They felt that these easy tricks would take the calf fit from jab to fab for the high volume leg shaft and turn this into the HV gold medalist that it deserves to be.
Testers liked the ease of the hike mode release switch and were impressed with how much walking range of motion the cuff offered in partnership with the rolling feel of the GripWalk soles. The power strap's Power Plate was mentioned as a nice way to spread pressure on the shin and customize the flex feel a bit. Testers also liked the easy-to-match cosmetics that wouldn't clash with anything.
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