When expert skiers start whining about how stiff a boot flexes and how tough it is to get on, it pays to look a little lower in the model line for the kinder, gentler version of that beast. That's what testers say the Kastle K110P is, a nice beast of a boot, like a pet grizzly or trained rattlesnake. So cute! The K110P is not a 110, testers say, but rather it skis closer to a 120- or even a de-tuned 130-flex. They thought it skied right alongside the best boots in the most competitive category in the whole boot test. And yet, they said it went on and off more like a 110-flex, and had an even-wrapping closure in the lower boot on account of the slightly softer polyurethane construction.
So, it lied about it's flex index. That's okay. But it also lied about its last width, just a little bit, a white lie. Testers say it's damn snug for a medium-width 100mm. Call it a 99mm and it would be more accurately advertised, they said. Did this bother them? Not one bit, but it may have resulted in some demerits in their scoring for missing the fit tension target--our testers are tough graders, ya know. Did they love the fit that it offered? Yes, they did. It was super snug in the instep, heel and ankle with a little more room to spread out into the forefoot before tapering a bit, in old-school-toebox fashion, to squeeze the sides of the big and little piggies a bit more than desired.
They loved the performance result of this stiffer and more-snug-than-billed boot. It ripped, they said. Everywhere. It skied better than they expected and as well as boots that cost 200-bucks more. They said it was intuitively quick and smooth to roll onto edge. It had a strong but damp and predictable torque curve and it handled mixed terrain with aplomb. Testers said the stance was just bullseye-perfect and seemed to aid skiers in making athletic moves and generating steep edge angles. They had no complaints about how it skied, with the exception of one tester who said the flex collapsed more than the other 130-flex boots in the group. Well, duh. It's a strong 110-flex but a 110-flex nonetheless.
This is a good boot for technical skiers more interested in performance than fluffy features. It would suit the lighter weight ripper or a skilled skier with a softer touch to the front of the boot. It was Kastle's best boot of the test, according to one veteran tester, who also said that the boot's biggest flaw would be its likely lack of presence at retail and suggested that prospective buyers who fit the bill should get on their new boot search program sooner than later for this one.
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