The Lange XT3 Free 115 W LV was one of the two highest-scoring boots in the entire women's boot test at 4.85--and the other boot was from sister brand Rossignol. There was only one men's model that scored higher. So, the XT3 Free 115 W LV is on the mega-podium this year, and for good reason, say testers who loved the boot for doing exactly what it's supposed to do--everything!
The Freeride category is really defined by the presence of tech fittings for compatibility with light weight touring bindings, but in addition to a releasable cuff and GripWalk soles the other expectation from the Freeride group is the boot's downhill skiing ability. There are lighter weight boots with better touring features in the Backcountry category but those uphill amenities come at a cost--skiing down can suffer there. Not so in the Freeride category, where the premium is placed on fit and descent performance. Testers say that the XT3 Free 115 W LV crushes those two essential elements--it fits and skis like the best alpine boots on the market. And, it has an improved range of motion in touring mode this year they said. And it looks amazing! Another win, win, win for the brand, one tester said.
The XT family tree has always been known for its alpine roots--however, the current XT3 is the strongest skiing of the bunch, testers agreed. They love the tall-feeling cuff that doesn't collapse under load and its strong rearward backbone for setting a good fore-aft balancing backstop. Laterally, testers said the boot was snappy in transitions and solid on edge with big skis on hard snow at high speeds--keep in mind these are alpine-level ratings from testers who don't sugar-coat it if a Freeride category boot has phoned-it-in with regard to its skiing performance. Testers were surprised that the XT3 Free 115 W LV both skied better than in the past and also toured better--usually those two things are mutually exclusive, but testers said that the range of motion and quality of cuff rotation were both improved in this better-skiing version.
Testers were very impressed with how well the XT3 Free 115 W LV did everything--there didn't seem to be a blindspot on its all-around resume, they said. It received a perfect score for its Dynamic Balance, which always sets the foundation for successful movements, whether up or down. One tester called it a utility player and another called it a workhorse. All of them made some complimentary comment on its cosmetics, generally agreeing that it won for unofficial best-looking-boot of the test.
Kudos
Caveats