There have been a variety of rear-entry reincarnations over the years but the Nordica HF line-up is the best of them, according to our testers--many of whom started their skiing careers in such designs (no judgment there, just an observation). We asked Nordica to send one women's and one men's HF model (which stands for Hands Free entry) for the sake of populating our new All-Mountain Access category with a couple very appropriate boots. The brand kindly obliged our request, even though it meant that it used up two of their entries that could have been dedicated to a harder-charging category and model--so we appreciated their playing ball.
The HF is the 102mm wide ride but the HF Pro range is a medium-width. Both lasts offer a few different stiffnesses for men and women. We tested the women's HF 85 W (there's also an even softer 75-flex in the wide option). Testers young and old were impressed with the HF's signature capability--to make putting on and taking off a ski boot ridiculously easy. Testers said that for any skier who's ready to give up the sport (or dreads joining the family on the slopes) because of difficult to put on boots they need to take a breath and get into a pair of these, because they will re-set the board on the skiing experience for that person.
The rear-entry design is made for the All-Mountain Access category. It puts ease of entry and exit and the convenience of a simple, one-lever closure system ahead of performance concerns. That's what this customer is looking for--a barrier-free approach to the sport that doesn't hurt or frustrate in the first few minutes of the day. Testers say that the ideal match for the HF 85 W is a skier who is either less-experienced, skis with a light touch against the skis, or is so frustrated with boots in general that she doesn't care how well it carves at high speed on hard surfaces. This is a cruisey, comfortable, spa-experience of a boot designed as a pleasant conveyance from vehicle to lift to lodge to apres and home--with some easygoing turns made in between, as needed.
Testers loved the way the rear cuff hinges backward in a massive gaping canyon of foot welcomeness. They flipped the lever, slid the foot in, closed the lever, and went skiing. Testers were fairly impressed with the fit of the HF, saying that it was a little more snug than other wide loads and offered enough grip on the ankles and heel to control skis. Some said the fit changed for the worse if the fit was cranked for more control, so they suggested that if any amount of snugness or performance was factoring into the selection equation, the skier should opt for the narrower-lasted HF Pro boots.
The HF 85 W is what it is, and it's awesome for the right skier, they said.
Kudos
Caveats