Nordica's flagship women's wide Sportmachine 3 105 W is a performance-oriented option for skiers with thick enough feet that the medium-width Speedmachine isn't an ideal fit. This is not a bucket, testers say, but a wideish-medium (or snugish-wide) that holds the instep and heel firmly enough for powerful moves all-around the mountain. Testers liked how supportive and tall this 105-flex felt and said it more than held up to their many test runs in a variety of terrain and snow conditions.
There are softer versions of the 102mm Sportmachine 3, namely a 95-, 85- and 75-flex, and each of those will offer a slightly softer liner build that will open up the wide-last fit available in the shell and cuff. For expert skiers with high-volume feet, testers say the 105-flex is the way to go for its solid feel throughout aggressive turns. The tall and upright feeling cuff responded well to an assertive move forward, testers said, and they noted that shorter and lighter skiers looking for a roomy fit could step down to the 95-flex for more easily managed fore-aft balance.
A thicker calf would benefit from the Sportmachine 3 105 W's upright cuff position but a few testers said the cuff itself was a little abrupt on the calf, at least upon first fit. Testers suggested that a liner cook would be their first course of action to see if the overly snug fit there was a result of the liner versus the shell. Testers thought that the Sportmachine, as the model name implies, should attract a still-performance-focused skier that happens to have a thick foot--the skiing skills here match the comfort and convenience. Testers note that there is a bigger, wider, more calf-friendly 104mm option in the Nordica stable called Cruise, which we have tested in the past. They said if the thick-of-foot wants to really ski, rather than just cruise, then stick with the Sportmachine 3 105 W.
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