Roxa's boot offerings span a huge catalog of three-piece designs and overlap shell constructions, in every width, and across applications from on-area piste skiing to lightweight backcountry touring boots. Every year we test Roxa's entries we prepare ourselves to be surprised, and this year was no different--we just had no inkling that the little 85-flex that could would end up on the top of our wide All-Mountain Traditional category among some other very competitive (and established) models.
Our test team roster is made up of some pretty sharp women--they're common thread is a passion for skiing but their backgrounds are diverse, inside and outside the ski industry. They're an open-minded bunch, but pretty exacting at the same time. When they dislike something about a boot--it's made quite clear. Same for the good things--they're lavish with praise where deserved. They avoid being predjudiced for or against a brand. They do their best to not have a particular bent toward a traditional four-buckle overlap over a cabrio style. And, as evidenced by this gold medal award, they are definitely not flexist. They elevated the 85-flex over two 105-flex competitors in its wide group, and score-wise this 85-flex bested a lot of 115-flex boots.
Does this mean that it's more powerful than a 115? No, testers look at each boot's intended audience, and the 85-flex boot is aimed at the less-experienced skier, the petite skier or the bargain hunting skier. If a tested model nails the fit, stance, edge power, quickness and convenience targets for that boot's intended audience--it's a winner. Testers said the R/Fit 85 W delivers (in spades) to those three constituencies listed above, and generally over-performs on the performance-oriented test metrics—enough to appeal to skiers who'd otherwise be looking at 100- or 105-flex models. To belabor this point, the R/Fit 85 W received perfect scores on its stance, edge power and quickness elements. That's high praise.
Specifically, what one tester said was: I forgot I was skiing an 85-flex Roxa and I was just ripping around everywhere on the mountain! Great skiing boot...Wow. And another tester echoed it: I was ripping railroad turns on the low-angle groomed without any issue. The liner is very cushy and warm--this is just an easy to ski, solid boot that will make an intermediate very happy.
Were there no complaints about the R/Fit 85 W? Yes, there were a couple comments that the initial fit felt a little "lumpy" and inconsistent throughout, at least to start. This knocked the boot's fit score down a bit (in fact, the only score parameter that wasn't a perfect 5.00) but the rest of the story is that those testers noted that the fit improved greatly after the liner warmed up and some time was spent skiing--the liner's Ultralon construction will make substantial fit adaptations available upon full heat molding with a bootfitter's help. Other fit issues are more easily remedied with a fitter's help due to the boot's polyurethane construction in both shell and upper cuff.
This is the little boot that could! At 525-bucks testers loved it for how it showed up for its intended market, but they really appreciated its stepped-up skiing game that will make it a player for way more skiers than it should.
Kudos
Caveats