Tecnica’s foray into BOA boots is constrained to its widest last models and the 120-flex Mach BOA HV is the men’s flagship leading the charge for thick-footed skiers who are looking for maximum room with a convenient new twist on the all-day, all-mountain ski boot.
Testers loved the Mach BOA 120 HV for its well-put-together set of useful design elements—front and center for them was the hugely open fit in the lower shell. Testers said that it offered a massive amount of space for the thickest feet to spread out in and relax—well, if not relax, then at least exist in a not-numb state. The ease of entry is a home run, testers said, and the initial fit was soft and inviting without losing a grip on the ankles and heel. They all loved how easily they got the boot buckled and dialed to their liking—easy and straightforward, which equated to one of its highest scores, recorded in the Convenience, Warmth & Features test criterion.
Most of our test team didn’t have enough meat on the hoof to fully fill the available space offered by the Mach BOA HV and yet universally, testers had two things to say. One, the BOA worked its magic to cleanly close the lower boot around the foot without distorting the fit or the way the boot flexed. Two, testers said the boot felt perfectly balanced in all directions, regardless of the level of looseness they might be experiencing. This, in our experience testing wide boots, is always a great bit of feedback from testers—the best wide boots offer a stance that works, no matter the volume of flesh taking up residence in its cavernous inner sanctum. Not surprisingly, the Mach BOA 120 HV’s score for Dynamic Balance was a nearly perfect 4.90.
The top of the line 120-flex was solid enough for our biggest testers, but guys fighting at the top of the heavyweight card who need a 130 will have to do without the convenience and clean closure of the BOA system, as the boot for the biggest beasts--the Mach1 HV 130--is still buckles-only. Our crew said that the 120 pumped out plenty of power that they thought suited the boot well. The boot’s quickness scores were probably unfairly low, as lower-volume testers made comments of not having much contact with the shell walls! Our tests of wide models have shown that with an appropriately high volume foot, instep and calf the boot’s responsiveness edge-to-edge increases exponentially—so we’re pretty certain this boot will crank off short radius turns at any pace that’s asked of it by the guys who'll be in it.
The shell offers Tecnica’s dimpled C.A.S. zones for making clean and permanent heat stretches for guys who need more width or relief for bony bits colliding with the shell, however, the highly moldable and grindable C.A.S. liner is not available here. Our testers had no issue with this, as the regular N.F.S. liner felt great to them, and they pointed out that it was likely the trade-off for adding BOA but keeping the list price at a reasonable (we think) $750.
Kudos