Testers say that the ZipFit liner makes the case that the RC4 Free Pro MV BOA ZF is the perfect boot for all-mountain experts looking for race boot level ski control with a comfy forward cabin and options on targeted skin-to-score missions. This multi-purpose player ticked a lot of boxes for our test team--especially guys with slender lower leg shafts and narrow heels but with big, wide forefoot shapes.
The tightness of the rearfoot fit combined with the openness of the forefoot and toebox had some of our testers trying to beg, borrow or steal this one straight out of the test. But that same fit map turned off testers who thought that the rear portion fit like a narrow and the front portion fit like a wide. Maybe that broke the category target "rules" for them, but our other non-conformists loved it.
For those uninitiated to the ZipFit liner cult, the lace-up liner is donned first, then stuffed into the shell, race-boot-style. Some testers love this, some hate it. The ankle area and heel pocket (as well as the liner tongue) are filled with a ground-up cork and dense resin solution, which is heat and pressure moldable over time, and additional fill material can be injected into those three areas with the help of a technician or at home, DIY-style. This fill material is what ZF proponents love for its firm hold on the foot and lower leg and direct conduction of movement through the shell to the ski. Those more skeptical of the use of the ZipFit as Fischer's substitute for their own traditional liner is the fact that the initial out-of-box fit is often less-than-ideal--the dense cork-and-resin material is slow to morph to match a skier's foot. Some added heat from a liner cooker is helpful in this regard, as is time (days and weeks), but neither of those fit aids are options during a fast-moving boot test.
Testers think the plastic environment of the RC4FPMVBOAZF is dead-on the money. Many testers commented about the convenience of the lower shell BOA and the traditional top two buckles, capped off by a cool, quick-releasing cam buckle power strap. Stance angles were reportedly neutral in all directions and testers approved of the firm but progressive and adequately cushioned flex feel--that was a collaboration between shell and liner, of course.
Testers are also fans of toe-only tech-fittings and no walk mode for the fact that most of them are chairlift-centric skiers who do a little bit of skin-based travel. They'd rather sacrifice some weight and stride length for the upside of real alpine power and stability on the descent, which is what testers could all agreed on here--the RC4 Free Pro MV BOA ZF skis as well as any in the class.
Kudos
Caveats