While its blue hue may change every few years and the fit evolve in subtle ways, the Lange RS 130 LV remains the blue boot that coaches, athletes and high performance cord-carvers refer to by nickname. Every real skier seems to know that this is a boot that comes with no performance compromises—it’s a heritage that’s been re-established over the past decade and while this current iteration bears notable upgrades over past models it remains both a tester favorite and a slam dunk for those seeking a truly low volume fit without much fitting fuss.
This remodeled RS hit shelves last season but not everyone has one yet and testers say skilled, technical skiers who trend toward trenching on smooth, firm surfaces should seriously consider it.
The fit was revised via both shell and liner updates to provide a lower instep fit that holds the foot down and back but with an eye toward the liner’s tongue shape that manages to not crush the bony top of foot while controlling it. The heel pocket was made deeper to the rear and more anatomically shaped, which testers said locked it in with a solid grip that didn’t pinch the sides or back of the heel. The liner’s pre-formed ankle padding provides just enough shape to offload pressure points without bulking up the fit or dulling the connection between the foot and shell, and testers liked the taller, stiffer liner cuff that improved the wrap around the lower leg and added to an aggressive, driving fore-aft position. Note that a rear spoiler comes mounted on the boot but most testers preferred the stance with it removed.
Testers used terms like precise, powerful, unflinching, controlled and energetic to describe how the boot links their movements to the ski. Several testers mentioned that while its thicker, traditional polyurethane construction and solid (read, slippery) sole might pigeon-hole the RS 130 LV into the almost-race, Frontside boot category, they had a fantastic time driving a variety of ski widths through softer snow and varied terrain surfaces. The only time testers say the blue boot reminds them of its World Cup DNA is when they click out of their bindings and can easily boot-ski down to the hot-walk, and perhaps when their piggies say it’s time for a cup of hot chocolate.
Lange has almost outlived its shin-bang reputation and we’re sorry to even bring it up, but the point is that the flex feel of a modern Lange is the benchmark for appropriate contouring, cushioning and a progressive throw that loads energy to the ski many thousands of times a day without abusing the shin. Testers point to Lange’s proprietary Dual Core dual density plastic, the cuff’s revised and adjustable Race Flex connection to the lower shell and the liner’s World Cup Tongue as the design trio that powers the modern RS’s fantastic flex machine—testers were effusive in sharing their positive flex feelings.
To loop back and put a final, finer point on the Lange RS 130 LV’s performance character after much discussion of its fit and flex, testers awarded perfect 10’s to the RS in the three performance-oriented metrics of Dynamic Balance, Edge Power and Quickness. And sure, its fit and convenience marks were also high enough to put its overall score at 9.70, the highest in the entire men’s test.
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