Nordica's Machine family is one of the best collections of all-mountain boots we've ever tested, and recent years have shown a series of improvements to all three widths that branch off from the Machine family tree. This year's test of the lower-BOA powered, wide-lasted Sportmachine 3 130 BOA didn't fail to back up that claim, earning a gold medal for its performance and reminding testers that a wide fit doesn't mean having to accept lesser performance.
Testers thought that the Sportmachine did a good job of maintaining a place among the performance-wides by not straying into massive bucket fit proportions, yet it remains properly differentiated from the venerable medium-width Speedmachine line. Some testers thought that the heel pocket was possibly a little too performance oriented for a wide load, but they also found that the fit there (and over the instep, which also received some too-snug comments) relaxed with some time spent charging around the mountain.
The fit is open in the toebox and forefoot and then again it flares at the boot top to accommodate thick and muscular calves. Testers thought that the fore-aft stance and height of cuff was upright and solid, a good match for a big skier looking for a supportive all-mountain wingman for less-smooth missions, off-piste. The lower BOA system worked well for our test team, who didn't report any issues with the rotary dial closure and found that it added to a convenient set of functional features designed to get skiers out on the hill without much fuss.
Testers commented several times about the plush liner feel that made for an inviting first fit but remained cushioned and comfortable out on the hill. They also said that the confident skiing in short turns or long ones was a pleasant surprise in a boot as comfy and warm as this one. One tester said that this boot marks one of the rare few that he could put on straight out of the box and ski well in any condition with zero bootfitting modifications required. Not a bad endorsement, that.
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