The Salomon women's medium-width Shift boot has been a winner for our test team every year since its debut, and while some years' color palette have been, uh, unique, testers say that Salomon has hit a homerun with this year's color way in the Shift Supra BOA 105 W. They also continue to love how this freeride utility model skis and tours, in equal amounts, and they all agreed that the BOA system on the lower boot was a welcome addition.
The entry and exit of the Shift Supra BOA 105 W was a slam dunk right from the start, with no reported constraints owed to the new BOA reel closure on the clog. Testers put it on, buckled and dialed up and went about their business. The big, flat buckles on the cuff were appreciated for their easy handling and testers felt the BOA was all value-added on this model--no complaints there whatsoever, and specific props were given to the variably positioned Exo Belt BOA cable anchor that testers liked for a secure lock on the instep, one click at a time. Speaking of buckles, the sideways flipping Twin Lock cuff release mechanism remains a test team favorite for its easy access and actuation--and testers say the resulting range of motion enabled in hike-tour mode is substantial and smooth-feeling.
The new liner in the revised medium width shift wasn't as much of a fan-favorite as its predecessor inner boot. This one is modeled after the new and narrow Shift Alpha's liner (which was similarly looked at with a side-eye by our team last year) and it shares some of the same fit issues. Testers say the out-of-box fit in the toebox and over the top of the foot is tighter than expected for a 100mm last, and a few testers commented that the lower shin and instep had an abrupt, sharp feel, with a lack of connection with the shin at the top of the tongue. Testers reported that the toebox and midfoot fit issue resolved substantially with some wear time and test runs. Testers for whom the shin and boot throat fit was an issue reported a more persistent problem. All comments came with the suggestion to consider a proper liner molding session if any hint of these issues were to arise, as their estimation was that the problem was central to the liner itself.
Testers had nothing but good things to say about the way the Shift Supra BOA 105 W commanded the ski edge with crisp engagement at initiation and complete control through all phases of the turn. They had particular praise for the stable and reactive polyurethane lower shell and how it seemed to headquarter the boot's power down low, with a nice feel for the snow and sensitivity to finely-feathered edging adjustments. As expected, a few testers mentioned a lack of fore-aft connection to the ski due to the "spilling-away" sensation of the liner tongue at boot top. They said cinching the 45mm Velcro power strap did improve that feel somewhat.
All in all, another gold medal performance for the medium width Shift, one of the most versatile and best-performing of the freeride group, testers agreed.
Kudos
Caveats