Our women's test team has had a love affair with the Salomon S/Pro Alpha 110 W for a few years running, and they renewed their vows at this season's boot test by awarding it with a gold medal, again, for its tight-and-right, narrow-last fit and its bankable downhill performance.
Yes, testers say it's still tight--like a narrow, expert-level, all-mountain boot is supposed to be. Our fit assessment involves rating eight zones on a 1 to 5 scale, where a 1 is as tight as a World Cup race boot gets and a 5 is rental-boot-loose. The "target" for a consumer narrow boot (96-98mm) is a 2. The average of the S/Pro Alpha 110 W's eight fit zones is a 1.75, with the ankle pockets receiving the tightest rating at 1.50 and the calf with the loosest at 2.25. One tester said that she almost got bucked off her skis by the boot's surprisingly strong turn finish, powered by its snug heel pocket fit.
Testers say the toebox fits snug and a little short to start but found that it opened up with some wear time on the hill, so they suggested skiers shouldn't write-off their proper size but give it some time and perhaps a little heating on a liner cooker. The ankle pockets are super snug--to the point of a hot spot for a couple testers, but again, they said it moderated with some time, and they mentioned that the clean polyurethane shell and cuff design would allow for a simple inside ankle punch from a good bootfitter, if still required after some break-in.
The performance of the Alpha 110 W hasn't ever been questioned but this year testers were impressed by how reliably it put their skis exactly where they wanted them and held them there until told otherwise. They said the boot's quickness and power showed up in equal measure, linked by a neutral and athletic-feeling stance that was ready to go anywhere and ski anything. Reliable, dependable, solid and confidence-inspiring were some of the descriptors used by the team. The scores for stance, edge power and quickness were all appropriately tied at a 9.75 out of 10.
The other 9.75 awarded to the S/Pro Alpha 110 W was in the Convenience, Warmth & Features metric, which supports testers' comments that the boot is straightforward and easy to use. There was no issue with entry--a nice benefit in an expert-tier, narrow, four-buckle overlap design--and testers appreciated the no-fluff, no-bs closure system that let them get on with getting on the hill for what mattered.
While testers didn't have many point-specific hot spot concerns, a couple mentioned that this boot might offer the perfect reason to employ a 360 Custom Shell oven cook job--if the boot is just a touch too-tight everywhere. Cook it, wear it, chill it and then go ski it, enjoying a subtle-but-effective relaxation of the squeeze.
Kudos
Caveats