It would have been hard for our test team to imagine many improvements that needed to be made to the Cochise, but this year’s update provides several that were widely appreciated. Testers may have liked best one of the things that didn’t change about the Cochise—how well it skis, everywhere.
The revised Cochise experience begins with putting the boot on. It’s easier. The liner is completely new this year and the rear portion of it has a smoother strip of material that allows the heel to glide down into its pocket in one, unimpeded move. Once on, the grip on the heel and ankle is secure, testers report, and the feel against the sock is not aggressive or harsh but ideally soft, with a bit of firm structure that provided a confident, no slop feel while walking or skiing.
This year the buckles and cuff release mechanism are de-cluttered in that a cumbersome buckle catch got the axe in this new version and so did the miniscule lock-out switch on the cuff release (no one used it because they could hardly see it). Testers loved the straightforward closure of the Cochise’s four lightweight buckles on an overlap shell, and for the record, there were no complaints about the lack of a BOA cited on any test forms. The 99mm last width is dead-on-the-money for an even fit right in between narrow and medium, testers said. They remind us that there is a Cochise HV for those who need a more-open fit throughout, and say that the very snug 99mm feel is appropriate for all but the lowest-of-volume feet.
Sure, testers appreciated the firmer GripWalk material used on the updated soles as they strolled out to click into bindings for the on-snow tests, and they mentioned that the walk mode range of motion is as good as the Cochise’s has ever been (though still well short of Zero G levels). But what testers really got fired up about was how well the Cochise 115 W skis.
The Cochise has been one of those freeride boots that consistently descends as well (or better than) top tier, all-mountain alpine boots, and it hasn’t lost that asset as its other constituent parts have been improved. Testers say that there’s no indication that there’s even a walk mode on board when it’s time to ski, and they agree that Cochise 115 W’s balance of edge power and quickness is perfectly matched. A powerhouse, a ripper, super-solid and sneakily awesome were four testers’ ways of characterizing its on-snow character. Well said, we think.
Kudos