The Lange Shadow 115 W MV’s winning off-the-shelf fit is improved this year by a liner update that increases the ankle and heel hold via new internal padding which both provides better grip for the rearfoot and reduces pack-out by 15% in this critical control zone. Testers immediately approved of this subtle but positive fit change that translated into instant performance gains for them as well, citing a more accurate and stable feel through variable terrain and even more precise placement of ski edges on hard snow at high speeds. Testers liked the improved heat-moldability that comes with the new EVA foam blended ankle pockets, which for some were a touch too snug to start. They also say that heat molding the liner makes a positive improvement for toe length, as the initial fit can feel a little short.
We would be remiss to mention the Shadow liner without discussing the hexagonal etching on its exterior material—this Auxetic (yes, that’s a thing) design allows for enhanced contour molding that better conforms to the shape of the foot. Testers still comment at length about how well the liner both grips the foot and offloads pressure on bony prominences. They call the Shadow a hotspot-free model and compare its liner feel to putting on a dry, warm wetsuit booty.
One tester described the skiing performance of the Shadow W MV as smooth and effortless, yet reactive and powerful. This does a good job of encapsulating the nature of the Shadow’s on-snow character in few words, and they help explain why testers called this boot their top pick for expert-level performance and technical carving at this year’s boot test.
The Shadow’s cuff design is about doing more with less, and our test team is all about high-performance--and doing as little as possible to get it! Why waste energy that could be spent making another run, hiking a boot-pack to a killer stash or apres-sending? The multi-point cuff anchors and rubber-bushing-dampened fasteners create a shin-comfortable, yet short-travel flex feel that testers love for how it translates a small forward movement into immediate ski shovel response.
This controls the ski through variable terrain with confidence but it also serves to engage the ski tip earlier and more predictably at the entry phase of the turn, which makes for rounder and higher-edge-angle arcs. Testers commented again this year that they simply ski better in the Shadow boot—more powerfully and more precisely, straight out of the box.
