The key that opens the Rossignol Vizion’s easy-entry cuff is the distinct double-buckle on the cuff—pull the uniquely colored lower buckle all the way forward and its cable releases the cuff to hinge rearward, clearing the path for the foot to glide into place with no-handed ease. Closing-up the cuff takes a little practice but once accomplished becomes an easy routine and the four-buckle system then behaves like any other traditional, all-mountain boot.
One tester called the Vizion 4B 90 Elite W the best mom-mode, easy-entry cruiser boot ever made, and this sentiment was echoed across the entire test team, resulting in perfect scores for both its fit and its slate of convenience-driven features. The Vizion Elite 90 we tested marks the narrowest iteration of Rossi’s easy-on and easy-off models but there are medium and wide options available with the same features and easy-going fit character that testers loved.
The liners in the Vizion range have received the same internal padding update found across all Rossignol models this season, which gave the Vizion Elite a touch more hold on the rearfoot for enhanced edging and steering performance—and testers familiar with the previous Vizion liners appreciated that on-snow control bump-up. However, the dreamy, creamy, cushiness that characterizes the Vizion fit and feel is still there, testers assured. It’s a soft and warm interior experience they say, being sure to clarify that this narrow trends more toward the medium-width end of the narrow-class fit-tension spectrum—a race fit it is not.
They love what it is, however, a convenience- and comfort-oriented model that approaches high-performance fit and flex—enough to get the job done for good skiers everywhere on the mountain, so long as they remember that its A-game is everything else about skiing. From getting it on, to strolling through the parking lot, to dragging kids to lessons, to waiting in lift lines, to dealing with lunch, and apres, and then hauling gear back to the rig—this is a skiing mom’s secret weapon, testers said.
Sure, there are other options in the ease-of-entry category, but most are wide models with minimal performance fit adjustments (i.e. not enough buckles). Testers appreciate that the Vizion offers a four-buckle overlap design, in three width options and with flexes that work all around the hill. Bravo, again, Vizion.
