A complete makeover on a popular model is risky business, but testers said the Hawx 2.0 100 W pulled it off without creating a Botox perma-smile. The Hawx revise opens up even more fit doors for women than its fits-most-everybody predecessor. The relaxed fit lower boot lets thicker feet enter the medium width club and a more-flared calf fit accommodates muscular legs.
The new Memory Fit shell expands fit options further by offering a cook-and-mold option—just five minutes in an oven and two minutes on the foot sets the custom shape. Our testers liked the out-of-the-box fit but the custom tests we performed confirmed that the process works as billed for shell shape fine tuning.
"Easy on, easy skiing with a great feel for the snow," is how one tester said it, and this was echoed throughout the test group. The initial fit is well-padded and cozy. A new Thinsulate layer throughout the liner lower aids in warmth retention on the coldest of days.
Testers roundly approved the boot's stance angles, citing a balanced home-base position from the get-go. If that’s not to your liking, the rear-spine Powershift forward lean adjuster sets in three positions (13, 15 and 17 degrees).
The new Hawx bagged go-everywhere accolades for its point-and-shoot simplicity on snow. A few testers mentioned that it felt softer than the listed 100 stiffness but the Powershift gizmo allows the boot to be stiffened or softened by an additional 10 flex index points by drilling and pinning the cuff through an available hole or pulling the existing single screw.
