Change is good! And yet we humans innately fear change. So it’s understandable that the bootfitters on our test team who were fans of the Hawx boots were worried that their go-to ride (and slam dunk sale) might have gone away. It only took one run for these concerns to be laid to rest. relax, people, the Hawx 2.0 isn’t dead—it fact, it still got a killer set of talons. And while it impressed testers with its new personality, there is one striking similarity with the Hawx of old, which one tester summed up succinctly: "This boot is great for a lot of different skiers."
First big difference. There's more room in the forefoot and over the midfoot than previous versions. Testers felt the Hawx, like many others in the medium width group this year, had shifted its fit toward the wide end of the spectrum. Because of its redesigned toebox it also fits a bit longer at the first toe, which allowed more than a few testers to step down a size for a snugger fit. So, the new shape offers some new versatility depending on chosen size. Testers were unanimous in that the fit was even and comfortable, with snug heel and ankle pockets that allowed for precise skiing movements. The liner retains its Dynashape laminate, which reduces a packed-out feel over time, and adds a Thinsulate layer for added warmth—fully wrapped around the lower portion of the liner in the 120 and big brother 130 but just in the toebox on the softer versions.
Second big difference—gone are the gill-like iflex zones, but the concept of underfoot flexion is not. The increased flexibility in the boot directly under the forefoot has been relocated now to the boot sole itself, along the lines of how the Redster achieves it. This change allows for longitudinal flex along the boot sole for supple pressure control movements but maintains slightly stronger lateral and torsional stability. Testers noted that edge power was plenty solid and liked that the boot wall was now a solid material for internal shell grinding if needed.
Third big difference—the Memory Fit shell is heat moldable after only a five-minute cook in a convection oven. The liners get loaded into the hot shells and the skier wears the boot for only two-minutes to allow the shell to adapt to the foot and lower leg's shape. A five-minute cool down is all it takes to set the modified shell shape. We tested this feature on the Hawx and were impressed with how malleable the plastic became in such a short time. We felt that the customizing action was subtle but useful as a fine-tuning fit tool. We don't know exactly how the Memolink plastic additive works (Atomic won't say), but we are impressed with how well it skis.
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Caveats