The First Chair boots utilize the updated Soul shell shape that offers slightly more toebox and forefoot room than its Original predecessor. This makes for an easy fitting 99mm that is superbly easy to get on and off—one of the best out there. Also updated are the buckles—still old-school sliding ratchet style but with improved levers and slider actuators which testers appreciate.
The beauty of the First Chair 6 is the long-travel, classic three-piece flex feel—smooth and unhindered. However, testers thought the #6 tongue was much too soft to compete in the all-mountain traditionalist category, even though it was entered as a soft-value entry (110 flex and under). They said the value was there, and the soft came in spades! The First Chair 8 offers a step-up in stiffness for another hundred bucks.
Testers liked the fit after fully molding the Intuition spiral wrap liner, and said it offered more room for the pigs to spread out than the 99mm last would suggest. The forward lean is a touch more aggressive than the modern norm, and coupled with the soft flex put a few quads to the test, our team said.
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