What do smart women want when it comes to their gear? Well, the best, first of all. And if they shop for boots like they shop for jeans or shoes, they want the best deal, too. How often does the best and best deal coincide? Not often, but here (and you better go buy a lottery ticket right now) it has. The Lange RX 80 W, a boot that will cost under $400 in most shops, was ranked in the top 5 of all women's boots tested.
The Soft Value category is about testing boots for the way the majority of skiers ski them—not 100-days a season, not all day long, and not at a pro or even expert level. Soft Value boots are for the majority of skiers, and though softer, less expensive models exist under each flagship model we test (we point those out in each model's vital stats), each brand was asked to submit at least one Soft Value model to be tested amongst the big dogs. The RX 80 W was Lange's, and it stomped some serious ass.
It's a true medium width, serving a broad swath of foot and leg shapes. Testers said it has an easy slide on and snug initial fit that relaxes quickly. There’s extra room in the toebox. They liked the closely fitted ankle pockets that mate with the boot's surprisingly able flex feel to produce athletic skiing moves everywhere they drove it. While soft and rangy in its flex, the consensus was that it didn't fail and most said it felt a tad stronger than 80. “Ergonomic and economic,” one said.
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