The Cliff Notes 120 is a unique assemblage of divergent parts: three-piece shell with four buckles of various design and direction, hike modality and alpine soles with tech compatibility, Intuition liner with traditional tongue and laces.
Testers were in agreement on the ease of entry and exit with the Cliff Notes, and they also concurred that the hike mode's range of motion was better than most in the category and with a nice friction-free feel while touring. They were in partnership on the long-travel flex feel that occasionally folded under big loads (i.e. big guys) but was comfortable enough along the shin—perhaps suited for lighter weight and less aggressive skiers.
Lateral strength was better than expected for how soft the forward flex felt, they said, commenting that there was no loss in translation from foot to boot to ski when moving purely side to side.
Testers liked the Intuition liner for evening out the fit, which for many offered multiple hot spots and gaps
Kudos
Caveats