The Gist
A controversial decision was rendered, along the lines of the epic April 2016 Pacquiao-Bradley boxing match. Some testers liked the spacey looking QST Pro 130 while others were less enthusiastic in their judgement. Where they fell on its skiability depended on where they took it and their instep height. Those with low insteps were comfortable. It was more at home on soft snow with a lighter touch than ramming it on the hardpack.
Fit
The unique experience that is the QST begins with entry past the distinctive-looking Endofit tongue construction. It’s not an overlap shell but it’s also not a three-piece design. The cutaway, open-throat style lower is mated with a unique rigid exoskeleton tongue whose edges remain tucked underneath the shell opening. Getting the boot on requires pulling on the tongue loop enough to slide the foot past the instep area but without pulling the entire tongue assembly out of the shell (oops; we did that and it was a pain to put back).
Once inside, testers found the fit very close along the top of the foot and up through the instep and shin. Testers with low insteps liked the painted-on hug over the top of the foot; those with high insteps got a bit tingly and embarked straight away on Custom Shell molding.
The ankle and heel pockets also received tight fit scores, placing the QST's lower fit on the snug side of the medium range. The shin fit and flex feel is funky and long in travel. Lighter weight testers generally called it progressive and firm while some of the bigger guys claimed it was uneven and collapsed easily.
Performance
Testers all agreed that the boot moves laterally like a cobra, weaving in and out of turns with a slimy, silky lightweight touch for the snow. Agile and accurate side-to-side moves were best executed with finesse rather than an aggressive assault. Don’t push it.
The stance is on the upright side of the fore-aft range and set up very flat laterally; there’s no grippy inside edge bias here. Testers found that rolling edge angles up high unlocked the QST's power, especially on soft snow. At lower edge angles its steering ability was precise.
Aggressive moves to the front of the boot were met with, again, mixed results. Some testers found the long travel flex snappy and resilient while others claimed it folded over mid-shin and felt much softer than its marked 130 flex. The combination of polyamide (lightweight nylon-like) and polyurethane in the lower boot with polypropylene (lighter than PU) in the cuff creates a very light feeling boot, testers said.
Cool Features
The Surelock cuff release mechanism is sideways mounted and awesomely easy to release for touring and hiking. It provides a solid connection for descent. Releasing the cuff also eased entry and exit. The Custom Shell molding process is a must for testers with higher insteps or bony prominences midfoot. Pre-padding hot spots prior to undergoing the process was important. Our tests showed the 20 minute procedure opened up the instep fit nicely.
Kudos
Caveats