The Gist
The new 2018 Nordica Sportmachine 95 W is good for intermediates to advanced skiers alike, testers said. They were impressed at how well this wide ride did all over the mountain and they scored it higher than a lot of the medium-width boots that cost $150 more.
The Fit
This is where this boot will shine for so many women skiers, they said, noting that the boot is roomy, but in a curvy, athletic way—it's not just a cushioned box. The average or more slender-footed folk on our team said the heel was a bit loose, but it should be on par for the higher volume foot. The calf fit was appropriately flared open at the boot top for thicker legs without losing a fore-aft connection to the ski, and the flex feel was a dream according to testers who said it was on-target at 95 but was even and balanced throughout its flex range. This is a wide boot that will promote better balance and good skiing movements they said.
Performance
Surprised—that's what several testers said about the Sportmachine 95 W's performance. They were in lock-step agreement that there's something about the Sportmachine 95 W that makes it easy to roll over on edge. They said transitions were sleek and seamless and the edge power, once there, was deep-rooted and stable at all speeds.
Cool Features
The Sportmachine 95 W has the same trick Infrared shell molding system developed specifically for the Speedmachine boots—the infrared heater brings the shell up to ideal molding temperature and a suction-cup of varying sizes and shapes is applied to the hot shell and the suction pulls the punch into place. The only real disappointment in the system is the fact that it will be rarely used here, since the boot fits so well out of the box. The Adjustable Calf Profile (ACP) is a simple way to open up the calf fit using an Allen key.
Kudos