The Tecnica Cochise freeride boot has been through a number of revisions and updates over the years, with nary a backward step, and now Tecnica takes a huge stride forward with a wide-freeride (
The Gist
If Ultra conveys narrow or skinny, like a Michelob Ultra, then Prime says hell yeah, give me some meat and a friggin’ real beer, dammit! The all-new Hawx Prime XTD 130 is a medium-width Freeride charger made to house the foot of a real man, the kind of guy who’s out to stomp some Lycra-clad Sallies in the skin track to get that stash first! Well, maybe not exactly like that—but the Prime XTD opens up the fit in width, instep height and calf circumference so that the vast majority of skiers (with average feet) can have a crack at one of the absolute best boots for going both up and down the mountain. The Hawx Prime XTD 130 is everything skiers liked about the narrower Ultra XTD, with a bit more. More room, yes, but also more shell wall thickness both medially and laterally for a stronger descent and less softening in warm spring skiing temperatures. The more-better Mimic liner adds a new layer of custom fit material close to the foot and shin to get it totally dialed.
The Fit
Well, it fits much like the All-Mountain Traditional Hawx Prime--a well contoured but snug medium. This is a performance fit for the average foot, but a noticeable relaxation of the squeeze found in the narrow Ultra XTD boots. The lower leg fit remains closely wrapped and tallish on the leg for substantial support, and while the heel and ankles are well gripped, the forefoot and toebox flares for a comfortable, warm touring experience. The new Mimic liner offers another level of custom fit feel against the shin and top of foot, as well as a better wrap around the ankle pockets.
Performance
We like Grilamid. Here you'll find it in both the lower shell and upper cuff. It's heat-stretchable like polyurethane, and when it's done right it skis pretty damn similarly—meaning strong and stable, predictable. Sometimes it can be twitchy, but here we'll just call it quick--as quick as narrower bro Ultra XTD. The Prime retains the XTD family's resiliant, energetic flex feel (testers said). A snappy return to center in between turns (testers said). It was strong and undeterred through a variety of mank and mung (testers said). This boot skied almost as well as the pinned cuff Hawx Prime 130 S, and just as with Ultra XTD we think the Prime XTD tours as well as the Atomic Backland. Maybe the core, on-area, off-area regular guy (with a regular, average width foot) really doesn't need two boots. Wow, what a concept.
Cool Features
Unlike the narrow Hawx Ultra XTD's the Hawx Prime XTD comes with GripWalk soles rather than a backcountry boot style built-in rockered sole and like the rest of the freeride category is tech-compatible. It forgoes lateral cuff adjustments for the sake of solid, touring pivot points, which sometimes is an alignment demerit, but the Memory Fit oven-cook customization feature can help the knock-kneed and bowlegged while addressing general fit improvements—win, win! The new Mimic liner utilizes a thin layer of heat moldable material close to the foot contact layer to provide a fine-tuned fit, post oven cooking.
The 2019/2020 Tecnica Cochise 105 W Dyn was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Freeride medium category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The Fit
Tecnica smartly places this 99 mm right between the narrows and the mediums, capturing the broadest audience of good skiers who want options on hiking or skinning around with one single model. Testers liked the heel and ankle hold, but also appreciated the slightly more open fit at the forefoot, over the instep and in the calf. A few testers cited that the tongue fit was a little firm at boot top, but most noticed that it mellowed with some skiing time.
Performance
Part of the reason that this boot skis as well as alpine boots is that it didn't give up alpine boot plastic to shave weight. Instead, Cochise relies on thinner shell wall construction in legit polyether plastic, both in the lower boot and upper cuff. The metal-on-metal cuff release mechanism keeps a direct-drive feel on board, and the firm, well-shaped C.A.S. liner maintains a connection between the body and the boot shell—no thermo-sponge loss of transmission here. Testers claimed this boot was quicker and stronger than expected at every turn on any snow surface.
Cool Features
The same Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) features found on the Mach1 boots are found here too. The shell is pre-dimpled in common work zones for better-formed and better-lasting heat stretches, and the C.A.S. liner is highly moldable and also grindable thanks to a high-density microcell exterior. For skiers looking to tour on lighter weight equipment, Cochise comes with Dynafit certified tech fittings integrated into the shell. The boot comes stock with alpine soles, but an accessory A.T. rockered sole set is available for use with compatible backcountry bindings.
The 2019/2020 BRAND-MODEL was tested in the GENDER-CATEGORY at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The 2018 Salomon QST Pro 110 W returns mainly unchanged and in similar fashion to last season's test we found a broad spectrum of takes on this unique all-mountain hiker. From the first look at the QST Pro it's apparent that it's different. The low-slung instep of the cabrio lower with the embedded Endofit tongue looks a little spacey, and entry to this ski escape pod is different too—pull on the tongue loop and simply drive the foot on in, but don't pull too hard or the tongue can pop out of its slotted berth. Once in, testers either loved the close grip over the instep or they began thinking of a Custom Shell cook job to raise the roof a bit.
The Fit
Testers place the QST Pro on the snug side of the medium-width group in the lower boot, where the fit is painted on every nook and cranny. The upper cuff is more relaxed, addressing the shin with a flat but padded feel and an open-enough boot top to handle thicker calves. The stance is noticeably upright, testers concurred, and the tongue is firm against the shin, and yet the boot's flex is long-travel and springy. These fit, stance and flex characteristics either brought tears of joy to testers' eyes or the other kind in a fairly even split.
Performance
The upright, springy stance put many testers on their heels, but several mentioned that the long travel flex allowed them to get forward into a good skiing position. The lateral cuff geometry is a little on the knock-kneed side of neutral, which gives the QST Pro a slinky, agile attitude which was particularly fun in softer snow off-piste, testers said. Testers who rolled the edge angle up a little steeper found a stable base of lateral support. Testers liked the lightweight feel of the boot and found it to be a capable hiker-skinner.
Cool Features
Testers like the easy flip-switch of the sideways Surelock cuff release, though some mentioned wishing it wasn't located as high on the boot spine, hidden under the powder cuff. The QST Pro 110 W comes with alpine soles, but a rockered, tech-compatible sole set is available as an accessory purchase.
The 2019/2020 Roxa R3W 105 T.I. was tested in the women's On-Off Area medium width category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The 2019 Roxa R3W 105 T.I. returned to our boot test with only minor changes, and our test team approved again! It's a svelte 99 mm three-piece (cabrio), contouring closely along the curves of the foot and lower leg and minimally padded with a full-thermo Intuition liner. The Grilamid shell and Polyurethane cuff combine for a unique blend of light weight and strong flex feel. The hike mode's range of travel is impressive, testers said.
The Fit
Testers say this 99 mm rides the fit fence between the medium width and narrow groups. The toebox is snug, and the shell feels very close to the navicular and ankle bones—most testers had a full liner molding on their to-do lists. The heel pocket is tight but right. The calf offers a bit of relief from the squeeze, so average legs attached to slender feet will do well here. Testers noted a sharp feeling tongue against the shin, and again were hopeful that liner cooking would put that to bed.
Performance
Uncharacteristic of a three-piece construction, testers said the flex feel is stout (stiffer than the 105 labeling) and because it starts from an upright position it required some push to find a fore-aft sweet spot. Testers liked the power that the solid cuff generated in lateral moves and said it tipped all manner of skis onto edge and held them there well. The boot's performance sweet spot is in the lateral moves, testers agreed, allowing the stiff, thin-shell-walled lower boot to feel the snow surface and sink its teeth in. Transitions between turns were lively and quick and edging response was immediate, testers said.
Cool Features
Testers like the collection of gadgetry here. The power strap buckle is wide and easily dialed in for tension. The 45-degree second buckle retains the foot at the instep effectively. The ski-hike cuff lock is simple to actuate, and in conjunction with a long and friction-free range of travel in hike mode, they liked the easy roll of the GripWalk soles when walking. Note that the R3W 105 T.I. is tech compatible, and that if a skier plans to use them with alpine bindings, be sure those are GripWalk compatible.
The 2019/2020 was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Freeride narrow category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers agreed that for an all-day-skiing crossover boot that’s at home in-bounds or on short forays into the backcountry skiers will be hard-pressed to do better than the new Alltrack Elite 120 W. It forgoes lightweight plastics, sticking with a polyether shell for damp control of the ski, but offers tech binding compatibility and an option on GripWalk soles for off-campus missions. A touch softer than 120 and on the roomy edge of narrow, testers gave it the second highest score of the entire test, men’s included.
The 2019/2020 Nordica Strider 115 W dyn was tested in the women's All-Mountain Freeride medium width category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Coming from a group of serious skiers, when they say this is a serious performer, well, we take them seriously! Nearly perfect scores for its edge power and stability and also for its quickness and feel for the snow, the Strider 115 W Dyn will not disappoint rippers looking to dominate demanding pitches on big skis. Sitting well to the narrowest side of the narrow group, the liner’s aggressive heel and ankle fit relaxed with wear time but testers still recommend a liner cook to even it up.
The Fit
The women might not know it, but their fit impressions of the Strider mirror that of the men—an ultra contoured match to the foot and the leg, just on the snug side of the medium width middle-ground. The cork-clad exterior of the Precision Fit W Primaloft liner provides a bulwark of solid, yet moldable material that cradles the curves of the rearfoot with a firm pushback that says, performance, testers report. They loved the initial, cushioned, comfy feel on first entry, but they more appreciated the fact that the liner had guts and held the foot well after some serious test runs and a bit of sweat. Lots of comments like: snug, ideal grip, conforming, curvy.
Performance
The Strider 115 W Dyn's edge power score was its highest (and one of the highest edge power scores of all On-Off Area women's boots, regardless of width), which backs up what testers were saying—full on Alpine boot power to the edge on any terrain, at any speed. Testers mentioned that the Strider was no slouch for quickness turn to turn, citing its light weight on the foot as a source of fast movements, but they gave the stability and power of the Strider 115 W Dyn the nod as its best characteristic, especially when paired with a highly functional touring range of motion and an easy to use, intuitive cuff release switch.
Cool Features
The Primaloft insulated liner might appeal to the creature-comfort focused, but most of our testers were eyeing the rockered and Michelin rubber soled GripWalk plates that come on the boot and the Dynafit tech fittings for use with lightweight low tech bindings. The Grilamid plastic lower shell is moldable via simply wearing the boot after Infrared heating, though few testers mentioned a need to change the boot's shape beyond basic liner molding. They liked the ease of buckling and most liked the buckle catches—and all adored the pale blue hue with white and orange highlights.
The 2019/2020 K2 Mindbender Alliance 110 was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Freeride narrow category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
With high scores for its dialed stance and its convenience, warmth and features kit, testers affirmed that the new Mindbender Alliance 110 is a multi-playground master with more throttle response and quick handling than expected for its high level of fit luxury. Thin shell polyurethane and Pebax keep it light, and testers loved the two-position forward lean adjustment on the metal-to-metal hike mode apparatus. This is the roomiest of all women’s narrows, regardless of category, so testers said average feet should not fear this untracked pow reaper.
The 2019/2020 Fischer My Ranger Free 110 was tested in the women's All-Mountain Freeride medium category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
This boot checks a lot of boxes, one tester said. Another just said, I want this boot! Again, the My Ranger Free 110 is on the podium with a gold medal for its pairing of stunning range of motion in hike mode (best in test) with true Alpine descent qualifications, all wrapped in a noticeably lightweight package. It’s one of those tight-mediums, testers say, right on target for a 99mm last and ideal for average to slender calves. Its sneaky hike mode switch location remains a tester fave.
The Fit
Our test team placed this right between a medium and narrow—so pretty much what you'd expect from a 99 mm last. They gave it very even fit scores throughout the lower boot and upper cuff, meaning that it grabbed the foot and leg with a firm grip but in a contoured way that didn't offend bony bits or wide spots. They liked how easy it went on and off and that it buckled up in a straightforward, alpine sorta way without goofy overlaps and ladder straps. Not only did the My Ranger Free 110 get the highest score of the On-Off Area medium width group for Anatomical Fit and Initial Feel, it also outscored every On-Off Area boot in that criterion, regardless of its width group.
Performance
Bankable, regular, reliable from turn to turn, on every kind of terrain and snow surface is how testers described the My Ranger Free 110. They said it was more a steady-Eddie than it was lightning quick, but they praised the way they could count on this one for a powerful, smooth descent regardless of how they might have gotten to the top, whether by chairlift or sweat equity. The option to earn ones turns with this boot were the real deal, they said, citing its light weight (1580 grams in a 26/26.5) and a long-ranging, friction-free stride while in hike mode.
Cool Features
The My Ranger Free 110 ticks all the boxes for a modern, high performance On-Off Area (aka Freeride) boot: Grilamid shell and cuff, tech binding compatibility (Dynafit fittings), full-thermo liner, rockered soles (GripWalk), minimalist buckles and a superior cuff release and cuff rotation range of motion. And it does all of that with top shelf fit and performance. Well done, Fischer!
The 2019/2020 Tecnica Cochise 130 Dyn was tested in the men's All-Mountain Freeride medium width category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The revised Custom Adaptive Shape liner made the difference for testers who especially loved the larger instep cutaway for a bony midfoot and adjustable tongue attachment for changing the instep and shin fit—they put it back in gold medal position in the Freeride group this time around. Unchanged is the shell and cuff, which testers agreed needed no alteration. Cochise 130 Dyn boasts one of the easiest to actuate hike modes and surprising touring acumen for how strongly this do-it-all skis on any terrain, testers resoundingly agreed.
The Fit
The ankles and heel are particularly well designed to hold the foot in place for skiing movements, and the forward part of the lower boot offers some forgiveness in fit tension. Testers commented that they liked the padded feel of the liner in the cuff and along the shin, and felt that it maintained the same even, comfortable fit while in hike mode as well.
Performance
One key to the Cochise's broad power band and stability on edge, at speed, is its plastic—polyether upper cuff and lower shell—real alpine boot stuff. No skimping for the sake of weight—instead the shell wall thickness is reduced in non-critical areas to shave ounces while maintaining strength. We like that. Testers noted the foot-feel through the boot floor to the ski is exceptional, and while this boot might not compare to piste-centric Frontsiders, it's pretty darned close. For where and how skiers will be using this boot, it has plenty of horsepower for 99% of skiers. You want more juice? Can the hike mode. You want the mobility and touring options? Then this is the best you're gonna do.
Cool Features
As with the Mach1 boots, the Cochise line-up features the Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) menu of boot-guy-approved design elements. The C.A.S. shell is dimpled in common trouble zones to make heat stretching easier, more-defined and better-lasting. The C.A.S. liner is both highly moldable and grindable due to its high density microcell EVA foam exterior. The Dynafit-certified tech fittings (hence the Dyn suffix) enable the use of lighter weight "low tech" touring gear, and a set of rockered backcountry soles is available as an accessory purchase. Lightweight Lift Lock buckles are sweet for locking them open during entry and exit or while touring—no accidental re-latching.
The Roxa R3 130 T.I. takes the classic three-piece shell's flex feel to a newer, more solid level, testers said. Roxa is calls the R3 Next Generation Cabrio, and what testers said means super solid flex feel. The 99 mm BioFit last of the R3 design puts it on the snug side of the medium width group, and the all-Grilamid construction of the lower shell, upper cuff and tongue adds up to a noticeably light feel on the foot.
Painted-on close for a medium width with a particularly snug fit over the midfoot—our lowest volume guys loved it but quite a few of the others were a bit tingly and looking for the heating stacks for a custom Intuition liner molding session. The ankles, heel and lower leg shaft were encased in a well-padded cast, they said. Testers mentioned that the tongue was a bit on the firm side against the shin, at boot top, and the solidly upright cuff didn't budge much.
The test team agreed that the boot's forte was in strong lateral moves where the rigid lower boot and tactile feel underfoot really shined for rolling edge to edge in smooth and tuned-in transitions. Testers said there was a nice fore-aft sweet spot to make these liquid lateral moves from. Testers also agreed that the fore-aft stance started from a slightly too-upright position and offered so little flexing movement that it was hard to do much other than roll laterally from burly arc to burly arc and try to stay in the driver's seat as the speeds increased.
Testers liked the R3 130 T.I.'s uphill action—lightweight, easy to actuate mechanism, friction free travel in both directions (terrific rearward, adequate forward) and tech-compatible with GripWalk soles.
The 2019/2020 Rossignol Alltrack Pro 130 GW was tested in the men’s All-Mountain Freeride medium category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
