While the Fischer RC4 105 LV BOA is a Vacuum boot and one of the unique qualities about the Fischer Vacuum molding system is that it can compress the shell around the foot, actually making a heel p
Testers were unanimously excited about Rossignol's new Hi-Speed alpine boot line-up, especially its flagship narrow offering in the Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV GW (that's a mouthful). While our testers have liked the Rossi narrow of the past for its, well, mediumish comfort and convenience, they were curious to see what fit tension adaptation may have evolved with this latest generation for the brand. Testers say, first, it's tight like an LV should be. Second, they say it skis like, well, kinda like a Lange, its perennial boot test winning sister brand. Third, testers say it manages to retain its Rossi-ness in that it's still easy to get on, convenient to close up and adjust, all-day warm and supremely neutral of stance.
While Rossignol has avoided the gravitational pull of the lightweight boot game (thank you for that, Rossi, BTW), it does utilize a thicker lattice-work of plastic in critical transmission and stability areas of the shell, and in the carbon models like this one an additional structural element in the form of carbon fiber shards are injected with the plastic into the foundational lower part of the shell. The plastic elsewhere in the lower boot is slightly less reinforced to enhance shape-wrapping, ease of entry and yes, some minimal weight savings. The shell and cuff are both Dual Core constructions, utilizing a less-dense plastic sandwiched between higher density stuff, all within the thickness of the shell wall itself to create a snappier, more energetic transfer of movement from skier to ski. We have tested non Dual Core models against identical Dual Core ones in the past and can attest that it's not just marketing mumbo jumbo.
This year's new liner design was a hit with testers who applauded the seamless toebox for its comfort and newfound warmth and the ever-improving ankle pocket design which is more heat moldable than ever with a new, Rossi-branded liner cooking tool that helps heat up the liner's exterior in addition to its inner surfaces. Testers loved the snug but well-matched shape right off the test racks but appreciate the targeted molding options in the liner.
Stance and performance wise testers lodged nary a complaint. Out of 15 individual tests, seven perfect scores of 5.00 were filed for the boot's Dynamic Balance, eight perfect scores were logged for Edge Power and also eight perfect scores given for Quickness--the boot plain skis, testers said. In fact, the only boot in the narrow group of the All-Mountain Traditional category to outscore the Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV was its big brother Lange RX 130 LV, but only by a tenth--oh well, this is often the way it is with siblings.
Testers said that the search for a $500 wide lasted boot that truly accommodates a large calf and still holds up flex-wise is over! The Nordica Sportmachine 95 W is massively roomy in the lower boot and in the cuff, with additional calf adjustment available if it's needed, testers said. They also loved the solidly even flex feel that did not collapse under heavy burdens--it's way stronger than the 95 flex index advertising, they reported.
Our test team said that the fit is very open throughout the boot, from bottom to top, but has good anatomical shaping for the high volume foot and leg that might fill it. Testers agreed that the flex feel was one of the Sportmachine's best qualities, saying that it had a solid, reliable feel and didn't fail under aggressive flexing or on unexpected terrain impacts. The Sportmachine 95 W's edging work was damp and stable and the boot's quickness was hinted at but our testers said higher volume feet would take up the ample space and quicken the pace turn to turn. Testers said the fore-aft stance was upright enough that it would take a high-volume calf to feel ideally balanced--a much better set-up than a too forward one resulting in burning quads on run one.
The liner is silky and soft against the foot and leg, testers said, with plenty of cushioning and insulation for a warm day on the slopes. Its ease of putting on taking off was almost hands free, and testers said the buckles and power strap were simple and straightforward to deal with. It's not a surprise that the Sportmachine 95 W's Convenience, Warmth & Features score was a perfect 5.00.
Consistent, uniform, predictable, stable. These descriptors came up repeatedly in testers' reports after putting the Nordica Speedmachine3 115 W through its paces at our boot test this past Spring. For a medium-width fixed cuff boot these words are like A-plusses all the way down its report card. Testers said it schooled virtually the entire class of medium width contenders in this very competitive group with its ideal blend of creature comforts, anatomical fit and expert level downhill performance. Everything the do-it-all 100mm all-mountain ski boot is supposed to do, testers said the Speedmachine delivered on in flying colors.
Testers much preferred this year's liner to last year's, and were unanimously impressed with its silky feel against the sock and smooth entry and exit that somehow didn't feel overly slick while skiing or walking. The ankle pockets were properly located and firm enough for control over the ski without feeling harsh against bony points and the heel was appropriately snug for a 115-flex level performance tier in a medium width boot, testers said. They loved the cuff height on the leg and said the tongue's shin fit was ideally cushioned throughout the flex range, which they said felt on-target for the specified stiffness.
Testers said the Speedmachine3 115 W was one of those boots that just enabled instantly good and balanced skiing from the first buckle-up, without fit or stance alignment hassles. They drove it everywhere on the hill and found themselves paying attention to tighter lines and finding better stashes, not figuring out its quirks (there were none). Some testers mentioned that the damp stability and inherent predictable feel of the Speedmachine may have robbed a slight bit of agility and quickness but not enough to dampen their fun. For a trouble-free all-mountain performer they said there are very few any better.
Over the last several years there has been a ski boot trend of building supposedly narrow boots that for all intents and purposes fit like medium widths. We continue to call out these poser-narrows as we can. The Nordica Promachine 115 W is absolutely not one of them. This is a narrow's narrow, made for real skiers with low volume feet and legs--the kind of body that belongs in a narrow lasted ski boot. Our fit scoring is calculated over eight different fit zones, from toebox to heel pocket to calf, on a scale of 1 through 5. A "1" indicates the sort of tight fit you find in a World Cup race boot. A "5" indicates the sort of roomy fit found in, say, a packed-out rental boot. New testers are instructed that the ideal medium width boot might receive mostly 3's, whereas the wider 102mm last should receive 4's while the 98mm gets 2's. What did the Promachine 115 W get, averaged over the eight fit zones? A 1.96.
Not to belabor the point, but even though one of our testers complained that her navicular and arch were being crushed by the Promachine's tightness, she noted that it wasn't a problem with the boot but just a mismatch for her more mediumish foot--what was the Promachine's score for Anatomical Fit and Initial Feel? It received a perfect 5.00.
Did the snug fit equate to high power and quickness scores? Duh, yes it did! This is a boot built to ski, first and foremost, testers said. That it is fairly easy to get on and fits without typical hot spots is a fortunate secondary benefit. The construction and materials are derived from the race-bred, Frontside Dobermann boot, so with that sort of engineering heritage Nordica would have to really screw things up to not have a ripping all-mountain model in the Promachine. Testers mentioned that it has a slightly taller than average cuff height against the shin and it's also a touch upright in angle and it's stout--so, shorter, lighter and less aggressive skiers experienced some challenges getting out over the front of the boot and staying in the driver's seat.
When going through test card data, when every tester uses the same rating per criteria there's no question about the results. With this year's Nordica Sportmachine3 130, that was the situation. One portion of the test app's question fields looks like this: cosmetics, entry/exit, closure, length fit, flex feel, tongue cushion, cuff height, fore-aft stance, lateral stance. Testers' unanimous replies to these questions looked like this: cool, easy, great, standard, ideal, ideal, ideal, ideal, neutral. Being so universally loved must get boring for the Sportmachine, but our test team was pretty excited to experience its newer, stronger build-out this year (mirroring medium-width Speedmachine3's revisions of last season). Our crew gave it two thumbs up for every aspect of its debut, from fit to stance to downhill performance.
The previous Sportmachine was also well-liked, but definitely had a fluffy, warm personality--it wasn't impressing anyone with its street cred or toughness. This new iteration changes that. The liner is firmer feeling, with a more sculpted, anatomical fit around the ankle bones and heel that gives the impression that it will break in nicely, not pack out hugely. The shell conducts skier movements directly to the ski for a strong and stable edging game (in fact it received a perfect 5.00 for Edge Power) and with enough foot and leg stuffed into its still cavernous space will also uncork some legitimate quickness from arc to arc when called for. The Sportmachine3 130 was still a comfortable ride and there's no need for the larger advanced intermediate to shy away from this stiffness level--it's supportive and forgiving simultaneously, testers said.
Our testers said the stance angles are nicely neutral and made proper skiing movements easy, which translated into good skiing through a variety of different terrain and snow surfaces. They said the hardware and features found on the Speedmachine3 were in line with the category's best and suggested that for skilled skiers with a high volume foot and leg, this year's Sportmachine3 130 should be ranked high on their try-on list.
Where the 97mm boot might be given allowances for some discomfort because many often prioritize performance in that width category, and the 102mm boot may be given a pass for its performance demerits as it's often designed with a premium placed on comfort, the do-it-all medium width 100mm boot receives no such forgiveness--it must merge comfort and performance in equal measure. In this class, the 120 flex remains the market base money shot for its not-too-stiff, not-too-soft flex feel and palatable price point bullseyes. This year's Nordica Speedmachine3 120 exemplifies a nearly perfect execution of this tricky feat of engineering according to our test team that was universally impressed with its masterful blend of all the above mentioned elements.
Last year's introduction of the Speedmachine3 spooked some of our veteran testers who are also Nordica dealers. In Nordica's quest to "toughen up" the Speedmachine softie of old their early production liner might have gone overboard on the performance fit, producing what many felt was an overly snug and firm fit for a medium width. While we don't know what happened between that test and this year's, those testers were unanimously relieved (no, overjoyed) to discover that this year's liner feel in the 120 flex nailed the target, dead-center. They said the fit was more anatomically precise and firm feeling than the overly cushioned feel of the past but without feeling harsh or treading into narrow last fit tension territory. The initial slide in was classically Nordica-easy with a silken feel that managed to lock up around the foot and leg upon buckling and eliminate any feel of slipperiness that might otherwise detract from steering movements.
Testers thought the Speedmachine3 120 skied stronger than they'd expected from a 120 flex and said that the agility and quickness was perfectly mated to the boot's power and torque curves--this was a balanced ride, both in stance and also in its blend of skiing traits. There were virtually no complaints about this boot, in skiing performance or in fit. Bravo Speedmachine, we're glad you're back.
Frankly nobody on the boot test team was very surprised to see that the Nordica Promachine 130 ended up as one of the top three gold medalists in the most competitive, All-Mountain performance category at the test. It has been there before (i.e. every time we've tested it) and it returns this year essentially unchanged. Neither could testers remember when, in the last decade, a four-buckle overlap narrow entered by Nordica didn't make it onto the podium. The brand touts the Promachine as a "more comfortable Dobermann," and our test team agrees. Our testers, while not shocked at its strong results, were surprised anew with the Promachine's level of fit contouring and cushion given its high performance demeanor.
Testers particularly like the way the cuff wraps the lower leg shaft and addresses the shin, with a snug touch on every square inch but without feeling restrictive or blocky in flex. The Promachine is well-padded, testers agreed, but without feeling bulky--it's a closely matched fit, without much wasted space. For as tight as the lower shell holds the foot, testers again were caught off guard by how little hot spot complaining was going on.
With a Quickness score of 4.94 and an Edge Power score of 4.83 (out of 5.00) averaged over 10 tests there is no questioning the Promachine's qualifications on snow. It skis as well as any boot we've tested in the narrow All-Mountain category--the question is really one of fitting into this truly narrow 98 mm performer. We'd suggest you try. The polyurethane shell wall is thinned enough in common stretch zones for making defined modifications where needed without distorting the shape elsewhere. However, if a life-altering project isn't in your future, you could make your life easy by checking out the medium Speedmachine or wide lasted Sportmachine. We tested both of those too this year and they're as good as they've ever been.
Testers never tire of the Lange RX's repeat performances at the boot test--it has topped the category for our women's test many years running and this year's on-snow testing confirmed that the medium RX has not missed a step for raw power and absolute quickness edge to edge. The revisions seen last year to the liner tongue construction remain a test team favorite for a progressive and firm flex feel that commands the tip of the ski exactly as intended, they say.
This year's liner impressed testers with a combination of silky fur and a luxuriant feel against the sock alongside a firm, no-compromises grip across the instep, ankles and heel pocket. Testers loved the way this foot hold translated into instant ski response and highly accurate steering movements. They also said it caused more tingling than they expected from the medium width RX 110, putting it on the tight end of the medium last fit spectrum. Its heel and ankle fit score average was the tightest of all medium width entries. The toebox and forefoot remained open and airy, however, so testers pointed toward the classic "V-shaped" foot with a broad front and skinny heel as the perfect match for the RX 110 W's fit map.
Testers love the RX's stance angles (they haven't changed in years because they work perfectly) and tallied a nearly perfect 4.93 for Dynamic Balance. This ideal alignment also uncorked the boot's tip and rip totals--also receiving a 4.93 for Edge Power. The RX W's mono-injected polyurethane shell and upper cuff continues to prove that traditional plastics in traditional thicknesses still produce the most stable and powerful results on edge, said testers, who still love the predictable, damp feel of the RX at speed on any snow or terrain.
The women's test team has a love-hate relationship with the RX 110 W LV. They love it for how well it fits the low volume foot and leg and they love it for how well they ski in it--in every snow condition, in any radius and at any speed. They hate it for how it makes their own boots feel suddenly inferior and forces the issue of considering a brand switch from their daily driver. These are good problems to have, no doubt, but it's true that no other brand and model receives more comments about a tester "making her best turns of the season" while on a test run. That's saying something considering that this is an out-of-the-box testing scenario.
The revised (last year) liner tongue construction continues to impress our team for how comfortably it contours along the shin bone in a properly padded match that handles flexion like a champ, distributing pressure throughout the flex range without biting or folding over. The gas-filled foam cells of the tongue's construction also generate noticeable energy and snap, which testers said bumped up its performance scores--the RX LV received near-perfect 4.90's for Dynamic Balance, Edge Power and Quickness.
Yes, the iridescent green is a hit with the test team, but they really like the simplicity of a mono-injected shell and cuff made of Dual Core polyurethane plastic up and down and a features set that is both minimal and useful. They do admit there's some creature comfort to the slightly furry liner but just enough, safely staying away from the frilly and superfluous. Testers said that the single liner tongue loop, single lateral cuff adjustment and GripWalk soles finished off the boot in sophisticated but functional fashion.
The 2023 Lange RX 130. What's new about it this year? "Nothing," said one tester, "and that's why it's awesome." This is a perennial comment about the Lange boot test entries--they don't change much from year to year, and for a reason, testers say--there's nothing to change. The medium width RX remains a test team favorite and topped the All-Mountain Traditional category this year (so did the RX LV in the narrow group) not despite being unchanged but because it's unchanged.
The RX 130 remains one of the models that each year testers try to leave with at the end of the test period. It also receives the most, "I could ski this boot every day" comments. The fit is universal (or at least suits the vast majority of folks) and the stance is the definition of neutral in all directions, testers say. While the entry and exit is as easy as it gets for a 130-flex performance model and the liner material drapes against the foot in a supple sort of caress, the RX receives inputs from the skier and translates them directly to the ski for powerful and accurate direction changes and a highly stable ride at mach speeds over undulating terrain. Testers claim that the boot should not ski as well as it does for how comfortable it is, but that is its magic. More than one tester wondered on their test forms why they spend so much time squeezing themselves into narrower race boots when this would likely perform just as well, straight off the rack.
Testers continue to praise the RX's traditional shell wall thickness, comprised of Dual Core polyether plastic in the shell and the cuff, for a predictably stable and strong feel underfoot without making performance trades for the gain of a few extra marketing ounces. They like the simplicity of a four-buckle overlap design and a well-crafted liner that both matches the human foot and leg but also links to the interior shape of the shell for a positive transfer of energy through the boot, without any slipping or shearing internally. Testers are mostly catching on to GripWalk soles, though a few mentioned that it might rob a smidge of throttle response (but they said is probably worth that trade for the convenience and comfort of stride on hard surfaces).
One of the best boots ever made. That's how one veteran tester described the Lange RX 130 LV, and by the looks of this year's scoring a bunch of our other testers might agree. With nearly perfect scores for Edge Power and Quickness categories (an average of 4.94 out of 5.00 after 10 separate tests), the RX 130 LV continues to bank on its performance game but testers also say the RX in its current form is the by far the most comfortable it's ever been. True, it returned to the boot test unchanged from last year, but that only meant that testers had a chance to be impressed all over again by last year's new liner and its anatomically matched and perfectly padded tongue feel against the shin. The proprietary gas-filled foam material in the tongue's construction also generated noticeably snappy rebound energy and an energetic flex feel that complemented the LV's power and stability, which testers said remains top notch.
Next to rating its edging and agility game most highly, testers gave the RX LV's stance set-up a similarly high score, claiming a perfectly balanced stance for boot board ramp angle, upper cuff angle (most like the rear spoiler out) and neutral lateral angles in the lower shell and cuff. For those who need a little stance adjustment, the Allen key style loosen-move-tighten cuff adjustment will most likely suffice, though Cantology shims mate with the boot's sole plates regardless of whether a skier chooses to run the stock GripWalk soles or swap out to the more traditional alpine DIN MaxGrip (aftermarket purchase) soles.
While ease of entry, initial fit, convenience and features scores lagged slightly behind the performance metrics, these did not represent real demerits but rather highlighted that the RX line still prioritizes on-snow performance over fluff features or needless niceties. Testers do say that the boot goes on just fine, is plenty warm and has all the adjustments a skier might need to make it his or her own, but they also suggest that if furry liners and built-in heat systems are requisite features then one will need to look elsewhere.
Testers weren't exactly sure who was on the lookout for a fixed cuff, tech-compatible all-mountain boot, but they said that for those who are, the K2 Anthem Team is probably the one! They loved the light weight, ease on and off and the well-contoured anatomical shape (if more of a medium-width fit). Skiers who've made a transition to a pin binding but who don't love or need a hike mode will find only a few boots to suit their needs and the Anthem Team is one of them. Note that the images in this review do not show the tech fittings (but they're there, we promise!).
Testers felt that the 125 flex was a bit oversold and surmised that the cuff's Pebax construction might be implicated. Some testers love the resilient, springy and long flex feel while others would give up a few ounces for a more traditional PU feel. Fore-aft balance is slightly tunable with the cuff's calf adjustment and the lateral mechanism of adjustment is the offset inserts that are common to K2 boots over the past several years. Testers gave the Anthem Team its highest scores for its balanced stance, though the next highest scores came in for both Edge Power and Quickness.
The liner construction is soft and inviting, testers said, though perhaps an element in the slightly-roomier-than-expected feel throughout the lower boot. Testers agreed that a true 98 mm narrow, this was not. This isn't to say the fit is bad at all--they loved it, just said it runs to the widest side of the narrow group.
Testers like the cam-locking power strap, dual pull loops on the liner and GripWalk soles...pretty standard fare for top shelf price points, but appreciated all the same.
