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
The 2021/2022 Head Formula 130 was tested in the men’s All-Mountain Traditional medium category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
Our test team had been waiting for Head’s real replacement to the Vector medium width (Nexo didn’t really count for us) but we hadn’t been expecting an all-mountain version of a fully revised Raptor! Testers said thank you Head for finally showing up to the medium width performance party, and doing so in style. The Formula 130 will be a slam dunk for skiers looking for a classic performance ski boot with modern shape and fit features—virtually no flaws found by our testers.
The Formula presents a proportionately “opened-up” fit map to overlay the narrow Formula RS’s, testers said, differentiated enough to be its own boot but sharing all the narrow’s performance cred and also not straying into “wide-ish” fit territory. The new toebox shape is long for a Head, and perhaps a little longer-feeling than many in the category, and yet the barely increased boot sole length wouldn’t have given it away. The toebox is generous in width and height, as is the forefoot fit, and then the grip begins to tighten behind that point to a firm but shapely grasp on the ankles and heel. The heel is just slightly more relaxed than the RS’s Achilles anchor, which testers liked for a touch more comfort straight out of the box. The calf fit was right on the money for a 100mm testers said, and they liked the liner’s rear spoiler left in place for fit and stance.
Testers loved the instantly accessible power (it did receive a perfect score for edge power) of the Formula 130—no adjustments needed to the boot’s quirks, as there were none. They all clicked in, pointed downhill and began having a great time through all manner of terrain, speed and snow conditions. That is one of the hallmarks of a great boot—that many different testers can go skiing, have a few super runs and have nothing bad to say about the boot. It’s a scalpel, a sledgehammer, a paintbrush—a performance multi-tasker.
Testers didn’t feel any need to inject the liner with Liquid Fit as they said the ankle and heel was money right out of the box, but they all like the idea of it after some time spent skiing it in. Our experiences with Liquid Fit are all positive, but don’t do it unless you need it, and don’t over do it is our advice. The Form Fit shell offers some cook-wear-and-form moldability, but similarly none of our crew felt they’d need it. Testers still don’t love the Spine Flex buckles, but as one said: just take a pill and get over it. The new bilateral cuff adjustment (aka canting) system is simple and functional—just swap in the 0.5-degree circular inserts and off you go. Many testers preferred the Formula’s fat 50mm Velcro power strap with Head’s gliding Power Plate pressure distribution piece over the Raptor-style double-power stretchy pulley, but both work well.
The 2021/2022 Head Formula RS 130 was tested in the men’s All-Mountain Traditional narrow category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
Testers had nothing but good things to say about this new one from Head, starting with multiple claims that this would become a tester’s daily driver—and that’s high praise coming from this critical bunch. Frontside power with all-mountain suspension is how another tester described it, and others commented on how surprised they were at the level of edge power and rapid fire response achieved with such a comfortable fit. Best Head to hit the All-Mountain category ever, was the consensus.
Testers agreed that the toebox and forefoot fit was one of the roomiest of the narrow last group, and while initial impressions raised eyebrows, concerns were allayed once testers were moving downhill as that extra space didn’t detract from skiing performance, they said. The entry and exit is stupidly easy (especially for testers expecting a more Raptorish get-on) and the closure system is traditional and straightforward with the exception of twisty, fiddly Spine Flex buckles which testers love to hate. The open front fit is reduced on the trip rearward to an evenly snug lock on the ankles and a legitimately tight heel pocket. Several testers mentioned a low and pinchy heel grip which we explored and found that the liner heel counter material and a slight convexity in the shell’s heel area combined to poke some folks. We did a light grind on a test boot’s shell to reduce those contours medially and laterally and it solved the problem instantly. Testers loved the fit against the shin and the slight flare at the boot top for a comfortable calf fit.
Testers said this all-mountain boot had frontside power to the inside edge on hard snow—fueled by a slightly outboard stance set-up (+0.5 degrees out of the box)—but they didn’t have any trouble moderating that edge angle in softer snow or to get off the edge into another turn. The cuff height and angles were spot-on for testers across the board. The Formula RS 130’s top (nearly perfect) scores fell in the edge power and quickness categories, so skiing performance takes a front seat for this boot but according to testers without leaving convenience and comfort behind.
Testers didn’t feel any need to inject the liner with Liquid Fit as they said the ankle and heel was money right out of the box, but they all like the idea of it after some time spent skiing it in. Our experiences with Liquid Fit are all positive, but don’t do it unless you need it, and don’t over do it is our advice. The Form Fit shell offers some cook-wear-and-form moldability, but similarly none of our crew felt they’d need it. Testers still don’t love the Spine Flex buckles, but as one said: just take a pill and get over it. The new bilateral cuff adjustment (aka canting) system is simple and functional—just swap in the 0.5-degree circular inserts and off you go. Many testers preferred the Formula’s fat 50mm Velcro power strap with Head’s gliding Power Plate pressure distribution piece over the Raptor-style double-power stretchy pulley, but both work well.
The 2021/2022 Full Tilt First Chair 120 was tested in the men’s All-Mountain Traditional medium category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
Our test team acknowledges the First Chair’s heritage and fan following and can see why so many elite bump skiers and freestyle athletes find a match with the Raichle-descended Full Tilt designs—the long travel flexion and under-edged set up makes perfect sense in high impact and highly steered applications. For modern all-mountain skiing the First Chair 120 will appeal to soft snow junkies and wave feature slashers on straighter, softer ski styles, our test team said.
The fit runs short enough that all of our testers went up one size larger than their normal test boot size, and this has been consistent with our tests of Full Tilt across the range of models—other brands boot sole lengths have stretched out over the decades, but this one has remained fixed at its original 1984 dimension. This is not a slight, merely an observation. If you are new to Full Tilt and aren’t sure of your size, be sure to make your purchase after trying on your model at a brick-and-mortar ski shop (when wouldn’t you do that, anyway, right?). The Intuition liner allows for adequate shape changes via full thermo molding with pre-pads for bony prominences, which we fully recommend. Testers characterized the overall fit as cushioned and comfy—good for guided shmears and slashes rather than tip and rip frontside arcs.
First Chair is aptly named, said our testers who liked it best in soft snow on smooth surfaces. As an untracked pow skiing fanatic’s boot it may have no equal with its tip lofting flex feel and finely feathered edging moves. The warmth and comfort factor is high here, testers said, lending credence to its catalog tagline: From first chair to last call. Here’s to that.
The First Chair sports a handy down-hook power strap release (not original but still cool) with a cinch-locking cam buckle closure on it. GripWalk soles breathe a bit of new life into a 35-year-old design and make for more comfortable treks out the gate to find the fresh.
The 2021/2022 Full Tilt Soul Sister 100 was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional medium category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Soul Sister still impresses our test team, year after year, and especially so this year with the stiffness step-up to a 100-flex, which our aggressive skiing crew applauded. They all still struggle a bit with the buckles and cables that are unique to the Full Tilt experience but manage to get it sorted and get on with the business of skiing, which this boot does well.
The length fit is shorter than the average, which some testers were fine with and others mentioned wanting to try the next size up. The spiral wrapping Intuition Pro Wrap liner was well cushioned and warm, and for testers who did a full liner mold it proved highly adaptable to a variety of foot shapes. For those unfamiliar with the process, be sure to work with a bootfitter who will pre-pad bony prominences on the foot and utilize toe caps to maximize available toe length. Our testers with larger calves said that even with the more flared Women’s Cuff, the Soul Sister suits the average and more slender sisters’ calves best. There are long cables available as an aftermarket parts purchase.
Slinky, buttery, slarvy, snappy were the words testers used to describe the Soul Sister 100 on snow attitude. It’s an all mountain performer with a penchant for quick and steery moves, they said. Not that it couldn’t drive a bigger ski or handle harder surfaces, but testers say it’s not a frontside specialist.
Full Tilt’s aftermarket parts menu is a pretty slick set of features in itself—you might select a stiffer tongue or a longer cable for the calf buckle or possibly replacement cuff adjustment cam plates in case you lost them (don’t lose them!)
The 2021/2022 DaleBoot VFF Pro was tested in the All-Mountain Traditional category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The revised VFF Pro was an answer to testers many years of prayers that there might come a day for a buckle system update, and praise Ullr, that day is come! The clean and crisp feeling (and looking) cuff is modeled on its venerable predecessor but it sports, shall we say, normal buckles! Testers liked their feel in the hand but even more importantly liked the wrapping closure of the new cuff design which gripped their shin in a characteristically cushioned and long-travel DaleBoot sort of way but with a bit more performance constriction and with a stronger flex feel.
The fit with a DaleBoot is. Meaning, it’s all about you—it’s custom—and our tests over the years have shown that a one-off shell build plus an Intuition-DaleBoot custom molded liner adds up to a great fit. That said, the new cuff is thicker on the sides, which generates more edging power but also contributed to a more robust fit though the upper boot where the lower leg felt more supported than your previous VFF Pro. Testers loved the ease of buckling with the revised and less-unique clasping, and while the lower buckle will remain reversed (that’s not so crazy considering the many three-piece designs that followed DaleBoot’s 5-decade lead on that) but they will transition that bale buckle to a modern catch for next season.
The VFF Pro always sat on the agile and steery side of the quickness-power fence, but not so much now as testers said that the revised cuff build and a slightly more positive (tipped out) lateral stance unlocked some previously untapped horsepower and torque in this lightweight-before-lightweight-was-cool cabrio. The direct-drive feel of the forefoot sitting directly on the thin and stiff polyether shell floor remains a characteristic asset of the new VFF Pro as that design element has not changed. Nor has the three-quarter-length bootboard with adjustable weight-bearing posts that allows for incremental ramp angle tweaks as well as available adjustment in rearfoot varus and valgus (for the super techy stance geeks among us). The well-cushioned and rangy flex feel is also still recognizable as a signature DaleBoot trait, though the new cuff’s “travel slots” are more easily extended to offer even more travel in flexion for those who want it. As with all VFF Pros of yore, the free-hinging three-piece flex range is restrained by an adjustable spring-tensioned cable and lever-action tightening throw on the rear of the cuff.
As with all DaleBoot models the coolest feature of the VFF Pro is that it is built for each individual customer in their Salt Lake City factory and then shipped to the partner-dealer who does the final liner molding and stance work, plus any additional fit tweaking for one single price. The original provider of on-sole canting, the VFF Pro still offers a wide range of modular canted soles to put the final touches on a custom fit.
The 2021/2022 DaleBoot The Gambit was tested in the men's All-Mountain Traditional category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gambit is pro skier and DaleBoot athlete Julian Carr’s signature model and it’s both a big departure and not such a big departure for DaleBoot. The Gambit replaces the former ST, the brand’s stiffest model in its range and does so with style. The Gambit looks sleek and trimmed-down with a clean, carbon fiber cosmetic on its unique heat-moldable plastic cuff and comes stock with a firm and form-fitting ZipFit lace-up liner. Of course, the custom shaped shell is built to each customer’s individual spec at the factory prior to shipping—that part of the DaleBoot game hasn’t changed. Tester takeaway—light, reactive and strong.
The lower boot, or “clog” of the DaleBoot line is the most highly customized for the customer at the onset of the boot’s build-out. The thin shell wall, rigid polyether clog is molded around one of many different lasts, or molds, selected based on the customer fit information provided by the DaleBoot partner shop via a brief spa day in a high-temperature steam bath. One of several height cuffs is selected to suit the customer’s leg length and volume, and a variety of stretches might be performed on the cuff (say, for a large calf) before the plastic form of the boot is considered complete. In the case of The Gambit, a oven-cook-moldable ZipFit liner will be formed to match both the interior of the shell as well as the skier’s anatomical shape. The Gambit’s cuff plastic is heat moldable at a lower temperature than the clog, so heat-wear-form molding can be undertaken after some initial ski time has been logged in the boot. Our testers found that the firm grip that the liner placed on the foot and leg meant that it was easier to put the liner on and lace it up first, then enter the shell. The ZipFit liner after molding was contoured but with a dense feel that softened up with wear time and warmth.
The Gambit version we tested was stiff! We’d say it was every bit of 140-flex, and maybe then some—the biggest, tallest, stoutest guys were well supported here. DaleBoot will probably soften that to a strong 130-flex for market, though softer and stiffer builds are in DaleBoot’s wheelhouse, so if a skier had a particular preference he or she could order it up. This is the evolution of the ST—yes, it’s stiff and powerful, but it’s way more lively and accurate underfoot than before. And it’s light. The combination of the thin and stiff shell wall of the lower boot with the new plastic used (secret, proprietary stuff) in the cuff made for noticeably less heft than the ST of yore. Okay, the ZipFit liner is a paperweight, but if weight savings were really your thing, you could just request a more traditional DaleBoot Intuition liner and voila, feathers.
Canted, modular soles are still a DaleBoot stance staple and for good reason—they work wonders, available in 1-, 2-, 3-degrees to either positive or negative. There is no cuff adjustment for shaft alignment (aka canting), so non-neutral skiers should plan to perform the cuff cook and mold procedure while standing on a hard, flat surface with feet at your desired hip-socket width stance (with boots parallel) to allow the cuffs to mold and match lower leg angles and dial in the lateral cuff stance. As with all DaleBoot models, both the initial custom build and subsequent fit adaptations performed at a DaleBoot partner shop are included in the price.
The 2021/2022 Dalbello Chakra Elevate 115 was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional narrow category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Chakra has been reimagined for the modern freerider with tech fittings in the toe only, to allow for an effective uphill on a pin binding like, say, the Marker Duke PT, but otherwise remains a full-fledged alpine boot for a dominant downhill—no hike mode, no flimsy plastics. The Chakra Elevate 115 is a serious skiing tool, say testers who found it solid, upright and super snug. Wimps need not apply they said.
The Dalbello/Intuition I.D. spiral wrap liner is not designed to be skied out of the box, so while you can certainly try it on in a shop, the final fit, post molding, is vastly superior to what you sense initially. Testers who performed a full cook job on the liners with toe caps and pre-padding for bony prominences came out the other side with a customized fit that was opened-up for a little more creature comfort and blood flow. This is a true narrow class boot, they say. Shin fit, they say, was especially improved once the spiral overlap was cooked and compressed into a more anatomical wrap around the leg shaft. The ankles and heel pocket remain snug no matter what, they said.
Testers agreed that the Elevate 115 stands with an upright angle and pushes back with more oompf than the 115 label would suggest. Even our strongest testers mentioned wanting more leverage over the stout, tall cuff, with some suggesting a they might need a little bit of heel lift or time playing around with a bootfitter’s help to possibly soften the flex a touch. The spiral liner’s double wrap in front of the shin plus the 60mm cam lock power strap help to bolster this solid forward lever to the ski—testers said it was the strongest set-up they’ve tested from Dalbello’s cabrio collections over the years.
Testers were unsure how far they’d like to tour in this boot but could see the merits of a real descender that has tech compatibility in the toe for the sake of a quick ascent as an out of gate surgical strike on something worth skiing. GripWalk soles add a bit to the boot’s mobility resume as well. Testers make note that this boot comes in a rare and miniscule 21.5, so ultra-petite rippers should put this on their short list.
The 2021/2022 DS Asolo Factory 115 W GW was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional narrow category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
Our women’s test team had a one-year sabbatical from testing the DS Asolo Factory 115 W and said that this year’s new cork-clad liner is a game changer for improved fit and performance. Testers called it a light and tight all-mountain performer that would particularly suit good skiers with low volume feet paired with average to muscular calves.
The new IF Pro Cork W liner was an anatomical dream come true for testers who’d lived through the Asolo Factory’s first-generation lump-tech liner. This one made the fit work for the human foot and lower leg, they said, with an open (though slightly shorter than average) toebox, a tapering snug grip behind the forefoot and through the heel, ankle and instep, and a flared-out boot top to accommodate a bit of calf muscle. Testers thought the cuff height struck the leg a little lower than average for the category, so slightly shorter leg shafts may find the perfect match here.
The Grilamid shell and cuff combination shaves weight and creates an agile feel underfoot, testers said, but also remained stable on edge though bumps and uneven terrain. Testers thought that the lowish cuff height detracted slightly from its fore-aft stability in tricky conditions, but the cuff height combined with light weight made for a reactive and accurate steering linkage, they said. Average to shorter legged testers felt right at home.
Much of the power to weight ratio that works here is owed to the shell’s Power Cage construction that utilizes stiffened ribs in high stress areas and thinner, better wrapping plastic elsewhere for better fit and weight savings. The addition of GripWalk soles adds to the convenience of light weight for long treks across parking lots or windswept ridge lines. Testers liked the cam buckle power strap for positive leg wrapping closure.
The 2021/2022 Dalbello Krypton 130 T.I. ID was tested in the men’s All-Mountain Traditional narrow category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
Dalbello updates the venerable 3-piece Krypton for the modern freeride era, utilizing solid race stiffness polyurethane for a solid, powerful descent and integrating toe-only tech fittings for maximal efficiency on targeted uphills to access the goods. Testers thought this Krypton skied more strongly than any tested in the past decade and liked the addition of GripWalk soles to smooth out a stroll toward the lifts or out a gate.
The Dalbello/Intuition spiral wrap liner that comes with the Krypton 130 T.I. ID is pre-molded from the factory but is not designed to fit properly out of the box—our test team can assure you that full molding is the protocol (with toe caps and pre-padding for prominences) in order to create the sort of performance fit you’d be looking for in a 98mm last. Without the cook job this boot is barely skiable for all but the narrowest of feet, and even then, the anatomical shaping that comes from a liner mold is well worth it. The fit against the shin is firm but evenly distributed, testers said, and the stance is held upright in a strong manner—this boot is stout.
Testers noted that the Krypton’s strong suits were its edge power and quickness turn to turn but mentioned that both were enabled by a neutral, functional stance set-up. Several of our veteran testers were impressed with the stability and power to the ski edge and felt it was head-and-shoulders over some of the Krypton iterations of the past. This is a cabrio design that put a ski on edge like an overlap shell boot, they said.
The three-buckle cabrio closure is standard fare for the three-piece design, though testers are still impressed with the effectiveness of the middle 45-degree buckle’s ability to retain the instep. The fat, 60mm cam buckle power strap adds to the boot’s fore-aft musculature, and if a skier wanted to tune down the stiffness a click, Dalbello claims there are aftermarket options on softer tongues available.
The 2021/2022 Atomic Hawx Magna 105 S W was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional wide category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The perennial favorite wide ride, Hawx Magna 105 S W, returns with an easy rolling stride a la GripWalk soles and all the same features found on her narrower sisters Prime and Ultra. Testers still love how impossibly well this boot skis, given the massive amount of hangar space and liner luxury found here—one tester called it a hot tub for your feet—that skis!
Testers continue to praise the Magna for its ample room to suit any high volume foot and leg. The cuff suits the largest of calves as it is (our thickest legged testers could get it buckled no problem!) but the Memory Fit moldable shell offers even more calf circumference expansion if needed. Testers can’t explain how well it puts a ski on edge and holds it there given the amount of room if offers around every contour, but they guarantee that it does ski well. A high instep fit here adds to the appeal for the fit and circulation challenged.
The Magna 105 S W drives skis of all widths everywhere a skier wants to point them, testers say, and they point to its surprising power and quickness scores as proof—this little-boot-that-could scored in the top half for the category, regardless of width or gender, matching performance scores for 120- and 130-flex narrow and medium class benchmarks. Testers love the flex feel against the leg and say while it feels on target for its 105 rating, it seems to deliver higher-than-expected power to the ski, with no over-flexing complaints.
The Mimic liner feels great against the foot right out of the box but it’s highly moldable as well and should be the first course of action for minor fitting needs. The Memory Fit shell molding protocol remains a great way to make subtle increases of space where needed and does a great job of adapting the cuff for wide or heavily muscled calves. The fore-aft adjusting PowerShift mechanism on the cuff is cool but rarely needed (note that it’s a lot easier to adjust as a two-person job, with the wearer levering forward or rearward to line up bolt holes). The GW in the name indicates that GripWalk soles come mounted on the boot.
The 2021/2022 Atomic Hawx Magna 130 S was tested in the men’s All-Mountain Traditional wide category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
For the wide foot with a high-volume instep and meaty calf there are few boots that will provide a better fit match than the Hawx Magna 130 S—add to that a requirement for expert level performance and the short list gets even shorter, with this at the top. Testers continue to praise the Magna for its unusual pairing of huge volume with strong skiing skills. The biggest guys who need the biggest boots will find few better.
The Magna’s fit scores show it offers the most room at the toebox, over the top of the foot and through the instep and then again at the calf—a perfect fit map for the typical high volume foot and leg. The Mimic liner is well shaped and draped against the foot and shin, right out of the box but is highly heat moldable (preferably in a convection oven) and the Memory Fit shell offers similar cook-and-form fit-ability. For a comfortable start with convenient options for bigger and bigger, look no further--its warmth, convenience and features score was nearly perfect at 4.83.
Testers place the Magna 130’s stability and edge power scores right alongside the best of the medium and narrow class performers—a rarity, that. It’s solid under foot and handles both high speeds and high impacts, they said. It’s not recognized as the quickest boot in the test by testers—unless they have a fat foot, and then by virtue of filling the cavernous lower boot the steering and agility scores rocket. Have we impressed upon you, dear reader, that this one fits extra-large?
The Mimic liner feels great against the foot right out of the box but it’s highly moldable as well and should be the first course of action for minor fitting needs. The Memory Fit shell molding protocol remains a great way to make subtle increases of space where needed and does a great job of adapting the cuff for wide or heavily muscled calves. The fore-aft adjusting PowerShift mechanism on the cuff is cool but rarely needed (note that it’s a lot easier to adjust as a two-person job, with the wearer levering forward or rearward to line up bolt holes). The 50mm quick-releasing cam power strap is a nice feature for solid cranking closure but be sure the little flip tab is returned to the locking position when tightening. The GW in the name indicates that GripWalk soles come mounted on the boot.
The 2021/2022 Atomic Hawx Ultra 115 S W was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional narrow category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
The new Hawx Ultra 115 S W had our lowest volume testers saying, woah this is snug! And they loved it for the high-security lockdown on the heel and ankle which enabled instantaneous control over the ski edge. Testers recommended that experts only (or those aspiring to ascend to those ranks) need apply for this all-mountain performer—the updated lower shell is stiffer, and testers said stronger on edge, while not changing the characteristic Hawx Ultra flex feel energy testers have come to love.
The Fit
Tightest of the test group is what our women’s test team agreed on for a fit tension ranking. This was not a bad thing, as low volume feet and legs seem to find it increasingly difficult to find a proper fit in so-called narrow boots these days. The heel and ankle pockets were particularly tight, and the fit up through the instep and into the lower leg were not vice-like, but just shy of that level of grip, testers said. The fit opened-up slightly at the top of the cuff to accommodate a more muscular calf, and this year’s revisions to the Hawx Ultra 115 W cuff also offers the Adaptive Fit System adjustment that upon removal will reduce the cuff height by 6mm which opens the circumference of the calf fit. Some testers mentioned that the boot runs a little short in length fit and many testers commented that ease of entry and exit is somewhat challenged—an inconvenience most expert skiers will trade for this type of low volume fit and level of performance.
Performance
Lightning bolts attached to my feet!, one tester commented, and that summed up the general opinion on how quick this boot transmits messages to the ski. While top shelf agility and quickness scores have always been the Ultra’s wheelhouse, the newly revised lower shell brings a stronger, more stable skillset to its high performance all-mountain ripping regime. The thickened plastic rib structure on the rear sides of the shell and up into the heel counter area offer a stouter foundation without tacking on much additional weight, bringing a bit more torque and top-end to this former jitterbug—testers appreciated the newfound power and stability. The longish travel flex feel remains consistent with the Hawx Ultra’s fit heritage—testers like how the elastic and energized flexion loads energy to the ski yet manages to avoid feeling twitchy.
Cool Features
The Mimic liner feels great against the foot right out of the box but it’s highly moldable as well and should be the first course of action for minor fitting needs. The Memory Fit shell molding protocol remains a great way to make subtle increases of space where needed and does a great job of adapting the cuff shape for thick or well-muscled calves. The fore-aft adjusting PowerShift mechanism on the cuff is cool but rarely needed (note that it’s a lot easier to adjust as a two-person job, with the wearer levering forward or rearward to line up bolt holes). The GW in the name indicates that GripWalk soles come mounted on the boot. An aftermarket, foam-injected Professional Series liner is available for 300 bucks (or opt for the Professional Series Hawx Ultra 115 W with that liner included if you’re convinced that’s the way to go). There are also aftermarket V3 Tongue options in 3 different volumes for 30 bucks for customizing the shin and instep feel.
