The perennial favorite Mach1 MV W has returned but in a burlier, badder build--the 115 flex model!
One tester said the 2018 Lange SX 130 is, stress-free livin' for all-mountain conditions and we'd say that sums it up pretty good. It returns to the boot test this year with a revised, more widely lasted liner for a more open feel—though a few testers mentioned it still fits a little bit on the snug side of the wide group.
The RX LV boots are narrow. The RX boots are a similar shape and fit profile but blown-up to medium-width proportions. The SX line opens it up yet again to a 102 mm that still shares Lange family fit characteristics. Testers acknowledge the V-shaped lower boot fit that tapered gradually to the heel and ankle—a Lange hallmark. The upper cuff received characteristically Lange kudos for having a comfortable shin fit and even flex properties. However, it also got even, but snuggish fit scores at the boot top for the calf but that was with the spoiler installed. Remove the rear spoiler in the 130 for a roomier fit there. The softer flexes in the SX line come without one.
One tester said the SX 130 made flexing and edging moves at a level that was head and shoulders above the other wide rides in the group and inspired confident skiing in all conditions. This sentiment was echoed by other testers who cited its predictable, stable, no-shenanigans attitude on snow. A few testers commented that they felt a little disconnected from the ski, but admitted they didn't have the girth to fill her properly.
We think a no-fuss 130-flex wide boot that actually skis as well as it fits is a cool feature, but add to that mono-injected polyurethane construction in the shell and cuff and you've got a real boot that a good bootfitter can easily modify as needed. The Velcro power strap is a nice, fat 45 mm one and there's a single-side cuff adjustment.
The 2018 Lange RX 130's score tops the All-Mountain medium width group—one of the largest and most competitive of boot test categories. What makes it so great? Well, testers simply said Lange took one of the best boots out there and made it better. This year's all new shell shape, new construction and revised liner didn't create any new problems, just elevated the fit and performance of a perennial favorite.
The RX is a little bit roomier this year, by design, as Lange wanted to more clearly delineate the difference between the RX LV narrow class gripper and this middle-of-the-roadster. In the past the medium RX got called out for riding the fence between medium and narrow. This year testers noticed the difference, and most loved the extra room. Not that this is a fluffy fit—the well-sculpted 3-D liner is firm and well-matched to the interior of the shell, so the grip on the foot is there, especially in the heel and ankle, but now the shape is opened up for average feet and legs. If this feels too roomy upon initial try-on, then the decision is clear—narrow RX LV for you.
The flex-feel is firm on the leg (legit 130) but with a new-found elastic quality. In fact, testers made many comments of the boot's snappy, energetic feel underfoot. "There is something about this new plastic that behaves very well on snow…" one tester pondered. And there is. This year Lange debuts a new type of plastic injection molding in the RX and RS boots that sandwiches a less-dense plastic in between higher density plastic within the shell wall itself, throughout both the lower and upper. This differential density creates an energetic internal tension of sorts and gives the boot a new, lively feel that testers loved. All this snappiness has not come at the cost of power or stability, said testers who assure this is not a jittery boot. Steep edge angles, high speeds and all manner of snow conditions were where the RX 130 shone.
The new RX 130 remains essentially the same basic four-buckle overlap it always has—no new frills, bells or whistles here. The Velcro power strap is a nice wide 50 mm. There's a single-side upper cuff adjustment that uses an old-school 3 mm Allen key. The Ultra Grip soles are grippy, hence the name, but not so soft as to wear out or not transmit energy to the ski. You can upgrade to WTR (Walk to Ride) soles for a few bucks and use them with a WTR binding.
$850 worth of skiing perfection is what one tester called the all new 2018 Lange RX 130 LV. The rest of the test team agreed, putting this one at the very top of the narrow All-Mountain category and giving it the highest score of all the men's All-Mountain boots, regardless of width.
Some testers described the fit of the RX 130 LV as, just like the frontside RS 130 but easier-going. Others said that at first the RX LV didn't feel tight-enough but then once they skied it they realized that it was just that it was so well-shaped that none of their bony spots were barking at them—it didn't ski loose, they explained. The new shell shape and liner shape are well-contoured to the foot and leg, and the two are well-matched to each other, with minimal tolerances between the exterior of the liner and the interior of the shell—no foot shearing or gappy feel here, testers claimed. Cuff height, shin fit and calf fit all got "ideal" marks.
Take a few laps through the race course, hammer a zipper line, grab a fatty and bury yourself in pow— testers said the RX 130 LV is the driver of choice for all those applications. Testers affirmed that the RX 130 LV has tons of brute strength on edge, at speed, but without sacrificing quickness. Which was better, its power or quickness? Dead heat, they said—the new RX shell construction utilizes a unique plastic injection method that creates a dual-density shell wall, in the lower boot and the cuff. This reportedly gives the boot a new lively, elastic feel. Testers reported that it ain't just marketing mumbo jumbo—as proof, quickness and agility scores were through the roof.
We think it's cool that a performance-oriented guy with a medium foot could stuff himself in here with some clean bootwork, thanks to the mono-injected polyether shell and cuff that makes grinds and stretches easy. WTR (Walk to Ride) soles can be swapped on here if you're into that—gotta have a WTR compatible binding with those. Testers like the simple, Velcro power strap and single-side, set-screw-style cuff adjustment.
Testers who are familiar of the K2 medium-widths of the past said that the 2018 Spyre 100 Heat had the best initial fit they've ever experienced. New this year throughout the K2 boot line are revised liners with a more open toebox, a tighter heel and ankle and a pre-pressed navicular area. All these elements received a thumbs-up from our test team on this one.
Our team felt the Spyre 100 Heat nailed the medium-width fit target, dead on, with the mention that this runs a bit roomy in the toebox, forefoot and instep. This is good news for those with high arches! With the Power Wedge rear spoiler installed some testers felt the stance a bit forward and jabby on the calf—with it removed it was slightly upright and more open in fit. Custom tests showed positive comfort changes when the Intuition liner was fully heat molded.
Tried-and-true, steady-eddie, workhorse—pick your descriptor for reliable and capable and insert it here. Testers found the regular roll onto an edge supremely bankable, maybe to a fault as a few mentioned it perhaps lacked a little spark and energy in transitions. They liked the solid 100 flex for its fore-aft support and comfortable contact with the shin while skiing.
Testers were stoked on the new heated Thermic liner—simple to operate buttons and they said it warmed up quickly. The Heat model is a $150 premium at full-pop retail, but our testers thought it well worth it. The dual cuff adjustment mechanism offers maximum stance alignment modification, and GripWalk outsoles (rockered, for use with GripWalk bindings) are available as an optional purchase.
Not only is the 120 flex Spyne a new stiffness offering this year but the 2018 K2 Spyne 120 Heat, as its name would suggest, comes with a built-in heater! Usually on-board heaters appear on boots designed for low-end skiers, and generally give a boot a bit of a kook-allure but testers were stoked on this new cooker, and the boot!
There was something about the new, heater-implanted LuxFit Pro Intuition liner in the Spyne 120 Heat that just felt good, testers said. They preferred its well-wrapped fit to that of the stiffer Spyne 130 LV for the 120's ideal blend of cushion, contour and firm-enough feel against the foot. The out-of-box fit was a test favorite, though we did do custom tests on this model as well and found that the fit over the top of the foot relaxed nicely (and evened the fit elsewhere, too.) A couple testers claimed that they could feel a bit of unwanted pressure at the liner's battery housing location along the lateral part of the lower leg, but most didn't notice.
The Spyne 120 Heat's performance scores (dynamic balance, edge power, quickness) beat out big brother Spyne 130's. Testers found this boot to be a well-wrought blend of comfort, balance, power and quickness—it was one of the test's best combo boots, meaning it had an evenly matched set of good qualities which made it an all-around winner in all conditions and for a lot of different skier types. Testers did not like the way this boot skied after the shell was cooked in the convection oven and "custom molded," finding it weakened on edge and unreliable afterward. Cook the liner, not the shell, was their advice.
The Thermic-designed heater system is slick—easy to operate, big buttons on the liner and with a nicely wrapped heat area that envelopes the whole toebox without feeling stiff or edgy. The heater option adds $150 to the list price of the non-heat 120, but considering that your typical aftermarket heater costs $250 we figure this is a bargain and a more convenient solution. GripWalk soles are available as an extra—good for strolling and for use with appropriate GripWalk bindings.
The 2018 K2 Spyne 130 LV returned with a cool new look and a revised liner that evened-up the initial fit for testers who once again placed it among the top of the heap in a very competitive narrow All-Mountain category.
The new PrecisionFit Pro liner is revised with Intuition's help to create a more seam-free and open toebox as well as more room alongside the foot at the navicular bone—both issues testers had mentioned at previous tests. These changes were noted and appreciated as testers broadly checked off the ideal box for narrow class initial fit. It's still category-appropriate snug, but with a well-contoured and enveloping feel, testers said. Initial fit drew highly stoked comments like, I'm instantly ready to go fast!
The liner change and cosmetic update didn't do anything to change the way the Spyne 130 LV skis—thank you, K2—as there has never been anything wrong with that aspect of this boot. Testers agreed the stance angles are still among the best (most neutral) in the category and strong, quick skiing moves stem from this home base. The so-called Energy Interlock no-rivets linkage between the lower shell and upper cuff performs as billed, said testers, who agreed that there's an elastic energy and snap to the boot's flex feel that made it reactive and quick with a reliable return to center on each transition. A few testers still mention that the bulk and padding of the Intuition liner mutes some of the boot's potential quickness until the liner is molded, which they said puts foot into better connection with the shell.
Our test team liked the Power Cinch cam-lock style power strap and the K2 signature dual cuff adjustment mechanism for broad stance alignment adaptation. The Intuition-partnered liner is highly moldable and we recommend doing that for any fit that's a little too tight or bulky feeling. K2 also promotes their shells as oven-cook moldable, but our tests showed that molding the liner was the better way to go, at least for initial custom fitting strikes. GripWalk soles are available for purchase and use with GripWalk compatible bindings.
For the money, the 2018 Head Advant Edge 85 W packs surprising punch and hits the wide-group target for a warm and comfy lower boot, our testers said.
Testers thought that the lower shell fit the way a 102 mm boot should—wide enough and nicely padded everywhere, with a hint of snug control at the heel and ankle area. A few testers had issues with the liner's lower calf (soleus muscle, aka "cankle") area where thick pads felt a bit jabby and made entry past that area difficult. They hoped that liner (and perhaps shell) molding would remedy that.
The Advant Edge 85 W handled itself masterfully on and off the groomed, surprising testers with its snappy, responsive feel. Testers said the fore-aft stance is set-up a bit on the upright side, but with a soft enough flex to move forward with and find home base for linking aggressive arcs. They liked the soft flex and mentioned that it didn't collapse, but they also pointed out that a stiffer 95-flex version is available.
First, you've got color options here—either go-with-everything black, or the white and grey with yellow highlights, so lovely! Uh, and there's two Double Power lever buckles on the cuff—great for cranking the heck outta that cuff fit with gloves on! If walking in super strolling style is a goal, GripWalk soles are available this year for use with GripWalk bindings, and on the boot sole front there are also Advant Edge specific (and Vector) canted soles available in 0.5-, 1.0-, 1.5- and 2.0-degree increments.
Testers happily put the 2018 Head Vector Evo 110 W on the podium in the All-Mountain medium width category for its perfect combination of creature comfort and downhill performance, with an array of fit-friendly features to boot.
Fits like a glove for the medium width foot and average leg, testers said about the Vector Evo 110 W—not for a low-volume foot and leg they warned, but they allowed that even wider feet and legs will do well here given the Perfect Fit liner and Form Fit shell fit feature combination that can expand the volume substantially via heat molding. Testers loved the out-of-box fit and most said they wouldn't opt for any customization, citing even medium width fit scores throughout, top to bottom.
For skilled skiers this is an all-day performer, testers agreed. They pounded on it at all speeds and through all terrain and confirmed that despite the soft demeanor it's a legitimate ripper with a solid 110 flex and power on edge to spare. They also said it's a super comfortable groomer cruiser for easy-going skiers and lodge lizards alike—a boot for virtually everyone. Stance angles were neutral, tongue cushioning was spot on, and the flex range and quality was perfect for the target skier, according to our test team.
The women's-specific Evo Perfect Fit HD liner did a good job of matching foot and leg shapes without needing to go further to molding the Form Fit shell, but that'd be the full-monty customization plan for the higher volume foot and leg looking for relief from the squeeze. Testers found the lateral stance angles neutral and easily balanced for most skiers with the adjustment range of the Vector's single-side cuff adjustment, but canted soles are available for the Vector and Adapt Edge boots, in 0.5-, 1.0-, 1.5- and 2.0-degree increments.
The all-mountain wide group has gotten better and better over the past five years and the 2018 Head Adapt Edge 125 is an example of that evolution—massive volume for the fit-challenged combined with well-tuned skiing performance, testers said.
Consistently cavernous is how one tester described the Adapt Edge 125, and that was intended as a compliment in this category! Pegging 5's on the fit impressions scale is not a bad thing, it just show's the boot's plenty open for business in the fit department. Another tester called it a bucketish bubba boot that he thought he could sell all day long! Most testers loved the lower boot fit (big and easy) but some others felt the upper cuff was a little too short and at times had an uneven feel against the shin. They did have good success molding the Perfect Fit liner to even out the feel there.
The Advant Edge is decidedly upright in its cuff angle, testers said, but slightly low on the leg and softer than advertised—so while testers felt their stance starting position was a bit aft, they were able to move through the long flex range to home-in on the fore-aft sweet spot. A lot of testers liked this wide-ranging flex feel turn to turn, while others wanted a little bit of rear spoiler to put them where they wanted to be to begin with. Side to side action was on-par for the 125 performance level and 102 mm volume, dropping damp and solid carves on demand. Testers said the Advant Edge 125 is plenty stable for a big guy's edging game.
Testers like Double Power everything, and why not, right? Here, the Double Power Booster power strap loops through one of two pulley loops and incorporates the elastic Booster style stretch for a calf-cinching wrap, but also on the cuff you get Double Power buckle levers, which flip out like a switchblade to give you breaker-bar type leverage for your leg-crunching buckle down. There's plenty of power strap length to handle a big guy calf, and the top buckle's got a no-tools slider for expanding the catch's calf capacity—cool.
Many testers on our team thought the 2018 Head Vector Evo 130 was the All-Mountain medium-width category benchmark for the right sort of fit and performance skiers want from a 130-flex, 100 mm boot. Add to that a fully customizable liner and shell system and it's no wonder that testers expressed broad approval.
The Perfect Fit liner doesn't need to be molded—the initial fit is on the money for testers who say it's well built to match the foot and leg. Testers said the Vector Evo 130 manages cushioning in areas where that's nice (toebox, forefoot and over the top of the foot) and maintains a firm grasp on the control areas where needed (heel, ankles and lower leg at the throat of the boot shaft). Not tight, not loose—just right for most testers who said that this model will suit a lot of different skiers, especially with the option to run the shell through the Form Fit oven process to open up the fit for thicker, wider feet and legs. Our custom tests showed noticeable fit improvements without any negative effect on the boot's skiing performance—in fact the post-molding fit scores averaged to a perfect 5.0.
Testers selected ideal for fore-aft and lateral stance angles, and then ideal again in the flex feel and tongue cushioning department. Testers said the Vector Evo 130 was one of the easiest to boots jump on and instantly excel on snow. According to testers, there was no turn radius, speed or snow condition that knocked the Vector Evo 130 off line—think it, do it skiing. Testers said the Vector Evo 130's high comfort level belies its raw, descending power, and should be skied full-gas, as needed.
The Perfect Fit liner can be cooked without also heat molding the shell, but the customization system is designed to work together to better match the liner's exterior to the shell's interior shape for a better connection of foot to boot to ski. In addition to single-side cuff adjustment, Head canted sole plates are available for Vector Evo models in 0.5-, 1.0-, 1.5- and 2.0-degree increments. These plates are also available for Advant Edge models as well. While not canted, GripWalk rockered soles are also available as an add-on for use with GripWalk compatible bindings.
The 2018 Head Hammer 130 continues to impress our testers with its strong cuff and the edging power it enables—this is a tall, tough lever for hammering out aggressive carves off-piste or on-. However, the Form Fit shell and Perfect Fit liner round out the creature comforts on offer here—it's not all about bashing things.
Testers found the off-the-rack fit a little incongruous, with a tightish toebox (it's extra padded for toe-bang cushion), a roomy fit through the instep (for a 98 mm last) and a tight heel. Custom liner molding helped to straighten out the fit tension line graph for testers. The cuff feels tall and slightly upright on the leg, which testers thought was due to the tall and stiff external tongue (the third piece in the shell/cuff/tongue 3-piece construction here). The tongue is swappable—a nice feature for modifying the flex feel—though the stock, out of box flex is firm, they said.
The sides of the lower shell rise up higher, internally, than most cabrio, or three-piece, shells—this is one of the reasons the Hammer skis so strong, laterally. Testers found themselves making aggressive side-to-side tipping moves to roll the ski up onto high edge angles where the Hammer 130 easily drove the ski through all kinds of terrain. Many of the testers employed this tactic because they found it hard to get out in front of the tall, upright and stiff-feeling tongue and onto the front of the ski. Taller testers had a little more leverage to find the fore-aft sweet spot. The boot liner is well-padded and there are several shock-absorbing design elements, from the rubberized boot board and grippy sole plates to the elastomer rear spoiler and gel-insert tongue construction. High speeds and big impact dampening is the Hammer's job.
The combination of the Perfect Fit liner and Form Fit shell molding features give the Hammer a softer side, opening up the toebox fit and evening out the fit elsewhere throughout the boot. The anchor points between the lower shell and cuff are not adjustable for lateral stance angles—they are actually suspension points that use an elastomer bushing to further dampen shock.
For slender-footed, lightweight skiers looking for warm, soft boots, the 2018 Full Tilt Soul Sister may be hard to beat! The long-travel flexion that makes Full Tilt's classic three-piece designs popular with mogul skiers and park-and-pipe athletes was a favorite of testers who used a light touch on the tongue.
It's a snug 99 mm lower boot, testers say, with a cushioned grip all along the foot, especially side to side. But the women-specific Intuition Pro liner is highly moldable, opening up the fit at the wider and bony parts of the foot for more average width feet, too. Prior to molding, some testers felt the lateral edge of the spiral-wrapped liner as a hotspot, but after liner molding this blended in more evenly. The luxurious shin fit is a Full Tilt hallmark and the long-travel flex is a dream for skiers who suffer chronic shin-bang.
Just standing in the boot inside testers could tell its forward lean was extreme by modern standards and its flex was very soft (much softer than the 110 rating they cite for the #6 tongue). This forward angle was often made more so by either a large calf or a skier's tendency to press into the front of a boot (which pretty much all our women testers do). So, too forward was a common complaint on test forms. However, slender-legged, lightweight testers who focused on agile lateral moves loved the spry, airy feel of the Soul Sister.
Testers appreciated the revised Widetrack buckles on the FTS (Full Tilt Soul) shell for their lower profile and more easily adjusted release tab and ratchet system—however, testers new to the three-piece layering and wire bale closure struggled a bit initially with the Full Tilt rite of passage (into the boot). There are lots of options on aftermarket pieces and parts through Full Tilt dealers—say, a stiffer tongue perhaps?
