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 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?
Testers liked the 2018 Full Tilt First Chair for its snug and thickly padded grip on the foot and a lively feel underfoot. They still feel overly forward leaning but appreciated the cam-lock Cinch power strap for restraining some forward travel.
Testers felt the lower boot was much more snug than the cuff, which offered some unwanted play for slender legs. They liked the strong connection of foot to ski, though preferred it after full liner molding, which allowed the foot to seat a bit more deeply into the base of the boot, due to the thickness of the liner underfoot. Molding the liner with toe caps opened up some needed toe room as the boot fits shorter than average out of the box. The flex feel is even, cushioned and long in travel, testers agreed.
Agility and quickness are the First Chair's forte, according to testers who liked its lateral moves and shock absorbing flex—fun in the bumps and tight spots, they said. They felt the boot was less of a powerhouse than it was a nimble freerider, partly due to the more forward than average cuff angle, which detracted from a more strongly stacked leg position, they said.
Testers like the newer version buckle system with the Widetrack buckles for their improved ease of use.
The 2018 Fischer RC Pro W 90 Thermoshape held its own in a very competitive category against boots that cost as much as $300 more, testers said. This was the highest scoring Soft-Value entry in the medium-width All-Mountain category for women.
Testers said the RC Pro W 90 logged in on the wide side of the medium fit group, especially in the toebox and forefoot where it averaged wide-status fit scores. Testers felt it tapered well to the heel and ankles, enough that ski control was easily managed. Testers called it cozy for its well-padded, plush liner feel and commented that the calf (and lower calf) had plenty of room for average to thicker legs. The team said the flex feel was on the softer side of 90 but with a generally even and cushioned feel against the shin.
All our testers loved how this boot moved side to side in edging transitions—slinky and smooth, very predictable, especially on-piste. They felt its lateral game was on par with the best of the group, though a few mentioned the fore-aft support lacked a bit, with a collapsing flex feel under big loads. For intermediate and advanced skiers or those with a lighter touch, testers felt the RC Pro W 90 was spot on and a huge bargain.
The Thermoshape moniker indicates that this is a straight outta-the-box Fischer boot, no Vacuum process needed here on a polyurethane shell and cuff. GripWalk soles are available as an extra, for use with GripWalk compatible bindings.
The Fischer My Curv 90 Vacuum Full Fit is the little sister of the 110-flex version of this new, 97 mm straight-lasted boot, and testers liked it for its even fit and balanced stance.
Testers said the My Curv 90 wasn't the most snug of the narrow fit group but that it wasn't too out of place. They found a bit extra room in the toebox and instep, and a snug fit in the calf, but overall they reported that the fit tension was fairly even throughout.
For lighter weight and less aggressive skiers the My Curv 90 offers a tuned-in feel for the snow underfoot, testers said, mentioning that it excelled in clean rolls edge to edge on-piste at less-than-blistering speeds. For those skiing at above the advanced-intermediate level testers suggested the stiffer 110-flex model, as they felt the My Curv 90's cuff collapsed under aggressive flexion.
The Vacuum Full Fit customization system allows both the lower boot and upper cuff to be formed to better match the shape of the foot and leg using compressed air to pressurize a bladder around the warmed boot, pressing it against the body to match shape and achieve the skier's desired amount of fit compression. While we didn't custom test Fischer models at this year's test (Fischer's decision), our past tests have shown this to be an effective fitting system.
