The perennial favorite Mach1 MV W has returned but in a burlier, badder build--the 115 flex model!
With its reliable turn-to-turn performance and balanced stance angles this perennial medal winner again scorched test cards. The Mantis 95 is a medium width favorite that won't steer you wrong, both on the hill and at the cash register.
A traditional overlap design, it maintains a slightly lower-than-average cuff height that kept movements agile and tuned into the snow. Testers liked how the lower boot gripped the foot and communicated their desires directly to the skis. Dalbello's tri-injected lower—with the stiffest material employed at the ski-binding interface and softest at the instep—was appreciated by testers for the combination of power and on-and-off ease it provided.
The Mantis shell is tailored specifically for women with a tighter fit through the heel and lower, a flared cuff and room for chronic bony spots like ankles and the lateral side of the forefoot. Testers found the overall fit to be even and well distributed with no problematic zones that distracted them from the task at hand—skiing well regardless of terrain or snow conditions.
Our test team was unanimously surprised at how well this boot skied for an 80 flex—every single tester commented that it felt stronger than billed and balanced in all ways during their on-snow testing, citing the Luna 80 as one of the best of test values.
The also liked how tall the boot fit them over the midfoot and through the instep—a great solution for high-arched feet that have a hard time under that second buckle. The 101mm last was on target they said—widish medium through the forefoot—though a few mentioned that the heel pocket could use a little tightening.
This year's KR 2 Chakra returns with a cool cosmetic overhaul that I test team liked and impressed again for its "yummy" initial fit and liner feel as well as its lateral agility and feel for the snow.
The KR 2 Chakra is the little sister of the KR 2 Pro but she's her own woman—in fact, the lower shell mold is a women's specific shape, which is a rare thing. Usually a women's boot is all liner magic, so a dedicated shell shape, gender specific liner construction (more flared open calf and tighter heel) speaks to our women's test team.
The boot is available all the way down to a size 21.0 and that's junior boot range, so another check in the women's fit issue tally. In fact, smaller and lighter weight skiers would do well here, as our bigger and more aggressive testers said the boot didn't hold up at its billed 95 flex index in. Our petite testers and those with a lighter touch on snow liked the progressive three-piece flex range. Testers all agreed that the lateral stance and feel for the snow from edge to edge was excellent.
With the exception of a shorter than average length fit and a narrowish calf, testers felt the boot had a more medium-ish fit tension best suited to the average to slender lower leg shape. This "relaxed-narrow," plus Contour 4 shell shaping that provides a little extra room for typical bony parts like the navicular and fifth metatarsal makes this boot a potential fit match for plenty of average foot types.
This year's Live Fit 80 W returned to the boot test with a new Thinsulate laminate in the liner and cooler, new buckles—it remains the same, otherwise, and similarly testers' feedback was positive.
For the third year running testers unanimously pushed the understated Live Fit 80 W onto the wide category podium, and not just for its disco diva liner sparkle show-through shell—though it helped, luring them in like a flashy rapala—no, it's because this boot is for real, they said. Two buckles and 80 flex index points? Total sleeper according to testers who found Live Fit 80 W packing more punch and balance than they expected. They roundly applauded the fit—yes, massive forefoot, toebox and instep room but enough comfy contact in the ankles and heel to get the job done. The cuff is lower than average they said, so gave a nod to shorter gals, but it didn't stop our taller stronger testers from hammering this boot through the junk with smiles on their faces.
The stance was in the middle fore-aft and laterally, so let testers of a variety of sizes and shapes find home base on skis. We received no striking comments about the stretchy Live Fit panels here, but our test team may not have had the width to engage those RV slide-out style expanders. Our testers claimed that for women with shorter legs, muscular calves and a very wide foot there is no better bet than this boot, and at a street price under 300 bucks there sure isn't a better deal either.
A complete makeover on a popular model is risky business, but testers said the Hawx 2.0 100 W pulled it off without creating a Botox perma-smile. The Hawx revise opens up even more fit doors for women than its fits-most-everybody predecessor. The relaxed fit lower boot lets thicker feet enter the medium width club and a more-flared calf fit accommodates muscular legs.
The new Memory Fit shell expands fit options further by offering a cook-and-mold option—just five minutes in an oven and two minutes on the foot sets the custom shape. Our testers liked the out-of-the-box fit but the custom tests we performed confirmed that the process works as billed for shell shape fine tuning.
"Easy on, easy skiing with a great feel for the snow," is how one tester said it, and this was echoed throughout the test group. The initial fit is well-padded and cozy. A new Thinsulate layer throughout the liner lower aids in warmth retention on the coldest of days.
Testers roundly approved the boot's stance angles, citing a balanced home-base position from the get-go. If that’s not to your liking, the rear-spine Powershift forward lean adjuster sets in three positions (13, 15 and 17 degrees).
The new Hawx bagged go-everywhere accolades for its point-and-shoot simplicity on snow. A few testers mentioned that it felt softer than the listed 100 stiffness but the Powershift gizmo allows the boot to be stiffened or softened by an additional 10 flex index points by drilling and pinning the cuff through an available hole or pulling the existing single screw.
A perennial favorite that we nonetheless barraged with a battery of tests. We put heavy mileage on the X Pro 130 in off-the-rack mode and then again after customizing it every which way to Sunday. Testers say the X Pro rocks in both stock and full-modified versions.
Many of our crew preferred the firm grip of the stock set-up's liner which holds the heel and ankle aggressively. It’s great for skinny heel/wide forefoot guys (there's room up front) without any surgery. Other testers preferred to cook only the liner to ease that rearfoot grip and retain the otherwise firm fit throughout. A good portion of our test team liked the full monty: a ten minute oven cook of the shell followed by five minutes of molding and five minutes of cooling. They found that provided a more open fit around their peak pressure points and subtle stance angle improvements.
The X Pro 130 similarly aced its on-snow exams. Testers like the boot's starting position, with its modern, upright cuff, tipped slightly outward for strong inside edge engagement. They also like the flex feel. It’s solid but with long enough travel for making supple flexing movements that responded well in a variety of turn shapes and sizes and through all terrain and conditions. Some testers who wanted a slightly flatter edge set-up noted that a Custom Shell 360 cook job eased that edge bite by an estimated half-degree. Expect reliable, predictable, fun everywhere and A-plus performance.
In the extensive custom shell and liner tests we performed this year, we repeatedly found that the best results came from starting with a close-to-right size and model for the skier's foot and leg. Count on customization to perform sleight of hand magic, not make the Statue of Liberty disappear. For our slender-footed, lower volume testers the X Max 120 was a perfect starting point.
This year's version sports a revamped pre-molded liner that grabs onto the instep, ankle and heel with an even but relentless grip. It’s perfect for railing high-speed arcs and rapid-fire short radius rippers. But for our bony ankle and thick-heeled guys this was a quick fling, not an all-day love affair. The fit was too intense for them without making a little extra room.
The Custom Shell 360 molding process was key here, taking the sting out of peak pressure points and generally relaxing the all-over fit just enough to turn the stiff suspension track car into a performance-oriented sport sedan. One tester felt the shin fit also improved after Custom Shell molding, allowing his tibia to seat more deeply in the tongue and make the flex feel more progressive.
Testers like the close feel of the shell that comes from the thin, dense liner painting the shell's interior. They called the communication from foot to ski “quick,” “resilient” and “accurate.” Some of our longer-legged guys were able to over-power the 120 but were quite happy with their past test rides on the sturdier X Max 130. Also, a couple of our double-D-sized ankle guys said that while the Custom Shell process helped improve fit there substantially, they would still require a traditional stretch to gain all-day comfort.
The polyurethane, three-buckle isn't just the slower-heavier brother of the Scarpa SL and RS, it's also softer and cheaper—so this boot is perfect for us! We might be slower, heavier, softer and cheaper than real backcountry skiers but we're into earning some fresh, too, dammit, and the Freedom fits the bill there. It doesn't hurt that the toebox and forefoot offer a little extra room to spread out beyond the medium width fit tension felt elsewhere in the boot.
Testers still found the Scarpa edge power on tap here, even though it's toned down from the Pebax and Grilamid versions at the 120 flex above—the softer flex and more damp construction saps a little snap from the otherwise totally respectable power plant. Great for cruising all-mountain in bounds and more than enough mojo for day trips in untracked pow.
The range of motion of the Ride Power Block is on par with the best of the Adventure category, though here in the Traditionalist group it's geared toward apres and gear-schlepping as much as it is for possibly setting a skin track.
Testers find the lateral stance a little bowlegged on a flat surface, which translated into a lot of inside edge bias—like SL and RS versions, but the less stiff and transmissive construction dampened that a little bit. The fore aft stance is upright and the cuff fits tall on the leg, and coupled with the softer flex to allow flexing movements that got skiers where they needed to be.
The Evo 120 takes the power of the frontside-oriented Bold 130 and adapts it for more creature comfort and all-mountain handling—with a walk-mode feature thrown in for increased mobility and base-area convenience.
Testers liked the open and anatomical fit through the toebox and forefoot—a big improvement for Roxa in fit this year—slotting it right down the middle of the medium-width fit tension range. This is a firm-feeling 120-flex, testers said, with a dense liner feel against the shin and a brick outhouse range of flexion. Bigger more aggressive testers appreciated the support, while our shorter and less aggro guys suggested the Evo 110 would be the call.
Lateral moves were rewarded with a strong and stable arc, but testers all noted that the cuff geometry is set-up a little on the bowlegged side, which produced more inside edge bias than most were looking for without modifying the stance via the onboard cuff adjustment.
Testers loved the ease of entry and exit of the Freebird and claimed its long flex range was its best attribute. A lightweight and sensitive-to-snow freeride boot with more forward lean angle than most, our bigger heavier guys didn't get quite enough support here, driving knee toward tip easily.
Snug heel pocket and more snug than expected, even for its 99mm last width, testers felt that it transmitted foot movements to ski nicely. Laterally, this is not an edge-driving trencher, but is better suited for buttered moves on softer snow or park features.
Our test team gave a thumbs up for the value offered by this 75 flex that brings a lot of performance to the table for high volume beginners and intermediates. The toebox and instep are particularly roomy, and the calf is flared open for shorter or more muscular lower legs. Combine these easy fit zones with an easy slide on and off and skiers won't have much to complain about here.
Testers recommend stepping up to the 85 or particularly to the 95 flex versions of this boot for more accomplished skiers with similar fit needs.
There is something mystical about the Mach1 105 W MV. It could be how all those letters and numbers in its name combine, Ouija board code style. Or it might be that women testers with a very wide variety of foot and leg shapes and different skiing styles all somehow managed to love its fit and absolutely freaked out about how well it skied.
Tecnica would explain this by pointing out how the Mach1’s interior and exterior shape closely hews to the anatomy of a foot. The company would note that its liner shape and construction mates closely with the contours of the shell's interior. And our test team would buy that; they’re pretty tech savvy.
But the curves in the CAS liner and shell are readily apparent even to the naked eye. That level of detail led to universally sky high fit scores. There’s additional room for the toes, lateral side of the forefoot, navicular, ankle bone points and Achilles tendon. Our thicker calf testers wished they had a bit more room up top.
Testers loved the stout, true 105 flex. It was solid and progressive without any collapsing or feeling of being under-powered. More responsive than virtually every other women's medium width boot in the test, the Mach1 W MV had the second highest fit and performance score out of all women's boots tested.
