The perennial favorite Mach1 MV W has returned but in a burlier, badder build--the 115 flex model!
The new Avanti W 95 rides the fence between narrow and medium fit tension (as you might expect with a 99mm last) and has an anatomical fit that grips all the right spots and relaxes where room to spread out is needed.
The luxuriant and cozy liner was a hit with testers, and with the silky, cushioned feel against the foot and leg coupled with an upright, relaxed stance they pegged this as a classic cruising boot that will appeal to many groomer-centric skiers.
Testers familiar with the women's Mantis boot (which this replaces) said that this is less performance and more comfort than the predecessor model, which worked just fine for our test team.
Testers liked the new more open and accessible Hawx Magna and were impressed by the power that this 90-flex wide last generated. Testers said it's more sporty than expected for a 102mm boot and responsive to pilot inputs while maintaining a massive amount of room in the toebox and forefoot.
The instep is particularly roomy, and is probably the key reason a skier might opt for the Magna over the traditional medium-width Hawx (which already fits on the relaxed side of 100mm)—that and a savings of $125 over that slighter stiffer sister model
When testers with the widest feet and biggest calf testers join testers with the narrowest feet and slimmest calf in agreement, we know something special happened. The Hawx 100 is as universal a fit as you can find. So many of our testers feel ideally contained, neither cramped nor loose. It just works for all of 'em, skiing with enthusiasm all over the mountain.
More than any other Atomic we tested, it seemed to improve after undergoing the 12-minute Memory Fit heating process. Testers described fit easing exactly where needed; several noted a more even and better seated feeling in the heel pocket. One tester marked down perfect scores on the stock test; after heating she said it was "more perfect."
The Hawx 100 W manages to ski stronger than expected given its cushy-warm interior and gold eyelets on the power strap (which our testers felt excessively glitzy). Most felt it rode with great stability and delivered more horsepower than its marked 100 flex. More predictable and cruiser-like than lightning quick, one tester said it was able to “go for it everywhere with spunk.”
Improvements to this year's ML-3 garnered the best scores ever received for Apex's women's line. Testers liked the addition of the forward lean adjustment which allowed for accommodation of anatomy and preference for getting dialed front to back. The more-snug interface between the soft inner boot and the exterior chassis was also acknowledged for how much better the boot seemed to transmit energy to the ski.
Testers who conducted liner molding tests approved of the amount of change found there for evening out firm fit areas and allowing the ankles and heel to find a better seat. Some testers felt the heel pocket was a little vague off the rack, and after some custom liner padding were much more secure. All testers liked the dual Boa closure of the inner boot and appreciated the spring-loaded "coiler" Boa reel upgrades this year.
While testers cite the boot's primary strength comes from the rigid exoskeleton when the leg shaft remains aligned with the cuff, making lateral moves to roll the ski up on edge powerfully, they note that the multiple soft internal layers and long chassis sole length have a muting effect on feel for the snow.
Testers universally agree that the inner boot is the ultimate apres-ski crossover boot, and a few gave it a shot in their snowboard set-up with excellent results.
Testers like the Zay for its strong skiing character, light and agile feel underfoot and progressive flex feel that's tied into the radial cable closure system. They like all these things especially in the 130 flex, where the strength and power is commanding enough to outweigh some of the remaining convenience and finish complaints that remain present on the ZR platform (i.e., it's still tricky to get on and buckled up).
Testers favored the ZR 130 flex at this year's test because it was entered in the Technical Frontside category, where the Zay is operating within its wheelhouse. The All-Mountain Traditionalist category necessitates a certain level of intuitive ease of entry and, well, a traditional skier target that the Zay doesn't immediately hit the bullseye on. Let's face it, the 130 flex Technical Frontside customer is willing to work a bit to gain the performance output that effort will yield--the 110 flex All-Mountain Traditionalist guy may not.
All that said, testers loved the improvements brought forward this year in the form of a completely redesigned and hot-spot free liner and a new modern look for the shell's exterior. They like the boot's sensitive roll side to side that's enhanced by the unique dual density bootboard (softer medial side, split longitudinally with a firmer lateral side) . More technically skilled skiers on the lighter weight end of the spectrum will most appreciate this boot, testers said.
Note that while testers universally did not like the super slippery sole plates installed on the ZR 110, Zay reports that production models will offer more grippy material.
Some wide rides are too, well, two-dimensional. They blow out the toebox and forefoot to hit a last width target but forget about the other bits that are usually over-sized as well. Not the really-tough-to-type Ten.2 120 HV. This is a three-dimensional site plan suited for the big skier.
The instep ceiling is vaulted and the calf fit is flared; high volume feet and legs will find their anatomical match here. The 120 flex is legit solid, built to handle the beat-down applied by big dudes. Got a really big calf? Pull the Velcro spoiler. Got a tight ankle joint (meaty feet guys ain't generally yoga masters)? There's room for a heel lift.
Testers liked the way this one skied. While many wide boots are difficult for slender-footed testers to find center, nobody had trouble zeroing in on the Ten.2 sweet spot. Its stance angles are balanced and its construction is tuned for performance skiing.
It's far from a bucket boot. Let’s spin the vocab dial and call it a spatially-enhanced all-mountain crusher that's agile enough so long as a skier's got the flesh to fill it up.
The medium width Mach1 130 MV returned to the stage and received another standing ovation. Actually, we’re not sure the applause ever stopped from last year’s test. What did testers like about the newly re-named MV? What didn't they like would be an easier question to answer—nothing. "Medium-class standard bearer" and "100mm benchmark" were a couple of the recurring themes on test forms. Unanimous love for this easy-fitting, strong skiing, go-everywhere and do-everything four-buckle overlap was the word.
Perhaps the only complaint testers might have had was the complete lack of opportunity to put any of the Mach1 MV's array of custom fitting options to work. Neither the grindable-punchable, Microcell CAS (Custom Adaptive Shape) liner nor the new, easier punching dimple-zone CAS shell got any real play because the boot just fit everybody’s foot too well out of the box to bother with any of it, testers claim. We did put the CAS system to test with the 130 LV version and we loved it.
It makes virtually any discomfort easily disappear. The punchable, grindable Custom Adaptive Shape (CAS) liner and punch-prepped dimple-zones of the shell are uniquely designed to adapt to common fit issues with traditional bootfitting tools. The shell looks a little like Seal's face but those pock-marks serve a purpose beyond fulfilling a Heidi Klum fantasy. The dimples make stretches more defined and permanent. The exterior of the liner is also built to be heat stretched and ground. Many of our testers are professional bootfitters and they were unanimously impressed by the ability to make space specifically where needed while leaving the rest of the fit alone.
Liner alterations improve the anatomical shape-matching of the liner and shell to the foot's common contours. It wraps like a relaxed-fit glove but with a little extra room at the bony ankle points as well as at the 6th toe and toebox. That’s perfect for average feet but also accommodative of thicker, wider dogs too.
Gushing about fit is all well and good. How did it ski? Even better, showing a characteristic flair for unflappability all over the hill. Dead-flat and neutral feeling underfoot it rolled up on edge like magic and hooked into fat carves with absurd confidence. It’s easy to ski but powerful and agile. “Stupid fun,” one tester said.
Rarely is a blockbuster sequel as good as the original (see Jurassic World). But that is definitely not the case with the all-new Mach1 130 LV (see The Godfather: Part II, Toy Story 2). The Low Volume fraternal twin to year-older Mach1 130 MV (medium volume) thrashed his older brother a bit in a friendly match, and then crushed the competition, tying for highest score in the category with one other boot out of a field of over 30 models. Nice encore, Tecnica.
The only problem we had with the LV was right out of The Parent Trap script. From the outside it looks exactly like its slightly chunkier bro—same hue, same buckles, same cool hook-and-cam powerstrap. Did Tecnica run out of colors? The only difference is the M and L designations.
And what do you get for the L of it? The LV means business. It fits snug like a 98mm lasted boot should. This means that while the liner and shell design mirrors the curves of the average foot (with a touch of extra space in the squared off toebox, 6th toe area and ankle bones) the LV is tight enough that you feel your bony bits protest a little bit. Good! That's how a narrow-class boot should feel, dammit!
The good news is you can make any discomfort easily disappear. The punchable, grindable Custom Adaptive Shape (CAS) liner and punch-prepped dimple-zones of the shell are uniquely designed to adapt to common fit issues with traditional bootfitting tools. The shell looks a little like Seal's face but those pock-marks serve a purpose beyond fulfilling a Heidi Klum fantasy. The dimples make stretches more defined and permanent. The exterior of the liner is also built to be heat stretched and ground. Many of our testers are professional bootfitters and they were unanimously impressed by the ability to make space specifically where needed while leaving the rest of the fit alone.
All that fit technology means little if a 130 flex narrow can't buy a turn—but we can attest that it skis as well or better than any other boot we tested. One tester said it skied like a grizzly eating a wolf—we suppose that says it all. But another mentioned it was a perfect balance of power and flex. And one just said it made skiing fun--and then he stole it. No, really, he did and we're still trying to get it back.
In the midst of a trend one of our testers crudely called the pussification of the ski boot (you know, softer, wider, more upright than they should be) along comes a throwback rig reminiscent of the days when only strong, manly skiers with low volume feet (high insteps beware here!) felt at ease piloting performance boots.
We're not going to call the G2 an antique—it's completely modern in its last shape, construction and liner technology, but it sure as heck fits like performance boots of days past. Shorter than most, with a tighter toebox than most, with a slightly more forward lean angle than most, it gave our testers a window to Christmas ski vacations past.
This boot swallows the foot and lower leg like a boa constrictor. The fit contours around the navicular, sixth toe and ankle bones are rubber glove tight. The Ultralon PWR Fit liner is pre-molded but we found a full cook job eased compression enough to gain an all-day fit.
This boot skied as powerfully as any we tested. It’s brick strong and nano-second quick. It is not a boot for racking up massive amounts of easy cruising vert. But serious skiers will appreciate its ability to drive at speed directly at the trickiest pockets on the slope ahead.
It’s built to adventure off-piste with a rubberized boot board, replaceable soles and a grippy mid-arch. Expect a stiff suspension. Either be ready to kick ass or have you ass kicked—those are the only options.
That this Soft-Value entry made the medals cut and achieved the performance scores that it did is hardly the main Rossignol story in this category. We’re most impressed that there’s also an Allspeed 80 for a hundred bucks less and 120 and 130 flex Allspeed versions to suit stronger skiers with thick feet, all at the 102mm width. That’s a whole new wide-load family tree to consider there.
But testers put the Allspeed 100 in their top half for good reason, with wide agreement that it skied at a higher-than-100 flex performance tier and held up Allspeed family values. It has a balanced stance and an even, well-distributed flex feel. Most testers placed it dead-center in the width spectrum of the wide-last grouping and said it successfully avoided drifting into bucket status. It exerts a proper hold on the back of the foot while maintaining front end freedom.
If you’ve come to believe all ski boots are nothing but trouble and that the best thing about them is taking them off, you’ll be disappointed here. Testers reported no trouble on or off, no trouble with fit, no trouble with performance. Yup. That good.
The medium width, fixed-cuff, 120 flex category has captured the hearts, minds and feet of today’s strong male skiers. It is the hot category. The good ones slip on like a wide but ski like a narrow. They are warm and cushy enough for Joey yet they don’t pack out so quickly they fail 150-day-a-year Joe-pro-patroller. It’s the money boot for most companies and the Allspeed Pro 120 is certain to fatten Rossi’s coffers. The scores tell the story: 5th place out of more than 30 boots, and beaten only by Tecnica’s Mach1 brothers and its own sibling, the Allspeed Elite 130. The Allspeed Pro also just edged out venerable half-brother Lange RX 130 LV, and you know that will cause some family drama.
Testers said it was easy to put on, yet somehow remained race-boot-strong on edge. It has a cushy, draping, dreamy initial fit that somehow still manages to control the foot's movements. It sits comfortably on auto-pilot when arc-to-arc cruising but easily ramps up to warp speed and turns on a dime. Testers liked the huge bandwidth that seemed to suit everybody equally well.
Some of the strong skiability scores stem from the ribbed Sensor Blade rear spine construction—a surprisingly simple way to increase torsional rigidity while reducing weight. The pre-molded ankle pockets on the liner incorporate highly moldable EVA foam inserts to conform precisely to the inside and outside ankle bones. The quilted look of the ankle pocket disappears once it has achieved full-molding temp and is worn for five minutes.
Just because it's Allspeed doesn't mean those guys are grinding their teeth—those are just big, sh$#-eating grins! This involuntary smiling response was a common boot test side-effect from skiing the new Allspeed Elite 130, the flagship narrow class rip-machine leading the Rossi fixed-cuff pack of 98 mm, 100 mm, and 102mm Allspeed newcomers this year. It came, it saw…well, you get the picture. A unanimously positive response to a new boot is rare but that's what the Elite 130 received. Out of 30+ boots tested in the All-Mountain Traditionalist category, it tied for first place with one other boot—both of which also tied for the test's overall highest score total.
The all-new molds in three widths span the flex range from 130 down to 80 but they all share a common shell construction. They also all employ polyether or polyurethane plastic and a unique, ribbed rear spine construction called Sensor Blade that increases torsional rigidity while shaving weight.
Testers called the boot light and lively and said it will put a stiff ski on a rail and guide it with alacrity through all phases of any turn. The Allspeed impressed testers with a combination of neutral power (strong but not over-edged), at-the-ready maneuverability and a snappy flex feel that outclassed the field.
We conducted custom liner molding tests, but fit scores didn't change drastically; the un-molded liner is a gem and received very high marks right out of the box. Testers placed the fit squarely in the middle of the narrow boot class, with a touch more toebox room than most. Many said the out-of-box shape mirrored that of boots that would have taken hours of fit work to get tight-but-right. The biggest change noted in the Optisensor liner post-molding was at the ankle pockets, which were amazing, testers said.
