The perennial favorite Mach1 MV W has returned but in a burlier, badder build--the 115 flex model!
Maybe it was the stealth ninja cosmetics. This one certainly snuck up on testers who were pleasantly surprised by how much they liked its convenience, fit, versatility and all-around performance. It's not a Vacuum model so it’s more value priced, but there wasn't a single complaint about the fit or stance. Impressive.
Testers raved about the Hybrid 12's ease of entry and exit and a welcoming initial fit that enveloped the foot in a soft but even wrap. It fell right in the middle of the wide last group’s fit tension spectrum. Everything worked efficiently to close-up shop and get skiing quickly. Testers heaped praise on the buckles, power strap and the Hike Lock walk mode. It doesn't happen often, but they seemed shocked that they couldn't find anything to nit-pick here.
Skiwise, it scored high marks both on- and off-piste. Testers said it has a stout but slinky feel turn-to-turn with a tall stance. It flexed progressively throughout its range for smooth moves in any radius arc. A few testers thought the cuff fit a little low on the leg for aggressive crud hammering, but they were generally outnumbered.
The ST1's new spiral-wrapping fully thermo-moldable liner lit up test scores this year and made this year's First Degree boots (same liner on the stiffer ST2) the best versions that we've tested yet. The three-piece shell design's ease of entry and exit was unlocked by the overlapping liner material that pads the foot from feeling the edge of the cabrio throat and increases the liner bulk in the cuff, improving closure and wrapping around the lower leg.
The liner's initial feel is a bit firm and had our crew wondering about some fit inconsistencies and minor hot spots, but across the board testers mentioned that a couple runs worth of warm up and the liner settled in nicely, evening out peak pressure points and letting the heel seat deeper into its pocket. Testers who took the time to fully mold the EVA construction liner got even better results.
The ST1 skis much stiffer than the 110 rating, and as such was tapped as the better value between it and stiffer ST2 (130 flex). Some testers successfully experimented with the rear-spine-mounted forward lean adjustment's flex control to free up the cuff's range of travel. Laterally, the ST1 ain't bad, testers said, putting a ski on edge and holding it there just fine in all conditions tested. The thick liner underfoot muted some feel and reduced agility scores for more technical testers, but for skiers looking for a compliant, cushy all-mountain set up with best-of-rest entry and exit, look no further.
One of our all-time favorite three-piece boots. This Boss benevolently rules the workplace, cajoling quality turns without slamming an iron fist. Testers couldn't get over how well this wide body skied, regardless of how much or little foot volume was stuffed inside. It was favorably reviewed by everyone from our stick pen-footed to our Flintstonian testers. Everybody felt well seated enough to get it done everywhere on the hill.
A key to the broad fit spectrum is the slick Hi-Low Twinstep Closure buckle. Uniquely, it adjust for higher or lower instep fit by simply selecting a different set of buckle teeth on the lower buckle. Testers also liked the 45-degree Dynalink Rearfoot Retention middle buckle that helps create just the right amount of closure through the throat of the boot for a variety of foot shapes.
And it’s a value CEO. For the price, this boot calls the on-snow shots every bit as well as ones that will pick your pocket for 200 bucks more. Testers thought it was smooth, powerful and agile enough—especially when filled with a beefy foot—to make this a daily driver for all but the most aggressive of big guys.
If we gave an award for creature comfort this Avanti would be a top contender. One tester said it felt like slipping your foot into a marsupial pouch. “Forgiving,” “friendly,” “relaxed” and “softly contoured” jumped off the review forms. Sounds almost more like a high end spa experience than a ski boot.
So we’ve established that the new Avanti 120 I.F. has the coziness goods but it also sports a surprisingly strong backbone when it comes to ripping turns. It promotes a tall stance which helped it effortlessly trigger medium and longer radius arcs with confidence-inspiring stability.
It’s not snappy quick—the cushy liner saps some response time immediacy—and the wider-than-medium width profile requires a thicker foot to fill the interior cavity. But many testers said the swaddling comfort outweighed any shortcomings. If groomed cruising is your sweet spot, the Avanti will have you jumping like a kangaroo.
Hawx lovers were understandably curious about this new, prophylactically-named Hawx Magna. Could it possibly match the rep staked out by the regular Hawx with which it shares a surname? Since it billed as wider than the already generously-lasted Hawx, they were curious if there would be enough fit tension. Could it possibly be properly Hawx-like? The “alls-well” sounded once they slipped in. It’s surprisingly skin-close, contouring precisely through the ankle, heel and instep (albeit a thicker ankle, heel and instep). It swells to contain big-guy forefeet and calves comfortably. Entry was easy. Closure was straightforward. Skeptics were relieved.
They were completely won over once they set the Magna to “flow” and pointed them downhill. For a wide body, its ski driving skills are equal to many in the narrow group. It has more torque towing capacity than off-the-line quickness, testers said, but with plenty of forgiveness and shock absorption for exit ramps to the off-piste. Testers said it's a great fit for skilled skiers with high volume feet.
Simple styling and slimmed down features appealed to our tester. As did its slipper-easy on-and-off capabilities. The word “butter” greased its way onto several test forms.
We liked the Hawx 120 last year and we loved the Hawx 130 this year. How much more? Well for sure more than the ten extra flex points we tried this year—eleven more! The Hawx is so easy in every way, it's impossible not to love this boot. Testers, once again, found that it's easy on-and-off, easy fitting (zero hot spots), easy to get buckled-up—and then easy to shred whatever terrain and snow conditions come your way.
It's warm and it's cushy. The stance angles are solid while being a little upright and relaxed for those who just want to fly on auto-pilot. The Memory Fit custom molding shell technology fully personalizes what is already problem-free fit.
There’s nothing not to like so long as you're bringing a meaty foot to the velvet rope. This is a decidedly roomy medium. Which is awesome for just about everybody, and it's why this boot is so popular.
But to take full advantage of the Memory Fit molding technology you'll need to have a pretty thick foot. Our Memory Fit tests were all successful—but there's just not much need to mess with the Hawx fit unless you feel the shell hard against the foot somewhere (which virtually none of us did). So, what does that mean? Thick footed ripping skiers should put this on their short list. When it feels a bit too tight everywhere, that’s the green light to fire up the Memory Fit oven.
Far and away the best fitting and performing Apex boot we have tested to date, the MC-3 offers a full slate of improvements this year that our test team validated in comprehensive fit and on-snow testing.
Most noticeably improved is the forward lean adjustment that enables 4 different stance positions, easily adjusted using the rear flex arm, which is also adjustable for 3 different stiffnesses using elastomer bushings that come with the boot. Testers felt that the previous "backseat" feeling was eradicated, allowing for a comfortable but athletic stance that helped tapped the boot's lateral power. The lateral cuff adjustment range is wide for making side-to-side stance tweaks as needed—canting the boot sole is not an option here.
Testers have always appreciated how strongly the Apex's nano-fiber chassis transmits skier movements to ski, but this year's design improves how the inner boot mates with the chassis—tighter tolerances and higher friction surfaces between the inner boot toe and chassis toe cup area improved foot to ski communication and bumped up quickness scores this time around.
The pleasure of walking around in what is essentially a snowboard boot is undeniable—light and comfortable on the foot and leg, and several testers commented that for ski industry folk who need to be in and out of skis throughout the day and possibly switch between ski and board this could be the ultimate footwear. This will also appeal to anyone who simply spends enough time out of their skis to consider changing into shoes but who isn't quite ready to throw in the towel for the ski day.
What would keep our testers from making the Apex their daily driver—only a few things—though, in fact, a few of them were impressed enough to entertain the idea. The fit runs shorter than typical ski boots, so at least one size larger than normal is required. Additionally, the sole length of the chassis is huge, requiring maximum binding adjustment (most testers had to find skis with demo bindings in order to test). These two elements make for an awkward clomp-around while walking when buckled into the chassis and a long footprint on the ski, neither of which testers liked much.
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.
