The perennial favorite Mach1 MV W has returned but in a burlier, badder build--the 115 flex model!
The all new Rossignol Pure Elite 120 LV did not disappoint testers who have come to expect that the flagship women's Rossi will bring some sort of cosmetic excitement to the test. The bright lipstick red called out to testers like a fresh, new bloom to a hummingbird, as one tester after another grabbed it and took it for a test spin. Out of over ten separate tests of the model, all but one made some positive mention of the new look. Of course it didn't top the All-Mountain narrow category on looks alone--in a statistical feat it received 4.92's (out of 5.00) across the board in all five test parameters to rack up the second highest average score of the women's boot test (it's medium-width sister Pure Pro beat it by .03).
Rossignol's women's flagship narrow has always fared well with our test team, though always with the caveat that it was roomier than it should've been for a 98mm model. Those comments are no more with this all new shell and liner--testers call it an anatomically sculpted narrow, meaning tight where it should be but contoured around common bony prominences. This virtually hot spot free fit situation created some surprisingly comfortable commentary but never was there a complaint about it treading into medium width territory. Testers say that the height of the cuff is slightly lower feeling than before, and noticeably less furry in this iteration. They liked the firm feeling liner that provided better performance grip but with enough cushion that the control wasn't a trade for comfort. Testers were split on whether the split (both medial and lateral closures) Velcro power strap(s) were help or hindrance, but otherwise they loved the simple and traditional batch of features on board.
Beyond the fit equating to performance, the new shell design's higher and more forward placement of the cuff's hinge point impressed testers with the smooth and natural flex feel it produced. An even shin fit and progressive flex feel has always been a hallmark of the Rossignol women's line, but testers said that this new Pure Elite took those elements to a new higher level. While testers said the boot performed well in equal measure for power and quickness (recall the 4.92's) a few mentioned that it continued to improve the faster and harder it was pushed, suggesting it had no limit to its top-end beyond the skier who was driving it. Stance-wise all the Rossignol boots share a similar set of angles internally for the boot board's ramp, the cuff's forward lean angle (though it's adjustable in this version) and the cuff's lateral geometry--all of those work together to produce a comfortably athletic stance, testers agreed.
If the test team hasn't heaped enough praise on this boot there is one other fact worth mentioning--it was the most highly sought after model of the entire test for personal acquisition (i.e. purchase, trade, theft)--and while imitation is supposedly the highest form of flattery, at a boot test intentions of theft rank pretty highly too.
Some of our veteran testers will put one model on a left foot and a different model from the same category and width on the other foot for the sake of a close comparison of two similar boots. Here's what one tester said about his head-to-head match up between the Rossignol Hi-Speed 130 HV and the Nordica Sportmachine3 130: "I thought I was headed out to watch a pillow fight between a couple cushy buckets but then the pillow fight turned into a full-on brawl and they started kicking each other's asses! The Rossi won, but not by much--who knew wide boots were so much fun!" At the end of the test the Rossignol did take first place in the All-Mountain Traditional, Wide category, just edging out the silver medal Nordica by nine hundredths of a point. Testers unanimously loved the Hi-Speed HV's blend of comfort, balance and skiing performance, with another veteran tester calling it "The best wide boot I've ever tested."
The all-new Hi-Speed design brings a slightly lighter, more reactive feeling construction to the mix this year in three different widths--testers liked the HV for a noticeable increase in room throughout the boot in comparison to its medium width version, but no so much room that the fit became boxy or completely absent of control. Our highest volume testers said there was still some room to spare for the truly fat of foot, but they liked the way the liner and shell worked together to maintain a hold on the rear part of the foot and lower leg below the calf for control over the ski. Testers said the connection of liner to shell improved the connection of foot and leg movements to the ski, even when the contact was lacking due to a lower volume foot testing a high volume boot.
While there are several 130 flex wide rides on the market that can hold up to the load a large dude can place on it, less common are boots with that kind of stability and power that also feel quick. Testers liked the Hi-Speed HV's ability to feather the edge and guide the ski and said the transition time between turns had no noticeable turbo lag--they gave the Quickness parameter an average 4.80. But yes, Edge Power did get a perfect 5.00.
Testers said the stance is suitably upright to handle a big guy's big calf and not be pushed into quad-smoking, over-flexed territory and laterally the neutral cuff angles worked well for managing a flat ski on demand without any struggle to find a solid edge.
Was it easy to get on? Yes. Was it warm on a cold day? Yep. Testers said all the essentials were in place and the on-board features were functional: dual liner pull loops, lateral cuff adjustment, forward lean adjustment, flex adjustment, GripWalk soles.
Rossignol's quest for a medium width all-mountain performance machine that will compete head to head with the likes of Lange RX, Tecnica Mach1 and Nordica Speedmachine appear to have been realized with the arrival of the Hi-Speed Pro 120 MV. Testers ranked all four of these models at the very top of a large heap within two-tenths of a point of each other at this year's test and said that this was the brand's best boot ever released in that highly competitive category.
Gone were the caveats about Rossignol's roomier-than-average fit tension--this was a tight, performance narrow that grasped the foot and leg everywhere in a comfortably snug embrace yet without hot spots in typical bony or wide zones. Testers were impressed that the Hi-Speed Pro combined surprisingly smooth and easy entry and exit with a stronger-than-120 flex feel that never collapsed on hard hits or during aggressive skiing. They said the cuff fit in ideal fashion against the shin, around to the calf and they liked the angles both front-to-back and side-to-side. They appreciated that the cuff is doubly adjustable in forward lean angle as well as adjustable in both lateral geometry and flex, but they didn't feel that any adjustment was needed beyond the out-of-box set up which they called dead on the money dialed.
Rossignol's use of Dual Core plastic injection, first started in sister brand Lange's models, continued to impress our test team with the boot's snappy, resilient quickness and accuracy that doesn't sacrifice traditional polyurethane and polyether stability and dampness. This new Hi-Speed line also utilizes and interesting sandwich of different density plastic material in the cuff construction as a way to increase flex rebound energy and simultaneously improve smoothness of the flex feel. While we don't fully understand the engineering of this manufacturing magic, we can attest to the resulting feel and performance on snow which would support those rebound and smoothness claims.
The cuff's attachment to the lower shell remains adjustable in lateral angle, which we applaud, but it was also moved up and forward from its previous Allspeed location to better match the anatomical hinge point of the ankle, which our test team liked. The so-called Generative Design of the shell employs a lattice-work of thickened ribs in structurally critical zones to create a transmissive and stable feel at high speeds, on hard snows and through funky terrain while keeping other shape- or entry-prioritized areas rib-free to maximize wrapping and flexibility. Testers said all this marketing fluff bore fruit for them in terms of it being easy on and off and easy to ski well in those aforementioned situations.
Testers were unanimously excited about Rossignol's new Hi-Speed alpine boot line-up, especially its flagship narrow offering in the Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV GW (that's a mouthful). While our testers have liked the Rossi narrow of the past for its, well, mediumish comfort and convenience, they were curious to see what fit tension adaptation may have evolved with this latest generation for the brand. Testers say, first, it's tight like an LV should be. Second, they say it skis like, well, kinda like a Lange, its perennial boot test winning sister brand. Third, testers say it manages to retain its Rossi-ness in that it's still easy to get on, convenient to close up and adjust, all-day warm and supremely neutral of stance.
While Rossignol has avoided the gravitational pull of the lightweight boot game (thank you for that, Rossi, BTW), it does utilize a thicker lattice-work of plastic in critical transmission and stability areas of the shell, and in the carbon models like this one an additional structural element in the form of carbon fiber shards are injected with the plastic into the foundational lower part of the shell. The plastic elsewhere in the lower boot is slightly less reinforced to enhance shape-wrapping, ease of entry and yes, some minimal weight savings. The shell and cuff are both Dual Core constructions, utilizing a less-dense plastic sandwiched between higher density stuff, all within the thickness of the shell wall itself to create a snappier, more energetic transfer of movement from skier to ski. We have tested non Dual Core models against identical Dual Core ones in the past and can attest that it's not just marketing mumbo jumbo.
This year's new liner design was a hit with testers who applauded the seamless toebox for its comfort and newfound warmth and the ever-improving ankle pocket design which is more heat moldable than ever with a new, Rossi-branded liner cooking tool that helps heat up the liner's exterior in addition to its inner surfaces. Testers loved the snug but well-matched shape right off the test racks but appreciate the targeted molding options in the liner.
Stance and performance wise testers lodged nary a complaint. Out of 15 individual tests, seven perfect scores of 5.00 were filed for the boot's Dynamic Balance, eight perfect scores were logged for Edge Power and also eight perfect scores given for Quickness--the boot plain skis, testers said. In fact, the only boot in the narrow group of the All-Mountain Traditional category to outscore the Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV was its big brother Lange RX 130 LV, but only by a tenth--oh well, this is often the way it is with siblings.
Testers said that the search for a $500 wide lasted boot that truly accommodates a large calf and still holds up flex-wise is over! The Nordica Sportmachine 95 W is massively roomy in the lower boot and in the cuff, with additional calf adjustment available if it's needed, testers said. They also loved the solidly even flex feel that did not collapse under heavy burdens--it's way stronger than the 95 flex index advertising, they reported.
Our test team said that the fit is very open throughout the boot, from bottom to top, but has good anatomical shaping for the high volume foot and leg that might fill it. Testers agreed that the flex feel was one of the Sportmachine's best qualities, saying that it had a solid, reliable feel and didn't fail under aggressive flexing or on unexpected terrain impacts. The Sportmachine 95 W's edging work was damp and stable and the boot's quickness was hinted at but our testers said higher volume feet would take up the ample space and quicken the pace turn to turn. Testers said the fore-aft stance was upright enough that it would take a high-volume calf to feel ideally balanced--a much better set-up than a too forward one resulting in burning quads on run one.
The liner is silky and soft against the foot and leg, testers said, with plenty of cushioning and insulation for a warm day on the slopes. Its ease of putting on taking off was almost hands free, and testers said the buckles and power strap were simple and straightforward to deal with. It's not a surprise that the Sportmachine 95 W's Convenience, Warmth & Features score was a perfect 5.00.
Consistent, uniform, predictable, stable. These descriptors came up repeatedly in testers' reports after putting the Nordica Speedmachine3 115 W through its paces at our boot test this past Spring. For a medium-width fixed cuff boot these words are like A-plusses all the way down its report card. Testers said it schooled virtually the entire class of medium width contenders in this very competitive group with its ideal blend of creature comforts, anatomical fit and expert level downhill performance. Everything the do-it-all 100mm all-mountain ski boot is supposed to do, testers said the Speedmachine delivered on in flying colors.
Testers much preferred this year's liner to last year's, and were unanimously impressed with its silky feel against the sock and smooth entry and exit that somehow didn't feel overly slick while skiing or walking. The ankle pockets were properly located and firm enough for control over the ski without feeling harsh against bony points and the heel was appropriately snug for a 115-flex level performance tier in a medium width boot, testers said. They loved the cuff height on the leg and said the tongue's shin fit was ideally cushioned throughout the flex range, which they said felt on-target for the specified stiffness.
Testers said the Speedmachine3 115 W was one of those boots that just enabled instantly good and balanced skiing from the first buckle-up, without fit or stance alignment hassles. They drove it everywhere on the hill and found themselves paying attention to tighter lines and finding better stashes, not figuring out its quirks (there were none). Some testers mentioned that the damp stability and inherent predictable feel of the Speedmachine may have robbed a slight bit of agility and quickness but not enough to dampen their fun. For a trouble-free all-mountain performer they said there are very few any better.
Over the last several years there has been a ski boot trend of building supposedly narrow boots that for all intents and purposes fit like medium widths. We continue to call out these poser-narrows as we can. The Nordica Promachine 115 W is absolutely not one of them. This is a narrow's narrow, made for real skiers with low volume feet and legs--the kind of body that belongs in a narrow lasted ski boot. Our fit scoring is calculated over eight different fit zones, from toebox to heel pocket to calf, on a scale of 1 through 5. A "1" indicates the sort of tight fit you find in a World Cup race boot. A "5" indicates the sort of roomy fit found in, say, a packed-out rental boot. New testers are instructed that the ideal medium width boot might receive mostly 3's, whereas the wider 102mm last should receive 4's while the 98mm gets 2's. What did the Promachine 115 W get, averaged over the eight fit zones? A 1.96.
Not to belabor the point, but even though one of our testers complained that her navicular and arch were being crushed by the Promachine's tightness, she noted that it wasn't a problem with the boot but just a mismatch for her more mediumish foot--what was the Promachine's score for Anatomical Fit and Initial Feel? It received a perfect 5.00.
Did the snug fit equate to high power and quickness scores? Duh, yes it did! This is a boot built to ski, first and foremost, testers said. That it is fairly easy to get on and fits without typical hot spots is a fortunate secondary benefit. The construction and materials are derived from the race-bred, Frontside Dobermann boot, so with that sort of engineering heritage Nordica would have to really screw things up to not have a ripping all-mountain model in the Promachine. Testers mentioned that it has a slightly taller than average cuff height against the shin and it's also a touch upright in angle and it's stout--so, shorter, lighter and less aggressive skiers experienced some challenges getting out over the front of the boot and staying in the driver's seat.
When going through test card data, when every tester uses the same rating per criteria there's no question about the results. With this year's Nordica Sportmachine3 130, that was the situation. One portion of the test app's question fields looks like this: cosmetics, entry/exit, closure, length fit, flex feel, tongue cushion, cuff height, fore-aft stance, lateral stance. Testers' unanimous replies to these questions looked like this: cool, easy, great, standard, ideal, ideal, ideal, ideal, neutral. Being so universally loved must get boring for the Sportmachine, but our test team was pretty excited to experience its newer, stronger build-out this year (mirroring medium-width Speedmachine3's revisions of last season). Our crew gave it two thumbs up for every aspect of its debut, from fit to stance to downhill performance.
The previous Sportmachine was also well-liked, but definitely had a fluffy, warm personality--it wasn't impressing anyone with its street cred or toughness. This new iteration changes that. The liner is firmer feeling, with a more sculpted, anatomical fit around the ankle bones and heel that gives the impression that it will break in nicely, not pack out hugely. The shell conducts skier movements directly to the ski for a strong and stable edging game (in fact it received a perfect 5.00 for Edge Power) and with enough foot and leg stuffed into its still cavernous space will also uncork some legitimate quickness from arc to arc when called for. The Sportmachine3 130 was still a comfortable ride and there's no need for the larger advanced intermediate to shy away from this stiffness level--it's supportive and forgiving simultaneously, testers said.
Our testers said the stance angles are nicely neutral and made proper skiing movements easy, which translated into good skiing through a variety of different terrain and snow surfaces. They said the hardware and features found on the Speedmachine3 were in line with the category's best and suggested that for skilled skiers with a high volume foot and leg, this year's Sportmachine3 130 should be ranked high on their try-on list.
Where the 97mm boot might be given allowances for some discomfort because many often prioritize performance in that width category, and the 102mm boot may be given a pass for its performance demerits as it's often designed with a premium placed on comfort, the do-it-all medium width 100mm boot receives no such forgiveness--it must merge comfort and performance in equal measure. In this class, the 120 flex remains the market base money shot for its not-too-stiff, not-too-soft flex feel and palatable price point bullseyes. This year's Nordica Speedmachine3 120 exemplifies a nearly perfect execution of this tricky feat of engineering according to our test team that was universally impressed with its masterful blend of all the above mentioned elements.
Last year's introduction of the Speedmachine3 spooked some of our veteran testers who are also Nordica dealers. In Nordica's quest to "toughen up" the Speedmachine softie of old their early production liner might have gone overboard on the performance fit, producing what many felt was an overly snug and firm fit for a medium width. While we don't know what happened between that test and this year's, those testers were unanimously relieved (no, overjoyed) to discover that this year's liner feel in the 120 flex nailed the target, dead-center. They said the fit was more anatomically precise and firm feeling than the overly cushioned feel of the past but without feeling harsh or treading into narrow last fit tension territory. The initial slide in was classically Nordica-easy with a silken feel that managed to lock up around the foot and leg upon buckling and eliminate any feel of slipperiness that might otherwise detract from steering movements.
Testers thought the Speedmachine3 120 skied stronger than they'd expected from a 120 flex and said that the agility and quickness was perfectly mated to the boot's power and torque curves--this was a balanced ride, both in stance and also in its blend of skiing traits. There were virtually no complaints about this boot, in skiing performance or in fit. Bravo Speedmachine, we're glad you're back.
Frankly nobody on the boot test team was very surprised to see that the Nordica Promachine 130 ended up as one of the top three gold medalists in the most competitive, All-Mountain performance category at the test. It has been there before (i.e. every time we've tested it) and it returns this year essentially unchanged. Neither could testers remember when, in the last decade, a four-buckle overlap narrow entered by Nordica didn't make it onto the podium. The brand touts the Promachine as a "more comfortable Dobermann," and our test team agrees. Our testers, while not shocked at its strong results, were surprised anew with the Promachine's level of fit contouring and cushion given its high performance demeanor.
Testers particularly like the way the cuff wraps the lower leg shaft and addresses the shin, with a snug touch on every square inch but without feeling restrictive or blocky in flex. The Promachine is well-padded, testers agreed, but without feeling bulky--it's a closely matched fit, without much wasted space. For as tight as the lower shell holds the foot, testers again were caught off guard by how little hot spot complaining was going on.
With a Quickness score of 4.94 and an Edge Power score of 4.83 (out of 5.00) averaged over 10 tests there is no questioning the Promachine's qualifications on snow. It skis as well as any boot we've tested in the narrow All-Mountain category--the question is really one of fitting into this truly narrow 98 mm performer. We'd suggest you try. The polyurethane shell wall is thinned enough in common stretch zones for making defined modifications where needed without distorting the shape elsewhere. However, if a life-altering project isn't in your future, you could make your life easy by checking out the medium Speedmachine or wide lasted Sportmachine. We tested both of those too this year and they're as good as they've ever been.
Testers never tire of the Lange RX's repeat performances at the boot test--it has topped the category for our women's test many years running and this year's on-snow testing confirmed that the medium RX has not missed a step for raw power and absolute quickness edge to edge. The revisions seen last year to the liner tongue construction remain a test team favorite for a progressive and firm flex feel that commands the tip of the ski exactly as intended, they say.
This year's liner impressed testers with a combination of silky fur and a luxuriant feel against the sock alongside a firm, no-compromises grip across the instep, ankles and heel pocket. Testers loved the way this foot hold translated into instant ski response and highly accurate steering movements. They also said it caused more tingling than they expected from the medium width RX 110, putting it on the tight end of the medium last fit spectrum. Its heel and ankle fit score average was the tightest of all medium width entries. The toebox and forefoot remained open and airy, however, so testers pointed toward the classic "V-shaped" foot with a broad front and skinny heel as the perfect match for the RX 110 W's fit map.
Testers love the RX's stance angles (they haven't changed in years because they work perfectly) and tallied a nearly perfect 4.93 for Dynamic Balance. This ideal alignment also uncorked the boot's tip and rip totals--also receiving a 4.93 for Edge Power. The RX W's mono-injected polyurethane shell and upper cuff continues to prove that traditional plastics in traditional thicknesses still produce the most stable and powerful results on edge, said testers, who still love the predictable, damp feel of the RX at speed on any snow or terrain.
The women's test team has a love-hate relationship with the RX 110 W LV. They love it for how well it fits the low volume foot and leg and they love it for how well they ski in it--in every snow condition, in any radius and at any speed. They hate it for how it makes their own boots feel suddenly inferior and forces the issue of considering a brand switch from their daily driver. These are good problems to have, no doubt, but it's true that no other brand and model receives more comments about a tester "making her best turns of the season" while on a test run. That's saying something considering that this is an out-of-the-box testing scenario.
The revised (last year) liner tongue construction continues to impress our team for how comfortably it contours along the shin bone in a properly padded match that handles flexion like a champ, distributing pressure throughout the flex range without biting or folding over. The gas-filled foam cells of the tongue's construction also generate noticeable energy and snap, which testers said bumped up its performance scores--the RX LV received near-perfect 4.90's for Dynamic Balance, Edge Power and Quickness.
Yes, the iridescent green is a hit with the test team, but they really like the simplicity of a mono-injected shell and cuff made of Dual Core polyurethane plastic up and down and a features set that is both minimal and useful. They do admit there's some creature comfort to the slightly furry liner but just enough, safely staying away from the frilly and superfluous. Testers said that the single liner tongue loop, single lateral cuff adjustment and GripWalk soles finished off the boot in sophisticated but functional fashion.
