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
Our test team has rated the X Max 110 W highly in the past. It returns this year with a more anatomically shaped liner that was warmly received. So warm a reception that it garnered the highest total score awarded to any women's boot.
How dat? Well the liner's pre-shaping made for a super sweet ankle and heel pocket fit, testers said. The flex feel of the overall package was even and snappy (if a little softer than the marked 110) and long in its range. But what really sealed the deal was how it managed to accommodate so many different foot shapes through its shape-shifting Custom Shell 360 process.
Many testers tried the process after first testing the boot in its stock form. Several recorded stock fit issues like a tight toebox and forefoot and a squeezy fit in the calf and lower leg shaft. Granted, those were testers with wider feet and calves than you'd expect to fit perfectly in a narrow category out-of-the-box boot.
The Custom Shell results were consistent and virtually all positive: the lower shell and upper cuff transformed substantially to better match the foot and leg shape of our testers. That gave them a better balanced stance and bumped up performance scores. The only tester that didn’t bump up her marks after molding was one with very low volume feet. She said the boot felt slightly roomier after molding and she preferred the stock fit. She gave it perfect scores when skied stock. That leads us to suggest that women with low volume feet consider skiing the boot stock before undertaking the custom molding process.
For the money, aspiring all-mountain rippers will not go wrong with the Kara 105, testers said. They liked the evenly smooth medium-width fit that got better as the Ultralon Tech liner warmed up and said its lateral command of the edge was predictable and confidence-inspiring. They also liked the walk mode feature for its ease of use, even if its released range was a bit limited.
For a three-buckle overlap testers were impressed with the power it leveraged to get skis carving—while not the quickest turn to turn in the category it was capable and handled what the test team threw at it. There wasn't a consensus on the boot's flex feel—with some finding no issues and others citing a softer than advertized flex and abrupt stopping point.
This well-cushioned park cruiser impressed our test team with its long-ranging flex feel, but that also distressed our more aggressive all-mountain riders who folded it right over. So, best for lighter weight and less demanding skiers looking for a light weight wide rider.
The forefoot and toebox was suitably roomy for the wide last category, testers said, but they found the calf a bit pinched and the cankle area particulary tight prior to heat molding the liner.
Set up to butter and schmear, rather than carve trenches, this steery and agile boot would be best suited on rails and boxes or in softer snow conditions testers said.
The deal-breakers for a lot of women when looking for that perfect new boot are: tight toes, loose heels and a calf fit that bites—those are non-issues with the Pure Pro 100. This medium width manages to grasp the heel and ankles in a manner that says, time to ski, and yet maintains wide-load-style width for the forefoot and toes. Many testers cited wide category width up front and also at the boot top, which flares open for muscular calves while maintaining enough height for stable, strong skiing.
Testers like the fore-aft starting position—tall but with enough flex range to move throughout the turn. They found the lateral set-up neutral, and testers with thick enough feet to fill up the lower boot found it quick side to side, while our skinny-footed folk lacked the same immediate transmission of energy.
The ease on and off was a nice bonus, as was the additional warmth element of Merino wool in the Optisensor liner.
It is matte black with orange and red buckle accents and a touch of fur on the liner. We don’t usually lead our reviews with a focus on cosmetics but the Pure Elite 120 received more comments about its sexy graphic motif than any other boot—testers loved it. They also loved its hard-charging nature. It combined strong ski command on edge at speed with a lively, spring-loaded flex. That made for quick moves and successful adventures on and off-piste.
Testers said the fit was curvy and anatomical in shape, addressing common wide spots and bony prominences well. Most also mentioned it fit more like a Medium than a true Narrow so good skiers looking for a little additional space to spread-out shouldn't be scared off by its 98mm label.
Our thicker calf testers loved the way the cuff flared to match their leg shape. It maintains a tall, supportive fit but opens up just enough to eliminate that too-common jab in the back of the leg.
Testers liked the fore-aft stance best with the thin-rear spoiler installed. It offers a slightly more aggressive forward position. They said the lateral balance was spot-on for agile, strong skiing.
Big power for big-girl rippers is what testers said about the revised NXT N1 W. Wide-lasted for high volume feet and wide at the boot top for muscular calves, this roomy ripper didn't fail to fire up our aggressive testers who said it's just right for real skiers who typically can't find performance in wide rides. The stance is upright and the cuff is tall on the leg and stiff in flex—some, shall we say, more gentle women called it "blocky" and had a hard time getting out over the boot, but our crud bashing trench warriors loved the stout feel against the shin and beat the hell out of whatever terrain came between them and the bottom.
The liner is plush and well padded, and this year re-designed to incorporate the same sort of chipped cork in resin packs at the ankle pockets first introduced in the medium width NRGy and Belle lines. The fit at the ankles is anatomical but firm and quickly settles into a comfortable grip there, even without a full heat-mold, which is an option that can be redone indefinitely if need be.
The all new GPX 95 W impressed testers with its stronger than 95 attitude on snow and lateral power band, which was broad and strong to the edge at all speeds through a variety of terrain. The stripped down and elemental appeal of the sleek, narrow class design and black ninja styling appealed to our hard charging testers who have no need for excess fluff and feature frills.
For a 98mm boot, the test team claimed it offered medium-class width in the toebox but remained snug elsewhere throughout the redesigned lower and an even more snug fit at the boot top, which they said ran taller than most as well.
Taller, heavier members of the test team found that they had no trouble engaging the front of the boot and dominating the ski, tip to tail, while shorter and lighter weight testers commented that the boot felt tall and upright and they had a more difficult time finding the fore-aft sweet spot. Testers universally loved the side to side moves the GPX made from turn to turn and loved the tactile feel underfoot.
Beauty and the Beast’s Belle was one tough woman. And so is her namesake boot. Our aggressive testers who like high speeds and the stable ride that comes with a firmer flex were big fans of the Belle Pro 105. It's a real skier's boot that goes everywhere on the mountain with a solid feel on edge and a predictable roll arc-to-arc regardless of the snow surface. As a bonus, testers say it doesn't sacrifice a warm and cozy fit to get there. They also gave it top marks for on/off ease as well.
It's a roomy medium, they say, with an extra bit of space out in front of the toes (no toenail jam here) and throughout the open toebox. Yet it maintains a firm-enough grip on the heel and ankle for good maneuverability in tricky spots.
The cuff is tall on the leg and on the upright side of average so makes sense that our taller more aggressive skiers found a comfortable home-base here. Some of our lighter, less aggressive testers said they'd need a little heel lift to feel like they could keep up with the boot.
We determine our boot rankings by combining the total average score (which is taken from 5 ratings: Anatomical Fit, Dynamic Balance, Edge Power & Fore-Aft Support, Quickness & Feel, Convenience), combining that with testers top 50% picks per category, and then that is merged with a review of all test report forms. The Lange RX 110 W LV had so many near perfect initial scores, a top 50% rating rivaled only by one other boot and unanimously glowing test forms. That's why it rated in the top 3 women's boots of the entire test. It's done this before—a couple of times—so we didn't want you to think we just put it there out of habit.
At the heart of our testers' lust for this boot is the fact that it gives only a passing nod to the notions of what constitutes a “women's boot” (though our gals did love the poppy red color). Testers appreciated that the RX 110 W LV skied stiff and fits narrow and more than anything else helps them beat the boys down the hill. They did appreciate the "soft and cozy, velvety" Thinsulate liner but liked even more the fact that it wasn't too "girly girl." It's comfortable but not at the expense of performance, one tester said. This one is about taking no prisoners (in comfort, of course).
There were no complaints about the fit of this boot—or stance or performance. Notably, one persistent previous complaint was conspicuously absent this time around—instep and midfoot pressure. The RX line-up (women's and men's) co-opted the RS 140's tongue construction, incorporating a unique, perforated foam directly over the bony midfoot area. That produces a hollow spot and a more forgiving fit directly under the second buckle where nerves and circulation can be impinged. Nice idea.
What do smart women want when it comes to their gear? Well, the best, first of all. And if they shop for boots like they shop for jeans or shoes, they want the best deal, too. How often does the best and best deal coincide? Not often, but here (and you better go buy a lottery ticket right now) it has. The Lange RX 80 W, a boot that will cost under $400 in most shops, was ranked in the top 5 of all women's boots tested.
The Soft Value category is about testing boots for the way the majority of skiers ski them—not 100-days a season, not all day long, and not at a pro or even expert level. Soft Value boots are for the majority of skiers, and though softer, less expensive models exist under each flagship model we test (we point those out in each model's vital stats), each brand was asked to submit at least one Soft Value model to be tested amongst the big dogs. The RX 80 W was Lange's, and it stomped some serious ass.
It's a true medium width, serving a broad swath of foot and leg shapes. Testers said it has an easy slide on and snug initial fit that relaxes quickly. There’s extra room in the toebox. They liked the closely fitted ankle pockets that mate with the boot's surprisingly able flex feel to produce athletic skiing moves everywhere they drove it. While soft and rangy in its flex, the consensus was that it didn't fail and most said it felt a tad stronger than 80. “Ergonomic and economic,” one said.
Our test team put this one into the top tier for its strong skiing skill set and straightforward fit. It’s a no frills, no fur, firm feeler that grabbed our testers and took them on an all-mountain jaunt. Keep in mind that this medium width performer has a svelte twin, the 97mm Spyre 110 LV. That has tested similarly well in the past but our testers really liked this 100mm version for its fit versatility and on-snow demeanor.
Testers said that the initial fit was vexingly tight in the toebox but that the Intuition liner quickly mellowed to a fit that sits just on the snug side of the medium-width average. A few testers with wider feet performed a full heat-mold on the highly adaptable liner and were pleased with the amount of relief they achieved. The flex feel is firm, our crew said, and they liked that for aggressive pounding on- and off-piste.
The cuff is lower than most and with the rear spoiler installed, some of our testers felt it was a little too forward. Without it, though, they thought it was too upright. What to do? Luckily, the spoiler is easily grindable to half-thickness—or anywhere in between—to achieve a Goldilocks fore-aft stance.
Quick lateral transitions and a snappy flex feel helped propel testers toward higher speeds and through unpredictable terrain with confidence. It also drove performance scores into the highest echelon among Traditionalist entries.
Testers loved how strong this 100 flex skied—the little wide last that could! The Spyre 100 HV's cuff brings a progressive, solid flex that didn't fold to the table and backed it up with solid rearward support that our team appreciated for setting a functional skiing stance that didn't fail to the backseat during unforeseen terrain hits. They liked the snap and energy that the no-rivet connection between upper and lower boot provided and also thought that the lateral transmission of movement to the ski edge was immediate and easy to achieve.
The difference between the K2 medium and wide lasts is subtle, testers said, pegging the HV as a mediumish-wide or wideish-medium, and testers generally found the toebox initially a bit snug for the width group and that the calf was a little tighter than average. On those two points, testers commented that the toebox settled in fairly quickly and opened up substantially after a full cook job on the Intuition liner and that the calf fit could be remedied with the removal or thinning of the fat rear spoiler that comes installed out of the box.
