Frontside

Our test team old guard was very skeptical of the new Raptor WCR last year at its debut boot test, given the number of years the old Raptor had dominated the Frontside field without any big structural changes to the boot. But the new shape, new polyurethane plastic and all new liner gave them an all-new reason to love the Raptor all over again. This year's sophomore year re-test offered a chance for our testers to ratchet back their enthusiasm and make amends for any fluke--but they didn't, in fact they gave the Raptor WCR 140 perfect scores across the board (with one minor exception) for a score total of 4.90 out of 5.00.

The only score category that the Raptor didn't ace was the Convenience, Warmth and Features criterion and even our most critical testers gave it perfect scores--except two, and they downgraded from a 5 for the color (apparently they're tired of white) and for the Spine Flex buckles (apparently they're really, really tired of Spine Flex). So, essentially one should consider the Raptor's a perfect score! Long live Raptor! Death to Spine Flex!

Not to rehash last year's review but this time around the comments were all quite similar. Folks are surprised (all over again) by the length and width available in the toebox and the width at the forefoot. The heel pocket is deeper to the rear but nobody notices that too much, except for the fact that it's comfortable and snug in the way expected for a 96 mm last. The liner is much softer against the foot and the leg than the short-lasted and rigid Raptor liners of yesteryear but testers assure that it's not a mushy-feeling liner. It still transmits full-gas energy to the shell and ultimately the ski but is just more comfortable in doing so--magic. One of the other most characteristic differences that testers again bring to the conversation is the flex feel--it's longer and more progressive in its feel than the full-stop brick wall Raptor of yore. At first, this increased range of travel concerns testers who invariably sense that the boot won't be as strong on edge--that assumption is quickly proven false as the boot puts a ski on edge at speed and hard snow equally as well, or better than it did before. Then with a few more runs (or days for some very stubborn testers) they begin to like and even prefer the new long-travel flex feel that enables more supple movements and fewer episodes of terrain impacts tossing the skier in the backseat.

Stance-wise there is not supposed to be any real difference from the Raptor of old but the boot board is less arch-humped and slightly lower in ramp angle, and while the lateral cuff angles feel familiar, testers still require a bit more time sorting out their fore-aft balance.

Testers like the Liquid Fit liner injection feature as an option one might employ after much use and liner pack-out but they say that if the boot is the right size there isn't much need to employ the feature, and when done, they remind users that a little goes a long way (and extracting the goo is a bit of a hassle).

The 2021/2022 Head Raptor WCR 140 S was tested in the men’s Frontside category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.

The Gist

One of only six men’s boots to break the 4.80 score barrier (perfect score is 5.00) at this year’s test, the new Raptor WCR 140 S stunned testers (in a pleasant, non-stun-gun sort of way) with its sneaky combination of comfort and still-awesome Frontside power. Anytime a perennial favorite (old Raptor) goes under the update knife we worry that it’ll come out in a less-excellent fashion—that was not the case for this all new boot. Testers say it’s different but in all good ways. Testers gave it perfect scores for its balanced stance, edge power and quickness—not a bad debut.

The Fit

This is an ample fit in the toebox and forefoot for a 96mm, testers agreed, and conspicuously so coming from the Raptor of yore that fit shorter than most in the toebox due to an old-school internal dimension and liner construction that stuffed all the piggies together into a tiny home. Some testers wondered if the fit was too open up front for the category and last width but once they skied the boot their concerns were allayed—the boot holds the foot solidly in place with the additional comfort in the forward cab they said. The fit tension tapers tighter to the rear of the lower shell, gripping the ankles and lower leg firmly and downright immobilizing the heel. Some testers felt the heel contours were a bit too aggressive for them, so chronically loose heel folks should take note. We did do some minimal grinding on one test boot’s shell (there are some pronounced shell contours medially and laterally in the heel area) and this immediately dispatched those few testers’ heel bite complaints. The flex feel is firm against the leg, but with a bit longer range of travel and more progressive feel than with the past Raptors, which testers loved for the natural feel but also for the dynamic moves it enabled.

Performance

As strong as any Raptor progenitors but with a bit more modulated feel—easier to feather power to the edge on and off and smoother engagement of the arc at the top of the turn. Testers thought it was equally strong and quick, without a bias to either side, and felt this balance of skills occurred within a much more comfortable package. The new polyurethane plastic Head is using in the 96mm WCR is slightly different (less expensive) than that of the plug boot line up but testers felt is part of the new magic for the Raptor—a more resilient, wrapping feel that also translates to performance under foot.

Cool Features

The Raptor WCR 96mm inherits most of the design evolution that occurred with the 93mm race WCR last year—longer toebox shape, revised lower shell and cuff shapes, similar new plastic (but not quite same), new bootboard design, new upper cuff (aka canting) adjustments that use a swap-in 0.5-degree disc for a total available change of 1-degree either in or out from the stock position (which is 0.5-degree out). Testers like the 50mm Double Power Velcro power strap, two simple liner pull loops and they continue to tolerate the Spine Flex buckles. If the new flex feel seems too rangy, put in the additional spine anchor and bump it to a 150-flex.

The Gist

DaleBoot 2020-21 Update: New shell and liner designs are in the works for 2021 and DaleBoot also intends to retire their unique snap-on alpine soles for a better traction screw-on style that will transmit skier inputs more directly to the ski, and they’ll still offer canted options.

We tested the DaleBoot ST in the Frontside category because it's the stiffest model DaleBoot makes, and testers thought it fit right in there alongside other race-bred powerhouses. Testers liked the power-to-weight ratio the ST brings to the table—stiff and strong with a close-feeling connection to the ski and snow surface.

The Fit

The guys at DaleBoot set up our Frontside test model as a narrow last to better match the other boots in the category, and they also chose to load it with their higher density liner option for a firmer, more transmissive Frontside feel—both choices that were favored by testers who gave the painted-on, custom fit the double thumbs-up. However, the ST could be built as a medium or a wide, and with a variety of different Intuition liner styles and densities. Similarly the height of the cuff is variable—selected for the particular skier the boot will be made for. The flex feel of the ST is pretty rigid—again, DaleBoot's stiffest set-up—and that appealed to testers in the Frontside category, though for bigger, taller guys the ST is a good All-Mountain option too.

Performance

The ST's rigid cuff design allowed testers to bury the rail at high speeds and on hard snow, but did so without loss of a tactile feel for the snow. Testers liked the way the three-quarter length, adjustable bootboard supported the rear foot and set the ramp angle but left the forefoot to sit directly on the thin shell base—as close as the foot can come to ski. Very high durometer (stiff) polyether plastic is used to make the lower boot rigid but with an unusually thin shell wall. This gives the boot a feely, connected character but without being flimsy. Light and sensitive but strong on edge—a unique combination, testers agreed.

Cool Features

The three-quarter length bootboard is adjustable laterally to better support the rearfoot or provide mobility there and can be set up for use with a posted or non-posted custom insole. A large part of the DaleBoot customizing process, beyond just fit, is ensuring that the skier's stance is dialed, and their unique, snap-on canted soles are a quick and effective way to fine-tune the boot's performance.

The Gist

The last time we tested the Raptor 140 RS testers said it was like seeing a big arena show featuring your favorite rock band from the 70's, and they didn't play any of their new crap—they played all the killer old stuff and sounded every bit as good! The Raptor 140 RS has been, and remains, the perfect Frontside boot, say testers--so why would you change it—and they haven't over the years, save some minor cosmetics and liner tweaks (now with a Liquid Fit liner). Otherwise returning unchanged this year from last, veteran testers comment that it's lasted so long in its current form that while other boots have gone too upright, its forward cuff angle is now a welcome, refreshingly aggressive throwback. And now that many other narrow boots have begun to feel like wides, putting on a (damn, that's tight) Raptor has become a breath of fit-tension fresh air.

The Fit

The Raptor's fit remains straightforward—tight and right. Testers have always given it 1's and 2's--1 is true race boot tight--but they've also commented that there's enough shape built-in to house the common bony prominences and wider areas, but just barely. The liner is thin and dense, but padded just enough to separate bones from plastic and provide a well-wrapped and connected fit. The sense that the ski is not far from the foot is a common mention on test forms. The flex feel is a strong 130, so sure, 140 works, but the feel on the leg is accessible to good skiers—this isn't a World Cup race boot. Yes, testers mention some spots that'd need work for their particular hot spots (styloid process is a common one in the Raptor) but that's what a monoinjected polyurethane shell, cuff and a good ABB bootfitter are for. Lengthwise the Raptor 140 RS fits traditionally (i.e. not overly long), so if the other narrows seem to be growing of late, this will remind you how they’re supposed to fit.

Performance

The stance set-up is strong, meaning with a little extra oomph to the inside edge, and this, along with the beefy, solid-sole lower boot construction and a bolted cuff, creates monstrous leverage over the ski for sick-and-wrong trenching on-piste. Note that out of all its many tests two years ago, it maintained a perfect score for Edge Power and Stability. It's just as strong off-piste, but it's not forgiving of mistakes and is brutally transmissive of terrain hits back into the skeleton—so, highly skilled all-mountain skiers will be thrilled, but keep in mind a smooth surface is the Raptor's native habitat. Most testers find the fore-aft stance just right without the rear spoiler installed, which is the way the boot comes boxed. The Flex Performance tuning anchor for shell and cuff is designed to be drilled and pinned for an even stiffer flex rating—you won't need it, just make sure the one set-screw is tight and then fuggetabout it! Old school racers who've tried going wider and softer and hated it--well, come back home.

Cool Features

Testers like the Double Power Booster power strap that combines a Booster strap with a three-to-one mechanical advantage pulley for serious leg wrapping crankage and a snappy return to center. Dual-side cuff adjustment is a worthy amenity for fine-tuning edge angles, and the Spine Flex buckles wrap the radius of cuff and lower boot (and very few complaints about them from testers finally, they've pretty much given up). Not that you'll ever need it, but you could tighten up the heel and ankle pockets easily with the liner's Liquid Fit injection system.

The 2019/2020 Salomon S/Max 130 Carbon was tested in the men's Frontside category at Silver Mountain Resort by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.

The Gist

Speed becomes less concern than invitation to a party with the S/Max 130 Carbon, said testers who call the fit painted-on and gapless for the low-volume foot and instep. Built to absolutely crush early morning groomers, testers couldn’t get enough of the close-to-snow feel of the lower shell and directly linked feel between lower leg and cuff. This is a responsive, lightweight ride that put stiff skis on edge and hammered hard snow into submission with ease. The ultra-quick Custom Shell HD process succeeded in mellowing minor hot spots.

The Fit

One tester said the well-distributed and firm grip on the foot and lower leg foretold of responsive skiing, and he was right about that based on its performance scores. The fit is race-room tight with a particularly snug fit on the lower leg just above the ankles where the boot tapers to wrap the leg shaft and instep area in a highly transmissive match. Testers were initially concerned about the super rigid carbon fiber Coreframe insert affecting the navicular area fit, but no such complaints came to light after testing. As a side note the Coreframe insert area is able to be traditionally heat-stretched for additional room there. Testers who found the overall fit a bit too close for comfort and underwent the new Custom Shell HD molding process came out the other side all smiles and in only 10 minutes—impressed, they were (say that with a Yoda voice).

Performance

One can tell from the score spread, that the boot's best attribute is its quickness and precision feel underfoot. The thin shell wall polyurethane lower boot with the TPEX carbon Coreframe insert puts the foot in close and transmissive contact with the boot and ski and the Grilamid cuff adds snap while shaving weight (only 1664 grams). This construction combination made for a highly tactile feeling boot that responded immediately to foot steering inputs and transitioned turn to turn with synaptic speed, testers agreed. The boot is not lacking in power, whatsoever, testers assured, calling it a trench laying fool and a turn-completing stomper. Regarding post-Custom Shell process performance—we had one of our testers only mold one boot for the sake of comparison with an un-molded boot and he found no appreciable difference in stiffness between the two, afterward.

Cool Features

Kaprolene is the additive to polyurethane that allows for Custom Shell molding. New this year in certain models within the S/Max and MTN lines the Kaprolene used is pre-mixed in precise amounts into the polyurethane itself rather than as a somewhat random additive at the time of plastic injection. This creates a more predictable and defined molding response which, when used in the thin shelled S/Max and MTN boots, drastically reduced cook times from ten minutes to only two, molding from five minutes to only three and cool-down to five minutes. Our tests showed legit results without a degradation of performance, post-molding. This year Salomon offers a kit for bootfitters to drill out the Oversized Pivot cuff hinge point and replace it with a lateral cuff adjustment for skiers who need more stance angle adaptability than the Custom Shell process will provide. Cantology cant shims are available for the S/Max boots but require over-plating and routing along standard race room protocols.