The Gist
With a lot of brands, their mediums and narrows feel awfully similar. Or their mediums and wides feel about the same. Tecnica trod a different path: its wides are wide, its mediums are medium and damn, its narrows are narrow.
The Mach1 130 LV is an honest boot; that Low Volume bit is assuredly truth in advertising. Yow baby, it's snug. This is how a narrow performance model should fit, said our testers: just a little too tight out of the box, everywhere. Unless your feet are truly narrow and un-bunioned, in which case you'll find the Mach1 LV one of the very few to actually lock down without excessive buckle tension.
Fit
How can it be so darned snug and yet avoid the typical hot spots skiers experience? It's the shape. The extra room built in at the sides of the forefoot, at the navicular and ankle bones, and at the heel are well placed. There is just enough pocket space for the bony bits without rendering the fit too roomy. The Mach1 130 LV sits on the tight side of the narrow width group but received very few “ouch” comments on test cards. More often than not, testers said it set the standard for how a narrow class boot should fit.
Performance
If its medium-width doppelganger MV is a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, then the LV is a 911 Turbo S. It’s a little smaller handles a little better, rides a little more epic. How many ways can you say epic as it relates to skiing performance? We're not sure, but the LV is epic-er than the rest. It was, in fact, the highest scoring boot in the entire All-Mountain category. Common themes here were a limitless amount of easily-accessed and entirely-balanced power along with “quasi-telepathic steering control.” Yep, that's what one tester wrote.
Cool Features
While many skiers won't need to tap into the C.A.S. shell and liner fitting customization options in the medium width Mach1, many certainly will in the LV. The dimpled areas at the sides of the forefoot and navicular bone, for example, are spots where the plastic's mass has been reduced to better handle and retain a defined heat stretch. The firm, microcell outer foam on the liner is grindable, as a way to strategically reduce peak pressure points without overly widening the fit. Room where you need it, tight where you want it. Makes total sense.
Kudos
Caveats