Lange RS 130

The Gist

The patriarch of the RS blue boot family, 2018 Lange RS 130 returned to our boot test this year packing a full slate of revisions to shell and liner. It left after a week of rigorous testing with the highest score of any boot, men's or women's, out of all categories.

The Fit

The challenge for Lange with the RS wasn't just to come up with a new shell and liner but to come up with both of those that were better than what they already had, which was pretty damn good. The shell is tightened internally in the heel pocket but also more defined in the ankles. The liner is more anatomically sculpted with firm pre-molded material in the ankle and heel area and its exterior material is stiffer this year and also precisely matched to the interior shape of the shell. Testers said mission accomplished—the fit is stronger in the heel and more comfortable in the ankle, but with an even, performance-minded grip all along the foot and into the cuff. From the initial entry to the end of each tester's on-snow session, they said the fit was an ideal wrap of the foot and the leg.

Performance

Externally, the shell of the RS 130 is thicker this year in the heel counter and up through the spine of the cuff for a more powerful drive train, and modifications were made to the thickness of plastic in key areas to enhance feel for snow and prevent a fold-over flex feel when taxed. In both the shell and upper cuff, new Dual Core construction employs a less dense plastic sandwiched between higher density plastic to generate a tensile energy in the material itself. Testers don't know how they did it, but they agreed on all counts—stronger, more tactile, and quicker all around this year. Testers mentioned that the turn seemed to start earlier and felt more round from start to finish than with the RS boots of old.

Cool Features

Everything a high performance skier needs and nothing else here: removable rear spoiler, double liner pull loops, cam lock power strap, single side set-screw cuff adjustment, easy-open bottom buckles and a toe dam that doesn't leak.