The Gist
The all-new 2018 Tecnica Mach1 Pro W LV impressed testers with a revised and more-comfortable liner and a stronger 115 flex that delivered smooth, solid turns through soft, variable terrain and over hard surfaces alike. One tester claimed that these were "Wonder Woman's boots," if she were a skier, and another said they provided "everything a ripper girl could want," so we're going with that—skis well, in a nutshell. This is a true narrow fit in the lower boot, they vouch, noting that the forefoot is quite tight on the bony points and will need a light grind or punch for all but the most slender of feet. Bravo, we say—narrows should be narrow!
The Fit
In combination with a narrow-snug fit in the lower boot—particularly in the heel pocket and forefoot-- the upper cuff remains remarkably (newly) comfortable along the calf, which testers widely approved of. Women with narrow feet and slightly thicker lower legs should not be scared off into medium-width territory, as this one may suit nicely. Several testers mentioned that the top of the shin fit was a bit edgy feeling, but each was won over by how well the boot performed on snow—meaning it wasn't a fit deal-breaker for them.
Performance
Our test team applauded the bump up to a 115 flex—perfect for solid skiers who have a history of over-powering women's boots at the 100-105 level. There were no such comments here. While firm in its flex-feel, testers commented that the power supply was predictable and smooth, not harsh. This was easily tapped power that did testers' bidding in a variety of conditions.
Features
The signature Mach1 Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) technology is expanded here beyond just the pre-dimpled stretch zones for common fit problem areas and a moldable-grindable EVA liner. Now the calf is moldable—both shell and liner, simultaneously—by way of the C.A.S. Cuff Adapt feature. A unique heating pad warms the low temperature plastic insert (and liner) to a moldable state, and then the boot is worn to match the cuff to the leg. The cuff can reduce its volume by 5 percent for slender legs or increase its volume by 10 percent for thicker legs. This is the sort of bootfitter (and skier) friendly feature that Tecnica's Project 165* team is becoming known for.
*(their bootfitter consultants group, two of which are on our ABB test team: Nick Blaylock and Greg Hoffmann)
Kudos
Caveats