The Gist
The Allspeed Elite is narrow, the Allspeed Pro is medium and the Allspeed is wide. Every year testers comment that while the lasts get wider, they maintain the performance lineage across the board--stance angles, closure, energy transfer to the ski all remain standard for each model, and a skier can choose the best match for his foot and leg. Testers dig the Allspeed 120's tallish cuff against the leg and a strong but energetic flex feel--not rigid, not soft but somewhere right in between with a proper stopping spot, short of feeling overflexed. The fit over the midfoot and into the instep is generous and combined with the well-flared calf fit produced enough room for some real manly men here, they said. As always, the polyurethane construction in shell and cuff equated to damp stable skiing that adds up to confidence in all conditions.
The Fit
It's a wide ride with plenty of volume, its liner is cushioned and soft, and yet the Allspeed 120 has enough grab on the foot to enable high-end skiing movements and control big skis. One of our testers summed-up the Allspeed's classic fit like this: "It's like hugging a big, curvy, hot chick and feeling the softness and the firmness in all the right places." Regardless of the hashtags we still think that's a good way to say it. Testers also say the cuff is tall, upright and that its fit is open enough for big-dude legs.
Performance
Testers are impressed with how strongly this boot skis--a toughened up 120 flex they said, but testers also cite the dialed stance angles and high torsional and lateral rigidity that tips a ski on edge and manages it there through a variety of terrain at virtually every speed. Several of our testers mentioned throwing everything they had at it and it never failed.
Cool Features
The price is one its best features—best bang for your buck of the entire test, one tester said. But the fact that there's a 100-flex and a 130-flex version of this (oh, and an 80) means the options are many for high-volume foot and leg guys. It does have a Thinsulate liner, but if you're buying this boot we're betting you don't get too cold. This year GripWalk soles are available as an improved strolling add-on, for use with GripWalk compatible bindings.
Kudos