Armada’s entry into the boot realm continues to evolve this year with the arrival of the walk-mode enabled AR ONE AF 130 MV, that we tested this past Spring in a variety of different snow conditions and terrain. Testers applauded the new, releasable cuff for the expanded scope of adventure opportunities it offers.
As evidenced by the introduction of the Armada AR that sported toe tech fittings with a fixed cuff, a walk mode is not an absolute necessity to shuffle up a ridgeline on skins to hit a nearby line. However, the AF’s cuff release mechanism opens the door now to bigger and better lines a little farther out--though long tours are still not the Armada’s forte, given its more alpine-ish weight class. But a hike mode also offers more versatility to the freeride and freestyle skier who might be hiking up and down the half pipe or spending hours building a massive jump—and of course, a walk mode is always an apres mode given the right circumstances.
Our test team likes the way the Armada boot skis, especially in soft snow where its slightly-under-edged stance bias makes for a loose and slashy attack on deep drifts and wind sculpted hits. They also liked it on smooth surfaces, carving arcs getting from one stash to another, though it takes tipping it just a little further to get the ski to trench-ripping angles. Big testers felt the new releasable AF cuff was more prone to folding over on heavy terrain hits or very hard flexion in comparison to the fixed cuff AR they’ve tested in the past, but didn’t find that it hampered their confidence while skiing aggressively across the whole mountain.
The initial fit of the AF 130 MV was not without a few pinch points for our test team, who found that the inside ankle pocket and medial instep zone was a common issue for most of them. Cooking the Team AF liner improved the fit substantially, and a couple of them mentioned that they’d employ a shell-morphing Memory Fit oven cook job it they were going to take next steps toward a hotspot-free fit.
The AF 130 MV offers a modified three-piece construction that involves getting some overlaps and buckle straps oriented properly for clean closure and fit—for skiers accustomed to similar cabrio designs they’ll feel right at home, while others will need a few trials to sort out the system.
