The Gist
Did it again. Testers said the Freedom RS continues to offer the best combination of light weight, frictionless touring range of motion and skiing power in the On-Off Area category. It misses the medium-width fit target to the narrow side with insanely narrow heel grip.
Fit
The Freedom RS's revamped Intuition Cross Fit Ride liner is thicker and provides a more padded feeling, especially at the top of the tongue. That’s a spot testers cited as a fit concern last year. It's still firm and performance-oriented but it’s now more comfortable on the shin. The liner snugged the entire fit of the lower boot compared to previous versions, leading testers to mark down a lot of low volume ratings at the instep, navicular bone, ankles and heel.
The heel fit was among the tightest of the test, so skiers with low rearfoot volume will find this a great match. After liner thermo-molding, testers unanimously reported a much improved lower fit but still felt the boot fit snugger than a typical 101mm last.
Performance
Sets the bar for uphill quality amongst alpine sole tourers. The range of motion is free both fore and aft with a smooth gliding feel that adds hours to the ski day via efficient hiking and less fatigue as a result. The instep clamps down a bit while striding, so consider having your boot tech pre-pad the top of your feet during liner molding. That will open up the fit there a touch.
Its downhill prowess is masked in the backcountry. You might not recognize that you have a boot that can tip and rip like a World Cup plug model until you click into a front-side ski, take it on hard snow and jack it up to 50 mph. Oh yes it can.
The carbon insert in the Pebax Rnew lower boot stiffens the feel underfoot like an overdose of Cialis. The polyamide (similar to nylon and Grilamid) upper cuff delivers power to the edge without losing a beat.
Cool Features
Testers liked the metal-to-metal hike mode lever. It’s exceedingly simple to use and bombproof. Testers thought the boot stood a touch too upright in the stock forward lean setting and recommended employing the on-board forward lean adjuster. Comes stock with tech binding compatible, rockered, Vibram Mountain Plus soles. Mountain Piste alpine soles we tested are available as a $40 option.
Kudos
Caveats