The overall fit is tight but perfect, and I have a very secure fit around the instep. (If I wear a sock that is even slightly thicker than my Smartwool ultra-thin Ph.D socks, my heels will feel sore by the end of the day. 5cm on the right foot.)Īfter baking them, however, the shells expanded where they needed to, leaving me with a very snug heel fit -it’s the most snug heel / best heel retention of any boot I’ve ever skied. (Before molding, I had a shell fit of 1cm on the left foot. To be clear, before heat molding these shells, my 25.5s were intolerably tight to stand in for more than a few minutes. The shell of the X Pro 120 can only expand, so the idea here-if what you’re after is a high performance fit-is to basically approach the heat moldable shell as if it was a plug race boot: it is relatively easy to create more space in a boot, but it is very difficult to make smaller a boot that is too big. I’m not pushing you do the same, but one of the very best features about the X Pro 120’s moldable shell is that it gives you the ability to begin with a very small boot, then expand the shell to contour to your foot and provide a very snug, comfortable, performance fit. So to achieve a similarly snug fit, I ended up dropping down two sizes, not just one size. According to Charlie, most people who buy a Salomon boot in their measured size end up getting extra padding put into the boot to suck up volume.Īgain, I generally wear ~97/98mm lasted, low volumes boots, and have most recently been in the 26.5 Atomic Redster Pro, 26.5 Nordica Patron Pro, and 26.5 K2 Pinnacle 130. While the X Max 120 would be the more appropriate last for me, Salomon boots tend to run big-both in terms of length and volume. Salomon’s ~97mm-lasted, Custom Shell boot is called the X Max 120. And in the case of the Salomon X Pro 120, I dropped down to a 25.5. A good amount of ankle range of motion (aka, “dorsiflexion”).Īccording to the charts, I ought to be in a size 27.5 boot, but I have always dropped down to a size 26.5 to get more of a “performance” fit rather than a “comfort” fit. High arch / High instep (on a scale of 1-10, Charlie called it an 8 or 9). My left foot is 27cm long, my right foot is 27.5cm long, and here’s how The Boot Doctors’ Charlie Bradley assessed my feet: C-width, narrow heel. I don’t have particularly wide feet, but I’ve still been able to get an outstanding fit out of the X Pro 120. The customary selling point of the X Pro 120 is that it’s a terrific option for people who have very wide feet, because the shells will stretch to accommodate. If they are left in while the shells are cooked, they become extremely malleable and will likely deform when you slip your foot and liner into the boot.īut if you do remove them, then the process is straightfoward and is capable of producing an excellent fit. One important thing to note: the boot boards of the X Pro 120 are made of foam, and they should be removed before heating the boots. You’re done, and you’re ready to go ski right now, you don’t have to wait.ī) You can also reverse the process and heat mold the liners first, then the shells. Then take the boots off and remove the toecaps. Place toecaps over the toes and put the boots on. Once the shells are cool, you then put the liners on heat stacks for about eight minutes.Īfter the liners are up to temperature, place the insole in the liners and insert the liners into the shells. You then put the boots on for 10-20 minutes (depending on the cooling process) and allow them to cool. ![]() There are two ways to complete the molding process:Ī) The shells are placed in a convection oven for 15 minutes, and are heated at 220 degrees F. The black sections of both the upper and the lower of the shell of the X Pro 120 are heat moldable and customizable, and the results have been great. That’s really it.Īnd it just so happens that, for me, the heat-moldable, 360° Custom Shell Salomon X Pro 120 has proven to be a very good match, and has probably delivered the greatest combination of performance + fit + versatility + forgiveness + comfort of any boot I have ever worn. My only objectives for a ski boot review are to (1) properly locate the boot and (2) help you decide whether you ought to head to the best bootfitter in your area to see whether the boot is, in fact, a good match for you. Test Locations: Taos Ski Valley Canterbury Club Fields, New Zealand ![]() Size Tested: 25.5 / 296mm Boot Sole Lengthīlister’s Measured Weight per Boot (with stock liners and custom instaprint footbeds): ![]() Stated Flex Rating: 120 (can be increased to 130)
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