Atomic Hawk Ultra130s vs Nordica Speedmachine 120, fit and flex questions

[LuliTheYounger]

Anecdotal, but @Florida Man was dubbed Pizza Feet by one fitter because of his tiny ankles, and he ended up in the Hawx Ultras after trying a bunch of boots at different shops.

 

[Mel]

One alternative to a foam injected liner is an innovation that Head has come out with wherein the liner has heel pockets that can be injected with a non freezing liquid that can be added and then removed if adjustments are needed, giving a semi custom liner fit.

I actually just got a pair of these fitted a few weeks ago. I’ve got average width heels, thin ankles, and a narrow but high foot, and boots tend to get sloppy in my ankles first. My old Technica boots were cranked down as tight as I could buckle them on the ankle and could still lift up my heels. I’m now in a 23.5 Head Nexo LYT 110 RS (women’s). I have not skied in them yet, but the fitter suggested waiting on injecting the gel. He fit them as usual, and suggested that the gel is helpful for adding back in some snugness in the ankle as the liners pack out a bit, rather than relying on it to take up space. For someone with narrow ankles, it seems like a nice option to keep a really snug fit over time. Their performance in my living room has been top notch so far

 

[Florida Man]

Anecdotal, but @Florida Man was dubbed Pizza Feet by one fitter because of his tiny ankles, and he ended up in the Hawx Ultras after trying a bunch of boots at different shops.

If it isn't to late for some input....
I tried the speed machine and could feel my ankles sliding out of the pockets when flexing the boot in the shop. Same with some other brand/models I tried. The out of the box Ultras are tight for the top of my foot but I will make that work to get a good fit for my tiny ankle.

 

[Philpug]

If it isn't to late for some input....
I tried the speed machine and could feel my ankles sliding out of the pockets when flexing the boot in the shop. Same with some other brand/models I tried. The out of the box Ultras are tight for the top of my foot but I will make that work to get a good fit for my tiny ankle.

The 100mm Speedmachine has more room in it than the 102mm rear entry HF. To quote @markojp "There are lies, damn lies and the numbers printed on ski boot boxes."

 

[Ken_R]

I have a pair of Nordica speedmachine 120s that I like but I don’t love the liners and I want to get a lighter boot as well . I’m thinking about getting the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130s. Can anyone tell me how the flex of the Hawx Ultra 130 Is compared to a Speedmachine 120? if you soften the flex on the Hawx by 10 will it be similar to the Speedmachine 120? I generally like to ski a 120 flex but want to go with the 130 Hawx for the better quality liner. Also the Speedmachines are a 100 last and the Hawks Ultras are a 98. I really like the room that the Speedmachines 100 last gives me in the forefoot as I have a prominent fifth metatarsal head. Will memory fitting on the Hawks Ultra be able to give me the room of a 100 last boot. Thanks for any advice.

I own the Hawx Ultra 130s and love them. They are not overly stiff. It is a very light boot for what it is and skis fantastically well for the weight. The liner is very very nice. I ddint have to mod anything. It is a pretty low volue boot so if you have a high instep this is not your boot.

 

[markojp]

I own the Hawx Ultra 130s and love them. They are not overly stiff. It is a very light boot for what it is and skis fantastically well for the weight. The liner is very very nice. I ddint have to mod anything. It is a pretty low volue boot so if you have a high instep this is not your boot.

We have to be careful to remember boots are 3D volumes that are often considered, measured, and assigned in 2.... and that's the trouble with boot box and review numbers. As an example of change in boots and not the numbers on the box, the lower clog volumes in the tecnica mach LV's have much less instep height than in years past, and indeed might now be problematic for a narrow foot with a higher instep. FWIW, in my experience, the Hawx ultra, while narrow, is one of the more generous re recreational ski boots over the instep.

 

[dx111]

What model year was that change to lower the instep introduced on the Technical Mach1 LV?