How would you describe the difference or the reasons for the choices? Just what the clock says, or anything else?
I think you’re looking for “the best” and what that is, there’s no answer.
You’re probably going to have to try various options to see how they ski, and how they work for you or how you like them. Except for foam, you can often find some of these liners used, which will let you try them for not a lot.
Some years ago, it seemed like people couldn’t ski without an intuition liner. I tried one of their tongue models, and pretty much hated it. Just don’t like the “dead” feel to it. Plus the tongue on that was utter garbage, you could feel it fold over the top of the boot instead of flexing the boot.
I went back to the Dobermann liner in my Lange. Had a much nicer, “springier” feel to it. I preferred the Dobermann to the Lange as it was slightly thicker and the tongue was better. Actually the left/right curve of the Lange tongue worked better on my shin, but overall went with the Dobie. Tongue plastic can be shaped to some extent also.
Zipfit has a different feel altogether. It’s kind of a much more damp, power steering type of feel. Whether that’s good or not so good is personal. I had one 20yrs ago, and got a used one recently to try out.
God help us with that company. $450 and the tongues on intermediate boots are built better. The one I had 20 years ago had a similar weak tongue. In short, there’s no hard stiffening on the tongue, you can bend it lengthwise with your fingers. Very poor. If the tongue was easily replaceable, I might consider one. But paying that much to have to unsew it.. nah.
Currently in a Head B3 and Head liner with Dobermann tongue. Problem with Dobermann liner is it’s really narrow. Plus, they have an enormous sewn seam almost right on the 5th metatarsal head. I stretched the last one I had, but you’d need to cut it to get more room.
Current Head has good width which is why I kept it. But it’s now worn out. The advantage to race shells, if properly fit, is liners can be skied longer for free skiing. There’s not that much room for things to pack out.
Foam, I don’t know. They keep saying it’s better with expiration dated foams, blah, blah, blah. I might try another
Last one I had was in 2000, a Nordica foam liner in a Lange. Despite spending lots of time in a good shop, it just didn’t work. There were creases in the sides near the ankle. That was that, as I could not go back to Taos to deal with it. Moved onto a whole new boot eventually.
It wouldn’t shock me if some wcup skier is in a franken liner that combines some of the Zipfit or Head Liquidfit with other stuff, a modifed foam liner, or some odd combo. But for that you need a bunch of liners and someone able to unsew and resew the liner. If you had to pay for it, it’d prob be a €2k liner. And it might not be great! Next try.
Kudos to Atomic for addressing the whole liner market with a few quality products. I may go and look at one to see.
