The Atomic Professional Series

[anders_nor]

Have the liners become looser over time or were they “not tight enough” from the get go?

from the get go

 

[Viking9]

When you see that video and how “ professional “ everything seems to be how can you not have a perfect fit.
Great looking product from Atomic, as a Rossi guy that’s a tip of the cap.

 

[KingGrump]

When you see that video and how “ professional “ everything seems to be how can you not have a perfect fit.

Dude, you bucking for that marketing gig at Atomic?

Full disclosure" I am in a Atomic boot. Been for the last 5 years.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Re: fitting them - make sure your boot fitter has all of the tools that are in the training video. Remind them not to skip any steps or do things differently. One pro tip on doing the Redster versions- have the fitter open up the shell with a spreader when putting the liner in the shell and then you step into it. Just because it's a "race" boot, you don't put the warm liner on your foot and then step into the shell. Put the liner in the shell and then step in. Opening up the shell with a spreader makes it easy.

Im pretty sure the process has been laid out in this thread, maybe piece meal style, but for us super paranoid customers do you have some kinda flow chart?

 

[onenerdykid]

from the get go

Definitely seems odd... that's definitely not the M.O. for this liner...

 

[onenerdykid]

Im pretty sure the process has been laid out in this thread, maybe piece meal style, but for us super paranoid customers do you have some kinda flow chart?

The "How To" video was posted on the last page.

 

[mattcooksb]

@onenerdykid How much stiffness will the Professional liner and dual strap add to a Hawx Ultra 110/120? And if I do end up with a 130 Professional instead of upgrading the liner and strap, is there any room to soften that up?

 

[onenerdykid]

@onenerdykid How much stiffness will the Professional liner and dual strap add to a Hawx Ultra 110/120? And if I do end up with a 130 Professional instead of upgrading the liner and strap, is there any room to soften that up?

A Professional liner will add some stiffness but more in terms of responsiveness and precision while skiing. It won't make a shell that is too soft the correct flex for you.

A Professional strap actually doesn't add any stiffness to a boot (nor does a Booster, contrary to public opinion) but it does make the boot more responsive/precise. Non-elastic straps add the most stiffness & directness.

A 130 can be softened a bit for sure.

 

[Tom K.]

Im pretty sure the process has been laid out in this thread, maybe piece meal style, but for us super paranoid customers do you have some kinda flow chart?

My favorite part of the video -- or maybe I imagined it?! -- was the part where Chris gets his fit first, then Tom goes in and his done, benefiting from everything the shop learned previously!

 

[bricecrispy]

@onenerdykid, earlier in this thread, you advised most people to stick with the stock tongue when doing the bootfitting (heat-molding/foaming) and then down the line try a lower or higher volume tongue if they feel the need. That makes me curious, is any part of the tongue heat moldable?

The foam on the high volume tongue that comes stock on the CS130Pro feels very high quality in my hands. Nice combo of plush/dense. My shins are fairly sharp (not a ton of muscle there, sadly) so I really love a tongue that evenly distributes or absorbs that shin pressure. The Intuition PowerWrap liners in my circa 2014 Dalbellos did a decent job of that, but I suspect these Redsters might do even better. I might be keen to swap to the medium volume tongue both due to my low volume leg/ankle/foot, and also to get that extra 3mm of foam for extra shin cushion.

 

[mattcooksb]

A Professional liner will add some stiffness but more in terms of responsiveness and precision while skiing. It won't make a shell that is too soft the correct flex for you.

A Professional strap actually doesn't add any stiffness to a boot (nor does a Booster, contrary to public opinion) but it does make the boot more responsive/precise. Non-elastic straps add the most stiffness & directness.

A 130 can be softened a bit for sure.

@onenerdykid What's your preferred method to soften the updated shell? I'm thinking the thinner material might need a more careful approach. And where do you imagine that will land flex-wise?

Starting fresh this season, my ideal setup would be one Professional foamed liner to swap between a Hawx Ultra S 21/22 (29.5) and Hawx Ultra XTD 21/22 shell (29.5). Are the interiors of these boots the same?

I reserved a Professional liner yesterday, and am wondering if I should also order a LV tongue now to make sure I have that on hand. You previously said "Low Volume fit = MV basis + 3mm thicker foam over the instep area/top of foot" which I believe is what I will need.

For context, I now have both the shells in hand and the instep is a bit roomy, and the stock Mimic liners feel a little loose at the back of the foot even with my footbed and the included shim. My foot/calf is ultra narrow + low instep which makes for a difficult fit. I'm coming from a Mach 1 LV in 28.5, and the goal is to get away from crushed toes. My feet are 297-300mm long. The 28.5 Hawx Ultra I tried in the past definitely had even less toe room than the Mach 1, but fit about right everywhere else. Hoping the foam liner in the bigger shell is the answer.

 

[onenerdykid]

@onenerdykid, earlier in this thread, you advised most people to stick with the stock tongue when doing the bootfitting (heat-molding/foaming) and then down the line try a lower or higher volume tongue if they feel the need. That makes me curious, is any part of the tongue heat moldable?

The foam on the high volume tongue that comes stock on the CS130Pro feels very high quality in my hands. Nice combo of plush/dense. My shins are fairly sharp (not a ton of muscle there, sadly) so I really love a tongue that evenly distributes or absorbs that shin pressure. The Intuition PowerWrap liners in my circa 2014 Dalbellos did a decent job of that, but I suspect these Redsters might do even better. I might be keen to swap to the medium volume tongue both due to my low volume leg/ankle/foot, and also to get that extra 3mm of foam for extra shin cushion.

It sounds like you could benefit from the MV tongue - same foam but 3mm thicker overall. I've got boney, sharp shins too.

Both the tongue plastic and internal foams are heat moldable, but you don't necessarily need to mold them in order to fit well. If you change to the MV, just see how it feels without molding it. If it feels good, run 'em as is. If it feels like they could offer more of a seamless fit, then heat mold them. Have your boot fitter put them in the oven for 2-3 minutes (not the full 5), add them to the existing liner, and buckle the boot up on a medium tension.

 

[onenerdykid]

@onenerdykid What's your preferred method to soften the updated shell? I'm thinking the thinner material might need a more careful approach. And where do you imagine that will land flex-wise?

Starting fresh this season, my ideal setup would be one Professional foamed liner to swap between a Hawx Ultra S 21/22 (29.5) and Hawx Ultra XTD 21/22 shell (29.5). Are the interiors of these boots the same?

I reserved a Professional liner yesterday, and am wondering if I should also order a LV tongue now to make sure I have that on hand. You previously said "Low Volume fit = MV basis + 3mm thicker foam over the instep area/top of foot" which I believe is what I will need.

For context, I now have both the shells in hand and the instep is a bit roomy, and the stock Mimic liners feel a little loose at the back of the foot even with my footbed and the included shim. My foot/calf is ultra narrow + low instep which makes for a difficult fit. I'm coming from a Mach 1 LV in 28.5, and the goal is to get away from crushed toes. My feet are 297-300mm long. The 28.5 Hawx Ultra I tried in the past definitely had even less toe room than the Mach 1, but fit about right everywhere else. Hoping the foam liner in the bigger shell is the answer.

Softening a Hawx boot will follow the same procedure as a Redster by grinding away material from the saddle of the lower shell. Don't cut, grind.

Generally speaking - you fit the boot the rear foot/instep and make more room up front as needed. When you were in the 28.5, did you have the toe box expanded/lengthened?

A Mimic Professional liner won't be the ideal solution for taking up space in a shell that is too high volume for your foot. If the 28.5 Hawx Ultra fit right just about everywhere except the toe box, I would most likely start there and punch out the toe for the space you need. But (caveat) I haven't seen your foot nor foot inside the shell so I don't want to override the decision made by you & your boot fitter.

Also, as an FYI - the type of shell fit that produces a high performance fit for an alpine boot is usually not ideal for touring in. For my low-volume foot, I ski a 26.5 for alpine (with a toe punch) but need to use a 27.5 for touring. If I size my alpine boot the way I would for touring, I would have a sloppy fit for sure.

The interiors between regular Hawx Ultra and Hawx Ultra XTD are the same.

 

[Jb.schulte]

I swapped to MV for both. Here is the breakdown (it's best to understand the MV fit first and then think of the others):
High Volume fit = 3mm thinner than MV top to bottom
Medium Volume fit = standard thickness top to bottom
Low Volume fit = MV basis + 3mm thicker foam over the instep area/top of foot

Thanks, exactly the info I was looking for. I have the MV tongue and would like to try the thicker LV tongue. How available are the LV tongues aftermarket this year?

 

[mattcooksb]

Softening a Hawx boot will follow the same procedure as a Redster by grinding away material from the saddle of the lower shell. Don't cut, grind.

Generally speaking - you fit the boot the rear foot/instep and make more room up front as needed. When you were in the 28.5, did you have the toe box expanded/lengthened?

A Mimic Professional liner won't be the ideal solution for taking up space in a shell that is too high volume for your foot. If the 28.5 Hawx Ultra fit right just about everywhere except the toe box, I would most likely start there and punch out the toe for the space you need. But (caveat) I haven't seen your foot nor foot inside the shell so I don't want to override the decision made by you & your boot fitter.

Also, as an FYI - the type of shell fit that produces a high performance fit for an alpine boot is usually not ideal for touring in. For my low-volume foot, I ski a 26.5 for alpine (with a toe punch) but need to use a 27.5 for touring. If I size my alpine boot the way I would for touring, I would have a sloppy fit for sure.

The interiors between regular Hawx Ultra and Hawx Ultra XTD are the same.

@onenerdykid I had the toe box expanded on my old X-Max and now Mach 1 LV.

The liners have also been an issue. I had to cut the toe stitching and tear the X-Max liner to get length, and the Hawx Ultra liner is similarly short. What is your recommended approach here?

 

[Tony Storaro]

For my low-volume foot, I ski a 26.5 for alpine (with a toe punch) but need to use a 27.5 for touring. If I size my alpine boot the way I would for touring, I would have a sloppy fit for sure.

I was wondering about that and if I am doing it right. For alpine I am in Lange RS 130/Redster CS 130 from this season in 27.5. Performance fit bordering too tight as it should be. Tried 27.5 Ultra XTD following the advice of many people who say they use same shell size for both touring and alpine but it just did not work. Great fit when in forward position but when upright toes pressed too hard on the shell and on anything but steep climbs it was super uncomfortable. Moved to 28.5 and still wondering if this was the right thing to do. More tests to come as soon as we get some snow.

 

[onenerdykid]

@onenerdykid I had the toe box expanded on my old X-Max and now Mach 1 LV.

The liners have also been an issue. I had to cut the toe stitching and tear the X-Max liner to get length, and the Hawx Ultra liner is similarly short. What is your recommended approach here?

The current Hawx Ultra liners don't have a stretch toe box, so cutting the stitching will be needed.

If you get a Mimic Professional liner, you won't need to do any cutting. Just do the fitting process and you'll be good to go.

 

[bricecrispy]

I got my Redster CS130 Professionals molded and fitted yesterday. My bootfitter was very careful and patient and nice. Not his first rodeo either. By the end, the boots felt pretty damn good. It's not right to judge them fully based on how they felt in the shop though. Can't wait to ski them this season and see how they feel on snow! We installed the medium volume tongues before doing the fitting process. I think that was definitely the right call for my low volume anatomy instead of the stock high volume tongues. Flexing the boot forward, I LOVE the way it feels. No pain at all along my sharp shin, which has been a problem in the past. The dual strap does an amazing job of connecting my shins to the tongue and cuff seamlessly.

 

[onenerdykid]

Awesome stuff, hope you get them on snow soon!

 

[Tom K.]

My favorite part of the video -- or maybe I imagined it?! -- was the part where Chris gets his fit first, then Tom goes in and his done, benefiting from everything the shop learned previously!

Well, that isn't working out!

Getting fit Thursday. Stoked! Report to follow.