The Atomic Professional Series

[Jeronimo]

So I was told by a local boot shop that the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 S, which is advertised with a 98m last, actually steps up with each mondo size in last width. Basically, he was saying that for every size you went up by, the last width grew with it. So a size 28.5 like I would wear would actually be a 102 last (or something to that effect). Is that accurate?

2nd thing I was told was that the Mimic Liner would last as long, if not longer than an intuition liner would. Can anyone corroborate that as well?

I'm on the verge of just committing to buying a pair of Hawx Ultra 130 S so I can get the Mimic liner, rather than my original plan of trying out Zipfits. I need a 130 boot anyway and the Hawx seems as good a boot as any.

 

[abdul]

So I was told by a local boot shop that the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 S, which is advertised with a 98m last, actually steps up with each mondo size in last width. Basically, he was saying that for every size you went up by, the last width grew with it. So a size 28.5 like I would wear would actually be a 102 last (or something to that effect). Is that accurate?

Yes. I think the advertised size is based on the 26 shell size and gets wider/narrower from that size.

 

[onenerdykid]

So I was told by a local boot shop that the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 S, which is advertised with a 98m last, actually steps up with each mondo size in last width. Basically, he was saying that for every size you went up by, the last width grew with it. So a size 28.5 like I would wear would actually be a 102 last (or something to that effect). Is that accurate?

2nd thing I was told was that the Mimic Liner would last as long, if not longer than an intuition liner would. Can anyone corroborate that as well?

I'm on the verge of just committing to buying a pair of Hawx Ultra 130 S so I can get the Mimic liner, rather than my original plan of trying out Zipfits. I need a 130 boot anyway and the Hawx seems as good a boot as any.

Every piece of footwear that is made and that you own does this - for some reason, we are the only brand that is actually/honestly talking about it. If a boot was 98mm wide on a size 22, it would be the widest boot on the market, and conversely if a boot was 98mm on size 32, it would be the narrowest boot in existence. If you want to keep the "narrowness" to the fit, you have to scale the last accordingly per size.

Re: Mimic - we have regular Mimic liners in our range and Mimic Professional. I assume you are referring to the latter, which is our premium aftermarket liner. And yes, these will last longer than an Intuition liner and give you a way more precise fit since the thickness is made exactly to the space you have in the shell.

 

[RoninSkier]

So I was told by a local boot shop that the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 S, which is advertised with a 98m last, actually steps up with each mondo size in last width. Basically, he was saying that for every size you went up by, the last width grew with it. So a size 28.5 like I would wear would actually be a 102 last (or something to that effect). Is that accurate?

2nd thing I was told was that the Mimic Liner would last as long, if not longer than an intuition liner would. Can anyone corroborate that as well?

I'm on the verge of just committing to buying a pair of Hawx Ultra 130 S so I can get the Mimic liner, rather than my original plan of trying out Zipfits. I need a 130 boot anyway and the Hawx seems as good a boot as any.

True

Mimic seems to be almost as good as intuition. I am in atomic hawx prime 120s with mimic + lots of add on pads (I have goofy feet) + booster straps + std superfeet (used to have custom corks but cant tell difference, no longer race).
They are great boots. I got sold on the atomic true flex plastic. Used to be a long time Nordica fan, raced in Lange Banshees in 70s (later tried the sadistic Lange Phantom torture devices)

I have not tried intuition. Advanced/experts who I have taught for yrs love intuition for performance fit & warmth. I may consider it in future.

Those who have the money and have zipfits love them, say better than std liners and foam liners.

Make sure you indeed need 130 flex. Most think they are WC slalom racers and are in too stiff boots, ultimately limiting their progression and edge performance - luckily you can do some mods to soften flex if needed.

GL

 

[Jeronimo]

Appreciate all the responses guys.

Every piece of footwear that is made and that you own does this - for some reason, we are the only brand that is actually/honestly talking about it. If a boot was 98mm wide on a size 22, it would be the widest boot on the market, and conversely if a boot was 98mm on size 32, it would be the narrowest boot in existence. If you want to keep the "narrowness" to the fit, you have to scale the last accordingly per size.

Re: Mimic - we have regular Mimic liners in our range and Mimic Professional. I assume you are referring to the latter, which is our premium aftermarket liner. And yes, these will last longer than an Intuition liner and give you a way more precise fit since the thickness is made exactly to the space you have in the shell.

This was genuinely surprising to find out. Makes sense but super weird that manufacturers try to sort of gloss over it. Oversimplification can often be more confusing than just upfront transparency, particularly when you're buying a boot at this end of the spectrum. Kudo's to you guys at Atomic and to you ONK for the transparency. Atomic was never on my Radar until I started reading your posts here and across the inter-webs. I will likely be buying a pair of Hawx in no small part thanks to you.

One more question for you; The foam that gets injected, is that "closed cell foam" similar to Intuitions formula?

True

Mimic seems to be almost as good as intuition. I am in atomic hawx prime 120s with mimic + lots of add on pads (I have goofy feet) + booster straps + std superfeet (used to have custom corks but cant tell difference, no longer race).
They are great boots. I got sold on the atomic true flex plastic. Used to be a long time Nordica fan, raced in Lange Banshees in 70s (later tried the sadistic Lange Phantom torture devices)

I have not tried intuition. Advanced/experts who I have taught for yrs love intuition for performance fit & warmth. I may consider it in future.

Those who have the money and have zipfits love them, say better than std liners and foam liners.

Make sure you indeed need 130 flex. Most think they are WC slalom racers and are in too stiff boots, ultimately limiting their progression and edge performance - luckily you can do some mods to soften flex if needed.

GL

Appreciate the response bud. I have some intuitions now and what I was told is they're not known for "heel hold", which I found a little perplexing because I've always thought they held my heel fine. As long as the boot fit properly. They're warm enough, but I don't see them being that much better than other liners out there. When comparing the philosophy between the Mimic Professional and the Intuitions, it seems like it boils down to the concept of adding material to create your fit vs heat molding an excess of material down to your foot shape.

Zipfits do seem to have a consistent correlation with users trying them out and being very satisfied. I honestly haven't read a bad review from someone who gave them a shot. The guy at the shop I visited was kinda poo-pooing them, by saying they're not the "best" solution for heel hold. But I don't fully trust that advice as it was pretty evident he was pushing a sale towards a whole new pair of boots. I'm still very intrigued by Zipfits and even if I buy the Atomic's I may pick up a pair of ZipFits next year anyway just to satiate my curiosity. Never hurts to have options lol.

I'm pretty confident on the 130 flex. I can bend a 110 or even a 120 over pretty easily. I'm a solid 205lbs and I like to lean my ski over and pressure the tips. I can really tell when I'm in my 110 Roxa's vs my 130's. I LOVE my 130's, absolutely hate my 110's. I'm going to dump the 110's entirely and just have the Roxa 130's (GW sole) for my wider skis and then I think add the Atomic 130 (ISO 5355 sole) to be dedicated for my narrow front side skis. My only issue I had when I tried on the Hawx Ultra's was pressure on my pinky toe, which I'm pretty sure a punch will easily rectify.

 

[ScottB]

@Jeronimo here is my take on the various liners which I feel is pretty well accepted in the ski world.

Zipfits: very pricy $300-400, last forever like 10-15 years, can work in multiple shells, you can add cork filler or remove it to adjust fit, they make them in different styles and volumes, a bit of a research project to select the right volume liner for your foot/shell. Call them and they will guide you. Takes 3 days to break them in, won't feel great till after the 3 days. Very good product but you pay for it.

Intuition: about 1/2 the cost. Will pack out over time, similar or slightly better than stock liner, usually warmest liner, They have a "wrap" liner without tongue that is popular and takes up volume around shin. I don't know a lot about these.

Atomic Mimic Professional: Mimic (non-professional) is the standard liner, I have one, love it. The Professional adds foam injection, but not like old time foam. Newer formulation that works like (or better than) the cork filler in Zipfits. The foam does set up, and is a one time shot, so may/may not transfer well to other shells. The Mimic part is the outer hard plastic layer around your ankles that requires heat molding to form to your foot shape. It works well in my experience. Should have a long life, but not the "decades" of a zip fit. Also about 1/2 the cost, similar to Intuition liner cost. This year it comes std in the Professional Hawx, so its your only liner. Next year its order only, so you will two liners if you buy a new boot. Similar advantages to Zipfit, but 1/2 the cost and not customizable from boot to boot unless you buy the same or similar model boot.

@ONK can correct me where I am not giving accurate info.

 

[Jersey Skier]

Without reading through 36 pages, is the Dual Strap available in the aftermarket yet?

 

[onenerdykid]

Appreciate all the responses guys.


This was genuinely surprising to find out. Makes sense but super weird that manufacturers try to sort of gloss over it. Oversimplification can often be more confusing than just upfront transparency, particularly when you're buying a boot at this end of the spectrum. Kudo's to you guys at Atomic and to you ONK for the transparency. Atomic was never on my Radar until I started reading your posts here and across the inter-webs. I will likely be buying a pair of Hawx in no small part thanks to you.

One more question for you; The foam that gets injected, is that "closed cell foam" similar to Intuitions formula?

Happy to help and contribute to the transparency

The foam we use is a two-component PU foam, which in general are open cell. Despite being an open cell, it has a much greater resistance to pack out vs. a closed cell EVA foam (what Intuition uses). If anyone has ever had a PU foam race liner, these can sometimes feel as hard as cement. To avoid that, we played around with the PU compounds to arrive at something firm and durable yet still comfortable. The mixture we use in our retail Mimic Professional liners is what our athletes use too.

 

[onenerdykid]

Without reading through 36 pages, is the Dual Strap available in the aftermarket yet?

Everything was produced and shipped. Whether or not shops have any left in stock is another question...

 

[1Turn2Many]

Welp...it's been a great ski season, but it's over for me. I got bucked by something into the back seat on a steep and powdery slope. Jesus took the wheel and I double ejected and tomahawked once before landing on my feet. My ankle took a sudden twisting force just before the ski came off. Initially thought I had a run of the mill ankle sprain but turns out I fractured my talus bone. I find it so strange that this can happen inside a ski boot, especially such a tight and stiff custom boot. Perhaps the damage would have been worse in a roomier fitting boot. No damage whatsoever to my knee which blows my mind. Getting the boot off was painful but I did it myself at the car. Not the nightmare scenario I've heard some people have with more severe fractures. Oof. Anyway, I got 17 days of skiing on my Redsters this season and they were a real step up for me. Cheers.

Bummer, but you will rebound.

 

[Jeronimo]

You guys think it would be a mistake to buy the Hawx Ultra online at a better price, then pay a boot fitter to set up the boots? The only (relatively...) local shop I know that sells this boot with the professional liner is flat MSRP. At $900 i'm down to save every $ I can, especially this late in the season.

 

[Jersey Skier]

You guys think it would be a mistake to buy the Hawx Ultra online at a better price, then pay a boot fitter to set up the boots? The only (relatively...) local shop I know that sells this boot with the professional liner is flat MSRP. At $900 i'm down to save every $ I can, especially this late in the season.

I've bought boots this way since there is a great bootfitter not too far away that doesn't sell boots. It's not any less expensive if you need any real work done to the boots.

 

[ScottB]

You guys think it would be a mistake to buy the Hawx Ultra online at a better price, then pay a boot fitter to set up the boots? The only (relatively...) local shop I know that sells this boot with the professional liner is flat MSRP. At $900 i'm down to save every $ I can, especially this late in the season.

Depends on the savings and how much work needs to be done. I will add I always bought online and I was always in too wide a boot until just recently, when I finally saw a boot fitter and was introduced to narrow race boots and punches and grinds. If your feet fit perfect out of the box then its worth doing. If you need heat molding and other work, its the first thing I said. How do you know you are in the "best fitting" boot? If you are sure, then DIY is possible.

 

[RoninSkier]

I'm really not sure how the UK pricing will go, I think the UK team is still trying to figure it out given what is happening over there.

Here are the MSRPs in the US:
Hawx Ultra 130 Professional- $1,050
Hawx Ultra 115 Professional W - $900
Hawx Prime 130 Professional - $1,050
Redster CS 130 Professional - $1,050
Mimic Professional liners - $300
Professional Dual Straps - $80

Yikes!
Price for a Prime 115 or 120 pro if offered?

And how many times can the regular mimic liners be reheat formed?

 

[Tom K.]

Welp...it's been a great ski season, but it's over for me.

Dude.......heal quickly, and be ready for next season!

 

[RoninSkier]

Dude.......heal quickly, and be ready for next season!

Thanks, Ive been out already only 1-3hrs at a time night skiing at WinSport here in Calgary - until the Naproxen 1000mg (Aleve) & 10% SCC Dicio (prescription grade Voltarin) wears out.

I pay for it the next day.

But its better than being in LC solitary confinement... and end up slitting my wrists. Need it for the metal health and to prevent total loss of muscle memory. The delta near death experience & LC torture screwed my agility and balance, even to some extent my cognitive processes, had to retrain everything.

Seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Jeronimo]

Is it just me or does anyone else notice that the Atomic last seems to ignore the existence of the pinky toe. Rest of the boot fits excellent, but the shape of the last seems to fall into that classic dress shoe design where the pinky portion of the foot slopes in instead of flaring out, like a normal foot would if you traced it on paper. Think the difference between something like the shape of an Ecco shoe vs a Keen.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Is it just me or does anyone else notice that the Atomic last seems to ignore the existence of the pinky toe. Rest of the boot fits excellent, but the shape of the last seems to fall into that classic dress shoe design where the pinky portion of the foot slopes in instead of flaring out, like a normal foot would if you traced it on paper. Think the difference between something like the shape of an Ecco shoe vs a Keen.

Fear not. Unless you have some real weird pinkies you’d be fine.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Without reading through 36 pages, is the Dual Strap available in the aftermarket yet?

In Europe it has been available for quite a while now…

 

[KingGrump]

Is it just me or does anyone else notice that the Atomic last seems to ignore the existence of the pinky toe. Rest of the boot fits excellent, but the shape of the last seems to fall into that classic dress shoe design where the pinky portion of the foot slopes in instead of flaring out, like a normal foot would if you traced it on paper. Think the difference between something like the shape of an Ecco shoe vs a Keen.

It's easy to widen the fore foot area of the ski boot. To reduce it, not so much.