NORDICA SMARTECH 12 SKI BOOTS BLACK $600 WOMEN 26.5

"...one of the most ingenious products...in 32 years of skiing..."

Worn once, Nordica Smartech 12W soft ski boots for women. Color: black/gray with red trim. A perfect synthesis of performance and comfort thanks to the combination of a stiff rear and side structure in aluminium, with a partly-open fiberglass-reinforced shell. Winner of Ski Magazine's Gold Medal. The Smartech 12W is rated 70 for stiffness, aided by steel on both sides of the ankles. Designed for great comfort and performance, they suit a broad range of intermediate through advanced all-mountain skiers. Unique design with soft internal waterproof boot for comfort and rigid metal frame for control. Has Nordica's "Outlast" liner with "Thermic Custom Fit" and the Total Fit System Plus (TFS?+), which uses cables instead of buckles for a precise fit - much faster too, which gives you more time on the slopes, less time messing with your boots. Very cool.

Retail price: $600.

Size: Mondo 26.5 (the meaurement of the foot in centimeters). Should fit a US women's size 9.5

Upper closure: Ready Lock

Ankle/forefoot closure: Total Fit System Plus (TFS?+)

Innerboot: Waterproof-tech, new PFP Precision Fit

Antitorsion Bar: Aluminium 5000 AW

America's Best Bootfitters said: "Like the Rossi Soft, the SmarTech strips away much of the traditional plastic from the instep/forefoot area. Unlike any other boot, it completely eliminates buckles, snaking an airplane-quality braided metal cable from a spine-mounted housing around the instep and forefoot. With ultimate simplicity, the Total Fit System snugs the forefoot and instep with boa-like tension simply by tugging on the pull cord that look like it was yanked off a Mini-Me Husqvarna chainsaw. The cuff splits open like a cleaving iceberg to accept the foot into a welcoming chasm. A buckle-like lever on the outboard side of the upper cuff moves with fingertip ease to ratchet down a band that wraps the calf with precision and security. Gizmos aside, what gives the boot the gumption to move quickly side-to-side without a lot of plastic is the rigid Anti-torsion Alu Bridge, a stirrup that runs from ankle to ankle across the Achilles area. The power strap uses elasticized technology licensed from the aftermarket wonder Booster Strap for quicker return-to-center and more secure wrapping. This is one neat package that has grouped novel technologies that work efficiently and, well, smartly. and after a year on the slopes.... "We?ve yet to hear of any problems and Nordica is overtly confident of the mechanism?s reliability. The company warranties SmarTech models for life"

Quote from Ski Magazine: Testers agree that of all the soft boots out there, this is the most promising. Not only for the way it fits and feels (beyond comfortable), but also for the way it skis (with surprising performance). As Ross puts it: "It reeks of rear-entry, but skis like four buckles." Yes, the closure system looks daunting at first. And testers wonder whether all the cables and pulleys will hold up (Nordica says it will stand behind it). But once mastered, entry and exit are a snap: Slide in, pull the rip cord, and snug up the cuff ratchet. "It's one of the most ingenious products I've seen in 32 years of skiing," says Bigford "

Powder Magazine: "I rode the whole day on Nordica?s new Smartech boots, which were the surprise of the day for me. These boots felt like slippers right out of the box, but they rode like a standard four-buckle boot. We ripped around Vail all morning on them, hitting high-speed groomers, crud and even a few moguls. Believe it or not, I forgot I had them on most of the time. I?m not quite ready to switch to a soft boot full time, but if you have had boot problems, the Smartech could be your answer -- you?ll get most of the performance you?d like, with none of the pain." .

Please wait for photos to load