Bootfitter's Notes: Tecnica Mach1 130 Review
Medium-wide ski boots have some serious competition in the last few years. When Tecnica built a new boot from the ground up, the engineers knew it had to be something totally different than they'd ever built before.
I was fortunate enough to go to the America’s Best Bootfitters test last spring at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, and was more than interested in how the Tecnica Mach1 130 would stack up against the rest of the 100 mm-wide category, particularly the strong competition that has sprung up in the medium fit market.
The Tecnica Mach1 130 is, as previously stated, an entirely new design and mold. Tecnica took great pains to make the Mach series a far more anatomical shape than the 100mm boots they’ve put out in the past.
The Mach1 130 has a nice snug heel pocket, but is certainly roomier than another popular boot in the category, the RX 130 from Lange (not to be confused with the RX 130 L.V., which stands for Low Volume). I think those who had difficulty fitting in the RX 130, having a bit too much volume in their foot for that boot, may very well fall in love with the Mach1 130.
The Mach1 130 skis quite well, I am very pleased to say. Simply put this is the best medium-width boot Tecnica has put out, in my opinion. The Mach1 130 did a great job of both initiating and finishing the turn, the plastic was a stout, snappy 130, just the way I like it. I expect Tecnica to take some serious market share with the Mach1 130, and softer version, the Mach 100, and similar women’s models.
Tecnica has an interesting story developing with the C.A.S. liner, which stands for Custom Adaptive Shape.
The C.A.S. liner has dense foam on the outside of the liner, which takes on an impressive anatomical shape.
The C.A.S. works to improve the boot in several areas. First, the C.A.S. stiffens the liner improving performance characteristics of liners Tecnica has put out in the past.
The dense foam holds the foot well, limiting movement so the foot is in a strong and neutral position. The anatomical shape of the liner will make the liner more comfortable by putting material in the correct place. If you do need boot work due to a hotspot, the C.A.S. material can be ground or punched by your bootfitter, which is fairly revolutionary due to the customizability of the material.
All said, the Tecnica Mach1 130 is an excellent boot with an excellent fit. If you’re in the market for a high performance medium fit boot, be sure to check one out.
