Salomon X Pro 100 - Women's Review

These are an expert skier's choice for an all-mountain ski boot. We had fun getting to know these boots on the slopes and discovering the best way to drive them. These boots have a comfortable fit as well as many customizable features. The XPro 100 requires someone who is willing to drive these boots — otherwise be prepared to be pushed into the backseat. Once we discovered this, we had a lot of fun driving these boots around the mountain in all conditions. The X-Pro is one of the lightest weight boots in this review, which makes them a pleasure to wear on the trek from the parking lot to the chair, and in the chalet during hot chocolate breaks.

Performance Comparison

Comfort and Fit

Several testers described the X-Pros as cushy or comfy. They are easy to put on and take off, and we love the soft, sleek micro-fiber interior lining against our legs. All of the testers found that these boots hug the feet in place and no one felt any heel lift. We think the XPro has the best fit right out of the box if you're too lazy to go to a boot fitter! These boots strike a great balance between a snug, high performance fit and being comfortable enough to wear all day.

Along with the Dalbello Kyra 95 ID the X-Pros have the most customizable liners in this review. The whole foot area is made of moldable neoprene that has already been punched out in essential areas like the ankle and navicular (top of the foot) bone areas. These areas are typically the location of pressure points in ski boots.Salomon's 360 Custom Shell can stretch the forefoot/last width from 100-106 mm to accommodate medium as well as full foot shapes. If you have a hard to fit foot, this could be a huge selling point for you. The Head Dream 100's also accommodate a wider foot and are very comfortable boots.

Downhill Ski Performance

This is a boot for an advanced level skier, and Salomon took the performance up to the next level introducing the XPro in a 100 flex this year. The XPros are in Salomon's “Piste” collection, meaning they are most at home on the corduroy. We had a lot of fun carving snappy tight turns on groomed runs in this pair. These boots have excellent progressive flex when we really lean into them, and they are very responsive. Although the 100 flex feels just about right-on when compared to other similar flexes however it is just as stiff as the Lange RX110 which we think is on the softer side. When we went off-piste and into the moguls, we found that we had to get used to them, but they held up well in the rough crud, and we didn't get bucked around too much.

They have an upright stance meant to suit newer skis that require a more centered, balanced stance, and this means you have to stay on top of them.The Tecnica Mach 1 also have an upright posture with a stiffer flex. With a little bit of time and attention, the X-Pro is a lot of fun to ski and will improve your skiing ability by forcing you to lean forward into the boots. We had a dreamy effortless day of powder skiing and hardly noticed them at all in those conditions; they just did what we wanted them to do.

Features

We can't say enough about Salomon's 360 Custom Shell coupled with the 3d Customfit Performance liner. Both the liner and the shell are heat moldable to allow for an ideal fit, and the plush liner is our favorite feature of these boots. The XPro is a fit tinkerer's dream, with many customizable options, such as the calf adjuster that accommodates legs of different diameters, the last modification ability that accommodates feet of different widths, and adjustable buckle positions to provide snugness in just the right places.

Although this contender does not have a walk mode, they are the second lightest weight boots in this review, next to the Atomic Hawx Ultra 110 W, and that makes all the difference when walking around. The Head Dream 100 - Women's have a lot of unique features like adjustable stiffness and extra leverage on their buckles as well.

Durability

When these boots are cold, they are challenging to get on. We managed to pop out a plastic button inside the upper cuff that connects the inner upper and lower cuff parts when we were trying to peel them open when the boot was cold. Once that popped off, we decided not to try those boots till we could warm them up and we managed to get it back in when we were in a warm place later. We worry that the liner may pack out since it can go as wide as 106 mm. Otherwise, all of the X-Pro's components seem beefy and re-enforced. The metal coating on the buckles protects them from abrasion, and beefy rubber heel lugs will last for many days of walking from the car to the lift. The Tecnica Mach 1 and Lange RX 110 are also extremely durable boots.

Warmth

The XPro 100s kept our feet warm and toasty. The liner hugs the feet well and securely holds the heel in its pocket without cutting off circulation. One tester with low-volume feet found that she had to crank the buckles tighter than the rest of our testers, and this caused the circulation to be cut off when she was on the lift — making her feet cold and numb. However, most of our testers were impressed with the warmth of this boot in tandem with the secure fit. We like how warm the Dalbello Kyra 95 ID and the Rossignol Alltrack Pro 110 Women's are as well.

Best Application

The XPro 100 is truly a ski boot for a pro, especially now with the stiffer 100 flex. We recommend these boots for advanced to expert level skiers who want to go anywhere on the mountain and are okay with being in the driver's seat. The many adjustable features also make these boots ideal for someone with hard-to-fit feet, especially if they are on the wider end of the spectrum. Modifications can be made until these boots fit perfectly.

Value

At $550 this pair is a very reasonable price for a high performing boot. This is a high-end, high-quality boot for an advanced skier. However, we think the Dalbello Kyra 95 ID is a slightly better deal and a great boot for an intermediate to advanced skier. To up your performance game, even more, we'd recommend the Mach 1's for $600. The XPros fit great out of the box but are easily customized and tweaked for any foot type, increasing the value because you can rest assured that when you spend money on these boots, you will end up with a pair that leaves you 100 percent satisfied.

Conclusion

The XPro is an outstanding boot for advanced skiers and has a great combination of robust performance, comfort, and an enjoyable fit that can be dialed to the slightest detail. They are super fun and responsive, and especially great for carving up groomers. They take an aggressive skier to stay on top of them and master them over bumps and off-piste terrain, but you hardly notice them when you're gliding through perfect powder. We love all of the included customizable components, especially the heat-moldable shell and liner as well as the calf adjuster. We also really like the sleek, simple look of this boot now in black.