Salomon X Pro 90W Custom Heat Connect Review

Feminine styling and user-friendly technology will keep your feet warm all day while you shoosh without care on endless groomers… Do you hear Deer Valley calling your name?

Performance Comparison

Performance

Perhaps it's extra thick plastic designed to keep the heat in, but it skis much more rigid than we expected from a 90 flex boot. The higher cuff in the back of the boot appealed to the ex-racer in all of us straight away because it's reminiscent of race spoilers that keep you forward.

As advertised, the Salomon performs best on groomers and loves high-speed, high angulation turns. High angulation you say? Fancy talk for rolling your ankles and knees up the hill so you can feel the carving performance of your ski. To our surprise, this boot sits a little higher in the binding, and it feels like you've added a riser plate to your ski, meaning it's easier to carve. This is outstanding for high-speed groomers and carving performance but loses functionality off-piste, in bumps, and any un-groomed terrain.

Comfort and Fit

We wanted so badly for this boot to fit everyone like a glove, but that was a pipe dream. If you already fit a Salomon last, then it's likely you will fit into this boot. This fit could also suit those with a slender or narrow calf. Either way, it's not for everyone, and that's ok — there is a boot out there for you.

We put this boot on straight out of a warm room, and it fought us more than any other boot in the test, even the Lange RX 110, which used to be notoriously difficult to get into. Salomon designed the upper with a women's specific calf adjustment, but still we struggled to get our feet settled into the bottom of the footbed. The tongue's hard plastic outer dug into our shins. Keep in mind, if you own this boot you can have a boot fitter shave down the excess plastic to make it supple.

Features

Salomon X Pro 90 heat system has a manual and app mode so you can control it from your phone or with the press of a button. This system is very similar to that of the Rossignol Pure Pro Heat. Both boots also have a short charging cable. So, if you're putting your boots on a dryer, you'll have to be strategic with where you can plug in and re-charge your batteries.

Another plus is the ability to set a program for your Salomon X Pro 90 to start heating up even before you put them on! The app's capabilities are quite extensive, also giving you a current internal temperature reading until the boot reaches your desired setting.

As this boot is carving friendly, we should mention that there is a canting adjustment in the boot. If you're prone to “A-framing” your turn, you can adjust the cuff angle to help mitigate this issue, and in turn enjoy more carving, less skidding. We found the narrow power strap a little disappointing for a boot of this price and caliber, but it's an easy fix to add an aftermarket booster strap.

Durability

By all accounts, this seems like a durable boot. Time will tell if the tech stands up to the elements, but so far so good in our testing. Thick, durable plastic and replaceable sole pieces mean that even when you're shlepping back and forth through parking lots, you'll be able to replace the toe pieces before needing to buy a new boot.

Warmth

Single digit temperatures and our soft California constitution had us chomping at the bit to test both the Salomon X Pro 90 and our review winning Rossignol Pure Pro Heat. The weather cooperated for once, and we had a full week of below freezing temperatures, and a full week of warm feet.

The integrated heating system pairs with an app on your phone and you can control the temperature between 68 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Testing without using the heating mechanism was much less toasty, but our feet were still comfortable.

Best Applications

Do you already wear a Salomon boot or have to clamp the buckles on the cuff of your boot to the smallest setting? Do you love skiing fresh corduroy runs and endless groomers? If the answer is yes, we may have found your boot! The Salomon X Pro Heat loves “on-piste” skiing, and you will notice. This is not to say that you can't take it on the occasional joy ride into the un-groomed, but it performs to its peak in smooth and fast conditions.

Value

Coming in slightly less than the other heated boot tested, this model will set you back $700. It is the second priciest boot in the most recent tests. However, the tech alone makes it worth the price tag.

Fit should be your ultimate deciding factor, but considering the cost of aftermarket boot heaters paired with the hassle-free benefits of instant heat, we think it's worth it. Is there anything more important than comfortable feet on a sub-zero day?

Conclusion

The 90 flex is more robust than we anticipated and still ranks at the high end of the intermediate-advanced category of skier. This boot makes sense to us — the tech is easy to use, easy to install and easy to see. It's a bit of a one trick pony in the sense that it loves to be on groomers, and not a great performer off-piste. However, Salomon advertises its design for on-piste skiing, and we agree. It kept our feet warm, and the interface from boot to phone app is exceptionally user-friendly. Don't let cold weather ruin your ski holiday, spend a little extra and get a lot more comfort. Go to Colorado, Utah or Canada — this boot can handle the cold.

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