Intuition Luxury HV vs Power Wrap Plus

[Quadzilla]

Ok, My resort boots are Technica Cochise Pro 130's that have two full seasons on them. Liners are well packed and need to be replaced. The boot fit is decent in the foot but has always had a problem with volume in the ankle/lowerleg. With shimming and using Eliminator tongue, the boots were doable but not great. I like the boot fit in the foot and the walk mode as well as the rubber sole. The shells are in good shape and really don't want to get another pair of boots. I have always had problems in the ankle and lower leg fit. Anyway, thinking about getting either Luxury HV or Power Wrap plus liners which claim to have good volume in the problem areas for me. Right now I am experimenting with some regular Luxury liners that fit good in the foot but not enough volume in the uppers.

So, any thoughts here? If I need to replace my boots again for the same old problem, I want a boot with walk mode and rubber sole.

[CaliBrit]

If the shell fit is good the regular power wrap will likely solve your problems.

[Meadow Skipper]

I've never used a Luxury liner, but if you were using an Eliminator tongue you might consider that the Powerwrap+ has a lot more liner in front of the shin than a tongue-style liner like the Luxury HV.

[XXX-er]

ime with a skinny ankle/high arch/wide fore foot in mercury & vulcan I tried 2 tongued liners neither of which worked cuz they bugged the top of my foot, I was at the intuition factory outlet in Vancover so they just put me in a pw and all was groovy,

BTW they also have different volumes of PW

I've also got PW's in a couple pair of dalbello 4 buckles alpines and a T-1

did I mention I love pw's?

[old goat]

another skinny leg/ankle/heel here--with medium forefoot. Regular PW works for me. My shell fit is about a finger and a half (skinny fingers too)

[Quadzilla]

Thanks guys for the helpful beta. I guess my concern is how much volume help I can get in the upper cuff and still fit in the lower. Nobody around Tahoe stocks the HV or the Plus so no options in trying one in there to see if there is a chance on a good outcome as once I buy it and heat it, I own it. I think for a Cochise that is somewhat a lower shell height a wrap liner might be better as it looks like it is a little shorter than a Luxury.

Anyway, I hope I can make this work out. I like the boots and the stiffness and know if I replace them, I will run into the same problems over and over. A local bootfitter says that I need to get a boot that is maybe 2 sizes smaller than I measure to fit the tops and major punch out the bottoms. My feet measure 288 and I can't see myself in a 26.5 shell and spending many trips back for adjustments.

[mntlion]

call and ask intuition directly

[XXX-er]

or e-mail with pics? Tom the fitter at Intuition is great

[Island Bay]

I went to Intuition in Vancouver with exactly those issues. Tried on a lot of liners, and the ones that really made a difference were the Luxury HV.
PowerWraps, at least the different versions I tried, left me with way to much room around my forefoot.
I'm using my Luxury liners in Cochise 110s now, and they fit like a glove (a very firm one!), and have stiffened up the Cochises A LOT.

[swissiphic]

Wide, vertically thin forefoot, no arch, pronated, not just low but no instep, normal ankle bone width, thin above ankles, etc... Intuition Luxury HV best compromise thus far. Had 'em in my mercuries, mtn lab, garmont deliriums and now mango maestrales. Still need a 3mm bontex shim to take up space for the mangos and an extra 4mm heel lifts to secure the heel but with the mods boot generally fits like a glove and I feel very balanced in stance angles. Stiffens the boot nicely; very smooth but supportive progressive flex and less prone to blowing through the flex like with stock liner. One potential issue with the HV's is too much foam laterally and on top of foot in forefoot. Liberal use of a large C clamp and heat gun to squeeze some areas wafer thin was employed....but I gotta wonder, If you go powerwrap or luxury, if required due to too much foam in forefoot....couldn't intuition do some franken linering for you? I.E., HV rear liner cut off forefoot/upper, and bond/glue/weld on an LV or MV forefoot...kinda like the zipfit liner construction?

[old goat]

another skinny leg/ankle/heel here--with medium forefoot. Regular PW works for me. My shell fit is about a finger and a half (skinny fingers too)

I should mention that I have a narrow last boot--98mm I think and the regular PW leaves me plenty of room in the forefoot--forefoot room is good.

[Quadzilla]

Thanks for the replys. I was digging thru my old liners and found a pair of Deeluxe liners that I had in a pair of Nordicas that were comfortable but they are a single density liner and soft and the Nordicas were soft too. So weak performance wise. Anyway, I just stuffed them in my Technicas and the fit is great and the liners are definitely a full volume liner. they are soft but the Technica 130 Pro's are actually a stiff shell. So, still got a few weeks left at my ski area and give them a go. Atleast I can see how I like a wrap liner. One thing I don't like is lack of strap helping to pull boots on and the liner overlap seems to get tangled up with the stiff plastic overlap of the shell. So, we'll see. My call willl be that the boots will be comfortable, warm and good thickness but the soft flanks of the liner will pack out as they warm up and have to continually keep tightening the shell. that was the problems with the Nordicas.

[Quadzilla]

BTW, Deeluxe is a snowboard boot and liner company. I think they used to make skiboot liners too and that's what mine are. Or, they are hardboot snowboard liners. they are well made and thick.

[gnarbro365]

I have the Cochise 130 from 4 seasons ago. Over 350 days in them. Replaced the soles twice.

I've ALWAYS had a problem with the volume above the ankle. Also, I think the boot she'll is a little short.

This past season, I molded a PowerWrap+ in them. After 100+ days in them, I can officially say they made almost no difference volume wise above the ankle.

Why do you need walk mode? And rubber souls? Doing a bunch of walking around the village during apres? Rock climbing in 130 flex boots?

[Quadzilla]

I have the Cochise 130 from 4 seasons ago. Over 350 days in them. Replaced the soles twice.

I've ALWAYS had a problem with the volume above the ankle. Also, I think the boot she'll is a little short.

This past season, I molded a PowerWrap+ in them. After 100+ days in them, I can officially say they made almost no difference volume wise above the ankle.

Why do you need walk mode? And rubber souls? Doing a bunch of walking around the village during apres? Rock climbing in 130 flex boots?

Well maybe you are fortunate enough to go to ski areas where you can ski to your car or maybe a short walk, but around here Tahoe it will thaw in the day and freeze solid at nite so long walks in the AM on icy asphalt parking lots, uphill and off camber too. So for me the days of tentative and sometimes scary hikes/stairs are over with rubber soles and walk modes.

[gnarbro365]

Well maybe you are fortunate enough to go to ski areas where you can ski to your car or maybe a short walk, but around here Tahoe it will thaw in the day and freeze solid at nite so long walks in the AM on icy asphalt parking lots, uphill and off camber too. So for me the days of tentative and sometimes scary hikes/stairs are over with rubber soles and walk modes.

I wasn't meaning to be snarky. I live/work in Tahoe. I've just always seen walk mode and rubber soles as more of an AT thing.

Good luck with the Cochise. Do you find them to be short as well?

[Quadzilla]

For me not that short. I came from a tele background so used to a wimpy boot. I don't really drive the cuff but just ski upright and centered with tip rockered skis. IMO, the Technica Cochise 130 is a pretty stiff shell and stiff forward flex, but it is short as compared to a four buckle Trad boot. As far as a AT boot, not for me but it walks nice and easy to put on and take off as compared to regular overlap skiboot. Anyway for me it is good enough, I just need to get it snugger in the upper cuff or I need to move on to another transport type boot.

[Quadzilla]

Well, went out for a session with the Deeluxe Liners today. Conditions were nice resort corn turning to mushy corn over a solid base. So, pretty much hero snow and liners worked OK, they filled up some volume voids and were cushy. Overall, performance, doable but softer than I would like. I was skiing K2 Sidestashes. I did take them into some sizable soft bumps and the lack of stiffness just slowed the whole process of driving a bigger ski with authority.

Anyway, I think I will just use this setup for the remaining two weeks and probably just move on to new boots next year.........