All the hubbub about heat-molding technology – wonderful as it is – tends to obscure the built-in virtues of the shell being heated. In the case of the new Advant Edge, such oversight misses what makes these boots perform like training wheels for intermediate skiers. Advant Edge shells are bi-material, with a stiffer rear and base and more supple and adaptable front, which rises all the way up the tongue, creating instant contact when the skier initiates forward pressure. The top of the front panels are soft, so the skier can shift weight forward effortlessly; once the skier is in an athletic stance, the cuff’s resistance kicks in and normal energy transmission takes over.
All Advant Edge models feature one of the greatest ideas ever to adorn a boot, the Double Power lever. A discretely integrated, spring-loaded lever inside both cuff buckles extends the latch length, automatically multiplying buckling power. Built for wide feet, the Advant Edge shell has been specially crafted for easier entry by high-volume pedal extremities. Flex adjustments and single-sided canting add to the list of performance adaptations possible on what is already a easily customized boot.