The X Max W models are adept at gripping the smaller female ankle area; the wider (100mm) X Pro W models provide luxury accommodations for wider forefeet that need their lebensraum. Expandable to up to 106mm measured across the metatarsals, the 90W and 80W can handle any bunion known to podiatric science. The X Pro 80W doesn’t have the moldable shell feature, but Salomon’s idea of a 100mm last for women is plenty wide enough for most ladies.
The X Pro W series has a new standard-bearer, the X Pro 100 W, an unusually stout flex for a woman’s boot in a 100mm last. The better a boot wraps your foot and leg, the less stiff a stiff flex feels. Point being, don’t reject the X Pro 100 W as too stiff until you try it on. Properly sized, an advanced woman should be able to handle the top of the X Pro W line and enjoy the benefits of a more supportive boot.
Returning the X Pro W fold is a Custom Heat version, now in a 100 flex. Women with habitually cold feet don’t have to head to the lodge every other run; the X Pro Custom Heat W can pump out the heat for up to 18 hours. The extra $200 cost at retail is roughly the same as buying and installing an aftermarket device, without the unsightly external battery pack.