We don’t normally report on honest-to-God race boots for several reasons, not least of which are that the fit is inhospitable and the flex unbudgeable for all but the most fit of athletes. But Salomon has brought race-room fit and function down to 130 and 110 flex indices, well within the realm of possibility for the “average” expert.
There are four principal features of the X Lab design that distinguish it from its cousin, X Max. First and foremost, the X Lab shells and cuffs are mono-injected, rigid pieces, while the X Max upper and lower are made in a bi-material construction that can be readily reshaped. Second, the X Max starts at 98mm wide in a 27.5 and can expand 6mm from there; the X Lab is 95mm and any extra room you’d like will have to be carved out its PU ether shell. Third, the inner boot on the X Max, while snug, is still well padded; the slipper inside the X Lab has shed most of the buffering between you and the shell. Fourth, Salomon replaced the usual screws on the spine that connect the cuff and lower shell with an Oversized Pivot (see photo), which improves the interaction between shell and cuff for greater responsiveness.
The X Lab is a racing machine mere mortals can bend. Like any true race vehicle, there are no cup holders or other amenities. Just a pure, stripped-down boot that delivers undiluted power to the edge.