Salomon Quest Max 130: Good for skiing AND Halloween. Get your new dancing shoes over at evo.com

Overview

The Frenchies behind Salomon have been at the forefront of the ski industry for years. When the ski industry asked for a stiff freeride boot to take on side and backcountry terrain, the makers of the Pocket Rocket and the X-Scream answered the call. The Salomon Quest Max 130 lives up to its two names – it is ready for the backcountry and stiff enough to throw down when the going gets burly.

Pick up a pair of the Quest 130s at evo.com:  Salmon Quest Max 130 Ski Boot

Leading the way higher into the alpine. Photo: Zach Paley

Thoughts

The Quest Max 130 lives up to the Salomon name. The boot combines a performance-oriented last, true 130 flex, walk mode, and swappable tech inserts (ohhhhh yeah) to make an all-mountain beast.

The best features of the Quest Max 130 are the 98mm last and Custom Shell technology. Off the shelf this is a performance oriented low volume boot. The low instep, tidy heel pocket, and narrow forefoot grip your foot delivering control and power to your ski instantly. Custom Shell technology is a game changer, like if all of a sudden you could get Poutine after your surf sesh in Hawaii. While the 98mm last feels wider (99mm or so), people with skier’s feet, higher insteps, bone spurs, or slightly wider feet can mold the shells (with the help of your friendly neighborhood bootfitter) to get a dialed fit that isn’t murder on the feet.

Crushing backcountry laps. Stiff when you want it, not when you don’t. Photo: Zach Paley

The swappable soles are also a game changer. While there are more offerings that conform to both DIN and Touring norm soles, there are so few options for combining tech soles with high-end freeride bindings. The soles are rockered and use a tacky rubber for grip, but also combine a hard plastic zone that lets you ride Salomon STH 16’s (of course, its a Solly boot). This means that you don’t have to own two pairs of boots or compromise by riding Dukes all day. For ski trips you only need one pair of boots, as long as you can deal with riding an STH 16 for your alpine binding.

High-mountain loungewear for your ski lifestyle

The rubber zeppa (boot board) delivers phenomenal vibration damping when crushing icy groomers and soaking up some of those less-than-silky landings. A unique feature of the Quest Max 130 Boot is the lower boot gusset that locks out water, keeping feet dry during shallow stream crossings, bootpacks, or slush laps on hot spring days.

While the walk mode isn’t the primo in terms of range of motion it is there, and when the upper buckles and power strap are backed off it holds its own. If you’re looking for a ski boot to go walking in, look for another boot. In the past year the Quest Max 130 has dominated 5+ hr skins and crushed the bootpack to the summit of Mt. Rainier. For the 2015 Quest Max 130 the walk mode has been beefed up with a metal on metal connection. The 2014 Quest Max 130 walk mode was metal on plastic, but 90+ days in works like it did on day one (as it should).

Skiing Rainier? Yeah, it’ll do that… Photo: Kinsey Smith

By the Numbers

130 flex – what does 130 even measure?!
3 Buckles – 1 upper shell, 2 lower shell
Weight – 2025 grams (Scarpa Maestrale RS comes in at 1603)
$649.95 over at evo.com OR jump on it and grab last years for 429.90

Roundup

The Quest Max 130 is a beast of a boot for all terrain. Number crunchers looking for the biggest weight weeny boots, this might not be for you. Skiers looking for a dialed fit, the ability to ride both pin (Dynafit-style) and alpine bindings, responsive ride with a respectable walk mode. This is your boot.