Salomon Quest 14

Right off the shelf this boot felt great. I put in my foot beds and skied to the lift. I’m middle volume in the foot area, so I believe the boot would require only minor efforts to accommodate low and/or high volume feet. The overlap upper cuff, matched with a thick, stiff-tongued liner, made for solid performance once I started down. In soft snow there was no question the boot performed, but on the groomers and in skied-out chutes and trees, the power transfer was immediate and brought the skis around when I wanted them. Laterally and forward, the boot reacted on the spot, which is always pleasant on groomers, hardpack, and manky snow.

The liner was super posh. Buckle placement felt good. I never felt like I had to reef on the buckles to latch them down to get the control I needed, and consequently, I felt no pressure points whatsoever. (This was much appreciated on the few bumps I skied) The single, but stout upper buckle secured my shins, and in doing so, tucked me nicely into the heel pocket, and the wide power strap was the little bit of extra I needed midway along my calves.

The Quest was built for fall line skiing, whether in bounds or out. I hiked a couple times, and though the boot wasn’t the lightest thing I’ve ever put on, the ergonomics were good and I was comfortable hiking for my turns. If this boot had Dynafit Tech Fittings, this might be another champion boot for the skier who spends equal time charging around the resorts or deeper in the backcountry. Alas, it does not. But it’s not the end of the world. The bottom line for me was that the Quest 14 performed all around the resort (in and out of bounds), where it seemed happiest.