This is the one time I get to write about the worst thing about skiing — getting on the d%&m boots. What’s the second worst? Getting them off! You disagree? Wait 10, 20 or 50 years, or try to wrestle boots onto a toddler in a crowded ski school lobby at 8:59AM.
Bibbity Bobbity Boo!
Rossignol, once again, makes magic and shakes up the ski industry with Vizion, a line of alpine ski boots that allow you to slip in virtually hands-free, lock down like a traditional boot and perform on groomers and in powder stashes like the best boots on the market.
As it did with the introduction of its Soul 7 ski, Rossignol engineers asked the question, “How do we get more people to experience powder and then take them deeper?” You design a ski that starts with performance, the soul of skiing. You commit to what works and reimagine everything else.
Poof! We’re All Powderhounds Now!
A decade later, Rossignol took the same approach and did something unimaginable with ski boots. With GenXers and Boomers continuing to ski — and spending their time and money on gear — resorts and equipment manufacturers have wisely noticed, providing clinics, goggles and, now, ski boots to transform this high-intensity activity into a lifetime sport. With more experienced skiers on the slopes, the chorus of stretching and straining became a bit hard to ignore.
But Rossignol didn’t build boots just for pops or the kids! It said, “How do we make a high-performance boot feel like a pair of Christian Louboutin heels?” Ok, that was my French interpretation, but the sentiment was the same — Your most expensive footwear should be comfortable. “The most successful products I’ve ever been a part of are the ones that have been the most accessible,” said Paul Harmon, Sales Representative for Rossignol. He compared Vizion to the introduction of the Soul 7: equipment that “lets you go out and feel like a rock star…and opens up the mountain with a higher degree of confidence.”
But Slide on Like a Glass Slipper? Yes!
Vizion is the perfect name for this boot of the future, one that will undoubtedly transform the industry, because when you see how RIDICULOUSLY EASY it is to put Vizion on and take them off, then ski your favorite steeps and deeps without sacrificing performance, you won’t accept anything less.
This Boot is Your Happily Ever After.
The magic is just solid engineering, something that Rossignol, with decades of industry experience and, frankly, R&D money to experiment, had the patience and wisdom to make happen. Like the Soul 7, it heard what skiers craved and built gear to satisfy those powder dreams. The same is true for Vizion.
The most distinguishing feature of the Vizion is one you can’t even see, the steel blade in the back of the boot that, when released by a buckle (conveniently adjacent to and functional like the traditional lower cuff buckle), completely opens the entire boot cavity allowing toes and heels to slip effortlessly into the boot.
The first time I tried this, with my toes pointed, legs fully extended, fists gripped around the handles, and teeth clenched in anticipation, Harmon stopped me. “No! Sit upright and bend your knee like you’re putting on a sneaker.” Puzzled, I looked up at him as he moved to the back of his chair, abandoning his role as my boot valet. Undaunted, I positioned the Vizion on the floor and, because I might have been a bit peeved by the lack of chivalry, looked ahead and skeptically dropped my barely flexed foot straight in.
Bibbity-Bobbity BOOT!
Without tearing up or tearing my hair out, the Vizion was on. I buckled it up — in the same speed and manner as a traditional alpine boot — and I was ready to head to the ball, I mean, my binding.
The second lower cuff buckle can remain locked for skiing, but it can be separately unlocked for strolling across the parking lot with its GripWalk sole. The flex is not enough for uphill hiking or backcountry skiing, but it’s a massive improvement over unbuckling everything just to get to the lift.
Harmon pointed out one of the best features of the Vizion, one that’s not in any promotional literature but that will make bootfitters rejoice. By inserting your foot into the Vizion with your ankle in a more relaxed position, your toes don’t worm their way to the front of the boot. Instead, your heel leads and drops into the rear cuff, exactly where bootfitters want it. This single improvement provides a more secure heel fit, more room for toes, and a better fit overall, leading to better performance. Harmon explained that so many of the performance problems skiers face start with putting on their boots because while ski boots are designed to fit snug when buckled, many skiers cannot get them on comfortably, if at all, without going up a size or two.
Vizion is not a backcountry (AT) boot, where the flex mechanism is designed for hiking, not entry and exit. Vizion is a traditional alpine boot; it’s just better in terms of fit and performance. Magic? No. Skiers want gear that delivers on the mountain that they don’t have to wrestle with in the lodge or lot. The Vizion ski boot is engineered, not marketed, to do just that.
Moreover, it is notable that Rossignol has introduced not a single boot but an entire Vizion line for men and women (ranging from $549-$849) in low, medium and high-volume fits. It also offers different amounts of flex (the higher the number, the stiffer the boot) in both the men’s and women’s lines. As Rossignol continues to listen to skiers and look forward, it anticipates expanding its Vizion, such as adding higher flex selections, as skiers continue and conquer their outdoor pursuits, making their corduroy and powder wishes come true.
I love happy endings. I love happy beginnings, too. The new Vizion alpine ski boot by Rossignol provides both. It is a fantastic story that promises great skiing in every chapter.
