Long-Term Review: Head Raptor 140 RS

[KingGrump]

Red sole?
Don't tell me Phil put you guys in pair of these..

Nice.

 

[hbear]

My wife has too many pair of those red soles...

 

[ScotsSkier]

My wife has too many pair of those red soles...

Look on the bright side, they make you ski boots look cheap!

 

[RuleMiHa]

Look on the bright side, they make you ski boots look cheap!

So now the concept that Head Raptor Boots are for CHEAP FLOOZY's is knocking around in my brain, thanks

 

[Philpug]

So now the concept that Head Raptor Boots are for CHEAP FLOOZY's is knocking around in my brain, thanks

Don't judge me.

 

[ScotsSkier]

So now the concept that Head Raptor Boots are for CHEAP FLOOZY's is knocking around in my brain, thanks

If the (red sole) shoe fits......

 

[Ken_R]

Phil, you like your boots very tight. How do you get in em? Any issues? Tricks?

 

[Philpug]

Phil, you like your boots very tight. How do you get in em? Any issues? Tricks?

I like them snug. Tricks to get in them? Heated boot bag.

 

[Drahtguy Kevin]

Without the heated bag there is no way I could get my boots on.

 

[RuleMiHa]

I like them snug. Tricks to get in them? Heated boot bag.

I've also taken the Seirus Hot Ratz Boot Dryers and threaded them through a non-heated bag. They have both a wall socket and a 12v car plug. At $39 it's an economical solution (that won't deform goggle lenses if you forget and leave them in, or store them in the wrong place).

 

[Tony S]

until I went to take the boots off. It was just not happening. This has not been an issued for me since I had my old Nordica Patron Pro a few seasons back. It was the first time since then I had to turn the car's heater on, sit in the passenger seat...

Which is why the continent's civilized skiers - i.e., the ones on the right coast - don and doff their boots in the comfort of a warm base lodge. If you're not familiar with this lovely free amenity, PM me FMI.

 

[Philpug]

Which is why the continent's civilized skiers - i.e., the ones on the right coast - don and doff their boots in the comfort of a warm base lodge. If you're not familiar with this lovely free amenity, PM me FMI.

It might have been why I skied a Flexon when I was back east, it was easier to take off in the parking lot, no matter the temps.

Back to the topic at hand. While I was going to go to Phase 2 today and ski the boots with the stock liners, life (and site business) came up and I did not make it up to Mt. Rose this AM. Sooooo. I skipped Stage 2 and went right to Stage 3, Mike Tyson the shells. Now you might ask, should you ski them first? I thought about it, and ahh...no. Then you might ask, why did you choose the Raptor in the first place? Why not work with a boot that fits well out of the box? Well the Raptor did and it didn't fit well. And this is where selecting a boot by published widths is really messed up. They define and measure a boot in the one area that is the easiest to change, the forefoot. Which is the area I neeeded room the most because the back half of the fit fantastic. So, after punching both boots at the first and fifth met, the shell looks like this now...

 

[TahoeCharlie]

I like them snug. Tricks to get in them? Heated boot bag.

I have no trouble getting into them. I just put them in the passenger foot well, turn the heater on high and on "feet" and, after the 15 minute drive from the house to Northstar, they're toasty and slip right on - well, almost.

 

[TahoeCharlie]

Red sole?
Don't tell me Phil put you guys in pair of these..

View attachment 33062

Nice.

Wow! I could really "get forward" in those, not sure about the heal/binding hold-down though.

 

[KingGrump]

Wow! I could really "get forward" in those, not sure about the heal hold-down though.

I know @Philpug has this thing for high ramp angle.
Didn't know he would take it this far.

 

[TahoeCharlie]

So, after punching both boots at the first and fifth met, the shell looks like this now...

Hmmm.....Frankenstein boots.

 

[Philpug]

Hmmm.....Frankenstein boots.

Don't look at what is is but what it does. If you go back to my origianl post, I did a first met punch with my Langes and that is a wider narrow boot at a (some say generous) 97mm forefoot. The Head is a 94mm (in a 25.5).

So the bump would be a bit bigger. I also did a 5th met which allowed the forefoot to sit flat. When I put my foot in the shell shell with no liner, my forefoot was up agaist both walls. Punching the boot was required to ski all day, by doing this it also releived much of the pressure over my instep. If you hold your right hand out flat and squeeze the knuckles laterally with the thumb and fore finger of your left hand, you will see the middle three knuckles rise. That is the pressure that I was getting over my instep and is now gone.

The Langes will stay in the boot rotation and I look forward to doing a side by side in the way they ski.

 

[Philpug]

Back to Phase 2. I got to spend an hour or so in the boot at Mt. Rose with @Andy Mink yesterday to see how the punches and stock liner worked. Simply, success. Not 100% but definately 85-90% , about as well as I can expect at this point considerig that it felt 95-100% in the lab. That last 10-15% work needs to address not so much the skiing aspect of the boot but riding the lift, with the weight of the gear handing on the instep..specifially the right foot. So, now to spend some time with the liner and a bit of a tongue work. Once I do that, I cannot wait to get the boot onto some steeper and more aggressive terrain.

 

[Andy Mink]

Once I do that, I cannot wait to get the boot onto some steeper and more aggressive terrain.

It's steeper for the last 50'. Isn't that enough to get a definitive feel for the boot?

 

[oldschoolskier]

@Philpug looking at you actual size compared to your boot size I have to do some serious review of my boot size.

When I do I think I’ll try and come down you to ensure it’s done correct.

Look forward to the continued posts on this thread.