Long-Term Review: Head Raptor 140 RS

[Tom K.]

Those who are great -- WELL, POSSIBLY ABOVE AVERAGE IN MY CASE -- skiers on the RX often stiffen it up by using different liners, a booster strap under the cuff against the liners directly

Exactly what I do. Intuition HD Race liners and the booster off my Raptors, and I couldn't be happier with the RX 130. But it was too soft initially.

@bremmick, you're about my size. If you're looking at 29.5 Raptor 140s, I've got a pair sitting in the closet that you could have VERY cheaply. I know myself well enough that I'll never actually get around to making any effort to get rid of them.

 

[bremmick]

Exactly what I do. Intuition HD Race liners and the booster off my Raptors, and I couldn't be happier with the RX 130. But it was too soft initially.

@bremmick, you're about my size. If you're looking at 29.5 Raptor 140s, I've got a pair sitting in the closet that you could have VERY cheaply. I know myself well enough that I'll never actually get around to making any effort to get rid of them.

Why are you not going to use them? Sorry, I’m looking at the 28.5.

 

[bremmick]

I wasn't looking for a definition of "all-mountain", but rather what you believe the characteristics are for a boot that is deemed "all-mountain".

My apologies. I misinterpreted what you were asking. My concern with a more “race boot” would be solid lug, hard vs. rubber boot board, maybe too responsive and harsh for tougher terrain.

 

[Drahtguy Kevin]

My apologies. I misinterpreted what you were asking. My concern with a more “race boot” would be solid lug, hard vs. rubber boot board, maybe too responsive and harsh for tougher terrain.

I had vibram soles put on my Raptors.

 

[Tom K.]

Why are you not going to use them? Sorry, I’m looking at the 28.5.

My ski life involves a fair bit of de-booting in the parking lot. The Raptors are so darn hard to remove when cold that I pulled/tore two tendons in my foot after about 40 days.

Mrs. K., who indulges nearly all of my silly pastimes and behavior, forbids me from using them again. Quote: "boots are cheap, but your parts aren't".

I had vibram soles put on my Raptors.

Same. Good traction. Also better at collecting snow than the stock sole!

 

[Noodler]

My ski life involves a fair bit of de-booting in the parking lot. The Raptors are so darn hard to remove when cold that I pulled/tore two tendons in my foot after about 40 days.

Mrs. K., who indulges nearly all of my silly pastimes and behavior, forbids me from using them again. Quote: "boots are cheap, but your parts aren't".



Same. Good traction. Also better at collecting snow than the stock sole!

Just mentioning again that I had the same issue with the Head Raptor 130 RS being excruciatingly difficult to get out of at the end of the ski day. However, my B3 and B2 Raptors are not anywhere near as difficult. I never need to warm them after skiing to get out of them. So there's something to be said regarding how the plastic reacts to the temperature changes. Just keep in mind that not EVERY Head boot uses the same plastic. I'm willing to bet that the R2 and R3 (and upcoming WCR series) are more similar to the B2 and B3 plastic than the RS series plastic.

 

[markojp]

Just mentioning again that I had the same issue with the Head Raptor 130 RS being excruciatingly difficult to get out of at the end of the ski day. However, my B3 and B2 Raptors are not anywhere near as difficult. I never need to warm them after skiing to get out of them. So there's something to be said regarding how the plastic reacts to the temperature changes. Just keep in mind that not EVERY Head boot uses the same plastic. I'm willing to bet that the R2 and R3 (and upcoming WCR series) are more similar to the B2 and B3 plastic than the RS series plastic.

Neither... new blend.

 

[Noodler]

Neither... new blend.

Yes, I was told that too, but my point was that the plastic used in the "plug" race shells is NOT the plastic used in the RS series. IME, the plastic in the plugs has been less susceptible to massive flex changes due to temp.

 

[markojp]

FWIW, I've never had any more difficulty getting in or out of the 140 vs. the B3, but I've got a low instep and kooky plantar flexion... The B3? It's just too stiff for my liking off piste... I'm just not man enough.

 

[Tom K.]

FWIW, I've never had any more difficulty getting in or out of the 140

Easy in, but really tough out for me anytime it was below around 22 F.

The Lange RX130 is SO much easier to take off. Maybe that softer co-molded instep "flap" actually does what they claim?

 

[markojp]

They do have a higher instep.

 

[ski otter 2]

Easy in, but really tough out for me anytime it was below around 22 F.

The Lange RX130 is SO much easier to take off. Maybe that softer co-molded instep "flap" actually does what they claim?

Hi. I don't have this problem, and have a high instep/arch, so I can't reference this from my own experiences. But I'm wondering if the newer two different types of plastic that are now molded in one step into the RS 130 (including the LV) have helped. I'd heard that the softer plastic was used in the areas that would help getting the boot on and off easier, rather than the areas that would effect the stiffness of the flex and lateral stiffness while skiing.
Anybody had experience with this change, as a solution for these types of problems?

 

[Noodler]

Hi. I don't have this problem, and have a high instep/arch, so I can't reference this from my own experiences. But I'm wondering if the newer two different types of plastic that are now molded in one step into the RS 130 (including the LV) have helped. I'd heard that the softer plastic was used in the areas that would help getting the boot on and off easier, rather than the areas that would effect the stiffness of the flex and lateral stiffness while skiing.
Anybody had experience with this change, as a solution for these types of problems?

My Nordica GPX 130 also has this softer plastic integrated into the "bear trap" over the instep. They're probably the easiest boots I've ever had to get in and out of; while they still ski like a legit 130 flex boot. My experience is the technology seems to work without sacrificing performance (which was my primary concern about this feature).

 

[Tom K.]

My Nordica GPX 130 also has this softer plastic integrated into the "bear trap" over the instep. They're probably the easiest boots I've ever had to get in and out of; while they still ski like a legit 130 flex boot. My experience is the technology seems to work without sacrificing performance (which was my primary concern about this feature).

Same opinion on the new Lange comolded boots. Not sure about the real vs. perceived benefits in the rest of the boot, but in the aptly-named "bear trap" over the instep, it's money.

Didn't Technica kind of pioneer this with their old "cut throat" design? It wasn't really co-molded, but kind of a flexy piece of rubber material glued on in that area, IIRC. Maybe the original TNTs.

 

[AEV4EV]

Does anyone know how the 2022 Raptor 140 changed from the 2021 and older boots? I read that it got a new toe box shape and different plastic, as well as different liner? Does anyone how much the shape changed besides the toe box?

 

[ski otter 2]

Fairly ignorant here, but I was told by Boot Mechanics folk that the Raptor 140 was a better fit for a high arch than previously,
but still not so great for that, at least for my particular feet.
(My arches got crazy high from mountain climbing.)

 

[AEV4EV]

So I'm guessing that could mean the instep is a smidge higher in the new one. I've tried both on, newer WCR 140S and the older140 RS, and they aren't dramatically different but I forgot a lot of smaller details on the older fit. I'm pretty sure the older one has slightly less volume, I really just want to make sure of that.