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At the end of the day, we can get used to boots or customize them with footbeds and punches, but if they don't last more than a season before they shatter, they are not worth it. I was getting happy with them but having them blow up in the backcountry is just not an option. I would not recommend this boot for anyone doing serious or even minor touring if you are also a skier who likes being in the air or sending cliffs. I can't recommend this boot to anyone actually, so Salomon get 2 thumbs down for this product.
I hoped to use this boot as my everyday boot, and it CANNOT keep up for this. I was out-skiing it on a regular basis inbounds. I hoped (as advertised) that this could be a touring boot that can withstand drops and hard shredding, and it simply cannot take the beating. Keep in mind the test ground was Revelstoke and everyday skiing includes drops (20ft+ on the occasion), pillows, and trying to jump off any and everything.
Walk mode was nice for touring/hiking. The buckle position was ok, but I found it hard to really get my foot back in the boot so my heel was right in the pocket. For my foot I think custom footbeds were necessary. Otherwise ok.
Not good value. I bought at full price at the start of the season and the technology and performance you get for about 750CDNÂ after tax is quite frankly, shit. You would think you would get some customizable features that help with comfort like a nicer, more durable plate (thin cork and plastic with a piece of foam loose underneath) or at least heat-moldable liners (Not that any stock liner is quality unless intuitions are your stock, yay dalbello and full tilt). No chance, after 3 weeks I regretted paying full price and almost buying them altogether.
I have a high arch, and this boot is shit for that. I should've had insoles or custom footbeds, but there is very little room at the bottom to do much work. Other than the foot support the fit was nice, snug around the shin and pretty good for toe room.
Considering it's listed as a 130 flex, it's a pretty soft boot. Noticeable flex threshold where if you flex forward it's consistent then all of a sudden it flexes more. Great range of motion in walk mode and nice for touring.
I got about 30 days on them before I completely blew the heels out (literally) off a jump. The plastic edge that the walk mode snaps into was completely blown off both boots along with about an inch wide circle of plastic, leaving my liners exposed. I've since taken them back and my shop admitted to having about 12 pairs returned in ONE week because of broken parts. And as if to put the icing on the cake, there was another person in the store at the same time returning..you guessed it, broken Quest 14's.
Overall
These skis were great for the price, and I will probably buy armada's again. They are a good company and put a lot of time into desiging their skis. So try and get yourself some, because now that they stopped making AR5 you should be able to get them cheap!
Performance
These skis are fantastic park skis, and they handle nicely in powder as well. They have good width under your foot and they are easy to ride switch on. Carving is good, switch carving is pretty good too. They are really easy to land on, but switch takeoffs are sometimes a bit chattery.
Design
I like the design of the ski, but since they are not designed for a center mount they feel a bit strange at first. I got used to them after about a day. The "cityview" graphics are pretty sick, and the bright yellow base looks dope in photos.
Value
I bought mine on eBay so they were just shy of $400 canadian with tax and duty. Good deal if you ask me though. I would say that looking at the price of this years skis, I got them for almost nothing. I would say steal.
Characteristics
I like the flex because you can get good pop off lips of jumps and takeoffs. Buttering is pretty easy because I have them center mounted. They handle moguls alright, but I didn't ride them very often in bumps.
Durability
I have only ridden them for one seaon, about 8 times, and so far there is no damage from rails or from anything. The top layer hasn't peeled at all or even shown signs. There are only slight cosmetic scratches on the side walls.
