Roxa X-Face 120
Available Sizes: 24.5 – 30.5
Size Tested: 27.5
Stated BSL (27.5): 318 mm
Stated Flex: 120
Stated Last: 99 mm
Blister’s Measured Weight:
- shells, no liners: 1748 & 1740 grams
- stock liners + laces, no footbeds: 371 & 376
- shells + liners: 2119 & 2116
MSRP: $629
Test Locations: Grand Targhee, Teton Pass, & Grand Teton National Park, WY; Taos, NM
Ski / Bindings Used:
- K2 Shreditor 112, 189 cm / Salomon Guardian and G3 Ion
- Revision Subtraction, 186 cm / Tyrolia Attack 13
- ON3P Jeffery 114, 186 cm / Marker Griffon
Days Tested: 24
Intro
The words “three piece boots” usually bring to mind offerings from Dalbello or Full Tilt. However, Roxa also specializes in three piece or “Cabrio” style boots, and continues to manufacture many of the 3 piece boots sold by other companies.
The X-Face 120 is positioned as a hard-charging freeskiing boot, but Roxa also emphasizes the fact that the X-Face is ready to go earn those lines as well, with a walk mode and tech fittings molded into the shell.
Fit
We’ll start with our customary boot review disclaimer: If you really want your boots to fit well, go see the best boot fitter you can find. My foot is not your foot.
That said, I can offer some general guidelines.
The X-Face has a stated 99 mm last, which felt about right. It’s not designed for a wide foot like the 102 mm Full Tilt Descendant 8. Instead, the Roxa fits very similarly to the Full Tilt Konflict, which also has a 99 mm last. (The Konflict is actually a very good point of reference, since I spent two years in them, and can say that the X-Face fits very similarly.
I have very high arches and insteps, and the X-Face’s stock tongue liners did produce a few pressure points on the top of my foot. Molding the liners helped, but after about 5 days in them, I swapped them out for the Intuition PowerWraps I use in all my boots.
Heel hold in the X-Face is better than any Full Tilt boot I’ve skied in, which I attribute mostly to the X-Face’s middle buckle that locks my ankle in place.
Construction
Buckles and Power Strap
The X-Face features traditional buckles for the first and third buckle, with a middle buckle and cable system reminiscent of the Descendant 8.
All the buckles function well, and I haven’t run into any durability issues so far.
The X-Face’s power strap is riveted on, which meant that I didn’t swap in a Booster Strap as I usually do. However, the X-Face’s strap does have a cam mechanism like a Booster, just without the built in stretch. I really appreciate the cam since it allows me to cinch down the cuff of the boot very well.
Liner
The X-Face’s stock liner is an Intuition Power Lace tongue liner. Personally, I don’t get along very well with tongue liners, but I found this one to be pretty comfortable and very well constructed. It’s fully heat moldable, and features a notch of softer material over the heel to aid walking.
Sole
The X-Face has tech fittings built into the shell, and comes stock with a swappable tech sole. DIN-compatible alpine soles are available aftermarket.
I skied a few days with the tech sole in Salomon Guardian bindings before swapping over to the DIN soles full time.
The tech soles are nicely rockered and feature an aggressive tread that should be great for scrambling.
However, I ended up using the DIN soles even when touring on tech bindings, since they have cutouts in the heel (new for 15/16) that allow the boot to work with tech bindings even with the full alpine sole. I really appreciate this since it means that you don’t have to swap out soles (11 screws per boot) for different types of bindings.
It’s also worth noting that the X-Face’s tech fittings are certified by Dynafit, and the boot is ready for the Marker Kingpin right out of the box.
NEXT: Walk Mode, Performance, Etc.