Nordica Jah Love Ski Boot - Men's - 2009 BCS

I decided to go for the JLs even without any answer of my question on here. No problem, I was desperate for new boots after 4 seasons on my lovely old Speedmachines. Call me stupid but I bought them without having tried them at all, online from REI(because I could pick up in person from Reno on vacation and because of their money-back guarantee). At first I felt stupid because they were incredibly tight and uncomfortable. Pride forced me to try them for a second day on the hill and they got a little better. By day 5 I was grinning both at the fact they were less painful and that I could throw my Motherships around easily. They do need some minute adjustment but I know I have gone the right way. My gamble worked - my size seems to be sold-out in most places now, so hesitation would've been fatal. Goes without saying they are super-stiff and do just what you'd expect.

The ankle rivets on my N95 boots were paper thin, and surely one or two big bumps away from a catastrophic failure. The problem was that I wasn't sure I could find their equivalent in terms fit and performance...or so I thought. I am now a poster child for regularly upgrading your equipment.

The Jah Loves are incredible boots. They fit as well as the N95s, only better. Interestingly, most people told me that I must have a narrow foot if I like the Nordicas. Actually, my foot moderately wide and I tend to wear a wide dress shoe. The initial fit is tight and may cause some folks to reconsider. I agree with the other reviewer, ski them for several days and the fit really settles in. I bought them from Backcountry without trying them on. However, I did confirm that the Jah Loves are built on the same last as the N95s so I could anticipate the fit. Backcounty’s return policy made the purchase simple. They also had the best price by a long shot, and the sales person made sure that I had them in time for my ski trip by upgrading to 2-day shipping. In all, a great purchasing experience!

The pros: The tensioning strap at the top is solid. The buckles are very tunable. One the snow, the Jah Loves performed well yielding a great balance between stiffness and comfort. In the steep and deep, the boots are flawless and well behaved.

The cons: The Jan Loves are a little more forward than the Nordica predecessors which can cause a little bit of fatigue flying down the mountain GS style. If you spend your days bombing down the groomers, the Jah Loves are probably not your best choice.

Summary: In all a great boot. Expensive, but worth the price.