2023 Lange RS 130 LV Review

Published August 30, 2022 01:27PM

The Specs

For early mornings during long high pressure ridges, there’s nothing better than arcing fast, clean turns on piste. This winter at Mammoth Mountain we had a 12 week dry spell. Instead of getting down about the boilerplate conditions, we sharpened our race skis. The Lange RS 130 LV was our testers’ favorite boot in the High-Performance category for early morning corduroy.

In the world of frontside boots, Lange’s Dual-Core polyether (the highest grade of commercial polyurethane) is the best plastic on the market. The lateral stiffness is second to none at delivering power to the edge. While the top of the forward flexion feels a touch softer than an average 130-flex boot, the stiffness ramps up as you drive into the tongue and becomes quite stiff at the end of the flex. This progressive feeling, combined with Lange’s natural 12-degree stance (16 degrees with a spoiler) puts you in the best possible fore position for carving a ski.

The RS 130 LV follows Lange’s penchant to fit a pretty straight foot. The shell’s forefoot is uniformly narrow, tapering just behind the fifth metatarsal. This shape will work well for skiers with a slightly narrow forefoot but will accommodate a decently high instep and wider heel for a high performance boot. Our testers with particularly narrow ankles and smaller heels felt like the heel on the RS 130 LV was generous for its 97mm stated last.

The thick PU on this shell and the fully customizable Dual 3D World Cup liner make working on this a boot fitter’s dream. The plastic can take deep punches and grinds without deforming, making this a good option for skiers with more substantial feet who still want a World Cup-style boot without spending the time required in the boot shop to get a full plug boot to work for them.

Speaking of the liner, we were very impressed with Lange’s work on their new Dual 3D World Cup Liner. The anatomical shape tightly held the forefoot and filled the shell beautifully. Testers particularly liked the achilles padding that snugged up the heel within the shell. The liner is burly and thick, and we noticed little packing out during the weeks we skied this boot. Our only gripe was that the toe box was too padded for some of our reviewers, cramping the forefoot a bit until we expanded the liner in front of the metatarsals.

On snow this boot is a carving machine. The solid sole transfers energy light years better than any replaceable sole on the market and you can plate these boots for even more leverage over your ski. For on-piste skiing, the boot’s considerable weight is only a plus, providing suspension and power into each turn. That Dual Core plastic, once loaded up, springs back on the exit of the turn and makes it even easier to get off one edge and onto your next one.

Our testers also liked the cammed power strap which functions similarly to a Booster strap but with a little less give. That, combined with nice, sturdy hardware gave the boot a high-quality finish we’ve come to expect from Lange. We wouldn’t recommend this as an all-mountain boot for any but the most performance driven—cough, masochistic—skiers who want a serious quad workout, but for bulletproof days and fast, arced turns, this boot is king of the hill.