With the Factor MX, Black Diamond has completely redesigned its established freeride ski boot. The combination of the Triax Pro shell with the MX Dircet Connect connection technology between the shell and interchangeable soles and the FMx Power Liner inner boot is intended to improve both the downhill characteristics and the ascent.
Features:
- Weight**: 4.6 kg with touring sole with tech inserts (manufacturer's specification: 4 kg [size 27.5]
- Flex*: 130
- Flexibility shaft in touring mode*: 40 degrees
* manufacturer's specification
** measured on test model size 29.5
Shell:
- Traix Pro technology for high axial force and stiff flex
- Overlapping construction based on racing alpine ski boots
- Adjustment options for template, edge angle and spoiler in the calf area
- Interchangeable sole Direct Connect Alpine and Direct Connect AT (sold separately)
Inner boot - FMx / SMx power liner:
- 100 mm, V-shaped last is designed to "out-of-the-box-fit" create
- Variable lacing mechanism
- Plastic tongue
- Integrated buckling zones for comfort on the ascent
- Metallized foil in the sole as a reflective heat barrier
- 2-way stretch toe
First impression
Compared to its predecessor, which has become somewhat established over the years, the Factor MX makes an appealing first impression. The workmanship appears high-quality and the design is puristic without any big frills. The most striking features at first glance are the new, significantly wider and flatter buckles and the new liner. You immediately notice that the previously used Boa lacing system has been dispensed with. With the easy-to-use lever for activating the walk mode (which also appears significantly more robust than the previously installed mechanism), the primary functions are limited to the essentials.
The liner
The "FMx Strom Liner" is attractively finished and fits relatively well without thermal adjustment. The optional lacing can be designed for speed when using only one eyelet or alternatively for power transmission when using all eyelets. But even if you leave out the lacing completely, there is no loose feeling in the boot either on the descent or the ascent. According to Black Diamond, the Boa lacing system, actually a unique selling point of the old Factor, has been dispensed with because the system has also generated negative feedback.
The newly installed synthetic tongue is intended to distribute the pressure from the shin and ensure a flat flex to the front. Due to the likewise completely redesigned shell, it is difficult to judge an improvement based on the sole alone. In any case, the pressure distribution to the front is even and there are no noticeable pressure points (e.g. from the buckles).
The comfort of the inner shoe is what you would expect from a shoe in this price category. Really cold days have been in short supply so far this winter. How warm the liner keeps you is therefore difficult to judge and very subjective anyway.
Shell, interchangeable soles and adjustment options
Once the Direct Connect AT Sole has been fitted, changing it works without any problems. However, the initial assembly is a little time-consuming and should definitely be done at home and not in the parking lot just before the start of the ascent. There are still seals in the guide holes of the screws to be pierced and each heel part must first be assembled from 3 parts. The idea behind the Alrounder concept is that you can adjust the template of the boot. If a few days on the slopes are foreseeable due to a lack of snow, a little more forward lean on the boot helps to avoid being immediately outed as a freerider on the off-piste due to its hanging position. The edge angle can also be adjusted, as can the length of the micro buckles. Details on the adjustment options can be found on the manufacturer's product page
Practical tests
When you slip into the boot, you get the feeling that it has a slightly wider cut than its predecessor. A shoe one size smaller was therefore used in the test. During the first turns, you immediately get the impression that the boot is not as stiff as the Factor 130 from previous years. The flex towards the front in particular seems significantly softer. However, if you think about the intention of the new construction, this impression is put into perspective. The characteristics of the flex have been changed to enable a controlled build-up of pressure towards the front, i.e. on the shovel of the ski. In combination with the resulting response, a more dynamic ride can be achieved.
The Factor MX feels at home when freeriding. Accordingly, its downhill characteristics are clearly superior to those of uphill-oriented freeriders. In general, however, it can be classified as an all-rounder. Ambitious turns can also be made with alpine racing skis. And if you like to do a couple of runs in the park in fall or spring, you can do so with slightly more open buckles. The ascent characteristics are good for a freerider. The increased shaft mobility compared to its predecessor is noticeable.
Long-term gear review
The boot was used for around 35 days of skiing from December to February. The spectrum ranged from ski touring and ski mountaineering to off-piste skiing and park to piste days and children's ski courses with beginners. The boot proved to be completely unsuitable for any of these areas. However, as the first practical tests showed, its strengths lie in off-piste skiing and freeride tours. A distinction must also be made here with its predecessor. While it could still be recommended without reservation for uncompromising big mountain lines, the performance of the Factor MX in this area has certainly declined due to the differently designed flex. Tours up to approx. 1000 m can be mastered with the boot with average fitness (based on active skiers) without any problems. At the top, with skis with a center width of over 105mm, you'll be glad to have a downhill-oriented boot on your feet. For tours over 1000 m, the Factor MX is quite heavy at a good 4 kg per pair.
As the rather good-looking workmanship suggested when first looking at the shoe, there are hardly any signs of wear to be seen after approx. 35 days. Only the plastic around the tech inserts on the heel looks a little worn. There have been no malfunctions or damage during use. However, it is noticeable that the buckles have to be closed much tighter than in the first few days of skiing in order to achieve a similarly firm feel. However, as the thermal inner boot can be baked up to 3 times, it should be possible to counteract this development by baking it again.
Conclusion
The revision of the "freeride classic" Factor has been a success. The boot lives up to its reputation as a downhill-oriented all-rounder thanks to its excellent downhill performance and good ascent characteristics. While the flex of the predecessor (as always felt, as there is no standard for flex) was still one of the hardest on the market, this feeling is no longer so evident in the current model. This is also the weakness of the current model. There are comparable all-rounders on the market that are lighter in terms of flex, and freeride or alpine racing boots that are significantly harder but only marginally heavier. However, if you're not looking for a rock-hard big mountain boot and are aware that descents on wide, long skis are significantly less fun with an uphill-oriented boot, the Factor MX is a very good choice.
