The trend in freeskiing at the moment is towards versatility on the mountain. In the morning, you can take the lift down one run after another and then quickly go on a tour to an untracked area in the afternoon. This polyvalent use naturally also requires versatile equipment. A number of boots that can (should) do everything have recently come onto the market. One of them is the Movement Antidote Free Power 4.
First impression
The shoe makes a stable first impression. Nothing wobbles, and the massive buckles make the shoe look a little bulky. The shoe is made in Italy by the shoe manufacturer ROXA and has certain similarities with in-house shoe models, as well as other well-known representatives of the class. No wonder, since the requirements for freeride shoes are all the same.
Features
A "3 Piece Design" was chosen for the shell of the shoe, which means a division into footbed, shaft and tongue. Therefore, similar to Full Tilt / Raichle, it should have a progressive flex in the range of 110 - 120 (factory specification). Furthermore, the boot offers everything that a modern "freeride boot" should have: tech inserts, a walking function with a "ski" and "run" position with a 25° range of motion, rubber soles, 4 buckles and a powerstrap. A conventional sole for alpine bindings (ISO standard) is sold separately as an accessory. When changing the sole, only the rubber sole is replaced, the toe and heel blocks with the tech inserts are part of the boot shell. In addition, different stiff tongues can be replaced to increase or decrease the flex.
Weight
The solid and stable construction is of course also reflected in the weight of the shoe. According to Movement, however, the aim here is not to build a lightweight touring boot, but a stable freeride boot with an ascent function. One boot weighs 2050 grams (size 26.5) and the factory specifies 1950 grams. This makes it similar in weight to comparable shoes such as the BD Factor (approx. 2000 grams). In any case, the shoe is a bit heavier than my Full Tilt with 1600 grams. Nevertheless, it is of course significantly lighter than purely downhill-oriented ski boots usually are.
Fit
I have rather wide feet. I normally ski a Fulltilt, which was a little too narrow at first, but after small adjustments it fits like a Finken (Swiss German for slipper - editor's note). The Antidote is a little wider: 100 mm last width with 308 mm sole length, but still not a wide ski boot. That's why I thought the boot should fit perfectly. After one day of skiing I was in a lot of pain, which is why I took the boot to a boot fitter. Now the boot fits very well. However, the difficulties are due to the shape of my foot and not the design of the boot. If you don't have problem feet, you should be well served with the thermoformable Intuition liner. The shoe offers a pleasant amount of space, especially in the toe area. The high shaft of the ski boot, which hugs the leg well, is also a positive feature.
First practical tests
First about me: 175cm tall and approx. 75 kilograms "empty weight" plus almost always about 8 kilograms of photo equipment on my back. I'm a rather aggressive skier who likes to ski fast and jump when something gets in the way. My favorite ski boot is definitely my Full Tilt, which is why I was also interested in the Antidote as a 3-piece. So far, the Full Tilt has been my all-rounder with which I've skied and climbed everything. Now the Antidote should take over the big ascents.
Getting into the boot works great, 3-piece ski boot combined with the Intuition liner, that works brilliantly. The buckles are easy to adjust and close the boot properly. I was particularly impressed by the cable pull on the third buckle, which is combined with the pump claw over the instep. This pushes the heel back and down and keeps it firmly in place even when climbing up. This means you only have to close the shaft buckles a little when climbing, which gives you even more freedom of movement. However, this is where a small disadvantage of the shoe comes to light. If you walk around with the shoes like this, the shaft widens so that you can hardly unhook the top buckle. You also have to press the shaft together by hand when putting them on so that the buckles can be hooked in.
The walking function is convincing. Of course, the boot cannot keep up with ascent-oriented boots in terms of freedom of movement with a 28° deflection, but that is not what it is designed for. A simple lever has to be folded down to switch to walking mode. This also works with gloves and through the pants. The shaft is given enough room to move in order to be able to climb comfortably, but the walking function is still a bit "resinous". However, I can imagine that the shoe will "break in" over time and become smoother. I also like the rubber sole, it offers good grip even on stones and loose gravel. Blocking the walking function works well: it blocks the shaft without anything wobbling. So far, the walk/ski function has been stable, it has never flipped unintentionally.
On the descent, the 3-piece construction comes into play again. The boot delivers a progressive flex. Not as good as the Full Tilt, but still quite comfortable. Theoretically, my Full Tilt (8 mm tongue) and the Antidote should be equally hard in terms of flex, but in my opinion the Antidote is a little softer. However, it is still hard enough to accelerate. The power transmission works well, it handles fast riding and medium jumps well. It's only when things get really rough, hard and bruising that the shoe reaches its limit and doesn't provide enough grip. The harder version of the Antidote "Free Power 4 Wrap" with the better-enclosing Intuition Wrap liner and harder tongue would probably be better.
The shoe shows the usual signs of wear and scratches after about 15-20 days. Otherwise, nothing has loosened or wobbled, the shoe seems to be holding up well. The sole also shows hardly any signs of wear.
It should also be noted that the shoe is not that easy to find. Some sports stores with Movement in their range didn't even know that they now also produce shoes.
Conclusion
The Antidote Free Power 4 is a fully-fledged "freeride shoe" with a decent walking function. The Movement boot is designed for freeriders who want more than just laps in the ski area, but don't want to make huge ascents and focus on good downhill performance. The walking function is just as impressive as the rubber sole. The boot's suitability for downhill skiing is also a given. However, I was not yet completely convinced by the shoe, as I still lack the last bit of control to go full throttle without compromise.
Advantages & disadvantages
+ Good intuition liner
+ Good heel hold
+ Walking function
+ Easy to put on and take off
+ Easy to use
+ Interchangeable sole
- Not the lightest shoe
- Closing the buckles is sometimes fiddly
- No adjustable canting
Details
RRP: 500,- €
Color: Black/Blue
available. Sizes: 24.5-30.5 Mondopoint
Weight: 1950g (factory specification)
Last width: 100mm with 308mm sole length
Intuition liner Free Power High Cuff
110-120 flex index (with 8mm tongue included)
4 buckles, one of which is an instep buckle as a cable pull
Powderstrap
Adjustable spoiler
Interchangeable sole system
Low-tech inserts
