Question: Dalbello Cabrio LV 95W

[SnowHot]

I wonder why Dalbello went from 98 to 99 in the Chakra/Cabrio. Demand?

Ugh, marketing numbers.
For instance, they have focus groups and ask about numbers that people get hung up on.
This is a reason that a woman's boot that is a 110 flex is called 105.
Marketing....

 

[DebbieSue]

Ugh, marketing numbers.
For instance, they have focus groups and ask about numbers that people get hung up on.
This is a reason that a woman's boot that is a 110 flex is called 105.
Marketing....

You mean my Tecnica Mach1 MV 105w boots are really 110 flex? I'm feeling less wimpy even as I type.
Men want higher numbers always it seems, and for women they relabel with a lower number. That is for sure.

 

[SnowHot]

You mean my Tecnica Mach1 MV 105w boots are really 110 flex? I'm feeling less wimpy even as I type.
Men want higher numbers always it seems, and for women they relabel with a lower number. That is for sure.

Yes.
About 6-ish years ago a few of the manufacturers surveyed bootfitters to ask why the 110 category was sluggish on the women's side of the boot wall. The answer was that women found 110 to be intimidating. The manufacturers who were involved with that research started to lable women's 110 flex boots 105.

As a fitter, I can say I have had a lot of women on the bench who would flinch at the 110 flex but when I brought out a 105 they didn't think twice about it.
We, women tend to downplay our physiology and ability way more than men. This is a generalization, of course.
Some men will downplay and some women approach with confidence.
Those of us on TheSkiDiva.com are not the normal woman. We are (as I call it) the lunatic fringe. We're passionate about the sport and are less likely to down play our ability and physiology.

And just as a reference, the flex of a boot for a skier is not determined by ability as much as physiology. Ankle Range of Motion, length of shin bone, overall strength, height....all are bigger factors than ski skill set.