Salomon came out with some new boots this year, I think they're calling them the Black Beauty. Orginally I thought, "yeah, yeah, they changed the color, added a little bit more carbon fiber, it's all just marketing schemes to get people to want this year's boot instead of last year's." Then I decided to ski in them yesterday. As soon as I started skiing I thought, "whoa, wow, something is definitely different here, and I like it." I'm not sure what's different, but I really, really like these boots. They feel snappier, faster, happier. I also like that they got rid of the velcro cuff closure (I wish glove manufacturers would follow suit). Velcro should not be used. It is for people who are too lazy to size things accurately enough to use zippers or snaps and it always stops working. Also, I think it's Musty, and ski gear shouldn't be Musty.