marketing vs. actual technological improvement

I was checking out this season's higher end Salomon boots, where the big
improvement is "the killer minus one liner," for more "sensitivity and
feel." This seems to me to be basically a linerless/one piece boot. It used
to be that linerless boots were from the low end of the product line,
because liners provided better fit and support, right?
So has anyone tried these? Are they in fact better than the old high end
Salomon boots w/ liners, with "serious foot-to-board-to-snow feel?" If so,
how come the old low end linerless aren't better than the old high end w/
liners (yes I understand there are probably other technological improvements
at work here other than liner/no liner)?
Any other examples of new marketing blatantly conflicting with old
marketing?

Sam