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BOA Ski Boots: All Your Questions Answered

The Year of BOA.

As you might have heard on the slopes and the internet comment section, a new evolution in ski boot design is hitting ski shops next year. Atomic, Salomon, K2, and Fischer partnered with BOA to design new ski boots featuing BOA tightening systems over the instep. The goal? To make ski boots more supportive, better fitting, and easier to use.

As expected, there are a lot of questions about the new set up. How will it hold up over long days on the hill? Will it feel like other BOA shoes? Will it provide as snug of a fit as traditional boots? Why are boot brands even making these things? We hear your skepticism, so we checked with our bootfitting team to see what they think and catch their first impressions on the new BOA ski boots.

atomic boa ski boots
The new Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD BOA 130 on snow.

Alright, what selection of BOA boots are we looking at here?

Atomic is releasing an updated Hawx Ultra XTD BOA. Fischer brings an MV version of their RC4 with BOA. Salomon built a new boot called the S/Pro Supra, and K2 releases the widest collection with BOA options for both their alpine Recon boots and their hybrid touring Mindbender boots.

What makes BOA ski boots better?

Boot designers and fitters saw a problem with traditional, four buckle overlap boots. The bottom two buckles that sit over the top of your foot don’t do much to improve the fit on your forefoot well. The buckle system clamps down on the top of your foot, where the new BOA system (called Fit System H+i1) utilizes five different contact points to pull the shell around your foot. This makes for a more secure and comfortable wrap around your forefoot that doesn’t over-pressure or pinch. The result is a better fit in the heel and forefoot than if the same boot were to have a traditional buckle closure.

Bootfitters usually don’t recommend tightening the lower buckles very much for that reason. Often when folks are finding numb toes and loss of circulation, it can be traced back to over tightening the lower buckles. BOA offers the opportunity to get a fit that our traditional boots have never been able to provide.

How does this compare to other BOA products?

This isn’t your MTB shoe’s BOA. BOA designed a completely new system alongside the ski boot manufactuers to make a system that works for skiing. One major difference is the tighten and loosen function. Normal BOA requires you to release the whole system, rather than backing the dial back after you’ve over tightened. With this new BOA system, you can dial forward to tighten, then dial back to loosen. Every click is .25mm (aka, tiny), allowing you to perfectly dial in where you like to be.

You’ll also find an immensely stronger cable (550lb breaking force!) that connects directly to the dial. More on the durability of the new system below.

fischer boa ski boots
The Fischer RC4 MV 130 for this year. You can also upgrade to the RC4 Pro which comes stock with a full ZipFit liner.

Will I be able to get this as snug as my low volume alpine boot? How do they ski?

According to the brands, the new boots offer 8% more volume reduction than traditional overlap boots. Combined with a more specific adjustment, that should give you the support and fit you need to ski the way you want.

Even though BOA offers more adjustment, it’s still best to get the best fit right out of the gate. Atomic is offering the only “LV” option out of the gate, with the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD BOA at a 98mm last. The other brands are all sticking to a 100mm last. Our initial fit impressions feel slightly wider than their stated last before tightening, and then can be tightened down to a hair more snug than their stated last. That said, it all depends on the foot. These boots still come with different instep and heel pocket shapes, so it’s still important to see your local bootfitter.

As for on snow performance? Well, they feel like the high performance ski boots we’ve come to love from these brands! With much of the latest plastic shell technology and design, the main difference in these boots is the fit.

How durable is the BOA system? I see myself bashing this on trees, rails, snowmobiles, and barstools.

We get it—you’re the raddest skier on the mountain. The good news is the boot brands and BOA know we put our gear through the ringer. The all new steel cable has a breaking strength of 550 lbs. That’s a lot of force. BOA designed the dial with a quick release system, so the dial pops off rather than shearing off. Held by that super strong cable, you won’t lose the dial in the snow or parking lot. It can be quickly snapped back on without any tools.

While you may have to pop the dial back on from time to time, you shouldn’t need to replace the whole system. If you do, BOA offers a lifetime warranty on the system. You can work directly through BOA, or reach out to your local shop. We’re planning on stocking up on spare parts. With no rivets and the same system across all boot models, replacing the system is a bootfitter’s dream.

Of course, like so much other outdoor gear, we won’t know for sure until this stuff starts to hit the slopes with skiers everywhere. But, brands are noting that product testers have tested over two seasons, with over 5500 hours of field testing. That’s over 687 eight hour ski days. If you’re curious about the design process, check out this podcast from Blister with Atomic boot product manager Matt Manser.

Sorry, I’m still not sold. Are there still boots for me, or should I stockpile now?

No stress! For every single one of the models with BOA this year, there’s a traditional four buckle option too. So if you want to wait on this for a few seasons, you’ll still have plenty of inventory to select from.

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