Best BOA Ski Boots of 2023-24
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In case you’ve been living in some sort of remote monastery, this winter BOA, the maker of clicky-wheeled cable closures, came out with a new system for alpine ski boots this spring. To start, four brands (Atomic, K2, Fischer, and Salomon) will be using this system, with more to follow shortly.
With most of our Best Ofs, there’s a unifying purpose. All of our “Best Powder Skis” are designed for skiing powder snow. But, with these BOA boots, it’s a little more complicated. We’ve classified these boots based on the technology they use, not their intended use case. There are boots on this list designed to tour uphill, as well as ski inbounds, and there are boots designed solely for lift-access skiing. There are a range of weights and stiffnesses represented here, but the uniting factor is that all of the boots on this list use BOA’s new H+i1 system.
We’ve done an in-depth breakdown of that system already, but a few points bear repeating. This system closes down the lower portion of a ski boot’s shell like nothing else we’ve used. It does indeed “feel different” in a good way. So far it’s been very robust, and if something does go wrong, it’s easy to work on. It adds minimal weight, and we think it will allow boot manufacturers to create boots that work better for a wider range of foot shapes, right out of the box.
We came into this experience with plenty of skepticism. We’ve broken our fair share of BOA closures, on touring boots, and on bike shoes. But so far, we’ve been really impressed with every BOA boot we’ve used, and we think that this technology brings extra value to most skiers. That’s why we’ve started this roundup of the best BOA boots on the market, and we’ll continue to update it as we get time in more BOA options.
Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA GW
Stated Flex: 130
Weight (size 27.5): 1842 g
Best for: Folks with low volume feet looking for a truly powerful inbounds boot that can still walk.
We’ve spilled a lot of words over the new Hawx already, because it’s an excellent boot that will make a lot of skiers really happy. Atomic didn’t just slap this new BOA system on their existing Hawx XTD and call it good. Instead, they made a bunch of other changes as well, all of which combined to make this current version the most powerful and consistent Hawx XTD yet. These boots ski really, really well. And they walk well enough for short tours.
Our biggest criticism (if you can even call it that) is that the new Hawx XTD doesn’t lean into what makes BOA boots so excellent as hard as some of the other options on this list do. It retains the low volume, narrow fit of the original Hawx. That’s great, for a lot of skiers, but it means not as many folks will feel the need to cinch it down, which is where the BOA really shines. It will be interesting to see if Atomic brings the same changes to the “Prime” version of this boot, since that higher-volume fit will really highlight how impressive the BOA system really is. Regardless, the new Hawx Ultra XTD 130 is a powerful boot that skis inbounds really well, and tours adequately, a perfect combination for a lot of skiers.
Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 115 BOA W
Powder’s Full Review Coming Soon
Stated Flex: 115
Weight (size 24.5): 1605 g
Best for: Women looking for a crossover boot with great precision and suspension.
We also got time in the stiffest Women’s version of the new Hawx, and came away impressed. It shares all of the same features and upgrades of the new Ultra XTD, but with a slightly softer flex, and women’s-specific calf. The women’s version will also be available in smaller sizes, down to a 22. For smaller-footed folks looking for a more powerful boot, the non-BOA version of the men’s Hawx XTD 130 (with all the other updates) is available in sizes down to a 22, but the BOA version only goes down to a 24.5.
Like the men’s version, the Hawx W has a narrower, low volume fit, which, when combined with the BOA, makes for a high-performance feeling boot. It can be molded out to create space using Atomic’s Memory Fit process, and our reviewer got along very well with its stock fit. It’s a powerful boot, with great suspension and support, great for long inbounds and side country days.
Fischer RC4 Pro MV
Powder’s Full Review Coming Soon
Stated Flex: 140
Weight (size 26.5): 2203 g
Best for: The inbounds skier looking for all the bells and whistles.
It’s been really interesting to see how each of these four brands have tackled the BOA question differently. Fischer seems to have responded by throwing all the upgrades possible at their new RC4 Pro, and that really pays off on the snow. There’s no walk mode or tech fittings — this is a purely inbounds boot, but it features the first-ever stock ZipFit liner. This liner is usually a $500 upgrade to an existing boot, but the new RC4 comes with it out of the box. The level of fit and comfort that the RC4’s BOA and liner combine to provide is hard to overstate. This boot just feels really, really good. It’s powerful, precise, and comfortable, a rare combination.
Fischer offers the RC4 Pro in an MV or “Medium Volume” fit. That, combined with the BOA system, gives skiers a lot of room to dial in the fit of their boots without having to pay for bootfitting. You can run them pretty open if you have wide, tall feet, or cinch them down tighter than traditional buckles, and add ZipFit’s cork gell for narrower, lower volume feet. This boot has a nice, versatile fit. And on the way down it feels like a trophy truck, powerful and comfortable, absorbing everything in its path. If you’re looking for an inbounds boot that feels like a luxury vehicle, the RC4 Pro should be on your short list.
K2 Mindbender BOA 130
Powder’s Full Review Coming Soon
Stated Flex: 130
Weight (size 26.5): 1941 g
Best for: A range of foot shapes, all trying to ski hard inbounds with the ability to walk uphill too.
The K2 Mindbender BOA 130 and the Hawx XTD BOA exist in a very similar space. They’re both inbounds-first boots, with walk modes and tech fittings. They both ski really well, and walk well enough for shorter tours. The primary difference between the two lies in their fit. The Hawx XTD has a much lower volume, narrower fit than the Mindbender BOA. It fits the traditional bootfitting mantra of “go small and then create space” very well. Whereas, the Mindbender BOA fits more like a medium, or even high volume boot, while still being able to cinch all the way down for smaller feet.
We were impressed by how voluminous the shell feels with everything wide open, and how tight it can cinch down. Some of that’s thanks to the separate BOA system on the liner, it allows you to really lock down the liner so there’s no movement in there. The new Mindbender BOA really leans into the advantages of BOA, mainly, its adaptable fit. If you have a wider, higher volume foot that usually requires punches in lower volume boots, give the Mindbender BOA a shot, it skis really well, walks well enough, and is an all-round competent boot.
Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA 120
Powder’s Full Review Coming Soon
Stated Flex: 120
Stated Weight (size 26.5): 1890 g
We’ve spent this spring doing our best to track down boots from all four BOA brands to review. As of now, we’re still waiting on the new S/Pro Supra BOA 120. We should have a pair in hand in the near future, and will work to get time in them immediately, so that we can complete our assessment of these first four BOA boots. We’ll update here as soon as that happens.
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