Powder Review: K2 Mindbender 130 BOA

Cy Whitling
·8 min read

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In a Nutshell

K2’s Mindbender 130 BOA has a great combination of fit and features that makes the most of the new BOA fit system, and will appeal to inbounds and backcountry skiers alike.

  • Size Skied: 26.5

  • Weight:

  • Stated Flex: 130

  • Binding Compatibility: Pin Bindings, GripWalk

  • Stated ROM: 50°

  • Forward Lean: 10-17°

  • Stated last width (27): 97-104 mm

The K2 Mindbender 130 BOA is available now.

Intro

K2’s new Mindbender 130 BOA might just be the most compelling of the new BOA boots hitting the market this season. It’s got a lot going on, and all of those features combine into a pretty unique package.

I spent the tail end of winter and spring using the Mindbender 130 BOA for most of my skiing. Sure, I bounced in and out of other boots for review purposes, but I kept coming back to the Mindbender 130 BOA, and I think it will be my go-to boot for the foreseeable future. So let’s get into what makes this boot special.

Features

Yes, the Mindbender BOA uses the BOA H+i1 system we’ve discussed in depth. And we’ll get into why I think it uses this system to greater effect than its competitors later, in the “Fit” section. For now, yes, it has that same great wrapping sensation when you crank it down as the other BOA boots I’ve written about.

The Mindbender also has another, smaller BOA knob to cinch down the liner like a snowboard boot. While some liners come with traditional laces, or a speedlace system, it’s rare to see a full BOA system in a ski boot liner. It does make it really easy to cinch down the liner for a more intimate fit, and I found that it helped me keep my foot locked into the liner, even when the shell was opened up to walk uphill. In turn, this helped ward off rubbing and blisters.

The Mindbender BOA has tech fittings, and a replaceable GripWalk sole, both staples for this class of freeride touring boots. It also uses a wide, elastic power strap, similar to a Booster Strap, and adjustable forward lean via sliding the walk mode lever and adding or removing spoilers. The Mindbender’s shell and liner are both fully heat moldable, and its honeycomb boot board has a swapable “Harshmellow” insert that lets you tune how flexible or stiff the boot board is. I swapped between inserts, but can’t really claim to have noticed too much of a difference.

Finally, the Mindbender’s lower shell, or clog, has “FastFIT” plastic in the overlapping parts. This makes it easier to open up the Mindbender to get your foot in or out. Both the Mindbender and the Dynafit Tigard use a similar design here, and I really appreciate it. Swapping back and forth between boots without it, like the Atomic Hawx, really makes it clear how much easier it is to get the Mindbender on and off. I’d love to see a feature like this in every overlap boot. Maybe it’s just that I have to swap between boots, and move liners around more than most folks, but once you’ve used a boot with this feature it’s hard to go back.

Fit

Ski boot fit is a complicated subject that’s best discussed with a trained professional. But, part of K2’s goal with the Mindbender BOA was to give customers more fit flexibility without having to seek professional recourse. K2 is eliminating the MV and LV variants of their Mindbender range, and instead offering one shell, with customizable fit. There’s an optional insert in the toe of the liner that takes up volume, the full shell and liner are heat moldable, and the BOA system cinches down the boot around lower volume feet really well.

So, if you have a true low-volume foot and prefer a race fit that most folks would describe as torturous, this is not the boot for you. But, if you have a somewhat average foot, the Mindbender should be able to adapt to that, better than many other boots.

For me, I have a pretty high volume forefoot, that’s wide with a high arch and instep, tapering back to an average heel and ankle. The Mindbender BOA worked really well for my foot right out of the box, with plenty of range left to crank down much tighter for folks with lower volume feet. I skied 15 or so days without modifying the boot at all, but will go with a full shell and liner mold going into next season since my feet tend to change shape over the summer.

I’m really skeptical of brands like BOA calling their technologies “revolutionary” or “life-changing.” But, where I think BOA can make the most difference, in the most skiers’ lives, is by allowing manufacturers to build boots that are higher volume right out of the box, but can still cinch down to low volume feet. This helps eliminate SKUs for the manufacturer, and makes getting into boots that work easier for the consumer. I think K2’s adaptable fit approach is the best use of this tech we’ve seen so far. What’s the point in speccing the “best” boot closure system on the market, if the boot you’re putting it on has such an intimate fit that there’s no need to use it?

Uphill Performance

The Mindbender BOA is one of the heaviest boots with a walk mode on the market. There’s no getting around that. If you like to tour big days, and rarely ski inbounds, this is not the boot for you. But, on the skin track, I was impressed by how well the Mindbender walks. I’d be happy cranking out a few thousand feet of climbing regularly in the Mindbender. It has a nice smooth, easily accessed range of motion that made for a pretty natural stride. It’s not as fast to transition as the Dynafit Tigard, but it walks nearly as well, just with some added weight.

The Mindbender BOA knows what it is. It’s much more of an inbounds boot that can walk than a touring boot that can charge. This spring, I spent a fair bit of my time in the Mindbender BOA skiing terrain that’s accessible from inbounds via a short bootpack, and doesn’t actually require any skinning to exit.

But, I’m a bit of a safety nerd. I refuse to enter uncontrolled avalanche terrain without gear that allows me to travel uphill quickly and efficiently in case of an accident. So, if I’m skiing with a beacon, ready to duck out the gates, I want to be in a boot like the Mindbender BOA, just in case. If that sounds like a lot of your skiing, rest assured, the Mindbender BOA walks plenty well for that, and can handle the odd big day of walking just fine as well.

Downhill Performance

The K2 Mindbender 130 BOA skis like a true 130 flex alpine boot. There’s a tiny, nearly imperceptible amount of play in the walk mode (less than the Hawx), but that doesn’t have any real bearing on its performance. This boot feels powerful, and supportive. Its flex feels really similar to the Fischer RC4 BOA. Neither boot is absurdly stiff off the top, instead they flex smoothly into their range, and ramp up powerfully. It’s like running your bike suspension with a little extra sag, there’s more controlled travel before things get firm. That means it’s easier to bend the ski and boot in tandem than it is with some other alpine boots.

The Mindbender’s rearward and lateral support is also excellent. I felt really locked in while skiing in a very wide variety of conditions. I’m a bigger guy (220ish lbs geared up) and I skied some long, wide, stiff skis, in variable conditions with the Mindbender. Never once did I wish I had “more” boot on my feet, which is about as high of praise as I can give to a freeride boot with a walk mode. These boots ski very well.

What compromises does the K2 Mindbender 130 BOA make?

Sometimes we call this class of walkable freeride boots “50/50” boots. But in reality, very few folks actually split their time evenly between skiing the resort and touring. For most people, myself included, boots in this class usually spend closer to 80% of their time inbounds, and then get whipped out for the occasional full backcountry lap.

If you are looking for a true 50/50 boot, and actually want to spend half your time touring in it, look at something lighter like the K2 Dispatch, Dynafit Tigard, or Scarpa 4-Quattro. The Mindbender is heavier than most folks will want to haul uphill often.

But, if you’re realistic with yourself, and determine that you’re spending more of your time inbounds than out, the Mindbender BOA 130 is a great option.

What does the K2 Mindbender 130 BOA’s ideal skier look like?

You do most of your ascending via lift, but you still want a boot that can walk, for the occasional tour, or for safety reasons. And you’re looking for a boot with all the bells and whistles, combined with an adaptable fit.