Gear
As the 2025-26 ski season winds down in North America, Aunika and John take one final opportunity to review and reflect on their experiences with the BOA Fit System on their respective ski boots throughout this season. Each tested out a different boot: Aunika has been skiing in the Atomic Hawx 115 Single BOA boots, and John in the K2 Cortex 130 Zonal Dual BOA boots.
This whirlwind of a season out west—for Aunika in Colorado to John in Lake Tahoe—proved to be the perfect time to efficiently test out new ski boots, thanks to a variety of snow conditions. Both of our writers have been getting after it all over the mountain, all season long. From powder days to hiking the park, charging on groomers to bulletproof off-piste, and even touring, with the common goal of finding out just how well the BOA Fit System on ski boots performs on the slopes.
Reviewer Stats:
Aunika
- Female
- Skier for 20+ years | Advanced – Expert
- Testing the Atomic Hawx 115 Ultra XTD in a 24.5
- 45+ days this season across a variety of Colorado ski resorts, mainly Copper Mountain, Winter Park, and Loveland
John
- Male
- Skier for 20+ years | Advanced – Expert
- Testing the K2 Cortex 130 Zonal BOA in a 24.5
- 98 days skied this season around Lake Tahoe ski resorts
Aunika’s End-of-Season Thoughts
After over 45 days on the Atomic Hawx XTD 115 Single Dial BOA boots this season, I’ve been able to put them to the test on a variety of terrain and conditions. From ripping groomers, sunny park days, to the rare pow day, my feet always felt locked in and secure. The way the BOA Fit system wraps around the instep of your foot forces your ankle and heel into the back of the boot. Instead of downward pressure, like a standard buckle boot, it’s a more natural fit that works with the ergonomics of your foot and ankle to ensure top performance, no matter what kind of skier you are.
Not only does the BOA Fit System enhance the fit over your instep, but it’s easier to set and forget. Unlike a standard buckle boot that I might adjust throughout the day, I was able to dial in the BOA at the beginning of the day and never think twice about my boots. The BOA is also incredibly easy to adjust on the mountain. Instead of having to pop off your gloves to micro-adjust a buckle, just a turn towards your toes snugs up the fit. Typically, towards the end of a season of hard skiing, my liners start feeling packed out. However, as the season progressed and the liners were broken in, it was easy to compensate for any additional space with a few clicks on the H+1 BOA dial.
The BOA Fit System has only been in the alpine ski market since 2023, but it is the biggest technological advancement in ski boots in decades. This technology is here to stay as BOA continues to innovate, keeping athletes in mind with the launch of dual dial boots in 2024, shown to have the highest performance benefits for skiers. Salomon has announced the release of a new single BOA design boot, the Salomon S/PRO Alpha C BOA, for the 2026-2027 season. It’s a new take on the Alpha S/PRO featuring a single BOA, but this time it’s on the upper half of the boot. So whether you love the ultimate adjustability and performance of a dual BOA system, prefer the system on the lower half of the boot, or are looking for a tighter wrap around your calf through the upper cuff of the boot, there will be multiple options to dial in your fit and enhance your performance.
Visiting BOA Fit HQ in Denver
At the BOA Fit headquarters in Denver, Colorado, they’re constantly testing and analyzing ways to improve upon current technology. Each dial produced goes through a rigorous testing protocol. Technicians have a variety of machines to stress test each dial. Engineers and designers can ensure the dial will hold up to any conditions an athlete may find themselves in. The H+1 dial – found on all alpine ski boots – undergoes testing in climate-controlled environments to ensure it can withstand drastic temperatures commonly experienced throughout ski season.
In conjunction with stress tests, the Performance Fit Lab is where a team of designers, prototypers, engineers, and biomechanists study the differences between traditional non-BOA products versus BOA Fit-designed products. Here, they have a subject physically test out each product while connected with a variety of sensors that give real-time feedback. The Performance Fit Lab team conducts over 750 tests a year on BOA-powered products across brands and sport segments and has scientifically proven additional performance from integrating the BOA Fit System into products.
Beginning in 2001, when the first BOA System was released, and now 25 years later, BOA has continued to advance, making gear better and better. With performance, durability, and sustainability as pillars driving innovation to create gear that serves top athletes, it’s safe to say that the BOA Fit system has cemented itself in the alpine ski industry.
John’s End-of-Season Thoughts
With nearly 100 days skiing in my new boots this season, it’s safe to say I have gotten very familiar and happily accustomed to the fit and feeling that the dual BOA provides. From the get-go, I’ve been talking about the difference in how “locked-in” and connected to my skis I feel compared to a traditional buckle boot. Because of this, my confidence all season long — both in the park and in more big-mountain, technical terrain — has skyrocketed. The responsiveness from my feet to boots to skis is undeniably better than any of my previous setups. Aside from these new ski boots with BOA, I haven’t upgraded or changed any other equipment (or exercises) that could be making me notice these improvements in my abilities on the mountain.
As I promised in our first review, I was able to ski a handful of days wearing the stock liners instead of my ZipFits. In fact, I tried both lacing up the liners and “world-cupping” into the shells, as well as putting them on like a normal boot. While the feeling was noticeably different compared to my custom liners, I still felt a strong connection to my boots and skis that allowed me to feel just as comfortable and confident on the snow. With a little bit of heat-molding or experimenting with the Sensitivity Shims, these boots are hard charging, performance-enhancing, yet still oddly comfortable (once in them) right out of the box.
In reality, the BOA Fit system likely isn’t the sole reason I’m landing my first 540s or confidently navigating through 45º+ rock-lined chutes. However, I firmly believe that it enhances the way my boots fit, and therefore greatly improves the performance and my ability to be fully in-tune and one with my skis. It’s been obvious that these improvements come from my ankle and heel being locked-in to the back of my boot, allowing me to properly drive my skis. At the beginning of the season, I was slightly concerned about how testing new boots for nearly 100 days would affect my feet and my skiing in general. Now, I’m not just thrilled about how the season went or how my skiing has improved, but I’m also likely “locked in” to being a BOA customer for life.
Our Final Thoughts on the BOA Fit System on Ski Boots
While this ski season draws to a close, one thing is certain: the BOA Fit System on ski boots is here to stay, and for all of the right reasons. After months of testing, it’s clear to us that the system not only functionally works incredibly well, but is built to excel in performance and reliability, as well. Regardless of skill level, personal preferences, or what the ski industry says, if you have an opportunity, try a pair of BOA ski boots. We highly recommend it! Furthermore, there’s no doubt in our minds that we will continue to see advancements, further innovations, and more brands incorporating the BOA Fit System on ski boots in the coming years.
Still not convinced
I have a great fitting traditional buckle 130 boot that fits amazing. I lock and load at the beginning of the day, rip it all day long. No issues.
If you have a great fit, you have a great fit, buckle or boa.
The real question is how they are holding up in 3 years.