Best BOA Ski Boots of 2025

We’ve done an in-depth breakdown of that system already, but a few points bear repeating. This system replaces buckles on the lower half of the shell, closing down the forefoot area of the boot like nothing else on the market. It does indeed “feel different” in a good way. So far, it’s been very robust, and if something does go wrong, the system is pretty 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 older-style BOA closures on touring boots and on bike and running shoes. But so far, we’ve been really impressed with every BOA ski boot we’ve used, and we think that this technology brings extra value to most skiers in the form of comfort and ease of use. 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.

Salomon Shift Alpha BOA 130

• Stated Flex: 130
• Stated Weight (size 26.5): 1785 g
• Best for: An aggressive skier looking for a one-boot quiver to balance time inbounds and out the gates.

Read Powder's Full Review of the Salomon Shift Alpha BOA 130.

With the Shift Alpha BOA 130, Salomon rethinks the walk-mode freeride BOA boot and turns it into something worth taking into the backcountry for aggressive riding. The key to that performance is a unique take on how the BOA actually closes the boot. Instead of just wrapping over your forefoot, the cable also attaches to a longer strap that's connected to the inside ankle pivot, effectively pulling your foot directly into the boot's heel pocket as you crank the BOA dial. 

We found that keeping your foot exactly where it needs to be in the boot at all times, whether touring or descending, vastly increases both performance and comfort. The Shift Alpha BOA would be an excellent option to purchase by two types of skiers.

First, this makes sense as a one-boot every day quiver for a rider that values downhill performance and spends 75 percent of their time skiing a resort where lots of sidecountry access where bootpacks, short skins, and complicated exits are part of the game. Secondly, I think this would make an excellent choice for a skier who already owns dedicated alpine boots and lighter touring boots and wants to add that “in-between” boot to their quiver.

K2 Mindbender BOA 140

• Stated Flex: 140
• Weight (size 26.5): 1816 g
• Best for: A range of foot shapes, all trying to ski hard inbounds with the ability to walk uphill too.

Read Powder's Full Review of the K2 Mindbender BOA 140.

The K2 Mindbender BOA 140 and the Atomic 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 and the liner inside. The Atomic Hawx XTD has a much lower volume, narrower fit than the K2 Mindbender BOA. The Mindbender BOA fits more like a medium/high volume boot while still being able to cinch all the way down for smaller feet. Inside, the fully customizable Intuition wrap liner adds stiffness, warmth, and unparalleled comfort.

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 Intuition 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.

Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130

• 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.

Read Powder’s full review of the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA GW 

We’ve spilled a lot of words over the new Hawx XTD 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 XTD. 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. We suppose that's where the higher-volume version called the Prime comes into play. 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 - Women's

• Stated Flex: 115
• Weight (size 24.5): 1605 g
• Best for: Women looking for a crossover boot with great precision and suspension.

Read Powder's full review of the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD W.

We got more time in the stiffest women’s version of the new Hawx Ultra XTD and are still impressed after a year. It shares all of the same features and upgrades of the new Ultra XTD but with a slightly softer flex and women’s-specific shell shape around the 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 men’s Hawx XTD 130 is available in sizes down to a 22 as well.

The Hawx Ultra XTD W has a narrower, low volume fit, which, when combined with the BOA, makes for a high-performance feeling boot. It can be stretched a bit to create extra space for your foot using Atomic’s Memory Fit process, but our tester got along very well with its stock fit. It’s a powerful boot, with great suspension and support, great for long inbounds and sidecountry days.

Fischer RC4 Pro MV DYN BOA Zip Fit

• Stated Flex: 140
• Weight (size 26.5): 2130 g
• Best for: The hard-charging inbounds skier looking for the ability to tour short distances.

Read Powder's full review of the Fischer RC4 Pro MV DYN BOA Zip Fit.

It’s been really interesting to see how each brand has tackled integrating BOA into their boots differently. Salomon added the ankle strap, and Fischer goes all-in with boot upgrades right out of the box. With the new RC4 Pro DYN, Fischer gives us a hardcore freeride boot with tech fittings in the toe, no walk mode, and a stock ZipFit liner. That 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 comfortable. 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 or tall feet, or cinch them down tighter than traditional buckles, and add ZipFit’s cork gel for narrower, lower-volume feet. In other words, this boot has a nice, versatile fit. Despite lacking a walk mode, it's possible to go for short tours on these with a Shift, Duke PT, or Cast binding, thanks to the integrated tech fitting in the toe. And on the way down it feels like a monster truck, powerful and comfortable, demolishing everything in its path. If you’re looking for a freeride boot that feels like a luxury vehicle, the RC4 Pro DYN should be on your short list.

Tecnica Mach BOA HV 120

• Stated Flex: 120
• Weight (size 26.5): 1820 g
• Best for: Dedicated resort skiers looking for extra comfort without compromising performance.

Tecnica has long been known for their high-performance boots that bring out the brand's racing pedigree. Instead of jumping aboard the BOA hype train right away, they decided to take their time figuring out how to integrate the tech into their boots, and are now offering it on a new version of their high-performance resort boots, called the Mach BOA. 

Like K2 and Fischer, Tecnica decided that BOA works best with a high-volume shell. That takes full advantage of how the closure system can comfortably cinch down shell plastic and essentially create multiple last widths options in a single boot. With a stated 103mm last, the Mach BOA brings many of the on-piste performance aspects of the venerable Mach 1 into a comfort-forward package that will work for aggressive skiers who are unwilling to put up with boot pain anymore.

Tecnica Mach BOA HV 105 - Women's

• Stated Flex: 105
• Weight (size 26.5): 2130 g
• Best for: Women skiers looking for the most comfortable resort boot that doesn't skip performance.

Finding comfortable boots that also ski well is a challenge, especially since many boots in the women's category have tended to skew too far in one of those directions. The new women's-specific Tecnica Mach BOA HV 105 finds an excellent balance between performance and real comfort thanks to a high-volume shell that can cinch down significantly with the help of the BOA system.

Building on the on-snow performance of the existing Mach 1 shell, Tecnica went down the comfort rabbit hole with this one, while focusing on keeping the fit from getting sloppy. There's comfortable boots that ski well, and there's boots that feel roomy but don't ski well, and the Mach BOA definitely falls into the former category. 

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