Review: Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD BOA 115 W

Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD BOA 115 W Specs

• Size Skied: 22.5
• Weight: 1168g (24.5) 
• Stated Flex: 115
• Binding Compatibility: pin, GripWalk 
• Stated ROM: 54 degrees
• Forward Lean: 13-17 Degrees

Fit

With this boot, Atomic set out to make a truly narrow boot and they did. The 98mm last is great for a narrow foot and the Hawx Ultra XTD has a notably narrow heel pocket to prevent heel lift. The boot features Atomic’s Memory Fit Liner and Mimic plastic so both the liner and shell are heat-moldable to your foot, ankle, and lower leg. 

It is indisputably worth molding at least the liner of this boot. The liner is made to be molded and conformed to your foot and ankle shape and use the shell as a support for that and I found them much more comfortable after molding. Out of the box, it’s also a pretty thick liner, which means if your calf is significantly larger than your ankle, molding will help balance out any space around your ankle and arch and there’s plenty of material to work with. The liner tongue has velcro adjustments as well to adapt to different instep heights. Of course, like any other liner, these will break in and pack out after a few weeks of use, providing some extra room and comfort.

In comparison to my old Mach 1’s, per say, these boots don’t have the same foot-crushingly low instep, but are just as narrow in the arch, which I appreciated. They also felt like they accommodated my slightly larger right foot and didn’t squish my toes by forcing me into an unnaturally upright position like the old Dalbello Lupos had. 

Features

It can be easy to balk at anything "hybrid" in skiing (boots, bindings, etc) and focus less on what it does well and more on where it compromises. However, the Hawx Ultra XTD 115 doesn’t compromise on much that it promises. While not as lightweight as say a Backland or other purely touring-oriented boot, these boots are notably light, even when just picking them up and not looking at grams. The shell uses Atomic's Prolite plastic construction, reinforced with polyurethane in those key places where you want a boot to be a bit more burly (in particular the flex points around the side of your ankles).

They have an easy-to-use external lever walk mode with 54-degree range of motion for uphill pursuits (or dancing in your ski boots!). The forward lean is also easily adjustable from 13°-17° by moving two bolts on the spine. With both pin binding inserts and GripWalk soles, you can use the Hawx Ultra XTDs with most alpine and pin bindings out there. I’ve been using them with Strive 12/14s, ATK Raider 11s and Crest 10s, and Look Pivot 12s for a full spread of bindings.

They also have a BOA closure on the forefoot, which wraps the foot versus clamping down on it like a traditional buckle. This is my first BOA boot experience so I don’t have much to compare it to. I find that I generally like it, but as I’ve been dialing in the fit of the boot and losing feeling in my feet on lifts, having to crank the BOA back down is much slower than just buckling and un-buckling ski-racer style. The buckle teeth on the cuff of the boot also have retaining clips to prevent the buckle from completely unlatching while touring that I find super annoying. However, I do have a dream of buckling my ski boots at the start of a day and unbuckling them at the end and with this as a goal, both these features would be completely fine. 

Downhill Performance

When I first put on the Hawx Ultra XTD 115, I was impressed with how stiff it felt out of the box, especially for a boot with a walk mode. As I mentioned previously (and in nearly every article I’ve written about ski boots in my time at POWDER), I generally don’t find a 115 boot to be stiff enough for my liking, so I went into skiing these boots knowing I might be compromising when it came to the boot’s flex. That being said, in contrast to a 115 boot without a walk mode, I have been impressed with how these ski. 

I’ve skied them on hardpack, choppy moguls, bad early season conditions, and a bit of soft, fun, pow on everything from 104 underfoot 4FRNT Ravens with a pin binding to a Blizzard Rustler 11 with a Look Pivot on it. I can feel a bit of play where the cuff of the boot hinges, which allows it to go into a walk mode, but it’s not as much as other touring boots I’ve skied. Thanks to the heavier and thicker plastic they use, they’re also fairly damp for a hybrid boot. I did end up moving the buckles over one screw hole to improve fit and stiffness after maxing out the buckles just a couple days into skiing these and it did make a bit of a difference. I have also considered an after-market wrap style liner like an Intuition to stiffen these boots up a bit further.

I do have confidence that if you’re a skier who is used to a 115 flex (if there is any sort of standardization, that is) and enjoys that flex, that these boots would perform plenty well for you. They’re sturdy and didn’t feel flimsy, despite the walk mode. In my perfect world, they’d be a 120 or 125 flex, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers. 

Uphill Performance

I’ll be honest, I don’t have much to compare this boot to in terms of uphill performance. I’ve never been someone who wants an ultralight boot at the expense of my downhill skiing, so the touring boots I’ve used in the past have been largely fairly similar. I will say that the last pair I owned was weirdly upright and didn’t feel natural on the uphill or downhill and when held hand in hand with these, were heavier. 

That being said, there’s little to complain about in terms of uphill performance with this boot. I found that when loosely buckled or unbuckled, they were warm and comfortable on the uphill, but without leaving my foot flopping around in the shell. The walk mode also provided plenty of range of motion. The liner’s narrow heel pocket also helped to keep my foot in place without cranking down any buckles or the BOA, but without risk of blisters. 

Sure, a true touring boot might be lighter than the Hawx Ultra XTD’s but if that’s what you’re after, this isn’t the boot for you anyway. 

What Compromises Does the Atomic Hawx XTD Ultra 115 BOA W Make?

For a boot that performs maybe equally well in-bounds and in the backcountry, this boot doesn’t compromise on much. Perhaps the little bit of play in the cuff is enough to drive you away, but if so, you’re likely looking for a boot without any kind of walk mode. Truly, the biggest fault in this boot is that it doesn’t come in a stiffer flex in a smaller size. 

What Does the Hawx Ultra XTD 115 BOA W's Ideal Skier Look Like?

If you’re a narrow footed skier who wears a 22.5 or larger and is seeking one boot for resort skiing and backcountry missions (save those where you’d want an ultralight boot), the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 115 BOA W is a great pick. Us 22.5 boot-wearers don’t have a lot of options either, so even if you’re like me and hoping for something stiffer, but have a high arch and instep, it’s worth checking these out.