Since the BOA® Fit System was adopted in ski boots, BOA has been attracting attention, and we spoke to them about their new models for the 2025-2026 season at JSP SNOW EXPO JAPAN 2025 (held February 12-13, 2025 at Pacifico Yokohama)
The number of brands using BOA has reached 10 in just the third year
The BOA® Fit System was first adopted for alpine ski boots in the 2023-2024 season. This marks the third season since BOA's sensational arrival on the ski scene, and in its first year, four brands - K2, SALOMON, ATOIMIC, and FISHER - adopted the system. For the current 2024-2025 season, six brands are currently using the system, with the addition of NORDICA and TECNICA.
In just two seasons, BOA has made a big impact, earning high praise from athletes and users for its combination of comfort and fit. Given this background, it seems only natural that next season will be expanding its brand offering to 10 brands in total, with Dalbello, Head, Rossignol, and Lange joining the lineup.
BOA's booth at the JSB exhibition was more than double the space of last year's, making it a highly appealing choice.
If you look closely at the photo, you'll see that there are several boots with two BOA dials on display. Yes, that's the hot topic in the snow industry for the 2025-2026 season
Dual Dial BOA® Boots Now Available from 6 Brands
For the 2025-2026 season, six of the 10 brands using BOA will be releasing "dual dial BOA® boots" with two BOA dials: K2, SALOMON, ATOMIC, NORDICA, HEAD, and DALBELLO
When the BOA® Fit System was launched in ski boots, it was developed over five years and underwent 700 tests. Research showed that the system reduced pressure on the top of the foot by 13% compared to existing buckle-type boots, allowed for fine adjustment in 0.25mm increments for a better fit, and produced a 10% increase in force generation when initiating a turn
In other words, it has been proven that "performance has improved while providing better comfort," but now that the BOA dial is dual, with another one on the upper shell in addition to the lower shell, what kind of changes will occur in performance?
Dual BOA Technology
The official BOA website describes it this way:
The dual-dial BOA® Fit System works in tandem on the boot shell and upper cuff to wrap your foot and shin for a uniform fit, reducing pressure points on the top of your foot and locking your heel into the heel pocket to eliminate unwanted movement. BOA®-equipped ski boots can improve boot-to-ski power transfer by up to 6% and provide up to 10% more stability and control through turns
Check out this video to get a better idea of what it's like
The main points are these
DIALED IN
Both dials allow for fine adjustments, allowing you to not only tighten but also loosen by turning the dial in the opposite direction. The bidirectional adjustments are very convenient. This allows for a precise fit in each zone of the lower and upper.
LOCKED IN
special laces (extremely strong special wire) tighten to encase the entire foot for a snug fit. The precise fit adjustment allows for excellent heel hold, resulting in better power transfer, stability, and control.
CONFIDENT
The entire boot is designed to wrap around your foot in a balanced fit, ensuring maximum performance through confident turn initiation and effective power transfer.
Aside from the basic structure of having two BOA dials, the position of the dials, the angle of the laces, and the shape of the shell vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Each manufacturer has devised a design that brings out the performance they want to achieve. When you compare them closely, you can see the differences, which is quite interesting
On the left is K2's "CORTEX 140 ZONAL BOA," and on the right is DALBELLO's "VEROCE SPACE." The length of the overlapping shells and the way the laces are laid out are different
There are also a variety of target users. For example, the CORTEX 140 ZONAL BOA announced by K2 was developed with races and other competitive scenes in mind. It has already been released early and is still available for purchase as of February 2025, so some skiers are already using it. At the 5th All Japan Masters Ski Technical Championships, held at Hakuba Iwatake from January 31 to February 2, 2025, an athlete wearing the CORTEX 140 ZONAL BOA suddenly won the championship, creating a buzz
If you visit a manufacturer or pro shop for a new model test ride event while there is still snow in the remaining 2024-2025 season, you will be able to try on the Dual Dial BOA. Why not try them out on the snow?
Information
BOA® Fit System
Official website: https://www.boafit.com/ja-jp
SNS: Instagram | FB | X | Youtube
Dealer: BOA TECHNOLOGY JAPAN Co., Ltd