“-BOA system makes the fit very good” Test Pilot about the K2 Recon 130 BOA

Is BOA here to stay? We received a recent review from a Freeride test pilot who tested the K2 Recon 130 BOA over the winter.

Earlier last winter Freeride was looking for someone to test K2’s new BOA shoe, the so-called test pilot. After sifting through the requests, we found the right person for the task, who was thus assigned to Carl-Inge “Inka” Larsson.

Carl Eng He is an experienced skier with a competitive background and today lives mostly in Funäsfjällen where he manages to rack up around 100 ski days a year (which is impressive since he apparently works full time on the ski side).

the shoes The one tested is the K2 Recon 130 BOA and below is the test pilot review:

strength point:

The feeling of riding that the shoes convey. I get a good, natural riding position, the flex is progressive and finely tuned, which means the ride can be done with finesse. There’s no “stop and go” feeling, but it’s easy to give the skates exactly the pressure I want in every turn.
– Possibilities for your own minor adjustments in terms of fit and comfort with the included “Shoe Kit”.
– I feel that the design of the chassis and the BOA system means the fit is very good and the foot feels somewhat “locked” rather than just pushed “down”. Also, you don’t experience any obvious pressure points thanks to the cord, which distributes pressure more effectively than I feel.
– The overall impression of quality and well-executed developmental work means that I do not suffer from any childhood illnesses.
– Now I would never buy shoes based on looks, but I think these shoes are really cool and have such a subtle and cute color scheme.
– The walking sole has a grip so that walking in the shoes is comfortable and safe.
– I really like the ability to easily fine-tune how tight I fit, which is very useful.
– Easy to get in and out of shoes.

Weaknesses:

– The BOA system adds increased complexity to the boot, what happens if I have a problem with the technology and the handle or cable needs repair on short notice? If you ride too much off-piste, the knob becomes a sore spot that can get exposed on trees and rocks. At the local ski shop where you are, it will be easier to find a solution to fixing your traditional clamp vs fixing the BOA system so you don’t ruin your ski weekend/holiday. However, in the long run, as acceptance of BOA technology increases and the local skate shop gets parts, repair problems should decrease.

– Another potential drawback may be that the BOA system tightens the entire foot (ankle and toe box) at one moment, and so it is not possible to choose, for example, too much pressure on the ankle and less pressure on the toe box. By itself, it is possible with the included lower mounting kit to insert an extra “wedge” over the toe box to create a tighter fit there. However, for my needs, I did not test the above as a disadvantage, as the cord gave exactly the pressure I wanted on both the ankle and the toe box.

summary:

BOA technology Not quite as new as it has been since the early 2000s, snowboarders and cyclists have been able to lace/lace their shoes with a BOA system for quite some time. BOA technology means that instead of clips or shoelaces, we lace our shoes using fancy handle cord. Now the technology has also improved further, which makes it very easy to adjust the tension precisely and tightly. Now for the 2023/2024 season, BOA technology is being brought to us for downhill skiers by a number of manufacturers.

I have now tested And I used the K2 Recon BOA for 10 ski days in Spring 2023. The K2 Recon is part of the K2 series of all mountain boots. I used the shoes for a pair of Norse The Enduro and have ridden both on-piste and off-piste. My Tecnica Cochise 130 DYN GW which I usually use is 99mm wide and accordingly these shoes fit my feet very well! I had shoes the same size as I usually have and had no reason to do any “shoe fitting” either. The liners can be heated, but I chose not to heat them and instead ride them, which I think is an advantage if you have the opportunity to do so.

In all honesty I had a lot of pain in my feet for the first 2.5 days, but then the lining formed on my feet and in the following days I found the shoes very comfortable. It’s okay to wear the shoes all day

Is BOA a game-changer? No, it’s not an innovation that’s clearly going to change skiing—the technology just isn’t superior to traditional buckle technology. But the concept is here to stay and over time we will certainly see more and more applications of BOA and eventually more manufacturers will pick up on this trend I guess. I also believe that more comprehensive development of casing design and design is needed to fully utilize BOA technology. It’s still the case that when I tighten them the foot gets pushed down and doesn’t wrap as much as I’d like, though the concept is a huge improvement over traditionally buckled shoes. It would also be interesting to compare if there would be any difference if the position of the cable for the “attachment points” above the casing (right/left) should have a longer distance between them, and whether the casing’s ability to roll the foot would change.

Can I recommend these? I have now decided, after my 10 days of testing in the spring, to replace my Tecnica Cochise 130 DYN GW with a K2 Recon 130 BOA, how do you explain that!? I really love the K2 and it’s time to replace my Tecnicas. I also don’t need shoes with a walking mode for this setup, as it turns out that when I’m touring I prefer to use a more geared setting for higher touring instead. If you’re going to buy new shoes in the near future, I can heartily recommend some using the BOA system, however, the concept as such is no reason to trade in a well-functioning pair of shoes that you feel comfortable with because it’s not a complete game-changer.

Text: Carl Eng Larson