K2 Mindbender 130 BOA Boots

BOA or the BOA Fit System as they prefer it be referred to has been popping up in outdoor gear recently, ranging from shoes to gloves and braces. It provides a customizable secure fit that can save weight by replacing large, clunky and heavy buckles. By placing the BOA Fit System on the new Mindbender 130 Boots you get a precision fit that is micro-adjustable without any pressure points as well as a quick and easy release. The laddered cable uniformly wraps the forefoot while minimizing downward pressure which could impede blood flow and cause cold feet. The BOA Fit System is built tough and features a breakaway dial design which upon severe impact will not damage the underlying system. The cable and BOA dial system is more robust and durable than the ones I’ve seen before, but it can be easily repaired and replaced should you experience a failure.

K2 has also incorporated a MultiFit Last which is designed to work in conjunction with the BOA Fit System to expand the last size from 97mm to 100mm (and up to 104mm with heat moulding) so it fits a wide range of foot shapes and sizes.

Inside the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots, you’ll find the PowerFit Pro Tour BOA Liner which has its own BOA Fit System (as the name suggests) integrated into the design of the liner. This allows for a micro-adjustable fit while retaining all the features of the original PowerFit Pro Tour liner. These features include pre-moulded Ultralon heat-moldable foam, an asymmetric tongue for added power and energy transmission, a pre-moulded ankle pocket, and a high-density power collar as well as a tour notch at the back of the ankle for increased comfort and range of motion while hiking and skinning.

The ski/walk mode on the back of the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots uses K2’s Powerlock Spyne which provides an impressive 50-degree range of motion. When in ski mode the Powerlock Spyne locks the upper cuff to the lower shell and provides a powerful and secure connection for uncompromised downhill performance.

There are of course integrated tech fittings on the toe and heel of the boots with removable and interchangeable ISO 23223 alpine rockered soles. These will work seamlessly with Marker’s Grip Walk binding system and also provide the grip and comfort you need when walking to and from the car at the resort—yet they don’t compromise any of the power transmission and release function that you demand while skiing.

K2 used a heat moldable Powerlite Shell on the Mindbender BOA 130s which means that you can achieve a truly custom fit by heat moulding the boot’s shell and cuff. They also integrated a softer TPU material over the boot’s instep area to help aid with a quick and easy entry and exit which is something that other overlap AT boots suffer from.

The Low Friction Pivot design of the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots means that when you are churning out big laps you won’t get slowed down on the ski track as the pivot is designed to provide minimal resistance which helps preserve your energy for one more lap.

If the 130 flex is too much boot for you then it’s good to know that there is also a Mindbender 120 BOA version as well.

Lower - TPU
Cuff - Pebax Bioresin
Sole - Vibram Gripwalk

• Heat-moldable shell and liner relieve pressure points and conform to the foot.
• 130 flex rating offers support for the most aggressive skiers.
• BOA Fit System provides precise fit and micro-adjustability.
• 50° range of motion for smooth skinning and boot packing.
• MultiFit Last can accommodate a variety of foot shapes ranging from 97mm to 100mm.
• Powerlock Spyne walk mode is designed for ski touring.
• Integrated Tech Fittings.
• Removable and interchangeable rockered Vibram Gripwalk Outsoles.
• Fastfit Instep.
• PrecisionFit Pro Tour BOA® liner locks your heel in place.

With two buckles, two BOA Fit Systems and a power strap, the new K2 Mindbender 130 BOA Boots provide impressive foothold and comfort. You can instantly tell that these are serious freeride boots but they come with all the features you need to also ski the backcountry,—making them a quiver of one contender. Most boots of this calibre are merely alpine ski boots with a walk mode thrown in doe good measure so they can claim to be touring boots. Not so with the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots as K2 put serious thought into how to make them touring compatible without sacrificing any performance or comfort.

Given my more mature age, I am not a freeride skier and other than the odd pillow line my skis generally stay in contact with the snow so I typically wear a much lighter alpine touring boot such as Scarpa's F1 LT boots. I prefer to maximize my turns by going light and fast, but I can appreciate the benefits of the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots. They are able to drive the fattest of fat skis in any conditions and any terrain without compromise. In my testing, there was nothing that the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots could not take on and this is precisely why they are just as much fun in the resort as they are out of bounds. If you want only one ski boot for both disciplines and don’t mind a little extra weight on the uptrack then the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots are ideally suited to you. With a weight penalty of over a kilo compared to my F1 LT boots, the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots are not even in the same league and this is the point. K2 created the Mindbender Boots to primarily provide the best skiing experience with a focus on going beyond the rope line for fresh tracks. With 50° of cuff rotation and a 130 flex I’d say they are more than successful on both fronts. The only issue I have with the cuff rotation is that you don’t get more than a few degrees of it when you switch to walk mode unless you also loosen the top two buckles and fasten them on the buckle hangers. Once in walk mode, you will also notice that the boots make a considerable amount of noise as the upper cuff expands over the lower shell. While this is fairly typical of a traditional overlap construction it is something to take note of as noisy boots on the up track tend to interfere with my ability to get into a zen state of mind while churning out endless uphill vert.

I found the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots to be incredibly comfortable with plush liners that provide the highest level of support and fit. This is thanks in part to the BOA system on the liner and over the forefoot of the shell. With such a precise fit I was able to drive a 112mm ski in chop, crud and of course pow. I could easily ski to the edge of my ability and know that the Mindbender 130 BOA Boots would have my back and confidently drive the ski as I dictated.

I have no worries about the quality and durability of the BOA Fit System as it is exponentially more robust than the one found on my F1 LT boots and has a much more pronounced ability to tension the cable which provides as tight of a fit as you want. The cable is thick and evenly distributes the force over your forefoot without any pinch points like you might experience with a traditional buckle. You can really reef on this BOA Fit System, seriously, go ahead. The only downside I see with the integration of the BOA Fit System in the Mindbender 130 boots is its position. Hanging well over the outside edge of the boots I would not do much ridge walking on unstable snow which is covering boulders and rocks. I have broken more than a few flush-mounted buckles doing this in the past and seeing the BOA dial so far off the side of the boot I just know that there would be unavoidable damage from post-holing into rocks. But, if this is not your jam then it is not of any concern.

Overall, this is a solid freeride touring boot that can easily do double duty in bounds and is a strong competitor to the Lange XT3 Tour Pro Boots, Tecnica Cochise 130 DYN GW Boots and Scarpa 4-Quattro XT Boots. All of which I would gladly pass up to ski the K2 Mindbender 130 BOA Boots instead.