Just had an opportunity to try the Salomon BOAs at Copper last Friday, 1/13/23, and K2s offerings at Aspen Highlands 1/18/23. As someone who has been in the business 37 years and who has bootfitted nearly as long; I dare say we may be looking at a technology with legs. To cut to the chase; the fit is more of a feeling of wrapping the forefoot than buckles provide. Retailers are going to find an opportunity to reduce SKUs, and go deeper in key sizes because of the wider range of volume change BOA wrapped shell provide. Both of these manufacturers are using identical BOA assemblies with conventional buckles on the cuffs. The cable is MUCH thicker than you will find on other BOA products. The dial is large, and can be reversed, providing a way to fine-tune the fit, essentially functioning like micro-adjust does. As for the exposure of the dial to damage; time will tell. I doubt most falls will have much of an impact, but things like door jambs could prove hazardous for the careless. I, for one am genuinely excited to work with them next winter. We have our final buy meetings next week, and know that these boots will have a significant chunk of our OTB. I'm even more pumped about spending next winter in my own pair, as the Salomon's fit gives my Tecnica Mach 1 130 HV's a run for its' money; especially with my EEE/EEEE-Pes Cavus feet. Don't poo-poo it until you've tried it. We may be looking at the future.
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