Individual Review K2 Mindbender 130 Boot

[Ron]

the boots are holding up fine, I did note K2 went with a new liner for 2021 season. I am also skiing on the Recon 130 (2021) boot for groomer skiing and absolutely love the boot and especially the new liner. it has a more dense, substantial feel and under forces on the snow, it feels dialed. for inbounds skiing, 40 "nights" per season, they should hold up just fine. Obviously, you may want to get new liners at some point, they are going to breakdown over the years.


@tomahawkins You need to get them professionally fit. And, I'm assuming you have custom beds? If not, I would strongly recommend you getting a pair made. Unless the boot is properly fit, its not unexpected to get some pain or area that is not correctly adjusted to your anatomy.

 

[Miller]

Stay tuned for an upcoming Recon Pro review.
View attachment 110630

Looking forward to the review of this boot. I really like my first generation Recon 120s, but I feel the liner could have been better.

 

[Ron]

Looking forward to the review of this boot. I really like my first generation Recon 120s, but I feel the liner could have been better.

I'm getting some more days in on my new 130 Recon (before I review) which has the new liner and all I can say so far is, as much as I liked the old liner, the new one is a vast improvement. I'm in the 130LV boot and the fit is excellent. The new liner feels more solid and an even tighter overall fit. Lateral response is excellent.

 

[Memphis]

View attachment 66262


I had the opportunity to demo K2's new Mindbender AT 130 boot. Replacing the Pinnacle series, the Mindbender was actually in the works before the amazing Recon. Its Powerlite shell is virtually identical to the Recon, and it adds a 50° Powerlock Spyne walk mode, tech fit, and GripWalk soles that can be swapped out for alpine soles. The claimed weight is 1650 g (on a size 26.5), also like the Recon. Men's sizes range from 24.5 to 30.5. The women's line is called the Mindbender Alliance and will have the same features offered in a 110 and 90 flex, in sizes 22.5 to 27.5.

The Mindbender has several cool features. You can adjust the forward lean from 12° to 17° by inverting the lower connecting clasp on the walk mode; you can further refine the amount with an adjustment screw. The beefy 50mm-wide power strap has an innovative RipCord quick-release pull tab that enables you to release the strap pressure using one hand. The boot features a heat-moldable Ultralon liner with an ankle relief that allows for better walking articulation; you can also use laces with it. The walk mode mechanism is rock-solid and can be operated with one hand.

Both the 120 and 130 are built on a 98mm last; the 110 is on a 100mm last. Like the Recon, the Mindbender is very anatomical. A wider and taller toe box allows your toes to spread; it reminds me of the Hoka One One or Altra running shoes that are designed to allow your foot to work as intended, especially for balance. The boot is low volume from the met heads back. The instep is fairly low volume as well, but the shell is heat-moldable if you need customization. Another thoughtful aspect is that all buckles and straps are screwed and not riveted, which lets you replace them easily if broken or worn out.

So how does it ski? As with the Recon, K2 used three different materials on the boot, including a softer material over the instep to enable ultra-easy entry and exit. On the snow, the boot skis exactly like the alpine Recon. I could not detect any aft movement in the spine, and since the boot is identical in many aspects to the Recon, I was right at home. I have about 70 days on my Recons with zero complaints (see my Long-Term Review on the K2 Recon HERE). The 130 flex is not overly stout and has a very nice, even flex. The Mindbender is laterally stiff so all but the most demanding technical skiers will find that it performs extremely well.

The only downfall to this boot is that the upper cuff bails are too long for anyone with moderate to thin calves. A K2 representative told me they are aware of this and working on a solution for folks like me who had to max out my upper two buckles. Since all the buckles attach with screws, this won't be an issue for the chicken legged among us.

I wasn't able to test the AT aspects of the boot, but I look forward to doing so.

It's worth mentioning the colorways K2 chose. The 130 comes in a matte tan and black, and the 120 comes in olive drab green; both look very sharp. I got several compliments on the boots while demoing.

View attachment 66263 View attachment 66264

View attachment 66262


I had the opportunity to demo K2's new Mindbender AT 130 boot. Replacing the Pinnacle series, the Mindbender was actually in the works before the amazing Recon. Its Powerlite shell is virtually identical to the Recon, and it adds a 50° Powerlock Spyne walk mode, tech fit, and GripWalk soles that can be swapped out for alpine soles. The claimed weight is 1650 g (on a size 26.5), also like the Recon. Men's sizes range from 24.5 to 30.5. The women's line is called the Mindbender Alliance and will have the same features offered in a 110 and 90 flex, in sizes 22.5 to 27.5.

The Mindbender has several cool features. You can adjust the forward lean from 12° to 17° by inverting the lower connecting clasp on the walk mode; you can further refine the amount with an adjustment screw. The beefy 50mm-wide power strap has an innovative RipCord quick-release pull tab that enables you to release the strap pressure using one hand. The boot features a heat-moldable Ultralon liner with an ankle relief that allows for better walking articulation; you can also use laces with it. The walk mode mechanism is rock-solid and can be operated with one hand.

Both the 120 and 130 are built on a 98mm last; the 110 is on a 100mm last. Like the Recon, the Mindbender is very anatomical. A wider and taller toe box allows your toes to spread; it reminds me of the Hoka One One or Altra running shoes that are designed to allow your foot to work as intended, especially for balance. The boot is low volume from the met heads back. The instep is fairly low volume as well, but the shell is heat-moldable if you need customization. Another thoughtful aspect is that all buckles and straps are screwed and not riveted, which lets you replace them easily if broken or worn out.

So how does it ski? As with the Recon, K2 used three different materials on the boot, including a softer material over the instep to enable ultra-easy entry and exit. On the snow, the boot skis exactly like the alpine Recon. I could not detect any aft movement in the spine, and since the boot is identical in many aspects to the Recon, I was right at home. I have about 70 days on my Recons with zero complaints (see my Long-Term Review on the K2 Recon HERE). The 130 flex is not overly stout and has a very nice, even flex. The Mindbender is laterally stiff so all but the most demanding technical skiers will find that it performs extremely well.

The only downfall to this boot is that the upper cuff bails are too long for anyone with moderate to thin calves. A K2 representative told me they are aware of this and working on a solution for folks like me who had to max out my upper two buckles. Since all the buckles attach with screws, this won't be an issue for the chicken legged among us.

I wasn't able to test the AT aspects of the boot, but I look forward to doing so.

It's worth mentioning the colorways K2 chose. The 130 comes in a matte tan and black, and the 120 comes in olive drab green; both look very sharp. I got several compliments on the boots while demoing.

View attachment 66263 View attachment 66264

Hi Ron how ya goin? Thanks for the review, I am looking at these boots and had a few questions about them. I think you probably answered some of them in your review but here they are. I am sort of deciding between the Recon and Mindbender but leaning towards the Mindbender. How do you like the liner in them? Do you prefer the Recon liner in some ways or do you perhaps use an aftermarket liner? I looked at the liner in the Mindbender and tried them on and it felt a bit flimsy or something perhaps. And I have heard a couple times the flex is generally on the soft side and I tried some on in a shop and they seemed to be bit, difficult to say what they will actually be like skiing. I tend to be around the 120 flex range in boots I have liked or perhaps a bit lower depending on the boot/situation. So was thinking maybe the 130s in these if they are on the softer side. Don’t really see myself touring but perhaps some short hiking here and there. Also do you use or have tried a booster strap on these? In my experience these generally give a looser feeling flex, in a good way though ha. I like the forward lean option as I tend to like a more forward leaning stance. Also to clarify you stated these boots don’t change last when they go up in size? Is that true for the Recon as well? Also how has the durability been on these? You still skiing them? Thanks

 

[Philpug]

. And I have heard a couple times the flex is generally on the soft side and I tried some on in a shop and they seemed to be bit, difficult to say what they will actually be like skiing

I had about 150 days in my Recon Pro 140's and the liner held up well, so well I am still using it in my Lange XR9 Heritage boots, I really like the liner.

We just put @Wendy in the Recon 120 and she is liking that too.

 

[Wendy]

@Memphis
The comfort of the Recon belies its performance. Previously, to get good performance, I needed a very tight-fitting boot. With the Recon‘s wider toe box my toes can breathe and my foot isn’t screaming to be released at the end of the day, yet, I feel I have great edge control of my skis. Flex feels like a typical 120, whatever that means; it’s not soft. I’m very happy with them.