I Said Buckle Boots Were Dying. Four Years Later, Here's Where BOA Actually Stands.
Four years after the BOA revolution hit ski boots, our resident bootfitter checks in on adoption, World Cup holdouts, and whether skiers actually like dials.
Author
Jake Stern
Jake Stern is a digital editor at Outside. After waiting tables at Alta and skiing his brains out, he served stints on the editorial staff at Powder and Freeskier. He lives, climbs, and skis in the Eastern Sierra.
My Stories
Remembering Gee Pierrel, the Brilliant Ski Mountaineer Who Conquered the Impossible
The French alpinist was known for daring first descents on some of the world’s steepest faces.
I Read SKI’s List of the World’s Scariest Lifts—and I Have Some Notes
After spotting June Mountain's beloved J1 on SKI's list of the world's scariest lifts, one skier decided to set the record straight.
Fischer’s New Mystery Ski Is Hard to Categorize—Until You Ski It in Powder
The Nothing is intentionally vague on paper, but its purpose becomes clear in deep snow.
I Put More than 400 Days on These Ski Boot Liners. I’m Still Not Replacing Them.
After nearly 500 days of testing, here’s what these cork ski boot liners do better—and worse—than foam.
Forget Rear-Entry Boots. Atomic Joins the Mid-Entry Future.
The new Atomic Nexus 130 BOA shows how hands-free entry can finally deliver real alpine performance.
Custom Footbeds Are Overrated (and Often a Waste of Money)
Some skiers don’t need them, many are built badly, and a $50 off-the-rack insert might be all you really need.
The Simple Piece of Backcountry Gear That Just Might Save Your Life
This vital item can be the difference between a complicated and expensive rescue and getting out of the mountains on your own terms.
We Put 17 "One-Ski Quivers" to the Test. These 8 Actually Do It All.
Dozens of testers took hundreds of laps to answer one question: which skis truly do it all?
The 4 Ski Boots Our Resident Bootfitter Is Most Excited About for 2026
Legendary boots get a full revamp and hybrid cabrios are poised to take over.
This Nurse Completed Utah’s Legendary Ski Guidebook at Lightning Speed
Mali Noyes has skied 93 chutes in 47 days, and clocked back in at the Huntsman Cancer Institute when she finished
Tecnica Nailed the Mach1 Boot Redesign, But Here’s Why I’ll Miss the Old Model
Updates to fit and performance mean the new Mach1 LV will fit more skiers. That’s a good thing, right?
Armada’s First-Ever Ski Boot Is Built Different. Here’s Our First Take.
Armada’s new AR ONE boot turns old technology on its head to deliver better fit and performance.
Two Ski Mountaineers Just Descended a Terrifying Line on New Zealand’s Highest Peak
Christina Lustenberger called her and Gee Pierrel’s descent of Aoraki (Mount Cook) the most engaging of her entire storied career
Blackcrows Reinvented the Ski That Started It All—and Made It Way Better
Thanks to some big updates, the reimagined Corvus is looser, faster, and way more fun to ski.
The Best All-Mountain Ski of the Year: Salomon Stance 96
This versatile and accessible all-mountain tool bested the rest in the test.
This Ski Area Was Engulfed in Flames. Then the Snow Guns Kicked In.
The Bridge Fire engulfed the Angeles National Forest causing evacuations. But this ski area was able to keep its infrastructure safe.
Summer Skiing Is a Hot, Grueling Sufferfest. I Can’t Get Enough.
The snow is bad, the approach is long, and it’s still all I want to be doing when my friends are off biking and climbing
These Skiers Just Made the Most Impressive First Descent of the Decade
Outside spoke with Christina Lustenberger about what it was like to ski the west face of Pakistan’s Great Trango Tower
A Weird Winter Just Upended the World’s Biggest Freeride Competition
After two events were canceled for poor weather, will Canada’s Kicking Horse be the next stop on the chopping block?
We Definitively Ranked the Best and Worst Snow to Ski and Ride
We spent the past six years skiing the worst snow imaginable so you don’t have to
Want to Ride First Chair in Colorado? You’ll Have to Beat the Kings.
These two snowboarders have scored the first chairlift of the season for three decades straight
Boot Problems? Try These Modifications For a Perfect Fit.
It's rare that a ski boot will fit right off the shop wall. Here are seven ways to dial in your fit.
The No. 1 All-Mountain Ski of 2024: Nordica Enforcer 100
Testers once again named this burly charger the best performing all-mountain ski of the year
Review: 2024 K2 Anthem 115 BOA
If you’ve never found a boot that fits well out of the box, try this one on for size
Review: 2024 Blizzard Rustler 9
Meet the all-new Rustler 9, the lovechild of the old Rustler and the stalwart Bonafide
Review: 2024 Dynafit Tigard 130
This is hands-down the most impressive resort-meets-backcountry boot we’ve ever tried
Review: 2024 Peak 98 by Bode
This flagship ski of Bode Miller’s brand is charging out of the start gate at, well, Miller’s pace
Review: 2024 Völkl M6 Mantra
If you’re an advanced or expert all-mountain skier, the M6 is your quiver-killer
Review: 2024 Fischer Transalp Carbon Pro
This sub-1,300-gram touring boot can drive the heck out of bigger backcountry sticks
Review: 2024 Rossignol Sender 94 Ti
These all-mountain sticks score major points for how versatile they are on and off the groomers
Review: 2024 Nordica Enforcer 100
Testers once again named this burly charger the best performing all-mountain ski of the year
Review: 2024 Tecnica Mach1 MV 115 W
With a wider last, the highly popular Mach1 will now suit a wider range of ladies
Review: 2024 Tecnica Cochise HV 130
If you’re looking for a boot that’s at home at the resort but will dabble in the backcountry, this is your boot
Review: 2024 Lange Shadow 130 LV
This boot has some fancy new tech that translates to powerful energy transfer to your skis
Review: 2024 Fischer RC4 Pro MV
If you fancy yourself a World Cup-level skier, this new high-performance boot is for you
Review: 2024 Lange XT3 Tour Light 130
Finally, a lightweight touring boot for Lange aficionados
Review: 2024 Nordica Dobermann 5 S
This high-performance boot was designed to drive skis into trenches on hard snow
Review: 2024 Scarpa F1 XT
This is a lightweight AT boot that inspires confidence on big backcountry missions
Review: 2024 Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA 105 W
Skiers with wider feet will appreciate this new BOA option
Review: 2024 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 115 BOA W GW
For aggressive skiers who want a super-snug do-it-all option, this new boot is a panacea in polyurethane
You’re Never Too Experienced to Hire a Ski Guide
After a near-miss on Mount Shasta, one longtime backcountry skier turned to a guide to maximize his experience.
Four-Buckle Boots Are About to Become a Relic of the Past
Brands like Salomon, K2, and Atomic are breaking tradition and solving age-old comfort issues while enhancing performance in BOA ski boots.
Top 10 Resorts with the Deepest Snow Last Year
With a triple-dip La Niña cycle bearing down on us this winter, a look into the recent past seems like a promising way to chase powder, just this once.
These 9 Accomplishments Defined Hilaree Nelson’s Career
Nelson was widely regarded as one of the finest mountaineers of her generation, notching many first ski descents over the past two decades.
2023 Salomon S/Pro Alpha 120 EL Review
If you liked the Salomon S/Max, wait till you step into this new boot
2023 Rossignol Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV GW Review
A high-performance boot for advanced skiers with narrow feet
2023 Lange RS 130 LV Review
This high performance ski boot is for those who refuse to sacrifice control for comfort
2023 Nordica Sportmachine 3 130 Review
With this boot, advanced and expert skiers with a wider foot no longer have to sacrifice performance for fit
With Sale of His First NFT, Artist Chris Benchetler Ushers in a New Era for Pro Skiers
Benchetler’s work has been featured on 15 years of Atomic top sheets, on vans, murals, and in films.
Being a Local Doesn’t Mean You Can Be a Jerk
Localism is making ski towns downright hostile to newcomers these days, and that's no way to grow the sport.
