195 of 417 ski boots for 2026/27 have a BOA dial: brands, new models and prices

AI-generated illustration: a dial closure on the lower shell of an alpine ski boot. Image: Pick-A-Ski.

195 of the 417 all-mountain and piste ski boot models for the 2026/27 season close with a BOA dial instead of buckles, according to a count that Snowplaza published on Friday 6 November 2026 with data from BOA. In 2023/24 the same segment had 16 dial versions. Ten brands now sell dial boots, from 450 € to 900 € on the makers' own shop pages.

• Snowplaza's count of 6 November 2026: 195 of 417 all-mountain and piste boot models for 2026/27 have a BOA dial, more than 40 % of all boot models.
• In three seasons the BOA versions in that segment rose from 16 to 185, the buckle versions fell from 326 to 204.
• Stiff boots lead: 56 % of models with flex 100 or more have a dial, about 30 % below flex 100.
• The dial moves up: Head puts both dials on the cuff, Salomon and Nordica add a cuff dial, Lange and Rossignol keep it on the shell.
• Makers' prices on 6 November 2026: 450 € (Tecnica Mach BOA MV 100 GW) to 900 € (Fischer RC4 Carbon Pro LV ZF BOA).

The German ski portal Snowplaza published the figures on 6 November 2026, from an interview with Patrick Hackl, commercial director at BOA. In the all-mountain and piste segment, 195 of 417 models for 2026/27 carry a dial. Over all boot categories the share is above 40 %, and BOA expects about one in three boots sold in 2026/27 to have a dial.

Snowplaza's count of all-mountain and piste boot versions, 6 November 2026.

Stiff boots lead: 56 % of models with flex 100 or more use a dial, about 30 % of softer boots do. "Ski boots have looked the same for 50 years," Hackl told Snowplaza. The first dial boots reached shops in 2023 with four brands; the dual-dial version followed in 2025. Dutch retailer DAKA reported to skiinformatie.nl on 13 October 2026 that more than 30 % of the boots it sells have a BOA closure, and it expects that share to pass 40 %.

The dial boots of 2023 had one dial on the lower shell. For 2026/27 the makers move it. Head puts both dials of the new Kaliber Pro 130 LV GW BOA2 on the cuff. FREESKIER wrote on 13 February 2026: "Positioning it on the cuff eliminates the footprint on the lower shell, allowing high edge angles without fear of it hitting the snow." Colorado retailer Powder7 sees it differently: "There's no performance or fit gain with this new placement, just an ease of use upgrade." Mark Elling, lead boot tester at SKI, wrote on 30 January 2026 about the cuff dial: "Brands may market the cuff BOA as a convenience feature, but it also has a genuine performance advantage."

Salomon mounts one dial on the cuff of the S/Pro Alpha C BOA and keeps two buckles on the shell. UK magazine InTheSnow wrote on 21 October 2026: "All-new for 2026/27, Salomon has removed the usual inner ankle pivot so the cuff wraps around the leg in one smooth line." Nordica adds a cuff-only dial to the Speedmachine 3, next to a dual-dial version. Lange and Rossignol keep the dial on the lower shell with two cuff buckles. K2, Tecnica, Dalbello and Atomic sell dual-dial boots with one dial on the shell and one on the cuff.

One boot per brand, with the specs and the price on the maker's own German shop page, read on 6 November 2026. Nordica and Dalbello show no prices on their sites.

Sources: the makers' product pages, read 6 November 2026. Salomon gives 1,940 g per boot for the Alpha C BOA 130, Tecnica 1,865 g per half pair for the Mach BOA MV 130 Dual.

Bootfitting site Wayfinder, updated 28 October 2026, estimates that BOA boots cost 20–40 % more than comparable buckle boots, without a source for that range.

BOA guarantees the dial and the lace for the lifetime of the boot and ships a free repair kit; sewn-in guides are not covered. Hackl told Snowplaza that the claim rate is below 0.2 %. US site GearJunkie listed one downside on 31 October 2026 for the K2 Cortex 130 Zonal BOA: "Double BOA, double the twisting time."

Snowplaza's editors and Wayfinder give the same advice: try the dial boot and the buckle version of the same model in a shop, check that the dial and the cable do not press on the instep, and turn the dial with gloves on. A dial does not correct a wrong last.

A dial changes how the boot closes, not what it does on the ski. Flex and last still decide the match. A 130-flex boot such as the Kaliber Pro or the Code pairs with a stiff carving ski: the Head Supershape e-Rally or the Blizzard Thunderbird R15. A 100 to 110 boot such as the Hawx Ultra 100 Dual BOA fits an easier ski like the Elan Wingman 83 Ti, the Rossignol Arcade 80 or the Salomon Stance 80.

Our lists of the best carving skis and the best all-mountain skis sort by level, and the Pick-a-ski tool matches a ski to your weight, height and terrain. Whatever closes the boot, the ski still has to fit the skier.

• Snowplaza, "BOA-Verschluss am Skischuh: Das Drehrad setzt sich durch", 6 November 2026
• skiinformatie.nl, "Wintersporttrends 2026/2027", 13 October 2026
• SKI, "Head Reinvents the Dual-BOA Ski Boot With the Kaliber Pro LV", 30 January 2026
• FREESKIER, "First Look at New 2026-2027 Skis, Boots, Goggles and Much More", 13 February 2026
• Powder7, "Your Guide to the 2026 Ski Boots Scene", 19 March 2026
• InTheSnow, "Best Ski Boots 2026/27", 21 October 2026
• GearJunkie, "The Best Ski Boots of 2026", 31 October 2026
• Wayfinder, "New Ski Boots for 2026-27", updated 28 October 2026
• Christy Sports, "The Best Ski Boots and Bindings for 2026/27", 18 September 2026
• Maker pages of Head, Salomon, Lange, K2, Tecnica, Nordica, Rossignol, Atomic, Fischer and Dalbello, and boafit.com, read 6 November 2026