The Best Ski Boots of 2026 (Piste/All Mountain | Freeride)

We review the Best Ski Boots for the new 2026 winter season, covering the best piste, all mountain and freeride ski boots.  

Host Iain Martin was joined by The Ski Podcast’s equipment expert Al Morgan and Frazer Shand, Operations Manager at Profeet.

This special episode has been made possible by the Profeet Ski Boot Lab, based in south-west London. Profeet offer expert ski boot fitting, custom insoles and ski boot modifications.

SHOW NOTES
Watch our ‘Best Skis of 2026’ video
Ski Boot definitions and terms…
 Shell (4:00)
 Last (4:30)
 Mondopoint (5:45)
 Flex (7:15)
 Liner (8:45)
 BOA (10:15)
 Powerstrap (12:30)
 Walk mode and Grip Walk (13:30)
Sustainability (16:30)
Function, Fit and Footbeds (18:15)
Find out about the fitting process at the Profeet Ski Boot Lab (18:45) 
Profeet start with a biomechanical analysis and foot scan (19:45)
Custom insoles (23:00)
Customisation (24:00)
Visiting the Dalbello factory (34:00)
Get your free tickets to the London Snow Show (55:45)
Profeet will be exhibiting at the London Snow Show (56:30)

THE BEST SKI BOOTS OF 2026
 
Piste and All-Mountain Ski Boots

K2 Cortex Zonal 120 BOA(26:30)
£625
SIZES (MP): 24.5 - 28.5
VOLUME: Low
LAST (mm): 96 – 98             
WEIGHT (per boot): 2,179g (26.5MP)

These are incredible boots, delivering a ton of support and superb hold, in a flex that will work far better for most skiers. K2 has offered single BOA on higher-volume boots previously, but the Cortex is the slimmest profile they’ve integrated this into, and this time you get the benefit of the dial and cable system on the shell and cuff, on the Zonal models.  

Non-Zonal Cortex models have BOA only over the foot. The softer material over the instep makes it a tad easier to get into the boot, and aids shell wrapping, when you dial in the snugness. The heel has a slimmer internal profile than their other boots, and the lace-up liner adds to the excellent hold you get. 
 
You also get a cam power strap, which is not that common on 120 flex boots, and I much prefer this strap to a Velcro option. There are two bolts on the spine, and you can remove the top one if you want a more forgiving flex profile. They offer the Cortex range right up to the £725, all-singing, all-dancing 140 flex model, which is the only one with pin inserts in the toe.

Dalbello Veloce Space 120 Dual(32:00)
£580
SIZES (MP): 24.5 - 30.5 
VOLUME: Medium 
LAST (mm): 101 
FLEX: 120
WEIGHT (per boot): 2,050g (27.5MP)

This is the first season Dalbello has offered BOA on their boots, and they’ve added Dual and Single BOA models to their range, in this new Veloce Space line. Dual BOA is available on the 105, 120 and 130 flex models. 
 
The shell and cuff on the 120 are made of PU. They inject differing hardnesses of plastic, to take advantage of the phenomenal wrap you get with the BOA system. It also makes the boots easier to get on. The mouldable liner is beautifully comfortable, and the Adaptive Tongue construction, integrating memory foam, is so nice for the shins, also helping with instep comfort. The pre-shaped Ankle Sense zones enhance the heel hold. 

The 120 is also available in a single BOA (£540), with regular cuff buckle closure, like the 110, 100, 95 and 85. These single BOA versions get a lever you can release on the spine, allowing an easier walking motion.

Head Kalibre 110 MV BOA 2(36:00)
£510
SIZES (MP): 25.0 - 30.5 
VOLUME: Medium
LAST (mm): 100
WEIGHT (per boot): No stated weights 
 
This is Head’s Dual BOA offering and is totally new. The Kalibre boots have a clean aesthetic. They inject different hardnesses or plastic into the shell, to take advantage of the superb wrap of the BOA H+i1 system. 

Kaliber, like many BOA offerings, is a medium volume fit, with 100mm last. They have a new liner for this range too, called Synapse. They weave in Graphene for tech-level temperature regulation. 

The 110 has a Velcro power strap, although £600 130 flex has a claw strap. The Kaliber line features a greater range of flexes in single BOA and four clip versions, but the BOA2 models are pretty awesome. T