Is Salomon's Latest Ski Boot Really Missing A Cuff Pivot?
Four-buckle overlap boots haven't seen much of a design update in decades, relying on a basic but tried-and-true design to connect you to your skis. Ever the innovators, the team at Salomon wanted to find a way to improve upon power transmission and heel hold without straying too far away from a design already known for it's high performance. Their latest boot, the all-new 2026 S/PRO Alpha C BOA, is the culmination of years of tinkering and feedback from their athlete team, and it features a construction unlike anything else currently on the market.
Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA Specs:
- Sizes available: 22.5-27.5 (W), 22.5-30.5 (M)
- Stated Flex: 130, 120, 110, 100 | 115 W, 105 W, 95 W, 85 W
- Binding Compatibility: Alpine ISO 5355, Grip Walk
- Closure: 2 forefoot buckles, upper BOA dial
- Forward Lean: 14.5 degrees (M) | 13.5 degrees (W)
- Ramp Angle: 4 degrees
- Stated Last Width: 98mm
- MeasuredShell Weight: 1510g (27.5)
- MeasuredLiner Weight: 530g (27.5)
From a distance, the new S/PRO Alpha C BOA looks much like any other modern overlap boot. Look a little closer, however, and some pretty crazy design details emerge. Most obviously, there's a BOA dial just on the upper cuff (with two buckles on the forefoot). That's pretty unique on its own. More notably, however, is the lack of a traditional cuff pivot on the inside ankle. Instead, Salomon uses what they're calling the MasterLink–a bolted piece that connects the lower half of the upper cuff to the inside ankle point. That lower half of the cuff is what Salomon is terming "ExoDrive" construction, and works by splitting the upper cuff into two pieces, delivering incredible heel retention by enhancing wrapping around the ankle and helping the boot flex as one unified, powerful system. It's basically a diagonal ankle retention strap built into the upper cuff that works to transfer power directly to your inside edge.
The 3D instep shell anchors the middle buckle system directly to the cuff (as opposed to the lower), delivering a stronger and more precise ankle wrap (much like a three-piece boot would) while allowing for easy step-in and avoiding unwanted foot compression. The system was inspired by the existing "ExoWrap" ankle strap found on the Shift Alpha BOA boot, that helped pull your foot deep into the ankle pocket without affecting boot flex and feel. A second benefit of the ExoDrive system is that it permits a lower pivot and flex point in the boot, allowing for a larger cuff (without making that peice taller and therefore less comfortable) to deliver better power transmission into your ski. Think of a boot like a lever: this creates a longer lever, meaning your leg requires less force to initiate flexing into the boot. It's essentially accomplishing something similar to what Lange achieved with their Shadow boot and its Suspension Blade Linkage and dual-pivot design, just using a very different design approach.
A look at how the upper cuff actually extends far lower than normal thanks to the MasterLink connection (removed here to show how the cuff attaches).
I've spent a few days skiing in the new boot already, and have been impressed by what the new ExoDrive system offers. The biggest advantage of existing lower-foot BOA dials was that they more evenly spread the force across the top of your foot and instep–with the caveat being that they often let that part of the boot deform or open up too much when flexing into your boot hard. With the new ExoDrive system, there's that similar feeling of the spread-out force (no weird pressure points), minus that unwanted deformation. It's kind of a best-of-both worlds situation, allowing for both that comfortable fit and really accessible and smooth power transmission with a damp, quiet feel the further you push it into the flex range. Overall, the boot flexes very progressively, feeling softer than expected at first, but almost immediately getting 130-level stiff as you flex into the travel, with a medium-fast rebound.
Fit on the new boot stays relatively consistent with the existing S/Pro and Shift Alpha, with a narrow last width, a super-wide and roomy toebox, and a bit more instep height (with the ability to crank that middle buckle and reduce it). The heel hold is remarkable, something that Salomon's engineers set out to build the boot around from the get-go. The stance feels in line with Salomon's existing boots: with a relatively flat 4-degree ramp angle and a middle-of-the-road 14.5-degree (in the 130) and a slightly more upright 13.5-degree (in the 115 W) ramp angle.
Despite the lack of a traditional inside ankle pivot, canting is still adjustable in 0.5-degree increments (with the included extra Masterlink pieces) and forward lean is adjustable via spoiler wedges on the liner. Interestingly, Salomon chose to go with an Alpine ISO 5355 sole on the boot instead of GripWalk. This comes at the cost of some walkability, but is makes it compatible with both all GripWalk bindings, and older alpine-norm bindings.
Inside, Salomon plays into the industry-wide trend of including very nice stock liners with the highest-end model in their lines. The S/Pro Alpha C BOA features Salomon's S/Pro CF Expert liner, a heat-moldable lace-up affair with an adjustable edgeless plastic tongue that eliminates the very painful instep pressure point issue I experienced in the Shift Alpha boot.