Wow, another player in the beef boot arena! K2 announces a full run of alpine boots, as well as a tech compatible freeride shoe that is indeed a head turner.
K2 Pinnacle freeride backcountry skiing boot.
PR from K2
Freeride Boots:
Using the All-Mountain boot design as a platform, K2 backs up its dedication to the needs of the freeride market by offering freeride-specific boots. Until the new K2 Freeride ski boots, industry technology has tried to create boots to meet the immediate demands of the exponentially growing side and backcountry community. However, boot designers have either over-compensated for weight reduction and the walk feature’s range of motion, compromising the boots’ downhill performance. Or, they have focused heavily on downhill performance, resulting in a poor walk feature and increased weight.K2’s new Freeride boots maximize uphill capabilities without compromising downhill performance, thanks to the revolutionary, patent-pending Synchro Interlock design. The easy-to-use and efficient system allows the user to synchronize the release of the inner wedge and Interlock for free-flexing walk performance that delivers impressive fore and aft range of motion. A synchronized lock of the system engages the Interlock for ski mode delivering true downhill all-mountain boot performance, maintaining 100% of the flex index.
K2’s Freeride boot collection includes the Pinnacle 130 and 110. Starting from the inside out, the PrecisionFit and LuxFit INTUITION® liners are enhanced with Tour Flex Notches for optimal liner mobility, range of motion, and fit while touring. Meanwhile, the Integrated Tech Fittings embedded into the shell provide dramatic durability and accommodation for all modern DIN-alpine and Tech binding systems without having to change the outsoles. For those earning their turns, there is no need to haul more than is necessary. These Freeride boots watch their weight with a simple three-buckle design and a lightweight, extra wide buckle/strap, dubbed the K2 PowerBuckle, for quick and secure adjustments in and out of walk mode.
K2’s new boots will debut in Denver this January at SIA 2013 and will be available at retail in Fall 2013.
And the rest of the PR explicating the alpine boot lineup and general design philosophy.
Seattle– (Winter 2013/14) – Since 1962, industry-leading ski manufacturer, K2 Skis, has been committed to developing high quality products to meet the diverse needs of all-mountain skiers. Building from the ground up and applying the brand’s legacy and dedication from over five decades of skiing experience, K2 Skis is proud to unveil a brand new ski boot collection, specifically designed for optimal all-mountain and freeride performance.
The new eight-SKU ski boot collection, developed to complement K2’s All-Mountain and Freeride ski lines, is subdivided into two collections: an All-Mountain line, specifically designed for men and women respectively, and a Freeride offering for men.
All-Mountain Performance Boots: K2 has taken a fine-tuned approach in its All-Mountain boots and optimized the natural forces of skiing with the new E3 (Energy Efficiency Engineering) Philosophy. The innovative system absorbs external energy from diverse terrain and snow conditions, while transmitting internal energy from the skier in the form of precise power and pressure. The E3 Philosophy is made possible by the synergy of three features:
Energy Interlock- A rivet-free technology that integrates the cuff and shell. Producing a smoother and more efficient load transfer, the Energy Interlock delivers a natural flex with dynamic performance.PowerFuse SpYne- A rear co-injected “Y”- shaped design enhances the Energy Interlock by providing fore/aft flex efficiency and lateral stiffness, for sustained performance and responsiveness in all conditions.
K2 Fit Logix – Delivering performance, comfort, and a customized fit, Fit Logix includes the combination of a diverse last offering (97mm, 100mm, and 102mm), a navicular punch that is built into the mold to alleviate pressure during ankle flexion, and an advanced collection of INTUITION® liners that provide the perfect blend of comfort and performance, thanks to the precise interaction between foot, liner, and shell. The molded/lasted liners feature INTUITION® foam and a power collar, and Moldable Asymmetric Tongue for maximized power transfer and energy absorption.
The All-Mountain collection comprises six new boots: three men’s and three women’s specific boots. Leading the first class men’s SpYne collection is the SpYne 130, which delivers a true 130 flex index and is offered in both a 97 and 100 mm last. The SpYne 130 is the flagship of the line, featuring the Energy Interlock and PowerFuse SpYne technologies, as well as a PowerCinch Strap and molded/lasted PrecisionFit INTUITION® liner for maximum power transfer and comfort. Following the SpYne 130 are the SpYne 110 and 90 options, which offer softer flexes and correlating levels of features.
The SpYre 110, 100, and 80 make up the colorful female-specific All-Mountain collection, and feature the same innovative, all-mountain technologies as the men’s line but with a 15-percent lower cuff height, designed to accommodate a woman’s lower calf insert point, and a women’s-specific last.
26 comments
Hey Lou, first of all thanks for your time and effort….you put into the forums!
I was looking at the Garmont Cosmos,but have decided against it..after much reading. I have narrowed my choices down to four other boots depending on fit.
1) Maestrale, 2) Maestrale RS, 3) Mercury and the fourth being Dynafits ONE PX!. (Purely for touring)
My question is ..out of these choices,in your opinion which boot stands out above the rest and briefly why?
Edwood!!
Ed: what fits your foot is way more important than what anyone else thinks of them.
@Edo ditto what Andy says. The beef boot segment is growing exponentially and be assured there will be even more brands spilling the beans within the next two months.
This is the year of Das Boot!!!
This is pretty much the boot I was designing in my imagination this fall, if it doesn’t weigh a ton.
Do I have Seth to thank for this? Cuz I have to thank him for my ’10 skis anyway.
First glance at the pix, they look a LOT like the Tecnica Bodacious/Bushwhacker boots. Are they co-branding, perhaps? If so, those are a little heavy for long tours, but pretty sturdy for the down.
Hey, can someone check that these don’t wobble in the toe and refuse to release before anyone buys them? Thanks.
/sarcasm……on second thought, maybe not.
Like the Technica boots, this has a buckle/powerstrap combo at the top. I want a non-flexing buckle at the top of my boot and a powerstrap above it, just like an alpine boot. Why are these manufacturers not making that boot? Otherwise it looks awesome
I’ll withhold judgement until we see some weight specifics. Thx for passing on Lou
Good for K2. It’s about time they entered the boot market.
EDO, What Andy said. If you’re purely doing touring I’d consider all of those boots, and you could even use price as a criteria between the Scarpas since they’re the same last. But fit is the main thing. Really. Truly. Shift your thinking over to that approach. Lou
Stevenjo, I don’t think they’re worrying too much about weight. This is a freeride boot and I’ll bet it will be average in terms of weight. That’s just as well, freeride boots don’t need to fool around with shaving grams and possibly having durability or stiffness problems.
I’m pretty interested in exactly what tech fittings are in there…
Lou
Mark November 30th, 2012 10:06 am
Good for K2. It’s about time they entered the boot market.
This is the third time K2 has entered the Alpine boot marker, own branding back in the day with disastrous results, so bad it is tough to find info on it, most of the references are in their own brand timeliness poking fun of themselves, late 70’s, Full Tilt now, although none of the boots were developed in house, as they are either Raichle or Roxa designs, and now.
Maybe 3rd time is a charm.
green is the new red
Very interesting.
I had hoped last year that the technica bodacious would be a solution to clicking out of my downhill bindings and clicking into a pair of dynafit bindings with no extra steps. Unfortunately, you have to swap the soles out.
Does this boot have the same issue or is it a true solution?
funny how new school b.c. influence is driving sales in the old school alpine world. most ski area professionals are now switching to sturdy but walkable boots thanks to the previous work of b.c. boot brands. reminds me of how snowboards got people into “radical” wide and curvy skis. how about burly alpine boots with a walk mode? thanks to the backcountry influence, this is the new norm for the resort crowd. next thing you know they’ll be putting actual rubber on the bottom. is this the end of the parking lot slip and shuffle?
Woot! Stoked to finally see these released! I spent a lot of time working on and with this boot and the rest of the line at K2 this past summer 🙂 No weight is not a huge concern on these within reason, besides the Syncro Lock (Patient pending) not too much is particularly new technology, they just set out to make a really dialed boot that is reliable, functional, stylish, affordable, etc.
Brad, I don’t know of any co-branding off hand.
Ryan, if I recall they only come with one set of sole blocks that are din certified, the ones you see in the photo. The instep has permanent vibram like sole rubber. The idea I believe was to not have to worry about swapping it out or changing anything on a regular basis, hence the inset front dynafit fittings. And Lou I believe that they are from “an established manufacturer” not sure if the can release the name or will?…
Stoked to see some reviews and how these fare on the market and in long term.
Kirk, thanks for chiming in. I think Louie worked on some part of that project as well, but never told us much due to the confidentiality agreements that were doubled up due to his association with a certain blogger (grin).
The boots do look nice, and with good tech fittings they will rule I’m sure.
Lou
If green is the new red, was the old red the new Scott Superlite or vice versa?
I’ll hazard a “wild snow guess” that Seth had nothing to do with this boot because he loves his Full Tilt flexons; always has, & says he always will. This doesn’t have the flexon tongue. Cool looking boot. Nice to see the tech fittings on a burly monster of a 130 flex boot. Would be nice to see the same combi sole in the Full Tilt line. I think that would make a very nice combo.
“Game Changer?” Give me a break, K2. You cant sit back for years and years and watch other companies develop the AT Boot segment of the industry, eventually decide it is a financially appropriate time to jump in, and call yourself a “Game Changer.”
C’mon, the “K2 Power Buckle?” Looks like a Tecnica Cochise buckle to me. I do admit, the liner sounds awesome – wait, K2 doesn’t even make that part of the boot.
And I’m only even thinking about the top two boots in your line here… I’m sure the other six that are coming out are totally gonna change the game, too. I’m sure they’re absolutely needed by the ski industry, by skiers around the world who so deeply feel like the recreational ski boot game needs changing, and that the best candidate to do that is K2 sports, a $700 million dollar company that closed shop in Washington 11 years ago to change the game from China.
At this point a Game Changer is a binding that works like my 18 din Look Pivots and tours like my Dynafits. You’re not even pointing your corporate gun at the right target to do any game changing.
/jaded ski tech rant
Drew, you may be right about K2’s claims, but grandiose claims of new products that may be overly hyped happen all the time. Why rant simply against K2?
Here’s what I’d like to see, and it MIGHT qualify as an (almost) game changer: Full Tilt-style boot with tech fittings that is light, powerful, tours well, etc.
Mark I agree with you. Been on full tilts and have toured with them plus a Duke for 4 years. On the Mercury now and even though it is great for touring, it still doesn’t have the great downhill performance of the Full Tilts. Plus a little cold. If Full Tilt could put in a tech fitting it would be the best touring boot in terms of uphill and downhill performance, as long as it fits your foot.
Indeed, the best touring boot is the one that has tech fittings — and fits your foot! (grin).
I skied Flexons for a while back in my day. They’re good boots. But really, so are many others.
Much of boot preference has to do with how you ski and thus what you demand in a boot as you ride. Full Tilt Flexon could be that boot, but so could an overlap such as the coming K2, or for that matter a Dynafit TLT…
Stating the obvious, I know, but let’s keep this from becoming a religion like the DPS cult.
Lou
Another boots launche exactly the same like all others launched recently from the alpine brands, 3 or 4 buckles boots, overlap, semi rubber flat sole, transparent PU…
For sure heavy, for sure very bad walk mode average ski performance.
Absolutely not interesting for the real back country comunity, maybe interesting for side country and 90% resort skiers which wants to look like cool with their new “back country gears”.
I was expecting something more interesting from K2 as it’s 3 years they are talking about launching a boot line.
Does Full Tilt have a websit, how do I find dealers?
I’m glad to hear there are more manufacturers entering the market, but what sizes are they going to offer? I wear a 22, and was forced to tour for the past 18 years in Alpine boots. Last year I discovered the Scarpa Gea sort of fits with a 22.5 liner, but the shell is 23 and a little sloppy. I find the boots really comfy for climbing, but mushy on the fun parts. Any advance insight into the sizes K2 will be offering?
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