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Thread: K2 Cortex

  1. #1
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    Jun 2008
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    K2 Cortex

    K2 dropped their Cortex boot today. A low volume alpine boot with no buckles, and Doblé Boa. The 140 flex boot has tech toe fittings. No walk mode is present. It has a solid presence and is different to any boot they’ve produced before. It’s definitely a looker, despite the boa tumours out the side. There’s no doubt it’s a quality made boot upon initial inspection.

    I’ve got myself a pair of 125w to test out so I’ll update this Friday after skiing.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Initial impression is we’ve got a very low volume ankle, tight throat, narrow ankle, aggressive heel cup, low instep, and wider and taller forefoot, squared off toe box. The fit is less natural than a Hawx ultra, rc4 lv, or Mach 1 lv in that some parts are very tight (ankle) and some are very roomy (medial side of arch). But it is growing on me. Time will tell.

    A flat boot board at 2.5 degrees with 15 degrees forward lean is fantastic for me.

    The 125 flex feels very soft indoors. But nice and springy without feeling like you’ll pop your Achilles. The increased forward lean probably adds to the perceived softness.

    Doblé Boa. It’s different. Initial impression from everyone is it is not the best. Too fiddly. Not enough independent control ( can’t tighten forefoot without crushing instep, can’t tighten ankle without crushing calf). But the aggressive ankle allows you to tighten less than you think you need. You don’t get that pressure pulling you back, but you also have decent hold. A forefoot shim allows for a snug forefoot without crushing your instep. The more the boot is perfectly dialed in, the more boa works. I guess they don’t compensate as well as buckles. I also worry about upper cables cutting through the plastic cuff but that’s speculation.

    But then the flex of the boot is really nice. I feel like it has something to do with the boa but can’t put a finger on it.

    Boot construction is top notch. A huge improvement over their other boots. Heavy, thick pu feels damp and solid. The construction is simple. One plastic for the majority of the boot save for a soft plastic over the foot to make it easy to put on. This is slightly impeded by all the boa, but not a game ender. Zipfit go in easy but not as easy as with boa.

    Alpine and GW soles are included.

    Power strap is elastic with a cam. It’s not very centered but that’s and easy fix.

    Review coming later. Initial impression was hesistant and trending to more stoked.
    Last edited by GoldenBC; 01-20-2025 at 04:25 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    309
    Did the shop get any of these monstrosities from Salomon as well?

    I wonder if I need to stock up on extras of my 4 buckle boot that currently fits me well and zipfits go easily in and out of. As it seems like manufacturers are intent on pushing the BOA, and buckle versions may go the way of the dodo.

    My problems with BOA are:
    - it seems like it's trying to salvage an ill fitting, too large boot. I spend a ton of time with my bootfitter to get the fit around my ankle and instep (where the shin curves into the foot) form fitting and without any empty space. Once that portion of the fit is right, my forefoot is actually pretty loose, for all day comfort and warm toes. I don't need nor want the "wrapping" sensation around the forefoot that the BOA marketing materials claim.

    - buckles 1 (toe) and 4 (top of cuff) are pretty loose, whereas buckle 3 (lower cuff) is very tight, and buckle 2 (instep) is moderate. Seems like BOA just tightens everywhere uniformly and can't support differential pressure at different points like my buckle setup.

    - Once my fit is dialed I just leave the buckles at their correct (for me) settings and never have to fiddle with them again. With the BOA can you ever get back to the exact same setting every day without a lot of fiddling, tightening, and loosening back and forth?


    As @GoldenBC previously said in the "BOA love hate" thread:
    Quote Originally Posted by GoldenBC
    "Literally, tight ankle, wide forefoot, wide toes box, couple mm extra length. That is the million dollar boot. I don’t care how it closes."
    Word.

    Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
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    You make valid points. The nice thing about the Cortex is that is has a very tight throat so that tight fit around the curve of your ankle could be there for you. The boa isn’t needed for that fit.

    I don’t believe boa makes up for a large fitting boot at all. I think it works best if you barely need to change the shape of the boot.

    This flash review isn’t necessarily shitting on boa. I don’t think it’s necessary and I think the money spent on boa would be best spent elsewhere in development, BUT, as I get the fit dialed for me, there seems to be something unique happening that I’m curious to explore further. But yes, everyone’s initial impression of double boa is negative so far. That doesn’t necessarily mean I will not prefer it in the end.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    Hmm. Highly interested in the tech toe, no walk mode. Was super interested in BOA, but the more I think about it, the more I lose interest.

    Part of micro adjusting my buckles is making up for a liner that is packing out through the season, or two, or three.

    So while buckle two might change a few turns, buckle one might not. Same with buckles three and four— they micro adjust at different rates.

    Sounds like I’m going to be constantly adjusting BOA without ever knowing which (number/setting) I’m at.

    I’m a 50/50 buyer right now. Will have to try it on, which is not a valid test.

    I have well over 150 days on my RS with second custom liners. I know exactly what my buckles mean. It’s hard to predict that much intuitive reaction from a cable.

    Maybe I don’t want uniform closure throughout a traditional two-buckle zone.

    Hmmm.

    Curious to see how many (double) boas I see on FWT this season. Pretty hard to tell from camera angles, though. Gonna be pure speculation until athletes start touting them on their Instas.
    Last edited by gaijin; 01-16-2025 at 03:42 AM.

  5. #5
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    May 2022
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    An answer in search of a question. I was fine with BOA down low (if the boot held together as well as the BOA, but I want buckles up top.

    I'm most intrigued by the new Armada boot right now.

  6. #6
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    Mar 2020
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    241
    Apparently a local shop has some of these puppies. Definitely gonna go fiddle and try them on! I desperately need a burly boot with tech fittings as my kryptons are just not cutting it. I essentially want want Raptors with tech fittings. To me, Boa seems annoying, but I like how it made the lower Fischer shell conform to my foot, so there is probably something there. But I'll take any closure system so long as the boot ticks the other boxes.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by beeeom View Post
    But I'll take any closure system so long as the boot ticks the other boxes.
    This is the right attitude. Cracks me up how polarizing BOA is for some, it's literally just an alternative tightening mechanism that doesn't need to be read into that much as it is. Yeah it affects how a shell is wrapped, but in the end there's a million boots out there and some will work for some, and some will work for the rest like it always has been.

    This boot is more about being a heavy weight hard charging freeride boot, where the fit is something that previously was only found in a race boot with a ton of work done, than it is about being double BOA.

  8. #8
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    My biggest gripe with boa is it’s another reason to hike the price up. I mean damn, these new boots coming out are $1000 after tax.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #9
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    How is the instep height compared to a hawx ultra?

  10. #10
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    Jan 2015
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    can someone explain tech fittings with no walk mode? short tours? inbounds mini-golf? I understand I am old and falling behind what is current and cool, but I don't understand how a tech boot without walk mode is a thing...?

  11. #11
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    K2 Cortex

    Quote Originally Posted by aragon View Post
    can someone explain tech fittings with no walk mode? short tours? inbounds mini-golf? I understand I am old and falling behind what is current and cool, but I don't understand how a tech boot without walk mode is a thing...?
    CAST or other hybrid tech up and alpine down bindings. Short skins for extremo dudes who need POWER.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by sierra_cement View Post
    Did the shop get any of these monstrosities from Salomon as well?

    I wonder if I need to stock up on extras of my 4 buckle boot that currently fits me well and zipfits go easily in and out of. As it seems like manufacturers are intent on pushing the BOA, and buckle versions may go the way of the dodo.

    My problems with BOA are:
    - it seems like it's trying to salvage an ill fitting, too large boot. I spend a ton of time with my bootfitter to get the fit around my ankle and instep (where the shin curves into the foot) form fitting and without any empty space. Once that portion of the fit is right, my forefoot is actually pretty loose, for all day comfort and warm toes. I don't need nor want the "wrapping" sensation around the forefoot that the BOA marketing materials claim.

    - buckles 1 (toe) and 4 (top of cuff) are pretty loose, whereas buckle 3 (lower cuff) is very tight, and buckle 2 (instep) is moderate. Seems like BOA just tightens everywhere uniformly and can't support differential pressure at different points like my buckle setup.

    - Once my fit is dialed I just leave the buckles at their correct (for me) settings and never have to fiddle with them again. With the BOA can you ever get back to the exact same setting every day without a lot of fiddling, tightening, and loosening back and forth?
    Talk to me about how you get that interface between leg and foot tight. You have the right idea, but I've always struggled to get that area just right.

  13. #13
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    Mar 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by jacob_dbu View Post
    Talk to me about how you get that interface between leg and foot tight. You have the right idea, but I've always struggled to get that area just right.
    It used to be a matter of selecting the correct boot with a correctly sized (for me) "throat", and then maybe punching the navicular and inside ankle if those areas were painful. But now these days it seems like all the manufacturers are making even their LV boots higher volume than before in an effort to chase the comfort initial store fit. So I've had to inject more cork into my zipfits to get the fit and heel hold that I'm used to.

    For context, I had to move from my 2017 salomon XMax boots to a pair of new salomon SPro Alpha boots after the old boots cracked. The new boots required me to inject 2 full tubes of goop into my zipfits to get the correct fit.

    Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk

  14. #14
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    Mar 2020
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    241
    Quote Originally Posted by aragon View Post
    can someone explain tech fittings with no walk mode? short tours? inbounds mini-golf? I understand I am old and falling behind what is current and cool, but I don't understand how a tech boot without walk mode is a thing...?
    I'm 6'2, 200lbs, with a heavy-ass pack on casted 189 Stock Billy Goats. It's a pretty outrageous set up, but there isn't a boot (aside from installing tech fittings on a race boot) that can handle my thunder. I'm definitely not your average customer, but if someone is going to make a sick burly freeride boot, I see no reason whatsoever not to include tech fittings on the toe.

    And believe it or not, you can put one foot in front of the other on a skin track without walk mode

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by carlh View Post
    How is the instep height compared to a hawx ultra?
    Much lower. Tom says it heat molds well. I’d assume the throat will limit how much that can change.

  16. #16
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    Nov 2013
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    18
    I have been riding the Cortex 140 since Christmas, the shell itself is top notch. Heel pocket is incredible, narrow through the mid-foot and a more generous toe box(not huge but gives a little wiggle room). Stock liner is a HUGE upgrade from other models in the K2 line.

    As far as the BOA systems, I have not found any performance difference between cables and buckles. I love the fit and responsiveness of the cuff. For my foot, the lower cable puts a ton of pressure on my instep, and less pressure on my forefoot. I am a habitual unbuckler in all my other shells, so moving to the BOA system has been a bit of a change. If you free-spool the cable, it’s hard to get the pressure back to where it was before. That’s the only “issue” I have found with the BOA so far.

    The plastic is a thicker wall race plastic that has been proven to work for other brands, it’s damp and transfers power beautifully. I haven’t felt that I’ve over-flexed the boot yet.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  17. #17
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    Dec 2019
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    Quote Originally Posted by GoldenBC View Post
    Much lower. Tom says it heat molds well. I’d assume the throat will limit how much that can change.
    Ever tried on a MACH1 130 LV and care to compare? The mach was just a touch too low for me.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by K1mJ0ngTr1ll View Post
    Ever tried on a MACH1 130 LV and care to compare? The mach was just a touch too low for me.
    Much lower than the new one for next year. The only other one I tried was the one from years ago that had a massive throat and super low cuff. This has way more heel hold, toe room, and nicer shin feel and flex.

  19. #19
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    Dec 2019
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    Quote Originally Posted by GoldenBC View Post
    Much lower than the new one for next year. The only other one I tried was the one from years ago that had a massive throat and super low cuff. This has way more heel hold, toe room, and nicer shin feel and flex.
    I like all those things. Last years nuked my instep and cause me to brick after a few runs.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by sierra_cement View Post
    It used to be a matter of selecting the correct boot with a correctly sized (for me) "throat", and then maybe punching the navicular and inside ankle if those areas were painful. But now these days it seems like all the manufacturers are making even their LV boots higher volume than before in an effort to chase the comfort initial store fit. So I've had to inject more cork into my zipfits to get the fit and heel hold that I'm used to.

    For context, I had to move from my 2017 salomon XMax boots to a pair of new salomon SPro Alpha boots after the old boots cracked. The new boots required me to inject 2 full tubes of goop into my zipfits to get the correct fit.

    Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
    Yeah I got S/Pro Alpha's this year...way better than the Cochise I was running. Interested in these Cortex boots. I think I need some Zipfits...

  21. #21
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    From what’s been said I thought this may be too tight. I fit with stock liner and I took my Powerwrap and threw it in. Feels slightly more volumous and longer than my punched/squared off Tecnica Mach LV with the same Powerwraps, appreciate having the extra room in the toe box.

    It will be nice to be able to downsize the quiver from Mach+Cochise to one boot.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  22. #22
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    I like the sounds of that, hated that the throat on the Cochise was so big!!


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  23. #23
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    The mach1 throat felt massive!

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by aragon View Post
    can someone explain tech fittings with no walk mode? short tours? inbounds mini-golf? I understand I am old and falling behind what is current and cool, but I don't understand how a tech boot without walk mode is a thing...?
    I get where you are coming from but I was kinda shocked how well it works in certain specific circumstances. I bought Kryptons with tech toes last year not thinking I'd ever use the tech toes, I just needed to replace my old Kryptons for inbounds skiing. I have many memories of ankle and heel blisters from Alpine Trekkers in the 90s from boots with no walk mode, so why would that option ever be an option again, right?

    Then I realized at my local hill I have some sidecountry options with some short skins back in bounds. So I bought Dukes thinking I'd use my Kryptons with them. Conditions never worked out last year to try what I bought Dukes for, but on a trip last year i realized a short skin out of bounds would put me on a nice run that drained down to the resort, with a looong burly high speed traverse to get back to the lifts.

    So I skinned up for about 90 minutes with stiff newly bought barely broken in Kryptons with Intuition liners and got no sore spots or blisters. I was shocked. Besides a Duke toe popping out to tour mode which made me hit a tree REALLY hard knee first, the toe tech and boots with no walk mode worked surprisingly well. Uphill wasn't nearly as awkward as I thought it would be.

    But I have normal touring boots with walk mode for meadow skipping, I use those for most BC trips.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by aragon View Post
    can someone explain tech fittings with no walk mode? short tours? inbounds mini-golf? I understand I am old and falling behind what is current and cool, but I don't understand how a tech boot without walk mode is a thing...?
    I actually think this market is growing more than people are stating as they refer to it as niche. Of course, I'm referring to Japan. Everyone I see with touring boots in the resort only have touring boots because that's the only option. 99% of their touring is lift-accessed side-country. The culture here is to lap the chairs until the resort is beat, then take an afternoon skin out to another peak, ski a line, traverse back to the resort and maybe repeat that again. And long, flat approaches on skis? Forget about it. 99% of skinning in JP is uphill. Walk-mode is unnecessary.

    Of course there are people who primarily skin, but the market of which I'm a member is growing really quickly. Once more people who believe they have to choose between a race boot or a touring boot each morning, realize this option exists, they're gonna be just as stoked as I am.

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