Boot: 2026-2027 Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W
Stated Flex: 115
Available Sizes: 22–27.5
Stated Last Width (size 26.5): 98 mm
Size Tested: 24.5
Stated Boot Sole Length (size 24.5): 284 mm
Blister’s Measured Weight (size 24.5):
- Shells, no Liners (left & right): 1367 & 1364 g
- Liners, no Footbeds: 390 & 386 g
- Shells + Liners = 1757 & 1750 g
- Stock Insoles: 21 g each
- Removable Spoilers: 17 g each
Additional Specs
Power Strap: 50 mm elastic w/ cam closure
Shell Materials:
- Cuff: PU (heat moldable)
- Lower Shell / Shoe: PU (heat moldable)
Stated Forward Lean: 14.5°
Stated Ramp Angle: 4°
Soles: replaceable GripWalk (ISO 23223)
Binding Compatibility: GripWalk bindings; MN bindings
[Editor’s Note: Our “First Looks” are our way of getting you information sooner on some of the products we’re reviewing, including our measured specs and the details from the manufacturer. Once we’ve started testing a given product, we detail our on-snow impressions in our Flash Reviews and our annual Winter Buyer’s Guide. When we’re able to spend extensive time testing a given product, we publish our in-depth Full Reviews and Deep Dive comparisons.]
Intro
Today, Salomon revealed their newest collection of alpine ski boots, and there’s a lot to discuss.
These new S/Pro Alpha C BOA boots will serve as the brand’s high-performance, low-volume offering for the 2026-2027 model year, with limited quantities of select models available now.
We’ve been spending time in the women’s S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W and men’s S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130, and if you’re a BLISTER+ member or have our Digital Access Pass, you can check out our Flash Review for our initial on-snow impressions.
But as we log more days in these boots, let’s take a look here at their design; what Salomon is claiming about them; and how — on paper — they stand out from the rest of the alpine ski boot category.
What Salomon says about the S/Pro Alpha C BOA
“This is the most direct, progressive, and smooth alpine boot Salomon has ever designed. The evolution of the S/PRO ALPHA C BOA® is all about giving aggressive skiers more power and control without sacrificing comfort. We reworked this boot from the inside out to deliver a high-performance design that responds instinctively on snow thanks to the new ExoDrive and better heel hold, enhanced energy transmission, and a fit that can be dialed in with absolute precision.”
The S/Pro Alpha C BOA Series
Salomon launched this collection with the flagship S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W and S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130, both of which are now available in limited quantities at select retailers and at salomon.com.
The rest of the collection will see its full release later in 2026, and it will consist of eight models (four women’s & four men’s):
- S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130
- S/Pro Alpha C BOA 120
- S/Pro Alpha C BOA 110
- S/Pro Alpha C BOA 100
- S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W
- S/Pro Alpha C BOA 105 W
- S/Pro Alpha C BOA 95 W
- S/Pro Alpha C BOA 85 W
Worth noting: once these boots have been fully released later in the year, the S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130 will reportedly be available down to a size 22.5, for skiers with smaller feet who still want a flex stiffer than 115.
Shell Design
This is the big story.
The vast majority of 2-piece alpine ski boots look fairly similar — they have a lower shell that’s connected to an upper cuff at pivot points on either side, typically consisting of a bushing or bearing placed just above the ankle area.
The new S/Pro Alpha C BOA models are an exception.
On the medial side of these boots, their upper cuff extends below the ankle and attaches to the lower shell via a “Powerlink” plate bolted slightly above the boot’s sole. The lateral side of the boot features a more traditional cuff shape and pivot point, but the latter is reportedly a bit lower vs. other Salomon boots.
Inside the shell, you can also see a small cutout in the lower shell (covered by a black textile to keep out snow), which effectively serves as the pivot point on the medial side of the cuff, since it doesn’t have a traditional bearing or bushing there.
According to Salomon, the general idea here is that the S/Pro Alpha C BOA’s lower pivot points and extended cuff equate to better leverage and power transfer from your legs to the edges of your skis.
This shell layout also allowed Salomon to attach the medial part of the instep buckle to the cuff, rather than the lower shell, which they claim further boosts power transfer and makes for a more precise and consistent fit around the ankle and instep, without unwanted foot compression.
Aside from this new shell geometry, other highlights include traditional buckles for the lower shell and a BOA system for the upper cuff. Salomon says they opted for this layout to allow people to independently tighten the lower buckles, while the upper BOA reportedly results in a more consistent fit and more cohesive connection between the upper cuff and lower shell.
The S/Pro Alpha C BOA boots feature PU shell materials that are heat-moldable via Salomon’s “Custom Shell HD” process.
These boots also come with the brand’s “Power Spine,” which allows users to swap between two settings: “Reactive” and “Progressive.” Switching this setting changes the amount of surface area connecting the lower shell to the upper cuff at the back of the spine.
Liner
The flagship S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W and S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130 come with Salomon’s new S/Pro CF Expert liner. It’s fully heat-moldable and comes with a new version of the brand’s “Custom Tongue,” which is dismantlable, also adjustable position-wise, and now features an “edgeless” seam finish.
Power Strap
The flagship S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W and S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130 feature a high-end, 50mm-wide, elastic power strap that secures via a cam-style buckle closure. The softer models feature more traditional, velcro-style power straps.
Soles
Aside from the blue version of the S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130 (which comes with Alpine soles), all models in the S/Pro Alpha C BOA series come stock with replaceable GripWalk soles.
Cuff Adjustment
Despite their unconventional cuff layout, the S/Pro Alpha C BOA boots still allow bootfitters to make adjustments to the cuff alignment. The lateral side has conventional adjustability at the pivot point, while the medial side can be adjusted by swapping in aftermarket versions of the “Powerlink” plate.
Weight (and Comparisons)
Our size 24.5 S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W weighs about 1750 grams per boot, while our size 26.5 S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130 weighs about 1900 grams per boot.
That puts these boots roughly around the middle of the spectrum for non-touring boots. They’re notably lighter than most boots that feature race-inspired shell constructions, but they’re not the lightest alpine boots on the market.
Here are a number of our measured weights for some comparable boots. For our measured weights, we list the weights of each shell + the weights of each liner, then the total weight of the shells + liners. Please pay attention to the size differences to keep things apples-to-apples.
Atomic Hawx Ultra 115 W S (24.5): 1621 g (stated weight)
Tecnica Cochise Pro W (24.5): 1285 & 1289 + 343 & 330 = 1628 & 1619 g
Tecnica Mach1 LV 115 W TD2 GW (24.5): 1337 & 1328 + 329 & 332 = 1666 + 1660 g
Fischer RC4 105 MV BOA VAC GW (24.5): 1324 & 1355 + 349 & 364 = 1673 & 1699 g
Nordica Speedmachine 3 115 W (24.5): 1700 g (stated weight)
Rossignol Pure Elite 120 (24.5): 1387 & 1380 + 323 & 324 = 1710 & 1704 g
Tecnica Mach1 LV 115 W TD (24.5): 1347 & 1348 + 350 & 352 = 1716 & 1738 g
Dalbello Cabrio LV 115 W 3DWrap (24.5): 1498 & 1495 + 233 & 227 = 1731 & 1722 g
Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W (24.5): 1367 & 1364 + 390 & 386 = 1757 & 1750 g
Fischer RC4 105 MV GW (24.5): 1408 & 1395 + 358 + 359 = 1766 & 1751 g
Lange Shadow 115 LV W (24.5): 1426 & 1428 + 341 & 343 = 1767 & 1771 g
Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA 105 W (25.5): 1384 & 1385 + 375 & 375 = 1771 & 1772 g
Head Kore 105 W (24.5): 1372 & 1373 + 407 & 405 = 1779 & 1778 g
K2 Mindbender 115W BOA (24.5): 1462 & 1456 + 375 & 377 = 1857 & 1857 g
Nordica Promachine 115 W (24.5): 1860 g (stated weight)
Lange RX 110 LV (24.5): 1876 g (stated weight)
Head Kaliber 105 W MV GW BOA2 (24.5): 1443 & 1443 + 536 & 536 = 1979 + 1979 g
Fit
As always, we highly, highly recommend trying on boots in person with an experienced bootfitter. Everyone’s foot is different, and fit should be the deciding factor for the vast majority of people in the market for new ski boots. If you’re looking for a good bootfitter in your area or somewhere you’ll be visiting, check out our list of Blister Recommended Shops.
With that said, Salomon calls the S/Pro Alpha C BOA a “low-volume” boot and lists a last width of 98 mm for a size 26.5.
For reference, my go-to boot for the past couple of seasons has been Salomon’s 96mm-last S/Pro Race 110. Out of the box, it fit my low-volume foot well, still accommodated my slightly wider ankles, and required no adjustments beyond custom footbeds.
Coming from that 96 mm last, I was a bit nervous about moving back to a 98 mm. Unsurprisingly, the S/Pro Alpha C BOA does feel slightly wider and higher-volume overall than my S/Pro Race boots. Fortunately, switching from my usual ultra-thin socks to a slightly thicker pair helped dial things in to be workable.
I can wiggle my toes slightly, which I like, and my heel stays locked in with no noticeable lift. That said, the toe box does feel a bit longer than my S/Pro Race boots. My heel stays put once I have the shell buckled down, but I might consider adding a shim or looking into other mods to get an even more secure fit in the long term.
I.e., I wouldn’t call this the lowest-volume ~98mm-last boot out there, but so far, nothing about its fit feels wildly out of the ordinary for this class. For more thoughts on the S/Pro Alpha C BOA’s fit, you can check out our First Look at the 130, where some of our other reviewers offer their thoughts on how it fits their feet.
Bottom Line (For Now)
Most of the time, when we get word of a new ski boot, it doesn’t look like a dramatic departure from what we’ve seen before.
Salomon’s new S/Pro Alpha C BOA collection is an exception. Salomon has tried something pretty different with these boots, promising notably better power transfer and a more consistent fit via their unconventional shell layout.
We’ve already started A/B testing them against other boots to figure out what all of this actually translates to on snow, and you can read our initial impressions in our Flash Reviews linked below.
Related Articles & Reviews:
Flash Review: 26/27 Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W
The new S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W promises a lot on paper, but what about on snow? Here are our initial thoughts, including how it compares to Salomon’s S/Pro Race 110.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
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Flash Review: 26/27 Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130
We’ve had multiple reviewers testing Salomon’s new flagship alpine boot — and A/B testing it against its most direct competitor. Here’s what has stood out so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
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2025-2026 Blister Digital Winter Buyer’s Guide
350+ skis, 70+ boots, and 280+ pages of honest, accurate product reviews and comparisons. Check it all out here.
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