Last tested
2023
Status:ongoing
2024

Mindbender 130 Boa

People's choice Free
Top of the Mindbender range with BOA dial on the shell and liner: for easy tours with limited elevation gain, where the focus is on the downhill
  • Buyer’s Guide reviews
  • In words
  • Technical specifications

Buyer’s Guide reviews

Performance by context
Ascent
Skiing
Walking
Climbing
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The charts show our impressions from testing
Product info
Category average
Recommended use
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Recommended level
Technical Level
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
High level
Weight
lightmedianheavy
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In lab
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In words

Intro
In line with market trends, the progenitor of the freetouring Mindbender family this year comes with a BOA. Or rather two of them. One on the liner and one on the shell, with the aim of wrapping the foot perfectly, both in ascent and in descent. Coming from an alpine ski background, the aim of the US brand is to create a freeride boot that can take on the backcountry, offers good lateral support and can cope with big verticals.
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product
Walking
Entry is quick and painless for a comfortable fit, the BOA on the liner optimally wraps the foot and mimics it when walking. There's a good range of motion at the ankle for freeriding. The BOA on the shell wraps the foot like a regular buckle system, but it works better on this boot than on the Atomic. The sole has a high arch with no grip for walking on technical terrain. This boot is best suited to easy tours with limited vertical where the focus is on the descent.
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Lab
Two micro-adjust buckles and a BOA cable-lace system on the shell, topped off with an efficient Booster strap. Powerfit liner with BOA system that runs from tip to toe, easy-to-use ski/walk mechanism with a spring that helps to lock it in place, but not compatible with all crampons. High-volume liner which in time can provide a cushioning effect. The shell is made from Pebax, ready for bootfitting. There's a PowerPlate on the shin to personalize the flex.
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Skiing
When skiing, this boot offers excellent rear support, while the forward flexion is progressive but excessively soft for a stated 130 flex. It's more for the wider public than the pros. The lateral precision is reasonably good; the high volume of the shell and liner provide superb insulation but do nothing to enhance the sensitivity of the foot. The cuff alignment is pretty vertical and can be adjusted with the canting screw, though the original position allows for a natural stance in deep powder. A solid boot, it's capable of driving fat and stiff skis used for freeride, or more generally when most days over the course of the season are spent in resort. Excellent shock absorption on bumpy terrain and off-piste sections between slopes.
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Technical specifications

LINER MATERIALS
Pebax
SHELL MATERIALS
TPU
INSERT TYPE
Tech
Buckle description
classic cuff buckles, BOA on shell with lace guards
Sole description
GripWalk
Liner description
Powerfit Pro Boa Tour
Thermal value
A
No. of buckles
3
Lean forward
12°/16°
Available sizes
24.5–30.5 mp
Released in
2023
Made in
Italy
Price
850 €
Sustainability
Designed for recycling: boot developed so that it can be disassembled and repaired.
Declared specsMeasured by us
We measured the measure 27.5 to get all the details
1.745 gr
Individual weight
XXXXX
N/A
Liner weight
XXXXX
N/A
Shell weight
XXXXX
314 mm
External shell length
XXXXX
N/A
External shell width
XXXXX
N/A
Inner shell width
XXXXX
N/A
Pin distance
XXXXX
N/A
Force to 20° back
XXXXX
N/A
Force to 20° forward
XXXXX
50 °
Cuff ROM
XXXXX
N/A
Maximum cuff height
XXXXX
N/A
Maximum tongue height
XXXXX
N/A
Maximum forefoot width
XXXXX
N/A
Maximum ankle width
XXXXX
N/A
Sole thickness at toe
XXXXX
97 mm
Min. last width
XXXXX
100 mm
Max. last width
XXXXX
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