2026 Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 S Dual BOA Ski Boots Review

The Lowdown

Full disclosure: I’m not unbiased when it comes to the Atomic Hawx Ultra boots. They are what I ski on a daily basis, both in the regular alpine version and the last two hybrid XTD models, and unless I feel the need for a full plug performance boot (rarely these days) or am touring, the Ultras check all the boxes for me.

My regular lift-served boot has been pieced together from several stock Atomic parts, and though it isn’t exactly available “off the shelf,” it could be assembled by anyone with a bit of patience and a willing credit card. I normally use the Hawx Ultra 130 RS shell with a Shock Stopper bootboard, Redster CS Professional PU-injected liner with HV tongue, and a Professional Dual Power Strap. It’s all the boot I need 99% of the time, and with a little work it fits like a glove.

Two BOA knobs on a single boot (not counting the liner) are new for 2026, but every big ski boot manufacturer will have Dual BOA on at least one model this season, maybe more. Remember that it’s labor intensive and costly to re-engineer a shell or a cuff to include a BOA H+i1 dial; you can’t just stick one on an existing design and call it good. That means introducing Dual BOA will happen gradually, one or two models at a time. For next season, most brands are concentrating on medium volume boots to add a cuff BOA to, with Atomic being one of the few to do it on a low volume last.

Ride Impressions

I’m not one of those people who can just take a boot out of the box and ski it. My forefoot measures 117mm, I’ve got heel spurs on both feet, and huge calves that sometimes need accounting for. I start the process by doing a thorough heat mold on the Memory Fit shell and cuff, and heating the Mimic liner as well according to Atomic’s instructions. This gets me 2/3 of the way there (the Memory Fit process takes care of my calf and first met bunion issues), and I could probably ski the boot for an hour or so after the heat molding but it wouldn’t be that much fun. The next step calls for punches in the fifth metatarsal and distal phalanges areas, as well as some punches in the heels for my Haglund’s bumps (a fairly common Hawx Ultra issue).

As with many Atomic alpine boots, the Hawx Ultra 130s Dual BOA comes with one rear spine bolt in place and a spare in the box. Though the theory that adding an extra bolt increases the flex index by “10” isn’t really true, I’m a believer in the connection between shell and cuff being as solid as possible, so I immediately drilled another hole and installed the 2nd bolt.

Fortunately, I’ve got other Hawx Ultras around the house that fit perfectly and a full boot lab in my basement – it’s a simple matter to look at a boot I’ve already punched and replicate the punches in another one, especially if they are the same model. Elapsed time for the heat molding and punches was around an hour and a half.

People with heel spurs – “Haglund’s Deformities” in the trade – may have trouble with the heel pocket in this boot. In my case, a couple of punches in the upper calcaneus area proved effective, but those with more pronounced spurs may find this problematic.

Hoping to make testing more meaningful, I pulled a nearly new Hawx Professional liner out of another boot (already injected with PU foam in a shell with the exact same interior shape), gave it 5 minutes in the oven to get the Mimic material soft and moldable, and added a custom Sidas footbed. This is the liner I normally use, so any change would be due to the new shell and cuff.

There are skiers who tell me that the BOA won’t work for them because “it takes too long to tighten up the dial” and they’re dead set on sticking with buckles. I suppose if this really bothers you (I find tightening the BOA to be sort of meditative) then the Dual BOA is going to be twice as aggravating, but how many times do you do this in a day? A total of 4 BOAs might add 40 seconds to the time it takes to put on your boots, but is actually faster when you take them off.

The narrow cuff dimensions on the Ultra boots make putting the boots on and taking them off difficult for some people, particularly those with tall insteps (though it’s precisely this narrowness that makes them ski so well). It’s critical that you widen the throat of the shell when putting them on for easier access.

Skiing the Atomic Hawx Ultra 130s Dual BOA was pretty much exactly like my old Hawx Ultra 130, with a very slightly more forgiving flex. Granted, I didn’t get the boots until late spring and the warm temps probably had an effect, but I could barely tell that I was in a different boot. That’s a good thing, since I’ve never really found an alpine boot I could get to fit as well as the Hawx Ultra that skied anywhere near as well.

Closely analyzing the difference with and without the cuff BOA closure, I felt the cuff BOA made the whole upper part of the boot function essentially as one unit, so where I intentionally leave the top buckle a bit loose on a buckle cuff boot to get a more pronounced “ramp up” as you drive forward, the BOA-cuffed version feels more linear. It’s possible that this more linear flex will appeal to skiers transitioning from a 3-piece boot looking for a snugger ankle fit but used to more uniform resistance all the way through the flex pattern, but time will tell. 

The BOA H+i1 dial definitely looks bulbous on the cuff, but doesn’t look obvious under pants. Atomic has positioned the dial further back on the cuff than some other manufacturers, so it’s much less likely to get hit in day to day use – a good call in my opinion.

The feel of the boot hasn’t really changed, with the super precise fit around the ankles allowing the skier to make very subtle directional changes using just a bit of ankle pressure, and responding equally well to hard driving turns pressuring the tongue. I’m not a big person, and the flex felt fine to me, but bigger skiers may find themselves looking for something beefier – Atomic’s got the new Remedy 130 for that, though the fit is a bit narrower at 96mm. 

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Who Are They For?

Best suited to the advanced to expert freeride skier who wants a finely tuned balance between power and comfort. People with narrow ankles and lower legs will benefit from the unique Ultra fit. People who want the latest in tech in their gear won’t find anything negative to gripe about with the Dual BOA system.