Joining the club alongside Salomon's Shift Alpha BOA 130, this boot establishes itself as a top contender in the backcountry freeride category. Nestling in between the Tecnica Zero G and Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD, the Alpha splashes down as a potential for the one boot quiver. While not recommended, the Alpha will meet the criteria for an all-day in-bounds and out-of-bounds ripper.
As you could have guessed, The new Shift Alpha features a BOA closure system! But this isn't your typical BOA setup. While it may still look like the same BOA H+i1 fit system, it's designed in a much cooler way. The dial is on the outside of your foot, across from your navicular bone, and the cable attaches to the inside ankle pivot with a strap. This helps pull your foot into the ankle pocket instead of squishing it. Plus, the top has two regular buckles and a 50mm elastic power strap that's a fancy Salomon Booster Strap. And to top it off, all the hardware is just screws and bolts, making it super easy to fix and tinker with.