If the old four-buckle ski boot system was built on a “no pain, no gain” philosophy, Boas are fast making it obsolete. Last season, a handful of companies, including stalwarts Fischer, K2 and Salomon, started dabbling in a hybrid Boa design that replaced the two lower buckles with a micro-adjusting dial; they created a more uniform and customized fit, particularly for those with a high arch and instep or narrow feet. But hardcore skiers still felt the old-school, foot-anchoring buckle system delivered better performance.