The BOA fit system on ski boots has been quite the rage over the past several years, first appearing on the bottom half of the shell and now completely replacing buckles on several boots. BOA on the upper cuff only is rather new, with a few companies releasing boots with this design. Nordica recently released a video explaining exactly why some of their boots have gone with the upper cuff BOA layout, and the reason might surprise you.
The basic reasoning, according to Nordica, is that BOA on the upper cuff shows a boost in performance, while keeping buckles on the bottom of the boot allows for more comfort and saves time for those who like to unbuckle. The upper cuff BOA is available on the new Nordica Speedmachine 130s, part of their 2026 collection.
The men’s Speedmachine 130s with upper cuff BOA are available on the Nordica website for $949.99. The full BOA Speedmachine 130 is also available for the same price. In the women’s, the Speedmachine is only available with full BOA or bottom BOA, costing $949.99 for the 115s.
