The 6 Best Women's Ski Boots for the 2020-2021 Winter

Skiers develop interesting relationships with their ski boots - some fall quickly in love, while other relationships can be summed up more as love-hate, or even downright painful. There’s perhaps no other choice of ski gear that can affect your comfort and performance as much as your boots. While we can’t help you with the other relationships in life, we can help you choose the best women’s ski boots for you.

Bad ski boots suck. It’s nearly impossible to have a good day in boots that are hard to get on, uncomfortable, and too stiff or soft. There’s an old saying at ski shops that you date your skis, but marry your boots. You can mess around all you want with different shapes and rocker profiles, taking a different pair of skis to the mountain every day of the week, but you want to be absolutely sure before you commit to your ski boots. Of course, fit trumps all in the ski boot world, so we always recommend trying on boots and going to a bootfitter if possible. That said, we can get you pointed in the right direction with our picks for the best women’s ski boots of 2021.

K2 Anthem 100 MV

The Anthem 100 is designed as K2’s most versatile women’s boot and as such it’s meant to work well for a huge variety of skiers. It has a medium width last at 100 mm, and has a medium fit throughout the shell. It’s not as tight and precise as a race fit, and is instead designed to be more comfortable for women with higher volume feet, or those who just want a more comfort-oriented fit. Combined with the heat-moldable liner, it’s easy to tune the Anthem’s fit to work comfortably with just about any foot shape.

The Anthem’s flex is also very accessible. The 100 rating means that most women will be able to drive wide skis in this boot with no problems, but beginner skiers won’t find the Anthem to be too stiff. To help with that adaptability, the Anthem comes with Grip Walk soles, but it’s easy to swap them for standard alpine soles, if your bindings require. And K2 designed it to be pretty light, so it won’t wear you out walking around the resort. If you’re looking for a solid, reliable boot that fits comfortably and gets the job done, the Anthem 100 MV is a great choice, and for skiers that have wider or more narrow feet, or prefer a different flex, the Anthem lineup has plenty of more options. 

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Nordica Promachine 95 W

Nordica’s Promachine series takes the technologies and performance of their race boot line, and adapts them to the needs of everyday skiers. That means you get the precision of a race-inspired boot, in a much more approachable and comfortable package. The Promachine is lower volume than the Anthem, so it’s a better option for women with narrower feet, or those who will trade some comfort for the precision of a snugger fit. And Nordica has designed the Promachine to be adaptable as well, it’s possible to have a bootfitter mold the shell to your feet, using UV light. That means you can still have that snug fit, but with bumped out punches in any problem areas.

While its stated flex rating of 95 isn’t the stiffest on this list, that’s not really the point of the Promachine - instead it’s a package that will work well for skiers that like to ride all over the mountain, and one that will means that less advanced skiers will have no problem flexing. Like the Anthem, you can swap Grip Walk or alpine soles. So if you want a snug, precise fit, with smooth, accessible flex, the Promachine is the boot for you.

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Full Tilt Soul Sister 90

 
 

Full Tilt knows how to stick with what works. Their Soul Sister 90 uses a tried and true three piece construction, that allows you to customize the flex by simply swapping out the boot tongue. This means that as you grow as a skier, you can simply buy a new tongue to make the boot stiffer and allow you to drive your skis harder. The Soul Sister’s last is 99 mm wide, it strikes a nice middle ground between wider options, and narrower boots. And the shell and liner are both heat moldable to help you dial in the boot’s fit for your feet.

The Soul Sister is the easiest women’s ski boot to get on and off on this list. The tongue opens all the way up, and it’s easy to slide your foot into the boot. It’s a small feature, but it makes a big difference when you just want to get out of your boots and into some comfy slippers after a long day of skiing. Full Tilts have long been a favorite of mogul and freestyle skiers because of their linear flex pattern and light weight. They absorb choppy snow well, and make it easy to drive your skis. So while the Soul Sister is more classic than innovative, it’s still one the best ski boots of 2021.

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K2 Anthem Pro

The Anthem Pro has the same DNA as the Anthem 100 MV, but this one goes to 11. The Pro, for advanced skiers looking for a stiff, aggressive boot. It’s got a slightly narrower last, for a more precise fit, and a stiffer, 120 flex rating, making it the stiffest boot on this list. We’d recommend jumping up to the Anthem Pro if you’re a heavier or more aggressive skier looking for a boot that won’t fold on you at high speeds in more challenging terrain. Less advanced skiers may find the Anthem Pro a little too stiff and harsh, and will be better served by a softer boot. Like the Anthem 100, the Pro has a heat moldable liner, and swappable soles, so you can make it work with just about any alpine bindings.

For a lot of skiers, a 120 flex boot is a little bit of overkill. But if you’re tired of dealing with too-soft boots, and want to step up to something that can keep up with you, and offers great support with a nice precise fit, get your feet in the Anthem.

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Atomic Hawx Ultra 115 S W

Atomic’s Hawx Ultra line was the original lightweight inbounds boot. They managed to shave a bunch of weight off the boot, without compromising performance, which resulted in a boot that’s much less noticeable on your feet, it’s easier to throw into quick turns, or navigate tight terrain. The women’s version has an updated fit that’s optimized for women’s feet and legs, and a fully heat moldable shell and liner, so that you can get the perfect fit for long days riding lifts. The real magic of the Hawx Ultra lies in its Mimic liner though. New for this season, the Mimic liner allows boot fitters to dial in the fit for your foot, but not have to worry about the boot packing out anymore in the future. That means that your fit will stay as precise and snug as it started for years to come.

Combine that with a 115 flex, and Atomic’s adjustable forward lean system, and you’ve got an incredibly adaptable boot that will work well for a wide variety of skiers. If you’re looking for a lightweight, customizable boot, with a flex that works well for intermediate to advanced skiers, the Atomic Hawx Ultra 115 S W should be high on your list.

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Salomon S/Max 90 W

Salomon’s S/Max 90 W comes has an easily approachable flex rating that won’t overwhelm novice skiers, but doesn’t skimp on premium features that more experienced skiers will appreciate. Out of the box, the 98 mm last lends itself to folks with smaller or more narrow. But the S/Max’s shell is fully heat moldable, and it can expand all the way up to 104 mm. So even if you have a wider foot, don’t rule the S/Max out, a good boot fitter can probably make it work for you.

Salomon has poured a lot of thought into the S/Max’s liners as well, they’ve got a seamless construction to help eliminate rub and hot spots, and are heat moldable along with the shells. So if you’re looking for a softer flexing boot, with supreme comfort, but still want the performance and features that usually come with stiffer boots, the Salomon S/Max 90 is a great boot for you.

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