Best Crossover Resort/Ski Touring Boots of 2025
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The Safe Bet: Salomon Shift Alpha BOA 130
For the Adventurous: Fischer RC4 Pro MV DYN BOA Zip Fit
Historically, there’s been a deep divide between touring, or AT (Alpine Touring) boots, and pure inbounds, or Alpine boots. Sure, brands have tried for years to bridge that gap with the holy grail, a boot that skis as well as your favorite alpine boots but can still walk uphill efficiently.
Historically, most of those attempts have fallen short of that goal, but over the past few seasons, boot brands have finally cracked the code, and this year’s crop of crossover boots is the best yet. There are many names these boots go by—crossover, 50/50, freetour, hybrid, freeride—but they’re all meant to bridge the gap between inbounds and backcountry performance.
Best of both worlds: Salomon Shift Alpha BOA
Best high-performance inbounds boot with a walk mode: Atomic Hawx XTD 130
Best touring boot that can handle inbounds skiing: Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro
Best alpine boot with tech fittings: Fischer RC4 Pro MV DYN BOA Zip Fit
Best for skiers with wider feet: K2 Mindbender 140 BOA/Mindbender 115W BOA
Best for fans of three-piece boots: Dalbello Cabrio Free LV 130
Best for freestyle skiers venturing into the backcountry: Phaenom FR 130
So, what makes a crossover boot great, and what sort of skiers should be shopping for one? Well, ever since COVID-19 shut down ski resorts all over the world, backcountry skiing has surged in popularity.
More and more folks are learning that walking uphill to earn their turns is an enjoyable way to experience the mountains. But we get it, purchasing a dedicated setup just to tour on occasionally adds an extra layer of expense and complexity. So brands have started offering skis, boots, and bindings that can walk uphill but still have the comfort, safety, and power that your average skier is looking for.
These boots would also make a great option for those lucky few folks who ski enough that they might want to add a dedicated boot to the quiver for travel, snowmobile-access skiing, or wearing to work as a ski patroller, mechanized ski guide, or production person.
Photo: Carter Edwards
In other words, the boots in this class are great for anyone who is splitting their time between the resort and the backcountry and only wants to use one setup or anyone who is thinking that they might want to try backcountry skiing at some point. All of the boots on this list have tech fittings (to work with pin bindings) and a walk mode. But that doesn’t mean that they’re incompatible with the rest of your gear. It just means that they have a broader use window whether or not you ever take advantage of that.
If you want your new gear to be future proof, you should be shopping for a crossover AT boot. It will perform well inbounds, doing what you’re used to, but if you ever decide that you want to get into backcountry skiing, you’ll be ready with a boot that’s prepared to go uphill. And if you never get into backcountry skiing, well, you’ll appreciate how much easier the walk mode makes getting around the base area.
Like all choices in skiing, every crossover boot comes with compromises. It’s hard to make lighter boots ski downhill with quite the power and suspension of heavier boots. And it’s hard to make heavier boots go uphill with the efficiency of lighter boots. So, even though some folks call this class of boots “50/50” boots, for the split between inbounds and touring, the precise ratio is rarely that simple. So it’s a good idea to be honest with yourself about how much time you’ll spend touring on these boots and how much time you’ll spend skiing inbounds.
We’ve classified each of these boots with our suggested ratios of inbounds to uphill use. Any of these boots can be used for 100 percent touring or 100 percent inbounds skiing with no issues, but this split represents what they’re best at. So that number is a good place to start, along with determining which boots will work best for your foot.
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Best of Both Worlds: Salomon Shift Alpha BOA
Stated Flex: 130
Weight (size 27.5): 1800 g
Our suggested inbounds-to-touring ratio: 50/50
Best for: Skiers who spend equal amounts of time aggressively skiing in the resort and backcountry.
Read Powder's full review of the Salomon Shift Alpha BOA 130.
With the newly-released Shift Alpha BOA 130, Salomon completely rethinks the walk-mode freeride BOA boot, turning it into something that weight-conscious gear nerds should consider taking into the backcountry for aggressive riding. It’s not the lightest, but a generous walk mode paired with an innovative BOA-connected ankle strap combines uphill and downhill performance nicely. Fit is on the narrower and lower volume side, but a heat moldable shell and a high-end stock liner make fitting a breeze.
The Shift Alpha BOA is an excellent option for two types of skiers. First, this is a safe one-boot option for a skier that values downhill performance and frequents a resort with lots of sidecountry access that includes bootpacks, skin-access lines, and complicated exits. Secondly, this would make an excellent choice for a skier that already owns dedicated alpine boots and lighter touring boots and wants to add an “in-between” boot—very useful for those who work in their ski boots like guides or patrollers.
Best High-Performance Resort Boot With a Walk Mode: Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130
Stated Flex: 130
Weight (size 27.5): 1850 g
Our suggested inbounds-to-touring ratio: 70/30
Best for: Skiers who want a resort boot that can bump short backcountry laps.
Read Powder's full review of the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130.
Atomic’s Hawx XTD line has been a leader in this crossover category for a long time, but the most recent version received a significant overhaul that positions it as an even more compelling option. Despite it coming out last year, it's still one of our favorite boots.
Thanks to the heavier-duty plastic used in the shell, the Hawx truly skis like a 130 flex alpine boot, with all the power, support, and suspension that entails. If you’re mostly planning on skiing inbounds and might tour a little, this is one of the best options available. And the women’s version is available in smaller sizes than many other boots, down to a 22/22.5.
The change in plastic did make the Hawx heavier, so it won’t be as efficient on big backcountry days as some other options. The boot comes in various last widths, including the Ultra (narrow), Prime (medium), and Magna (very wide), and even has options with a BOA if that's your thing. Talk to a bootfitter if you have wide or tall feet to figure out which version is best for you. But, if you’re looking for the pinnacle of inbounds performance with the ability to still go uphill, check out the Hawx Ultra XTD 130.
Best Touring Boot That Can Handle Inbounds Skiing: Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro
Stated Flex: 130
Weight (size 26.5): 1290 g
Our suggested inbounds-to-touring ratio: 20/80
Best for: Skiers who want a stiff touring boot that can handle some inbounds skiing.
Read Powder's full review of the Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro.
Tecnica’s Zero G Tour Pro has been around for a while, and throughout its various generations has proven itself as one of the best-performing and most popular backcountry boots on the market, despite some durability and fit issues and an annoyingly upright forward lean. The new 2025 version directly addresses all the old pain points with some clever updates to reset the gold standard for how a walking boot should ski.
In simple terms, the boot is stiff. It’s also really progressive, and dampens vibrations and impacts the way a much heavier alpine boot would. It walks like a boot with lightweight Grilamid plastic, but it sure doesn't ski like one, meaning it features the shock-absorbing flex of heavier plastics.
This boot is for any and all backcountry skiers that get along with the narrow and relatively low-volume fit. It’s a versatile boot that we’d take pretty much anywhere, from technical ski mountaineering objectives to deep-snow freeride missions to spinning resort laps while waiting for the backcountry gates to open. It’s comfortable, it’s really light, and it skis so damn well.
One thing to note is that since this boot features an Alpine Touring (ISO 9523) sole, it isn't technically compatible with most alpine binding but would be a great option to use with a SHIFT2 hybrid binding or any pin binding. To be sure, look for a binding that is Multinorm (MNC) Certified.
Best Alpine Boot With Tech Fittings: Fischer RC4 Pro MV DYN BOA Zip Fit
Stated Flex: 140
Weight (size 26.5): 2130 g
Our suggested inbounds-to-touring ratio: 90/10
Best for: Those of us who can tolerate touring without a walk mode.
Read Powder's full review of the Fischer RC4 Pro MV DYN BOA Zip Fit.
The ski boot perfectionists at Fischer present a truly unique offering with the new Fischer RC4 Pro MV DYN BOA ZipFit. The name is a mouthful, but the boot is actually devoid of many features—and that’s the point. There’s no walk mode, only half a tech fitting (just in the toe), a BOA down low and two buckles up top, plus a beefy power strap on the cuff. It looks a lot like their pro-level race boots, and that's on purpose.
It’s labeled an RC4 after all, and the stated 140 flex is an understatement. This boot is REALLY stiff. The medium-volume adjustable last will expand from 97-103mm thanks to the BOA dial, and further customization can be achieved easily by adding cork to and molding the included ZipFit liner—no need to ever upgrade these.
While the boot doesn't actually tour well and won’t replace a dedicated backcountry boot, the toe tech fittings will pair with a hybrid touring binding like the Shift, CAST, or Duke PT systems for short skins. This one is definitely not for everyone, but it might just be the perfect boot for those looking to go big with the help of a snowmobile, cat, or heli and lap a spicy zone where every bit of performance matters.
Best for Skiers With Wider Feet: K2 Mindbender 140 BOA / Mindbender 115W BOA
View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article
Stated Flex: 140 / 115 (women's)
Weight (size 26.5): 1816 g
Our suggested inbounds-to-touring ratio: 70/30
Best for: mostly inbounds skiing, with the option to tour, for skiers with wide feet.
Read Powder's review on the K2 Mindbender 140 and K2 Mindbender 115 W.
Much like the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD, we were really impressed with how well K2's Mindbender boots skied in the resort. Both the men's and women's versions use the same BOA closure on the forefoot and have a similar target audience. But we found that the Mindbenders leverage that BOA closure to better advantage than the Hawx. While the Hawx Ultra has a narrow, low-volume fit, the Mindbender shell is much wider, with a higher volume throughout. But, the BOA system allows you to crank it down tighter, if you have smaller feet, than regular buckles do.
Beyond that, we found that the Mindbender 140 is likely the stiffest boot with a walk mode we've ever tested, and the power ramps up consistently with plenty of stability and damping. These boots will work just fine for purely inbounds skiers but have a surprisingly smooth range of motion and walk just fine.
The extra BOA on the 140's Intuition wrap liner makes it easy to cinch down the fit to ward off blisters, and the elastic power strap provides a nice rebound. The Mindbenders are just a really easy boot to recommend to a lot of skiers, and that universal appeal helps it stand out. If you have wide feet and like to spend most of your day at the resort but are keen to venture into the resort periphera when the crowds pick up, these are an excellent choice.
Best for Fans of Three-Piece Boots: Dalbello Cabrio Free LV 130
Stated Flex: 130
Weight (size 27): 1900 g
Our suggested inbounds-to-touring ratio: 70/30
Best for: Skiers who want a 3-piece shell with a walk mode.
For years, one of those "holy grail" freeride boots was Dalbello's Lupo TI 130. It graced the feet of many pro athletes who charged hard both in and out of bounds and loved the feel of a three-piece shell that provided a stiff but even flex, meaning it didn't feel like flexing into a wall as your shins flexed further into the boot. Skiers felt it provided the boot with some extra damping and suspension. The Lupo has since evolved into the new Cabrio Free boot series, with a whole suit of last widths and flex ratings.
The highest-performance version is the Cabrio Free LV 130, which features a walk mode, tech inserts, and Dalbello's Intuition-style 3DensityWrap Max Hike Liner. It's a wrap liner that has some rearward flexibility for touring. Whereas the older Lupo required the user to remove the tongue for full range of motion while ascending, the new Cabrio Free has a clever tongue design that negates that need. Just transition like a normal touring boot and head on up that mountain.
Best for Freestyle Skiers Venturing Into the Backcountry: Phaenom FR130
Stated Flex: 130
Weight (size 27.5): 2130 g
Our suggested inbounds-to-touring ratio: 60/40
Best for: Freestyle skiers venturing into the backcountry.
We'll forgive you if you haven't heard of the new kid on the block. Phaenom Footwear is a new outfit focused on reinventing how ski boots should be made, with a heavy emphasis on sustainability. They are owned by Faction Skis' parent company, Full Stack Supply Co.
The FR 130 is a 130-flex freetouring boot that’s a completely fresh take on how these kinds of boots should be made. Echoing the beloved two-buckle freestyle boots of the mid-2000s, like the Salomon Ghost and SPK, the all-black Phaenom FR130 looks very out of the ordinary. There are two prominent buckles, a massive rubber power strap, and a hybrid tongue+overlap design, tech inserts, and a heavy-duty walk mode mechanism on the back.
It’s clearly designed to be simple and burly, focused on offering a comfortable, damp and shock-absorbing ride for park skiers looking to jump off backcountry features. The intentionally wide 102mm last and shock-absorbing boot board add comfort for longer days of touring and big impacts from landings. This boot is an excellent choice for aggressive freestyle-focused resort skiers that spend equal time in and out of bounds.
