K2 Cortex

[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

How tight did you do up the upper cuff boa? I found the flex change very dramatic when trying to tighten the boa around my ankle.

I wouldn’t say I am cranking it but it’s snug. For sure gets stiffer the more you spin it.

[DoubleBogey]

Slightly looser heel pocket than an ultra and much easier to work on. I’ve got retrocalcaneal bursitis (bad heel spur) and I can’t be in a Hawx for a second. The cortex is much friendlier but definitely still there.

I know this is a Cortex thread, and I don't want to derail it, but the Hawx Ultra was/is a boot I've been looking at. I don't have any issues with my heel currently and don't want any but I'm drawn to narrow heel. I have skinny ankles, heels, and legs. Should I stay away from it?

[tenB]

Get the fuck out of the hawx, I wrecked my heels going down the same path you are on

Same. Seems to be a very common theme with the Hawx ultra. I never had heel issue before skiing that boot.

[gregL]

I know this is a Cortex thread, and I don't want to derail it, but the Hawx Ultra was/is a boot I've been looking at. I don't have any issues with my heel currently and don't want any but I'm drawn to narrow heel. I have skinny ankles, heels, and legs. Should I stay away from it?

Depends on the shape of your heel. I feel the upper part of calcaneus before bringing out a Hawx Ultra, especially an XTD - any sort of Haglund's bumps are a potential problem, punchable on the alpine version but often not on the XTD. If your heel shape is compatible with the Ultra heel pocket, the shell has the smallest cuff circumference in the industry which is a big part of heel retention, though the Cortex also feels very snug and the S/Pro Alpha is a close second.

[DGamms]

I have chicken feet (separate thread). Super skinny ankle, heel, and calf, but flatter arch and wider forefoot at the met heads.

A downsized Hawx Ultra punched for my Haglund’s, big toe length, and fifth met head paired with a HV Intuition (or originally a Zipfit) works well for me.

The Hawx XTD could not be punched effectively for the Haglund’s. Had to sell them after half a season of touring in pain.

Cortex curious though, sounds like a cool boot.

[GoldenBC]

I ground the heel on the cortex easily. Lots of material there.

[altacoup]

So I finally tracked down a pair of these. I was ready to pay full retail if they were as good as hoped. I normally ski a Doberman plug with minimal work and fucking love everything about them except how cold they are and no tech fittings (I have a pair modified by CAST but wasn’t impressed by the craftsmanship nor durability of soles). I have made a Hawk ultra xtd work for touring but it’s not ideal due to known heel issue when flexed hard. I’ve also skied a recon with a bunch of added material to take up space. The forefoot of the cortex was pretty damn good, I’d probably need to take up space above my toes. The heel hold however was not going to work without heel cups or a zip fit. Add a zip fit and you’re looking at $1500 for a boot. I could see taking the leap on a pair of year old new boots. But can’t stomach dropping $1000 on a boot where you just trash the new liner in order to get a tighter fit in the heel, and some work in the toe box. If it came stock with a zip fit like the Fischer boot I would’ve bought it. Flex of the boot did seem really nice. I really need to figure out how to get grip walk on a plug Doberman with tech toe fittings.


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[tompietrowski]

So I finally tracked down a pair of these. I was ready to pay full retail if they were as good as hoped. I normally ski a Doberman plug with minimal work and fucking love everything about them except how cold they are and no tech fittings (I have a pair modified by CAST but wasn’t impressed by the craftsmanship nor durability of soles). I have made a Hawk ultra xtd work for touring but it’s not ideal due to known heel issue when flexed hard. I’ve also skied a recon with a bunch of added material to take up space. The forefoot of the cortex was pretty damn good, I’d probably need to take up space above my toes. The heel hold however was not going to work without heel cups or a zip fit. Add a zip fit and you’re looking at $1500 for a boot. I could see taking the leap on a pair of year old new boots. But can’t stomach dropping $1000 on a boot where you just trash the new liner in order to get a tighter fit in the heel, and some work in the toe box. If it came stock with a zip fit like the Fischer boot I would’ve bought it. Flex of the boot did seem really nice. I really need to figure out how to get grip walk on a plug Doberman with tech toe fittings.


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How was the shell check in the heel? We have had some people need a grind there to get a better fit as it is very aggressive in the shell alone.

[altacoup]

The issue was the heel wasn’t tight enough side to side. I have this issue in Lange plug boots too, where as the Doberman is much smaller in the ankle and heel. I had plenty of room to get back into the heel pocket. Downsizing and punching for length really isn’t an option due to my instep height. I don’t mind punching and grinding to create room but ime adding material is a crutch. It’s something I’ll try on a cheaper boot. But no way I’m paying retail for a boot that needs a new five hundred dollar liner to make it skiable. Hopefully they stay in production and eventually year old stock becomes available. I do think they’ll be popular for a lot of skiers. But the heel pocket is too big for me. The fitter told me that only plug boots have a tighter pocket.

[tompietrowski]

The issue was the heel wasn’t tight enough side to side. I have this issue in Lange plug boots too, where as the Doberman is much smaller in the ankle and heel. I had plenty of room to get back into the heel pocket. Downsizing and punching for length really isn’t an option due to my instep height. I don’t mind punching and grinding to create room but ime adding material is a crutch. It’s something I’ll try on a cheaper boot. But no way I’m paying retail for a boot that needs a new five hundred dollar liner to make it skiable. Hopefully they stay in production and eventually year old stock becomes available. I do think they’ll be popular for a lot of skiers. But the heel pocket is too big for me. The fitter told me that only plug boots have a tighter pocket.

Got it well sorry they did not work out for you. But yeah they will be around a while so hopefully you can find a deal on one. We do have future plans for further liner development too so keep an eye on them

[tragicsolitude]

Interesting to hear the negative reviews about the Hawx Ultra. I love it, but everyone's feet are different.

I posted some of this over at NS, but I've been skiing the Cortex recently and like it. Fit isn't dialed in yet, but I see some big potential in this boot for freeride comps or if I'm pushing myself in the park.


In comparison to my Hawk Ultra, I really like the bootboard. It does a good job of absorbing impacts. The boot plastic is nice. It might be slightly stiffer than my 130 RS, but what I really like is the heft and how it interacts with the upper BOA.

I don't really care for BOA over the foot, but it does some really cool things on the cuff. It's hard for me to get that perfect tension, but when I'm there the fit is insane and the flex is so progressive and smooth. Upper BOA is a gamechanger.

Fit differences between the two for my foot are:
Cortex has a tighter heel and more of a pocket.
More square of a toe with more room vertically.

I initially thought the instep was lower, but I'm not entirely sure anymore.

I also was skiing it with a Gara LV, but I'm going back to the stock liner. My toes do not like stock liners and zipfits are superior in ankle fit, but the Gara LV will not work for me in the Cortex. The heel of the Gara LV is too chunky with my foot in it and it was causing me some problems. They are the perfect liner for my Hawx so i do not want to mess with them.

Looking at my friends Corsa, I think that'd be the perfect liner for me in the Cortex, but I'm not keen to spend another $500 on a liner at the moment.

I feel like I'm rambling at this point, but I think upper boa does make a tangible difference.

I'm hoping I can get along with the stock liner or shell out the cash for a Corsa.

If anything groundbreaking happens, I'll post.

[FloridaSnow]

Really excited to try the new recon double boa when they release it. The Cortex sounds great I just can’t do a LV boot unfortunately. My current recon 130 boa fits great but really want to try the double boa.

[tompietrowski]

I saw this on ski talk but I think it’s a really nice way to sum up boa cuff so thought I would add it here. “I just had a great discussion with an industy and PSIA icon and he said it best and I will credit him this one time, then I am stealing it for myself because we both voiced it to clarity as we talked. "Cuff BOA to buckles is like a booster strap to a regular velco powerstrap." It is as simple as that.“

[westoxified]

prob should have left that one on skitalk

[GoldenBC]

So Atomic does it better?

[GoldenBC]

Sorry, that was too easy.

[turnfarmer]

Does this boot have a a full width bootboard instead of the normal race boot type board that only runs under the middle of the forefoot and ends proximal to the toes?

[K1mJ0ngTr1ll]

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[tompietrowski]

A full width boot board was a key design element from the start. The style of boot board used in race boots does not really allow for shock absorption as with it being so narrow you are standing on the shell in places. This is aslo a factor in why that style of boot can be so cold to wear another area we really wanted to try to improve.

[FloridaSnow]

A full width boot board was a key design element from the start. The style of boot board used in race boots does not really allow for shock absorption as with it being so narrow you are standing on the shell in places. This is aslo a factor in why that style of boot can be so cold to wear another area we really wanted to try to improve.

What was the reason for doing away with the insert you could swap like the recon?

[tompietrowski]

The recon boot board is still an injected part with either a soft or hard heel insert. This new boot board is a full expanded foam version so it offers increased shock absorption along the whole length of the boot board and it is also much warmer all the way along. It is heavier but in this boot that is less of an issue.

[phil_dirt]

Which model is going to be closest in relative stiffness to the (newer) atomic hawx ultra 130? the 130 in the k2? I probably would just need the 130.

[tompietrowski]

They will have a very different feel than the ultra and be more similar to the Redster cs. I would say try both the 130 and 120 and see which you prefer.

[phil_dirt]

What about the cuff height? I'm not gonna end up with some super short cuff boot right?

[tompietrowski]

No the cuff is a decent height and we also include our power plate in the front so you can adjust the height of the front of the cuff and there is a spoiler in the rear so you can adjust the rear height. Play with those too and also the adjustable tongue on the liner and you should be able to get the cuff exactly where you want it.