Check out the top ski and boot innovations for the 2023-24 winter season

Dalbello retired its Krypton/Chakra series of boots to make way for its new Cabrio LV line in 2023.

Pushing aside the sport’s obsessions with look, style, brand and color coordination, skiers know at their core that there is one fundamental truth: A strong foundation is the bedrock of exceptional performance. 

This foundational base is the cornerstone upon which skiers build the skills that are essential when confronting variable mountain terrain and conditions.

Manufacturers know this starts with skis and boots, and while they put out products that are aesthetically pleasing, they also are introducing technologies that help make our foundations stronger. 

Here is just a sampling of some of the technological innovations and features in skis and boots for 2023-24.

Blizzard Rustler/Sheeva

Blizzard updated its popular Rustler and Sheeva lines for 2023-24 with all-new construction. New models feature a more complex implementation of Blizzard’s Trueblend wood core. Stringers of poplar, paulownia and beech woods are placed according to density, with stiffer beech where it’s needed and softer paulownia/poplar placed where stiffness is less of a priority.

Blizzard also changed up its metal plates — FluxForm and FluxForm W.S.D. Previous versions featured a single piece of metal spanning edge to edge underfoot but tapered toward the tips and tails. blizzard-tecnica.com

Elan Playmaker

With its new Playmaker, available in widths of 91 and 101, Elan has built a soft-flexing, light-weight, twin-tipped ski that will appeal to those looking for a playful and agile daily driver they can take anywhere on the mountain, including the park. Both models feature Elan’s Tubelite Woodcore — carbon rods placed “to deliver smooth power and playful pop.” A 3D trapezoid construction removes weight without sacrificing strength, and a 360-degree sidewall maximizes edge grip. All-mountain skiers looking for a little more edge grip while charging carved turns on the frontside might want to consider Elan’s Ripstick Black edition. elanskis.com

Cultura

A special-edition ski that celebrates and supports the Latino community is available this season, the result of a collaboration from Nordica, outdoor retailer evo, and San Diego-based graphic artist Alberto Lemus. Cultura, which is based on Nordica’s Unleashed 90, is an all-mountain ski with a full wood core, tip-and-tail rocker, and vertical sidewall construction designed to excel in all snow conditions. Lemus, who is well-known for his branding work with accessories brand Seirus Innovations, said he hopes his work will open doors to people who might not be interested or are not familiar with snowsports. For each ski sold, $150 will be donated to three organizations led by and focused on the Latino and immigrant communities: Hartland Community 4 Youth and Families, Latino Outdoors, and the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. Only 250 pairs were made. MSRP is $449 and the skis are available exclusively at evo.com and nordica.com.

Lange Shadow

Lange, longtime ski boot builders with a tradition for developing industry firsts, is at it again this season with the release of its Shadow series. This new boot line, aimed at the high-performing, recreational skier looking for all-mountain function, changes the game by incorporating technology that delivers assisted performance through the mechanical advantage of leverage. Lange’s breakthrough (inspired by mountain bike suspension systems and developed in the “shadows” of its R&D workshop) is a dual-pivot technology — think enhancing your ankle by adding a second joint. Working together, the two pivots effectively extend the axes of the cuff to enhance leverage without requiring skiers to stress the limits of their forward-flexing range. lange-boots.com

Dalbello Cabrio LV

Dalbello retired its Krypton/Chakra series of boots to make way for its new Cabrio LV line in 2023. Still built in a three-piece shell design, the Cabrio LV, a “free-touring” boot with greater emphasis on the descent, boasts technologies to further enhance control and power function. Dalbello’s Dynalink middle buckle cable has evolved into Dynalock, the buckle now merged with the hinge point of the ankle to cinch down on heel hold to boost power transmission. dalbelloboots.com

BOA Fit

No talk of ski boot models for 2023-2024 would be complete without mention of BOA Fit technology, which is tightening its grip on the future fate of traditional buckle systems. Developed in the snowboarding realm in 2001 as a simple, one-handed way to lace up boots, BOA systems are now utilized in footwear of all types with 259 registered patents and over 200 million systems sold. The company’s H+i1 Alpine Boot platform is dialing in the fits on several boot models, including: Salomon S/PRO and S/LAB MTN Summit, Fischer RC4 and Travers, K2 Recon, Anthem and Mindbender, Atomic Hawx Ultra, XTD and Backland, Apex Antero and Blanca, Scarpa FI and Alien, Scott Freeguide Carbon, and La Sportiva Skorpius CR II. boafit.com/en-us/ski

Armada ARV/ARW

Armada has revamped its ARV and ARW lines with completely new sidewall construction technology. With “w3Dgewall,” Armada’s 3D molded sidewall is angled where it joins the wood core (rather than glued vertically) to create a stronger mechanical bond to the wood core during construction.

Producing a stronger, more seamless connection between the sidewall and core, Armada claims this technology increases edge hold at lighter weights and boosts durability. armadaskis.com