Boa or not Boa?
 

Good morning!
I am thinking about new shoes. Should I look at boa?
I have read several reviews, but they have mixed opinions


Is there different brands that are more successul than others to implement boa?
Please help me to decide for or against boa

Thanks

The Boa closure on Specialized shoes is the best cycling shoe closure I have ever used. Quick, convenient, secure, and durable. Easy on and easy off. Nothing not to like. Beats tied laces and Velcro all to hell. I have no experience with Boa on any other brand shoe.

Thanks,
Do you have one or two boa?
Should I look for shoes with one boa tie only?

One Boa...on each shoe. No experience with more. I don't think it matters.

Boa is so great! My new Bontrager Velocis shoes came with one on each shoe. Fantastic system.

BOA is NOT for people with high arches.

Velcro and other closure systems can be adjusted so that the first and third closure are tighter and the middle closure across the top of the foot is looser. Not so with BOA. Pressure is uniform across the top of the foot. Either the arch is too tight and the toes and ankle are right or the arch is right and the toes and ankle are too loose.


-Tim-

Wouldn't this depend on the implementation rather than the technology itself? Ie, if you have high arches, don't look for a shoe with a Boa closure that covers a large portion of the upper? Opt for one with less coverage per Boa, instead?

In any event, I have only had to deal with my feet, and not yours, obviously, but I haven't had a problem; if the pressure isn't showing the kind of uniformity that I need, I tighten partially, flex/arch my foot, which redistributes the slack, and then tighten the final two or three clicks.

As is always the case with shoes, mileage varies.

I personally prefer boas over velcro and/or buckles. I have 2 pairs of boas from Lake, which are great (their winter road boots and the winter mtb boots). I have 1 pair with some Diadoras, which I found to be of lesser quality. For some reason the boas on those shoes tend to get stuck and don't have as crisp action for the engagement and de-engagement. Finally I have them on some Gaerne road shoes, which I've found everything to be of top quality. I have really narrow feet, so most buckle shoes end up going all the way to the smallest notch, so boas work well for my feet.

i have mavics with their own version of boa.

i like it far more than buckles (fiddly). but they do get slightly loose over a ride. enough that i could ratchet it 1 click or 2 during the ride. (but i dont, because it doesnt really affect performance).

i like laces and velcros perfectly fine. only problem is when velcros are combined with laces... that the velcros tear up the thin silky laces if they come in contact.

which comes down to my last point, i think its really absurd when simply for the purpose of differentiation and introducing a new product, manufacturers will mix different closures on a single shoe...... utterly superfluous and absurd. oh and how they keep telling you how stiff the sole is even though its connected to that soft fleshy thing that is your foot, and that your legs transmit lots of pressure directly to the ball of the foot - not levered from the heel.

but anyway.

Double Boa FTW. Especially if you're lazy like I am, and tend to take shortcuts when removing shoes, which eventually results in the heel cup getting shredded. Boas open up in like a second. My shoes have 10,000+ miles on them and the insides look brand new. I do not have high arches, so I cannot speak to that. Feet like a duck-- long, wide, and flat-- so I never managed to find a velcro/buckle shoe that fit comfortably at all. The only choices for me are laces or Boas, and the Boas make life a lot nicer.

I have BOA closures on my Specialized and Fzik shoes, and compared to the ratchet system that my older Shimano's have, their MUCH better.

Not putting down the technology at all. Far from it. The popularity of BOA speaks for it's effectiveness.

I'm all ears and make it a point to try them on when I happen to see them in the LBS. I'll switch the moment I find one that works with EEE and high arches.


-Tim-

BOA works really well.

boa is independent of fit. you can see some shoes have single dial, or multiple dial, and the lacing at different spacing and in different patterns to conform whether to high or low arches.

Or shoes with two Boas on each shoe.

Yes, covered under the "opt for one with less coverage per Boa" comment.

I like my shoes that have an adjustable buckle at the ankle, and velcro lower down. It allows me to keep the toes loose and the ankle tight.

Agreed -- and my arches aren't THAT high! I find BOA constricting. (Had to say it.) I also find it a lot easier to loosen other closures, if I need to, while at speed.

I just switched to Fiziks with BOA's from Bontrager RL with ratchets. There is a BOA at the top and a velcro strap over the toe box. The BOA system is so much better in pretty much every way. Much easier to tighten to the right fit, and to adjust on the fly. They also seem to better accommodate thick winter socks, etc., but that may be due to the different shoe itself rather than the BOA closure.

FWIW, I have very high arches.

Double BOA on Lake MTB wide shoes. My EEEE wide foot and thin ankles (relatively speaking) are secure and comfortable. A single BOA would not work for me. Quick and easy on and off. I've never had a loosening issue.

With due respect, Boa is mechanical. Mechanics can break. Full disclosure: I had a pair of Mavics with Boa for about a week that turned out to be too small and were returned. Frankly, I thought the Boa was fantastic. Simple, secure. But I can't get past the unknown longevity issue. Returned them for a pair of all velcro Giro's.

Bottom line is this: if the longevity issue does not worry you, then go for it.

I have the s-works with double BOA. I've had to replace the BOA closures twice as they simply wear out over time. The good thing is that when I need to replace I simply go to BOA's webpage, complete a warranty form & receive the new closures in the mail. Super good service.


If I remember correctly I got something like 12k miles before each replacement.

Mileage may vary, but the last time I walked in to an LBS and tried to buy a new knob/wire, they gave it to me and said that Boa provides them free of charge for the purpose of replacing broken/worn units.

I've never actually seen a double BOA in the wild and would be interested in trying.

Bought a set of S works MTB shoes... 5 or 6 years ago? Two boa's per shoe, and I don't plan on going back. LOVE the system, and have had zero issues.