These are no light weight touring boots but that is not what the designers wanted to make.
These bolts help make the boots stiffer and give the boot a more consistent flex.
However using bolts does cause stress on the cuff in the place the bolts are located.
Because of this instead of bolting or riveting the cuff, K2 use their Interlock system.
Along with Interlock K2 use what they call a Powerfuse Spyne.
The Powerfuse Spyne I did think had promise.
Powerlock buckle
One feature that is exclusive to the Pinnacle 130 is the Powerlock buckle.
In essence it is a power strap which you close using a buckle rather then just pulling it tight.
Tech Compatible Din Soles
This is probably the Pinnacles biggest selling point.
It is the only boot currently on the market which is compatible with all binding options.
As standard the boots come with a replaceable sole which is Din compatible.
As of next season K2 will be offering Vibram sole options for the pinnacle.
Although these soles will not be WTR compatible they will work with tech bindings and the Marker Kingpin.
Custom Intuition Liner
K2 decided to go with Intuition liners throughout the whole range of boots.
The liners used differ slightly boot to boot but the Pinnacle 130 uses the top end PrecisionFit Tour liner.
There is a standard firm base to the liner which makes fitting much easier.
One area K2 customized the liners is adding plastic to the cuff area.
This reinforcement is designed to further improve the power transfer of the cuff.
On the back of the liner is a mid firm rubber spoiler (not pictured above).
The spoiler is attached with Velcro so it is very quick and easy to adjust the position.
The cuff is released in a similar fashion to most of the current freeride boots on the market.
A wedge piece is used to stop the cuff flexing back when in ski mode.
Inside the wedge is a square cutout which matches a raised section on the clog.
This is the method K2 is using to lock the shell and clog.
The way this is achieved is fairly simply.
It is a simply idea but is very effective.
Speaking of spare parts this is something K2 is doing very well.
A softer boot board added to a Spyne could make them a great option for the park.
The smaller piece goes in the larger and the cuff bolt goes in the hole in the smaller one.
One area which is quite low volume is the heel.
I do not have a particularly high volume heel but the shell is rather tight on my foot.
If I’m being honest I would say I was a little underwhelmed by the fit of the shell.
There was nothing really wrong with it but it did not seem to have much overall shape.
The liner however really changes things.
One thing I had found fitting these boots for customers was the cuff fitted rather large.
Like the shell I also felt the liner lacked some volume in the cuff.
The calf section felt OK but the tongue is very thin.
The Ride
All Mountain
My first few rides in the boots were just general riding around the mountain.
The forward flex is firm, they are certainly some of the stiffer freeride boots currently on the market.
The lateral stiffness felt good but not as stiff as some boots I have used.
One thing I did notice was there seemed to be a slight mismatch in forward and lateral stiffness.
The boots feel slightly stiffer forward then side to side something I would personally prefer to see reversed.
I like a boot to be stiff side to side but with some forgiveness forward to help with impacts.
One thing I did notice was a slight movement in the cuff.
I was finding that there was a small amount of play forward and backward.
The fit did soften up slightly and I found the instep pressure disappeared pretty quickly.
I am seriously considering getting Intuitions for all my boots after testing these.
I decided to go with the Volkl BMT 95 and the Marker Kingpin.
Although admittedly not cheap this is the perfect kind of setup for these boots.
With both boots set to walk mode we set off up the ascent.
It may be one area k2 could look at improving though.
Once we had made it to the top, the boots really began to show there full potential.
I will be doing a full review on the binding but they really do feel like an alpine binding.
The roomy shell combined with the plush liner and soft boot board do a great job of reducing impacts.
For me the flex is fine but after a long day my shins do get a little sore.
Again I think a more robust tongue would help here.
One problem I did find was the cuff play did get a worse.
The Cuff
Looking at the shells its hard to determine exactly where the play is coming from.
I think the main issue is more likely the way the Interlock system works.
My first attempts were made from wood and although looking very nice they both broke.
I instead used the plastic from a wax scraper.
Although very basic the conversion seemed to work very well.
The cuff felt more solid and the flex felt more consistent as there was no initial soft flex.
The small blue piece in the photo above is the part I recreated.
The boot felt great and I very soon was hitting things just as I normally would.
Personally I think the flex does feel better but it has certainly stiffened the boot up.
Perhaps an angled piece which could push its way in when weight was applied forward.
I should also say at this point that I was initially skiing sample boots.
K2 have recently supplied me with some 2016 production boots and the cuff is certainly better.
There is still some play, although less then before but I still think there is room for improvement.
I feel these boots have a lot of potential.
Its also worth noting that I was skiing samples and not full production versions until fairly late on.
K2 have tried some new ideas and I think this is a good thing in the boot world.
I love the foot but the cuff needs work.
With a little more development I really do see these being one of the top freeride boots available.
Next week is the turn of the true backcountry boots.
