Despite being arguably the most important piece of a skier’s kit, there’s not often a lot of groundbreaking news in the ski-boot market. In the freeski-specific segment, that’s changed in recent years: first with the absorption of Full Tilt by K2 in 2021, then with last year’s launch of a new boot brand, Phaenom. Now, the flagship freeski brand Armada is throwing its hat into the ring with the debut of its first-ever boot: the Armada AR ONE.
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Armada announces its first-ever ski boot, the AR ONE
Starting on 10 January 2025, a limited release of the AR ONE will be available at selected retailers (find out where here). The full line, in all sizes and flexes, will be available in Fall 2025.
The Armada AR ONE collection goes live with a limited release of the AR ONE 110 (left) and the AR ONE 130 (right) in early 2025. The full boot range, including models with 90, 100 and 120 flex, will go live next fall.
The AR ONE: Design Notes
Armada makes its debut in the boot market with a new twist on the 3-piece “cabrio” design that’s been beloved by skiers for decades. (According to the lore, Seth Morrison started hoarding pairs of the original 3-piece boot, the legendary Raichle Flexon, after it was taken off the market in the late 1990s.)
What does “cabrio construction” mean in ski boots? Simple: instead of the classical 2-piece boot design with a lower shell and an upper cuff, a cabrio boot includes a third element: a tongue that bridges the shell and the cuff in the front of the boot.
Max Palm putting the AR ONE 130 MV through the paces.
Cabrio boot designs offer many advantages, as well as a few downsides. They’re generally easier to put on and more comfortable, making them popular among freestylers and skiers who prioritize comfort. On the downside, they don’t provide the same direct energy transfer and precise ski control that many expert skiers are looking for—one reason that you won’t see any World Cup racers rocking a 3-piece design. But, back in the positive column, cabrio-boot fans argue that 3-piece designs offer a more progressive flex pattern, as the plastic tongue helps smoothly regulate the forward flex of the boots. In contrast, 2-piece designs often flex more linearly and abruptly, hitting hinge points or hard stops in the flex.
Given this, it’s pretty clear why Armada went with a cabrio design for their first boot. However, they adopted a hybrid approach for the AR ONE, driven by a bold mission: “to fit like a cabrio boot with the performance of a four-buckle overlap design.”
We wanted to make the boot that real skiers are looking for. Our objectives were to maximize heel hold while delivering a progressive flex and direct power transfer in a boot that is comfortable to wear all-day, every-day. To do that we needed to develop a new concept, and that is what led us to create the AR ONE’s Hybrid Cabrio Construction.
Before starting the design process of the AR ONE, Armada conducted an in-depth industry survey to identify the issues that skiers face with their boots. Heel hold—or rather, the lack thereof—quickly emerged as a central issue. The heel should always fit snugly into its “pocket,” holding the foot firmly to the bottom of the boot. Any movement of the heel out of that pocket is a sure-fire recipe not only for loss of control, but also discomfort.
The challenge of providing an industry-leading heel hold is what led Armada’s designers to the Slingshot Buckle. Instead of a single point of fixation on each side of the boot, the AR ONE’s signature Slingshot Buckle has two on each side. On the buckle side of the boot, these two points are bridged by a sturdy cable. The intent of this construction is clear at a glance: To spread the points of connection and provide “multi-vector tension” that mimics the dynamics of a four-buckle boot while only using three buckles.
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The Slingshot Buckle, as seen on the AR ONE 130 MV.
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The AR ONE spine, as seen on the 130 MV.
In addition to the Slingshot Buckle, the AR ONE also features a more rigid spine construction than what’s normally seen in 3-piece designs. Working together, the combination of flex regulation between the tongue and the spine of the boot provides what Armada calls “Natty Flex,” a flex pattern that seeks the perfect balance between the progressive flex of cabrio boots and the sturdy construction of more classic 2-piece models.
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Quinn Wolferman doing R&D in Retallack, BC.
Daniel Rönnbäck
Of course, there’s more bells and whistles that should appeal to the prospective AR ONE consumer. A beefy 50mm-wide power strap is a given for a freestyle and freeride-oriented boot, and a “Kush Damping Boot Board” dampens vibrations and impacts. The 130 model also includes tech toe inserts, and according to conversations with Armada, a model with walk mode is already in development.
The initial AR ONE line offers a medium volume 100mm last in five flex options. Early release models available this January include the 130 and 110 flex in sizes 24/.5, 26/.5, and 27/.5. The complete lineup—AR ONE 90, 100, 110, 120 & 130 in sizes 23/.5-29/.5—will be available in fall 2025 at retailers and online.