Review: K2 Mindbender 140 Boots

Freetouring boots are kind of weird - for most freeride skiers, they’re actually the best option for a one-boot quiver, but they aren’t actually great at either of the things they do. Trying to combine aspects of a touring boot and a high-performance downhill boot is like trying to cobble together a Jeep Wrangler and a Ferrari. They have pretty opposite design parameters, and frankly just aren’t the same thing.

That hasn’t stopped boot brands from trying - and K2’s new Mindbender 140 is the Seattle-based brand’s latest entry into the freetouring fray. Designed alongside the freeride-specific Recon boot and with input from their athlete team, the Mindbender 140 is a really stiff walk mode boot that’s aimed at hard-charging backcountry/sidecountry skiers that prefer all-out performance over touring efficiency. It comes with a fancy Intuition Power Fit Wrap liner, loads of fit customization options, and compatibility with most bindings out there.

Features

K2’s new Mindbender 140 checks all the design boxes of a high-performance freetouring boot, and adds a few more. Inside, we have a fully heat-moldable Intuition Power Fit Wrap BOA liner - a new take on the classic Power Wrap that features a small BOA on the outside top to cinch down the liner around your lower leg. The liner doesn’t have a rear cutout the way Intuition’s Tour Wrap does, so it's really geared to add downhill performance and stiffness above all.

The shell is constructed of K2’s Powerlite Pebax plastic, which is heavier than Grilamid but is damper and less “pingy”, meaning it offers better performance in variable snow and smooths out harder impacts. Following the same trend, inside, we have a soft rubber boot board designed to add dampening properties for hard landings and firm snow.

The shell uses BOA’s H+i1 system to close the forefoot. Boot after boot, I’m still on the fence about why we collectively decided to switch to this system, but I’ll leave it at “it’s fine, but doesn’t really improve the boot.”

To add stiffness, the boot features what K2 calls the Power Plate, an adjustable piece of hard plastic sits between the buckles and the liner to raise the height of the front of the cuff. It can be adjusted in 10mm increments to your liking. There’s also an elastic power strap (Booster Strap-style) that closes the top of the boot.

There’s a GripWalk sole, an external, and tech fittings front and back, meaning this boot is compatible with most types of alpine and touring bindings on the market.

Fit

The K2 Mindbender 140 boot comes with a stated variable 97-100mm last, thanks to the BOA. As expected, the Intuition liner certainly helps to customize all aspects of the fit, and is heated/baked the same way older Power Wraps have been.

The fit is nearly identical to the Recon 140. Up front, the toe box is tall in height, short in length, and relatively narrow in width. The rest of the fit of the lower is relatively generous, with a pretty high-volume heel pocket and lots of room over the instep. Like the Recon, there’s a pre-punched navicular area which will play nice with those of us who have trouble with those pesky protruding bones. The Mindbender does not offer built-in canting adjustment in the cuff pivots, but has an adjustable forward lean. That’s done by flipping the plate the walk mode lever screws into inside the boot.

My feet play best with lower volume boots, so I would say this boot definitely caters more to those of us with wider, higher-volume feet.

Uphill Performance

It’s not the lightest touring boot by a long shot, but low friction ankle cuff pivots and a TKTK-degree range of motion give it appropriate tourability for a boot of its caliber. Compared to other freetouring boots like the Dalbello Cabrio Free, Atomic Hawx XTD or Salomon Shift Alpha, it walks about the same, which surprised me given the stated 140 flex and stiff wrap liner. I was expecting this to be horrible to walk in, and it’s actually pretty good.

Undoing the top buckles, power strap and loosening the BOAs gives it quite a lot of usable ROM. We’re not talking skimo slipper ranges here, but it’s enough to comfortably walk uphill for a few hours with big skis to go hurl yourself down a hero line in deep snow. You know, what the boot is designed to do? I don’t think I’d take it for super long tours or go ski mountaineering in it, but for powder freeride laps or big days that include a chairlift or other mechanized help, it’s perfect.

I think the slightly higher volume fit helps with comfort here - I’ll often go up a full size on touring boots to make my touring boots more comfortable, but I don’t think that would be necessary with these, especially since it would sacrifice downhill performance, and that’s the whole point.

One thing worth mentioning is that removing the Power Plate saves a bit of weight and actually makes touring feel a little smoother - it seemed to get caught on the rest of the cuff while at the extremes of the ROM.

I didn’t have issues with the walk mode icing up, even in wet and sticky spring snow, and the GripWalk sole is indeed very grippy, so this boot hikes very confidently.

Downhill Performance

Lock the Mindbender 140 into ski mode, and it turns into an impressively stiff freeride-friendly beast. I think the Recon 140 is still stiffer and offers better power transfer without the inherent slop of a walk mode, but the Mindbender is indistinguishable in softer snow. It’s super damp, responsive, and offers just the right amount of power transmission into a ski without the feedback. It's really stiff, ideal for heavy hard-charging skiers who require all the stiffness they can get. 

Like on the Recon 140, I messed around with the position of the hard plastic Power Plate and found it worked best for me in the middle 30mm height setting. I ended up removing it entirely because I felt it interfered enough while touring that I was willing to give up a little extra stiffness for smoother walking.

The very tall Intuition Wrap liner hugs the lower leg very nicely, and feels like it adds a little bit of leverage, support, and comfort. That translates to being able to charge for longer pitches and rely on your boots for support when things get weird, heavy, or you’re really putting down some speed. The Boa on the Intuition really makes the liner hug your leg and locks you in - far better than the older Power Wrap ever did. 

The soft rubber bootboard is awesome - it really takes the sting out of hard landings without compromising too much precision. This isn’t a race boot designed for ultimate control on skiing hard surfaces, so having a slightly softer interface with the ski seems very appropriate.

What compromises does the K2 Mindbender 140 make?

For a touring boot, I feel like the Mindbender 140 might be a little over-engineered. The Power Plate doesn’t really seem to be necessary, and I just ended up removing it, which saved a little weight and made the walk mode smoother.

Like on the Recon, my biggest concern with the boot is the BOA in the liner. I don’t really see the point, it’s quite fragile, and makes it annoying to get into and out of the boot. I also think a tour-wrap style liner with some rearward flex would make a little more sense and give the boot some more walkability without compromising too much on stiffness.

What does the K2 Mindbender 140’s ideal skier look like?

Unlike the Recon 140, the Mindbender 140 seems like a better option for aggressive skiers looking for a one-boot backcountry and resort quiver. It works with pretty much every binding out there, walks decently, and skis really well. It would make a great boot to travel with if you’re planning on skiing both resorts and touring, or would be a solid in-between boot for those of us with a quiver of boots who are looking for a sidecountry-specific or really aggressive backcountry boot to drive big skis. 

K2's Mindbender 140 boots will be available soon.