Reviews You Can Rely On

K2 Spyre 110 - Women's Review

This is an expert's boot with a stiff flex. We'd recommend taking it to a boot fitter for the best performance
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k2 spyre 110 for women ski boots review
Credit: K2
Price:  $750 List
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Manufacturer:   K2
By Jessica Haist ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Apr 19, 2018
75
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 30% 8.0
  • Performance - 40% 7.0
  • Features - 10% 7.0
  • Durability - 10% 8.0
  • Warmth - 10% 8.0

Our Verdict

K2 discontinued the Spyre in Spring 2018.
REASONS TO BUY
Very customizable
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Roomy for medium volume
The K2 Spyre is a burly, heavy boot meant for the burliest of skier ladies. The stiff, 110 flex rating makes this an excellent choice for the most expert of skier, and the boot itself is a boot fitters dream with lots of customizable features. The Spyre needs attention in the boot fitting department before taking it out on the slopes (if we didn't pay this extra attention, we found it sloppy and not a great fit). Its regular volume 100mm last feels extra wide, but it does come in a Low Volume (LV) model.

Our Analysis and Test Results

An expert lady ripper's boot with lots of customizable features. You'll need to be in the driver's seat, or they'll drive you!

Performance Comparison


k2 spyre 110 for women ski boots review - choosing a boot for your ability, skiing style, and foot shape can...
Choosing a boot for your ability, skiing style, and foot shape can be a daunting and time-consuming process. Our field tests in the cold, the storms, and sunshine are meant to de-mystify some of this riddle.
Credit: Scott Rokis

Comfort and Fit


We found this boot extremely difficult to put on when they were cold and had to warm them up by a heater before being able to get them on.


Once they're on, they're pretty comfortable, and the 100mm last felt on the wide side compared to others like the Salomon XPro 100, which means they could be great for someone with a wide foot. The Spyres do come in a low volume, 97mm last version as well for those of us with narrower feet.

k2 spyre 110 for women ski boots review - k2 spyres are the stiffest of the women's ski boots we tested.
K2 Spyres are the stiffest of the Women's ski boots we tested.
Credit: Scott Rokis

The Spyres seem to have a broader circumference around their cuff, which would accommodate larger calves that we women tend to have. The opposite seemed to be true for the Tecnica Mach 1 that had a narrower cuff, and we needed to be intentional about not buckling it too tight.

Downhill Ski Performance


This is one of the stiffest boots you'll find made specifically for female skiers. K2 Spyres are made for an expert woman who likes to lay heavy into the front of her boots and isn't afraid to drive herself all over the mountain.


If you're not on top of these boots, they'll throw you in the back seat and take you for a ride. Because our feet were swimming around a bit in this boot, this happened to us. We didn't find them particularly responsive, but with the help of a lower volume and some custom fitting, we expect they'd be a lot better. We love how sensitive the Mach 1s are and the smooth progressive flex of the Lange RX 110s, our favorite boots in the performance category.

k2 spyre 110 for women ski boots review - three top performers the k2 spyre, tecnica mach 1 and salomon xpro.
Three top performers the K2 Spyre, Tecnica Mach 1 and Salomon XPro.
Credit: Scott Rokis

Features


The Spyre has so many customizable features we highly recommend taking advantage of a boot fitter's knowledge to get the most out of this model.


It has an interesting huge "Moldable asymmetric tongue" we're guessing helps with shin-bang. It also has thermo moldable liners and micro-adjustable buckles. The Nordica Speed Machine and the Head Dream also have tons of customizable features for boot fitters to play with.

k2 spyre 110 for women ski boots review - the k2 spyres have fully customizable shell and liner materials...
The K2 Spyres have fully customizable shell and liner materials along with other features like micro adjustable buckles.
Credit: Scott Rokis

Durability


The black color of this boot's shell and liner make it extra durable as it will not show scuffs or dirt as easily as other models like the Rossignol AllTrack Pro or the Head Dream.


Warmth


This boot is incredibly warm. It has an interesting gasket on the toe of the shell where it overlaps; we suspect this is for better waterproofing and insulation. The thick liners and roomy fit make this a much warmer boot than the thinly lined Atomic Hawx Ultra 110; however, the K2 Spyres also weigh 2.5 pounds more than the Hawx.


Best Application


We'd recommend this boot for a woman who has not been able to find a stiff enough flex in a woman's boot, but wants the women's specific fit and features. Take this model for a spin!

Value


This is the most expensive boot in our review, retailing for $750. We'd rather spend $600 on the Mach 1s for a highly responsive (although maybe not as stiff) boot.

k2 spyre 110 for women ski boots review - the k2 spyre 110 are for an advanced lady skier.
The K2 Spyre 110 are for an advanced lady skier.
Credit: Scott Rokis

Conclusion


This expert level ski boot will take you for a ride if you're not ready to drive them. The Spyres have the stiffest flex of all the boots we tested and would be a good choice for someone looking to up their skiing game. We'd recommend trying on both the medium and low volume models to make sure you get a snug fit and also seeing a boot fitter to get that fit dialed in even more.

Jessica Haist