Shop Search

The Home of
Freeski Culture

Shop

Trending TAGS

Developed with close collaboration with their riders, the AR ONE has been seen everywhere from Natural Selection to Slopestyle World Cups Daniel Ronnback

Review

Gear

AR AR

Reviewed: Armada AR ONE 130

By: Scott Naismith November 27, 2025

With over 20 years of ski manufacturing under their belt, Armada stepped into new territory last year with the launch of their first-ever ski boot: the AR ONE. Designed in collaboration with team riders, the AR ONE introduces a unique “Hybrid Cabrio” construction that blends elements of both traditional two-piece overlap and cabrio boot designs.

Armada set out to deliver a boot that prioritizes comfort without sacrificing performance, so skiers can focus on riding, not their feet. Innovation in ski boot tech tends to move at a glacial pace, so when something genuinely new hits the scene, it’s worth paying attention. Last season, we got our hands on the AR ONE 130 MV for an inside look at what Armada’s been cooking up.

The Chassis

The full AR ONE range includes five models, from 130 to 90 flex, in sizes 23.5 to 29.5 mondo—all built around a stated 100mm medium-volume last.

The “Hybrid Cabrio” shell, built with polyurethane “Memory Fit” plastic, has a cabrio-style tongue and lower shell. But similar to a traditional boot it has an overlapping upper cuff, which adds a rigid spine and makes up most to the boot’s overall flex and support. The shell layout is similar to boots like the Phaenom, or even the classic Salomon SPK for those who remember.

Among the AR ONE’s many features, the standout is the “Slingshot” buckle—a cable closure over the instep with three-points of contact that pulls the foot both back and down, locking the heel and ankle firmly into the back of the boot.

The high-back part of the lower shell is more similar to a two-piece boot. It combines with the tongue to give the boot its flex pattern. Armada

The Interior

The 130 AR ONE comes equipped with Armada’s Team Liner, which features upgraded materials and a repositionable tongue for adjusting instep volume—setting it apart from liners in the softer models. Both liner options are heat-mouldable and include a PU Y-Band on the exterior to increase friction with the shell, helping to reduce internal movement.

Not surprisingly—given they likely share a factory—the liner feels similar to many mid to high-end Atomic liners. The heel pocket is supportive without being overly aggressive, offering a snug but comfortable fit. The liner feels fairly soft overall, which is good in terms of initial comfort, but in my experience is sometimes a sign that it can pack out relatively quickly.

The liner feels soft and has good padding, time will tell how much it will pack out. Armada

The Fit

For riders unfamiliar with cabrio boots, getting the AR ONE laced up properly can be a challenge. Like other cabrio designs, they’re easy to step into, but compared to models like the K2 FL3X or Dalbello Cabrio, the AR ONE features more overlapping plastic pieces that need to be aligned correctly to close the boot properly.

Once inside, the forefoot fit feels snug for a 100mm medium-volume last boot. The heel pocket on the other hand felt a bit baggy for my liking, though that’s likely due to my low-volume foot. Someone with a wider heel and ankle might fill the space better. That said, even with my narrow heel, the liner gripped around the achilles nice and firmly and the “Slingshot” buckle did an excellent job of pulling my ankle and heel into the back of the boot. It gave me a level of locked-in control I don’t typically find in other MV designs. The three contact points spread pressure evenly, allowing you to crank down the buckle without pressure points.

The AR ONE 130 comes with toe-tech inserts, making it compatible with hybrid touring bindings. Daniel Ronnback

The Flex

One of the biggest differences between two-piece and cabrio boots is how they flex: cabrio boots rely on the tongue for stiffness, while two-piece designs use the pivoting connection between cuff and shell and the overlapping cuff plastic.

The AR ONE blends both systems, but with the majority of the flex coming from the connection between the shell and the cuff. As someone used to the feel of a cabrio boot, I appreciated the smooth flex pattern and comfortable shin feel that the support from the tongue provides. On the flip side I found that the spine of the boot was less responsive during quick, dynamic movements than I was hoping for. It’s unsurprising that a blend of two systems doesn’t produce the best of both systems. The AR ONE will work well as a transition between the two types of boot. Helping traditionalists realize the benefits of progressive flex, and cabrio die-hards to understand the strengths of the rear rigidity and stability. While it might not be the best at the extremes of each category, the mixture makes for an enjoyable ride that covers all bases.

The stated 130 flex rating feels accurate, though the flex is easy to manage thanks to its progressive nature. Adding an extra bolt to the back stiffens the boot if required.

1. A close-up of the "Slingshot" buckle. Armada

2. The fresh black and green colourway. Daniel Ronnback

The Features

Armada packed the AR ONE with a load of features—each with characteristically Armada-style names. Apart from the “Natty Flex”, one standout is the “Kush Damping Boot Board,” designed to absorb vibrations and soften harsh landings. Armada also claim it’s “chill”—maybe there is a built in stash compartment? Only the bravest cop will take a whiff of your boot in a shakedown.

The 130 model comes equipped with tech inserts in the toe, making it compatible with hybrid touring bindings like the Shift or Marker Duke PT. While there’s no walk mode, it’s clearly aimed at short tours—think pillow laps or jump sessions. In my opinion, not having a walk mode does not make a huge difference. For the length of tours that most people do it’s not necessary, and mostly compromises downhill performance—especially when you forgot to engage ski mode. All models come standard with GripWalk soles (ISO 23223).

The 130 and 110 feature a 50mm wide elastic power strap with cam closure, similar to a Booster Strap, while the lower-flex models use a traditional static Velcro strap.

Out of the box, the 130, 120, and 110 are set to an aggressive 17° forward lean. This can be adjusted to 13°, 15°, or 17° using the “Power Shift” on the spine. I personally immediately dialed mine back to 13°, as I felt I was falling over the top of the boot in the turn.

The Ski Feel

The AR ONE performed well at high speeds. The stiff, progressive flex gave good feedback and transferred power well. At slower speeds, I felt it was lacking slightly in precision compared to other boots that I was riding throughout the winter. Bare in mind, this could be a symptom of the boot generally being too wide for my foot. This being said, it was easy and comfortable to butter and jib around in this boot as it is quite forgiving.

The Honesty Corner: Low instep height

Anyone with a medium-high instep might struggle in this boot. The instep height is fairly low and can put pressure on the top of the foot. This can be fixed by a bootfitter by grinding the “Kush Damping Boot Board”. As well as this, people have described feeling a plasticy ridge pressing into the top of the foot—this is a common issue with the tongues on some Atomic liners, which light moulding easily fixes.

This being said, I had neither of these issues. My only real complaint is that my foot is too narrow for this boot. When Armada releases a low-volume version I will be the first in line to try it out.

Having spent much of his career developing boots, Tanner Hall brought his experience to help design the AR ONE. Daniel Ronnback

The Bottom Line

Armada’s first entry into the ski boot game is an impressive one—packed with features clearly designed to suit their team of riders. The “Slingshot” buckle offers a level of heel hold rarely found in traditional designs and the progressive flex will surprise anyone coming from a two-piece setup.

The AR ONE sits in a sweet spot between softer park-oriented boots and hard charging freeride bear clamps—comfortable enough to be forgiving and playful, while being stiff and burly enough to handle hard charging. It would be an ideal choice for someone looking to do everything, from park to pow with comfort and control. If you are coming from a park boot and need something more serious that performs over a wider range of riding styles, this would be a brilliant option. Similarly, if you are coming from high-performance focussed boots and want something more forgiving, easier to manage, more comfortable without sacrificing too much performance, the AR ONE would be a great choice.

1. Max Palm putting the boot through its paces. Daniel Ronnback

2. The AR ONE 130 in all its glory. The cam-closure elastic power straps lets you crank up the top of the boot. Armada

Always get
first tracks