The 2021/2022 K2 Anthem 115 LV was tested in the women’s All-Mountain Traditional narrow category by the experts at America's Best Bootfitters, powered by Masterfit.
The Gist
Testers loved where the Anthem 115 LV was slotted in K2’s narrow performance women’s line-up, right between the cushion and comfort of the 105 and the all-on, all-the-time Athem Pro’s 125 flex. Testers say the Anthem 115 LV is exactly what expert skiing women with lower volume feet are looking for—but with extra room in the toebox and the calf for real human bodies! This new lightweight powerhouse was on the podium in the most competitive boot category we test, the best showing for women’s K2 boots since their arrival on the scene about eight years ago.
The Fit
Some of our testers mentioned that the heel was aggressively snug, so chronically loose heel gals should keep this on the short list. Testers loved the tight fit in typical control areas like ankle and heel and base of lower leg, but said that the toebox, forefoot, instep and calf all got a little bit of a relaxed fit—no major hot spot complaints from the test team or mentions of needing to cook shell or liner (both are heat moldable). Testers were intrigued by the down-hook style power strap with a strap-cinch type closure rather than a metal cam. Most liked it for snugging up the extra room for slender legs at boot top.
Performance
The fast twitch responsiveness of the Anthem 115 stems from the boot’s light weight and its springy flex feel, both of which derive from the new Powerlite polyurethane shell and polyurethane cuff combination. Testers said the thin shell wall gave the boot a reactive and snappy feel without too much twitchiness. Its scores for edge power and stability were tied with those for quickness and steering at 4.86, nearly perfect. For the boot’s overall skiing performance there were virtually no complaints, but for skiers needing more, there’s a step-up available to the Anthem Pro.
Cool Features
The Anthems all come with the Women’s Adjustable Cuff for opening up the calf fit without having to cook the entire shell, which is a good option for those who just need a little relaxed circumference at the top but don’t want to risk a loosened fit elsewhere. The Powerfit Pro liner in the Anthem 115 is the same one used in the Pro, so fit is virtually identical to that stiffer model, whereas the 105 uses a softer Precisionfit Liner that opens the fit substantially. Testers like the K2 GripWalk soles for their tackier than average feel, and most testers dug the new down-buckle connection on the no-cam power strap, claiming that it was both more convenient and just as powerful as fiddle-f’n metal cam buckle versions.
