Boa Technology has won its second Design & Innovation Award (DI.A), after the one it won in 2016 for its IP1-S platform. The winning product is its Li2 dial platform, a bayonet and cartridge system – like the L6 platform – made mostly of anodized aluminum. Introduced this autumn, it forms part of the American brand’s Fit System of products for snow sports, cycling, hiking/trekking, golf, running, court sports, workwear, medical bracing and prosthetics. The system consists of a micro-adjustable dial, a lace and low-friction lace guides. The Li2 in particular is for road, gravel and mountain-bike shoes. It is available in three dial profiles, with single or dual dials, can accommodate steel or TX4 textile laces, and is purportedly robust against impact, abrasion, dirt and debris. The grip around the dial is made of overmold, the first composite that Boa has ever used. The action of the dial will cinch a shoe incrementally in multiple directions, to prevent swelling of the feet and to adapt to the demands of the terrain or situation. In the words of the jury for the 2021 award, “the micro-adjustments with one- or two-way pull, combined with the low-profile design, open up new options to footwear designers to prevent the pressure points of traditional fasteners. Combined with the quick to use mechanism, which can be adjusted reliably and simply with just one hand, it can offer a level of user-friendliness that will satisfy the highest demands.” Brands set to include the Li2 on their shoes include Bontrager, DMT, Fizik, Gaerne, Giro, Lake, Louis Garneau, Rapha, Scott and Shimano. A short marketing video is available online. Boa is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and maintains offices in Austria, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan.
