Snowboard Boots Buying Guide
Choosing the right snowboard boots can mean the difference between an epic day on the mountain and painful blisters and numb feet. If you’re just starting out and not sure what size to purchase go with your shoe size. If you wear a ½ size and it’s not available bump up to the next full size. With a good fit your toes will just barely touch the tip of the toe box. Straight out of the box the correct boot size may seem a little snug, but as with all foot wear, boot liners will pack out and break in with use. There are models on the market that offer heat moldable liners. Even if you aren’t able to have them thermo-fitted within 5 full days of riding your body and weight will sufficiently mold them into shape. A couple of factors to consider when purchasing boots will be the flex, lacing system and sole of the boot. Beginners and freestyle riders will look for a softer more forgiving boot where freeriders will look for a stiffer more responsive boot. With lacing there are three main systems on the market, traditional lace up, BOA and speed lacing. With speed lacing systems each brand has a different take on basically the same idea.
Traditional Lacing
This lacing system should look familiar and is pretty self explanatory.
BOA
This system has been on the market for awhile and is very user friendly. The knob spins to tighten a cable of surgical steel to your exact comfort zone. It's very quick to tighten your boots and when you're done, you just pull the knob and the cables loosen. This system is easy to use with gloves on, which is a plus in colder temps. Some BOA models will come with two dials, one will tighten the lower boot over the foot while the other controls the upper part of the boot. This allows the rider to dial in the perfect fit.
Speed Lacing
Each brand that offers speed lacing will have a slightly different take on a the same idea. This type of lacing allows you to independently tighten the lower and upper parts of the boot separately. As with the BOA system, you’re able to make on-hill adjustments without taking your gloves off.
