Snowboard Boots

07-08 ThirtyTwo Ultralight Review

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4 years ago
by Maggie in

This isn’t the highest-performance, cliff-dropping, boot, but it does stick to its claim to fame for being the lightest and for many snowboarders in the general population, provides a very good option for comfort and performance.  

When handed a boot box with the pair of Ultralights in it, you would at first guess think only one of the boots was actually in the box. Two boots really equal close to one average-weight boot. When you put the boots on for the first time, they are very comfortable and almost feel like worn in rental boots. Their construction is of soft materials and lacks heavy rubber. Thankfully they truly are far superior to rental boots and aren’t stinky. Though they are light and soft, they provide relatively good support for such a flexy boot for playing around on a snowboard whether you are jibbing or a new rider.

 

My favorite part about the boot is the “naked” liner. The liner is not covered with the normal 32 antibacterial fabric liner, but rather is just the foam. According to 32, Kevin Sansalone has been altering his 32 boots for years to have the naked liners. His theory is that if your boots are damp from riding you don’t have to wait for any material to dry, you can just wipe them down and go right back out comfortably the next day. I personally have other reasons for liking the naked liner because I am not always a fan of the material 32 uses for covering the liners.

 

With time, the boots soften even more. I didn’t find the liners to pack out as drastically as some boots (like Burton), but they maintain their shape and steady amount of support.

06-07 ThirtyTwo Vela Review

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5 years ago
by Maggie in

If you are looking for a stiffer, high-performance boot, this is a good option. The finer features of this boot give it an edge over competition.

The Vela is built for a hardcore rider and all you have to do to figure this out after looking at them is put them on your feet. Once I got the boots broken in, heat molding was the key, and rode them for about six days they became really comfortable. I have been riding them since.

With wear they keep their stiffness and serve as a top of the line free-ride boot. The sole is bomb-proof and has an air cushion to take the bite of landing. I did notice that the toe of the boot that I rest my board on is getting scuffed up, but it is holding up. The inner lacing system has an extra pull for tightening around the ankle which is genius. It is annoying to have to reach down in and grab the fine lacing to try to tighten it, and this makes it so simple. The one alteration I made to the inner lining’s lace up system was to cut the lace to a shorter length, it was super long, especially when tightened. The liners do hold moisture, but they are anti-microbial and do not stink. Just be sure to give them time to dry between uses because they did get moist after a day on the mountain. Compared to some of the other boots I have tried, the arch support is superior in the Vela.

06-07 ThirtyTwo 306 Review

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5 years ago
by Chris in

The 306 is Thirty Two’s top-end all mountain freeride boot. The boot excels in most terrain, providing a comfortable riding through chop, powder, or gigantic airs. Probably more boot than most riders need, this boot is really designed for powerful riders.

The 306 has been marketed as a boot for riders who are looking for a stiffer rider that will power through any terrain they’re riding, and it definitely meets that mark. While initially very stiff, the boot quickly moves into a comfortable stiffness level that provides excellent support for just about any terrain you throw at it.

With a stiff boot like the 306 you need to assume at least 15 days in the boot before they’re going to get comfortable. In order for them to stay stiff throughout the season, the break-in period has to be extended as well. This is true for the 306, but it isn’t a terribly painful break-in process. A few days wearing them around the house before you take them up on the mountain will definitely pay off though.

If you primarily ride the park, you might want to look at a slightly softer boot, like the Team Two. You’ll find it harder to tweak grabs until the boot really starts to soften up, probably 60 or so days of good riding.

If you consider yourself an all-mountain master, then these boots are unbeatable. Whether you’re hiking up to the backcountry, dropping a 40′ cliff, launching a 60′ tabletop, or powering down a steep descent, these boots provide the support to really excel at whatever you’re doing.

05-06 DC Monroe Review

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6 years ago
by Maggie in

I really like the appearance, size, and the ease of getting these boots on and off, but the amount of cusion in the footbed could be better.

I love the appearance of the Monroe. They have a skate shoe appearance and are so compact they almost look like a shoe. They offer the same boa technology that the women’s Judge offers and also have a foot-bed that you can put heater packs into to keep your feet warm. The footbed feature is nice but, besides making your feet warmer, it detracts from the boots’ comfort. The foot-beds are stiff and not very cushiony, which isn’t the end of the world, but in a long day of riding comfort on the mountain makes a difference in those last few hours that you keep pushing yourself or go in to put your feet up. The higher price reflects the quality of the boot, but until the footbeds are more comfortable they are a bit pricy.

Everywhere but the footbed is super comfortable, with a really nice gel liner that has tough lateral support. The liner is just as high tech as the boot and the two work well together. Because you can successfully tighten the boot (after they are broken in, which takes awhile), I don’t think the Judge’s air pump system would make this boot much better unless you really want to have an extra boost of ankle support control.

The boots are stiff and made for narrow feet. I would suggest trying these boots on as they run small. The boa is nice but is going to be more preferable to some than others. Outside a ski lodge I was talking to a friend and she was telling me she can only wear DC boots because she has such big calf muscles from snowboarding that she needs the ability to loosen her boots when on the lift. It is the quick ease of pressure control that makes the boa such a great addition to the boot.

05-06 DC Judge Review

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6 years ago
by Maggie in

These are high-tech, fast lace up boots that are a mixture of comfort and stiffness. They allow you to get the exact pressure you would like anywhere on your foot, but the footbed is not as comfortable as it should be.

This women’s boot claims to include all the cool features a boot can have combined into one, and it’s true. I found them to be excessive, but if you like lots of bells and whistles, you’ll like the Judge. Comfort and pressure levels are easy to control because there are so many different ways that you can manage each part of your foot encapsulation. It has an air pump system that allows you to increase or decrease the pressure around your ankle. I thought it would be easy to accidentally release air over the course of a day, but I never had that happen once. The boots also have the BOA system that makes for an incredibly fast lace (wire) up. I really like how the inner liner tightens as well.

This boot has foot-beds that you can put hot packs into to keep your feet warm. This is an idea I like a lot, but it reduces the comfort. Because of the design to incorporate that heat pack system, the foot-bed lacks cushion. Also, it is a very stiff boot and takes awhile to break in. I found that the liner does not pack out at all. The fit you buy is the size it is going to stay.

If all the bells and whistles are too high-tech, check out the DC Women’s Monroe boot.

04-05 Burton Emerald Review

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7 years ago
by Maggie in

These are the best looking boots on the market and they are comfortable, but be sure to buy them small.

Riding in these boots over the past few weeks has given me a lot of insight into this product. I have never worn a softer, more comfortable boot. One observation is that they really pack out. They took no breaking in, but I suggest buying them slightly smaller than normal. My foot-room expanded at least a half a size over just a few days of riding.

The way the boot is constructed makes it hard to tighten the outer laces. First of all, the laces are like a satin cord, which is nice because they don’t cut your fingers, however, they do not grip and stay in place as well as they should. Secondly, the outer lacing system is somewhat narrow and just isn’t designed to tighten around the ankle. That said, the boot liners tighten very effectively, and stay tight. I found that the inner system compensated for the outer.

The major highlights of these boots are their comfort and appearance. Not only are they very cushiony, they are extremely warm. In riding them every day for the past few weeks (in very variable weather) my feet have not been cold once, which earns major brownie points in my book. The Dune colored boot shell is a light brown/ tan with the Burton logo along the sides in a goldish/ rusted-greenish color. They are beauties!!!

This being my first pair of Burtons, I am sold, but, again, I would like to emphasize the point that it would be wise to buy them smaller since they become more roomy with time.

03-04 Forum Destroyer Review

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8 years ago
by Chris in

Overall I am very happy with the Forum boots, but would recommend that you try lacing them up in a store before you commit.

Right out of the box these boots look incredible. Actually, right out of the box these boots smell incredible. I don’t even know how to describe it, but it beats the heck out of the normal “new shoes/boots smell”. The Forum Destroyer boot is a very high-tech, lightweight, and comfortable boot. It features all of the bells and whistles that you expect from an upper line boot, such as removable thermal liners, an air cushion in the heel, and polyurethane midsole dampeners.

The boot functions well, but there is one major flaw. For some reason they put the liner laces on the side of the liner instead of the normal tongue location. While someone may have thought that it would be a unique and cool place to put the laces, the fact is it compromises the function. I was unable to get the laces to tighten just by pulling on the top lace, which means reaching down and tightening the inner laces one by one. This is a pain-in-the-ass in any boot, even when the laces are on the front, but try it on a boot where your fingers are sandwiched between the liner and the outer shell! It is possible that the laces will wear in eventually and slide well, but even after a few weeks of riding they still require manual tightening. The one thing I do like about the way they did their liners is that the outer boot tongue velcros to the inner liner, which makes the fit even more snug and adds a secure feeling to them.

Aside from my one major complaint, I was very pleased with the way the boot felt while riding. The boot is very responsive, it is a stiffer boot, but I found that it flexes nicely when you want it to. The polyurethane dampeners and the air bag work together to provide an excellent cushion for sucking up hard landings.

03-04 ThirtyTwo Prospect Review

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8 years ago
by Annie in

This is an awesome boot; I recommend!

Five stars for these boots- they ride awesome. Most boarders will agree that if your feet are happy, you’re a happy rider; and if you’re a happy rider, life is better for everyone. While wearing these boots, my feet have stayed incredibly comfortable, warm, and dry. I’m impressed with the support these Thirty Two’s provide; I’ve had boots that don’t provide the support necessary to control the board the way I want, which forces my feet and legs to compensate by tensing up.

The Prospect uses Thirty Two’s Level 2 Advanced liner which provide the custom fit necessary for the most comfortable riding experience. The support is also achieved through an inner lace up system and a Velcro strap that wraps around the inner bootie at your lower calf to secure the snug fit. On the outer boot, there are little grips to keep the laces in place as you tighten them up. Getting my boots to the perfect snug factor, where the boots are tight but I still have blood circulating to keep my feet warm, has always been hard for me, but the lacing system in the Prospects alleviates this problem.

The boots also look great, and all aspects considered, it is a great boot to own.

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