What are the best snowboard boots?

There are hundreds of snowboard boots on the market, but which are the best ones?

Buying the correct pair of boots is essential if you want to have a good trip to the mountains. If possible, drop in to see us and have a boot fitting. We can make sure the boots fit you as they should. Please ensure you bring your snowboard socks with you and you should expect to be here for an hour so that we can find you the perfect pair.

If needed, we can mould the boots to your feet so you get a custom fit*

We also sell mouldable footbeds which are not crazy expensive and add extra support and cushioning.

Main factors to consider when buying snowboard boots...

• Budget
• Ability
• Lace / BOA / Hybrid
  
• Size (length and width)
• Mould-ability
  

What's your Budget?

We stock boots from about £200 up to around £500. Typically boots with BOAs are a little more expensive than boots with a conventional lace. Generally, the more the boot costs, the more technically advanced the boot will be. High-end boots will normally have more support, better outsoles, superior liners and upgraded footbeds. More affordable boots will still get you down the mountain just fine, but they tend to be softer, less responsive and less supportive.

What's your Ability?

If you are a newer rider then you would benefit from buying a soft/medium flexing boot. When you are getting to grips with snowboarding, you may be a little inconsistent with your turns. If you were to buy a stiff boot it would be really responsive. When you bend your knees and lean into the front of the boot, it will apply pressure through your bindings to engage the edge of your snowboard, a stiff boot will do this much quicker than a softer boot that will be way more forgiving. It doesn't mean that as a newbie you can't buy a stiff boot, but it will be more responsive so you may have a steeper learning curve. Bare in mind, all boots will soften throughout their life, if you buy a really soft boot like the Vans Hi Standard OG, it's going to be super soft in a few weeks of riding so you may get a little more life out of a medium flex boot.

Traditional Lacing or BOA?

Hotly debated, should you opt for a conventional laced boot or a BOA boot? We get people asking us this question daily in the shop and my honest answer is that personally I'm not really bothered how they do up. Yes, a BOA is quicker and undoubtedly more convenient and quicker to adjust on the hill, but I've been doing snowboard laces up for over thirty years and I'm ok with that! That said, we are seeing a trend towards more people opting for BOA boots over laced boots in recent years.

For me, fit is the most important factor and I would, for example, happily ride either the Thirtywo Lashed Lace or the Thirtytwo Lashed Double BOA. The laced version is a little cheaper and I prefer the styling of a laced boot so if I would opt for the standard laced version if I was pushed to choose.

 

The one thing I do recommend if you are considering buying a BOA boot, is buying a boot with a double (or dual) BOA system rather than a boot with a single BOA. Typically, a double BOA boot will have one BOA dial on the front that tightens the upper boot lace and one BOA dial on the side that tightens the lower section of the boot. This allows you to adjust the two zones of the boot independently so that you can get the perfect fit. In contrast, a boot with a single boot will tighten the whole lace in one go, sometimes this isn't an issue, but if you a rider with a super large calf but a skinny foot then you're going to struggle!

What is Hybrid Lacing?

Hybrid is a combination of traditional lacing with BOA. Typically, the main section of the boot is tightened with a lace and there is additional 'heel hold' provided by a BOA. In the the case of the Salomon Dialogue Lace SJ boot, the SJ stands for 'Straight jacket' and this is an internal support that tightens over the top of ankle area to lock you firmly into the boot so you do not get any heel-lift (great for riders with skinny ankles!)

Size

You should try on boots before you buy them. In fact, you should really try on a few pairs if you can so you can see what you prefer. If you're unable to drop in to see us, then we can try and help you remotely. Typically when you buy boots, you want to buy a boot that is your normal shoe size or perhaps a 1/2 size bigger but this depends on the brand and the style. If you have a 'wide' foot we do stock wider fitting boots like the Thirtytwo TM-2 BOA Wide, Burton Highshot X Step On® Wide and the Salomon Dialogue Dual BOA Wide. The boot shell on these models is the same as the regular width version of these boots but the liners have been produced to have more available width.

Can we measure your foot?

Sure, we have Brannock Foot Measuring Device in the shop which will give you a guide to what size boots you should be looking for. It's a starting point but it's not as good or as involved and coming in for a proper boot fitting.

Can I measure my own foot length? 

You sure can! Measure the distance from your heel to the tip of your longest toe in millimetres...

• Place a piece of A4 paper on the floor, flush against the wall.
• Take off your shoes and socks
• Stand on the piece of paper with your heel butted up against the wall
• Mark the paper with a pen at the longest point, normally your BIG toe, but it can be your second toe (doesn't mean you are a freak, don't worry 😂)
• Measure with a ruler this length in millimetres, this will give you your 'Mondo Point'

The Mondo Point system is an international shoe sizing standard that measures foot length in millimetres, offering a more universal and accurate fit than traditional sizing methods. To convert your measure Mondo Point into a UK size take a look at this chart... 

 

Do all Snowboard Boots Mould to your foot?

In short yes, all snowboard boots will take on the form of your foot - some better than others. We find that boots that use 'Intuition' foam in their liners, like Thirtytwo and Ride snowboard boots will mould quicker and easier than other boots. We have heat-moulding machines here at The Snowboard Shop that we can use to dial in the fit for you and which will help speed up the breaking in process. We don't always mould boots in the shop, personally I am of the opinion that if the boot fits you great straight out of the box, then just wear them around the house and let the heat of your foot naturally break them in. We can of course mould the boots for you are no additional charge if you'd rather*

How should a snowboard boot fit?

You want you boots to be snug, but not tight. Ideally, when you stand up straight in your snowboard boots, your toes should be lightly touching the end (but not pressed, or bunched up). Then, when you get into you snowboard stance, (knees bent with your shins pushed forward into the front of the boots), your toes should some away from the end so you have a little wiggle room. Boots will pack out and they will get bigger with use, so it's important to get this bit right.

What boots should I buy for park / jibbing?

There's a common misconception that soft boots are for freestyle / park riding and firmer  or stiff boots are better for freeriding for carving but this isn't really how we see it. I know plenty of competition park riders that prefer a stiff boot that supports them better when they're hitting bigger features. Likewise, we have lots of customers who just like to carve the groomers and only want a nice comfortable soft boot.

Personally, for me, I like a pretty stiff boot. I prefer the immediate response on a stiff boot and I want a boot that will do the work for me. When I lean into the boot I want it to hold me up and not fold underneath me... my legs aren't as strong as they used to be so with a firmer boot, the boot does a lot of the work for me so I find I can shred for longer than I can in a softer boot.

*Any boots that are bought from us can be moulded at no additional charge. If you have bought boots elsewhere and would like us to mould them for you we charge £35. Please book in advance if you'd like us to do this for you.