Top 5 Snowboarding Boots for 2010

Posted in Boots, Editorial, Reviews, Snowboarding Gear by Rami | Tags: Burton Hail Coalition, Burton Ion, Flow Lotus Boa Coiler, Roxy Track Lace, Snowboarding Boots, ThirtyTwo Lashed, Top Stuff

With snowboarding season in full gear, I wanted to the time and spit out a list of the top 10 snowboarding boots for the season for both men and women. This is based on my research, reading endless numbers of (boring) reviews, comments, talking to people and my own personal experience with snowboarding boots. The list isn’t in any particular order (who can really say that one Boot is numerically better than another boot?) but you’ll notice that my personal favorite is numero uno!

1. Men’s Burton Ion - If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll know that the Burton Ion boots are my personal favorite. In my full Burton Ion review I only had good things to say about them. Given their balanced comfort level and stiffness, they are the ultimate snowboarding boots for the aggressive rider who likes to have fun. You’ll find yourself comfortable enough to bomb down a mountain while switching and taking jumps. Click here for full product details.

Made For: Freeriding/All-mountain

Pro’s

• Amazing build quality, thus they last quite a bit – I’ve packed over 200 riding days in them and they are just like new
• Very comfortable
• Super responsive
  
• Easy to put on and take off

Con’s

• Expensive ($400)
• Minor heel lift

2. Men’s Burton Hail Coalition - Freestyle choice for the past number of years, this boot has all the essentials for park domination, including a softer yet supportive flex and an articulating cuff to keep it consistent. It also features traditional lacing for the perfect fit, plush cushioning throughout the sole to hinder the big impacts, and just an overall comfortable design. We recommend the Hail to any serious rider that is looking for a time-tested, softer boot to abuse in the park or around the mountain. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestyling/Park fun

Pro’s

• Well priced ($249)
• Easy to put on and take off
• Minimal heel lift

Con’s

• A bit too flexible for non-park riding
• Uses traditional lacing system (personally, I prefer the Speed Zone lacing system)

3. Women’s Roxy Track Lace – Made for the skills levels of beginner to intermediate, these Roxy boots are developed with comfort in mind. They have a padded spine panel, low rise calf pocket, triple density ankle pads, and 3 piece padded tongue. In addition, the boot has a memory foam liner to ensure even more comfort. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestyle/Freeride/All around snowboarding

Pro’s:

• Well priced ($149)
• Nicely designed
• Comfortable

Con’s:

• Traditional lacing system

4. Men’s ThirtyTwo Lashed - The Lashed is ThirtyTwo’s best selling boot. I dare you to find a boot with a better price that offers what the Lashed does: outstanding response, comfort, and versatility for everyone. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestlye/Freeride/All around snowboarding

Pro’s

• Well priced ($199)
• Light
• Very responsive

Con’s

• Not the sexiest looking boots

5. Women’s Flow Lotus Boa Coiler - These boots offer great performance and comfort for a decent price. The BOA Coiler system is very useful for those who hate tying their boots and will amplify the close snug fit that you are always looking for. Along with that, you receive the Silver liner which is heat-moldable so you can acquire a perfect custom fit, and thus reduce heel-lift and sloppiness. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freeriding/All-mountain snowboarding

Pro’s

• Well priced ($189)
• BOA lacing system
• Comfortable

Con’s

• None

So that sums up the top 5 snowboarding boots for 2010. Of course, boot feel and response will vary from person to person, but if you’re looking for a good pair of boots and don’t know where to start, this list is your answer.

Burton Ion Boots 2010 Review

Posted in Boots, Reviews, Snowboarding Gear by Rami | Tags: Boots Review, Burton 2010, Burton Boots, Ion, Ion 2010, Snowboarding Boots

Finding the right snowboard is undoubtedly a very important mission, but finding the right pair of boots is just as important. I’ve had 2008 model of the Burton Ion boots for a couple seasons now, but this year I upgraded to the 2010 model.  I wouldn’t normally review a boot, because the feel of one will differ from person to person, but this will offer some light into your dark search for a boot.

Setup: I used the Burton Ion boots with Burton’s T6 snowboard and Burton’s C60 bindings.

Where: Blue Mountain, Mont Tremblant, Banff, Colorado, and Whistler with all kinds of snow conditions.

Technology:

• Speed Zone Lacing: makes loosening and tightening boots very easy.
• Low-profile EST Optimized Midsole: essentially this tech brings you closer to the binding and thus lowering your center of gravity. In my opinion, every little bit counts.
• RX Adjustable Cushioning: Very fancy way of saying that you can change the gel pack used in the boots, but useful nonetheless. You can opt for more cushioning for easier riding, or less cushioning for more aggressive riding.

Pro’s:

• Very easy to put on/take off: The boots’ speed zone lacing combined with the excellent boot quality and build, putting them on and taking them off was very easy. Just loosen them all the way, tighten the liners (the inside layer), and pull away on the two laces. Done.
• Comfortable: Man are these comfortable boots! Strapped and unstrapped, the Burton Ions hug your feet oh so warmly.
• Flexibility: This is an all-mountain freestyle boot and I must say, it lives up to that designation. Burton pegged the Ion a 8/10 for support (1/10 being least stiff and 10/10 stiffest). In other words, these boots are excellent for all around riding. With over a 100 days of riding, my older Burton Ions are (surprisingly) as stiff as new and thus wear n’ tear has not diminished the boots’ excellent responsiveness.
• Style: The Burton Ion 2010 are very well designed, and unlike most boots, they look sexy (I have the black ones, but they also come in white).

Neutral:

• Heel lift: I didn’t want to put this in the Con’s section, simply because I’m a very aggressive rider who likes taking jumps, so heel lift is inevitable. Nonetheless, I still experienced some heel lift, and I really wasn’t expecting any given that the Burton Ions are Burton’s 2nd most expensive snowboarding boots. With that said, the extra ankle support pads that come with the boots work well to decrease the heel lift. However, those pads were designed to be used after a few years of usage, but instead, I had to install them within the first season.

Con’s:

• Expensive: Did the Italians design these boots or what? I bought my first Ions a season old for $250, but I shelled out $400 for the new ’10 model. Boots that cost more than a decent number of snowboards are expensive any way you spin it.
• Too stiff for the park: The Burton Ions are unfriendly when it comes to park play. While taking and landing jumps are doable in these, you’ll feel the pain when you switching and more so when landing switch jumps. Tip: make sure you are wearing thick socks if you insist on park play.

Current Model v.s. Previous Models

• Design has been changed, albeit slightly, but I like the new ones more.
• The current model has been optimized for EST bindings (explained above in the ‘Technology’ section).
• Speed zone lacing system has been altered to easier usability (I didn’t feel much of a difference, but that just could be my experienced hands).
• Changeable gel pack (explained in ‘Technology’ section), which was also available in the ’09 model, but non-existent in prior to that.

My Suggestions to Burton:

• As always, please find it in your hearts to use less fancy ‘BS’ terminology.
• Let’s work on improving the heel lift issue, even if I’m the only one experiencing.

I love my Burton Ion boots, and there’s a reason why I bought the newer models. As an aggressive rider who likes to play around a bit on the mountain, these boots are as good as they get at the moment. With that said, keep in mind that your experience with boots will be different than my experience, so make sure you try them on first at the store. And when you do, feel free to walk around in them in the store for 5-10 minutes before you make a decision. Finding the right snowboarding boots is important!

If you have any questions, comments, or want to share your experience with the boots, leave a comment below or contact us.