To get the most out of snowboarding you need to have good boots. Besides keeping your feet warm and comfortable the snowboard boots act as the controlling mechanism of the board. There are many choices available when it comes to snowboard boots. Let’s take a look at how to buy a suitable pair.
The design of snowboard boots is different than that of the ski boots – don’t try to use traditional ski boots for snowboarding. As always, if you are new to snowboarding renting your gear is a better option that will help you understand the equipment better.
There are three different types of snowboarding boots: soft, hard, and step-in.
Soft boots are best suitable for freestyle and freeride snowboarding.
Hard boots resemble traditional ski boots, but they are more flexible in the ankle area.
Step-in boots are a hybrid between soft and hard boots. They have the flexible uppers of soft boots and the rigid base of hard boots. Let’s take a closer look at each of these types.
Soft boots
Soft boots are the most comfortable out of the three types of snowboarding boots. You can wear a pair of soft boots when walking or even when driving a car. These boots give the foot a great deal of movement, which is a necessity for doing freestyle tricks. There are two main components to soft boots – the inner boot and the outer boot.
The soft inner boot is padded to protect your feet from injury and to keep them warm. The inner boot usually has laces which allows for adjustments to provide the desired level of comfort and support. The outer boot is firmer while still flexible enough to allow ankle movements. It has laces for better support as well.
Soft boots vary a lot in stiffness and flexibility. Boots designed for freeride are usually higher on the ankle and have a laced inner boot; they offer more support than freestyle boots. Freestyle boots may have a molded inner boot without laces to provide better flexibility.
Hard boots
Hard boots resemble ski boots – they are high on the ankle with plastic shells and a buckle attachment system. Just as soft boots, they also have an inner boot and an outer boot. The hard outer shell in these type of boots, however, offers more support and greater control over the snowboard. Hard boots are used for racing and alpine snowboarding.
The flexibility in the ankle area is the difference between hard snowboarding boots and ski boots. Hard snowboarding boots have a hinge system to allow for the side to side ankle movements essential for proper control over the board. While more flexible than ski boots, these boots are still too rigid for freestyle snowboarding.
Hybrid boots
Hybrid boots have a rigid sole, a flexible upper and they offer the advantage of being compatible with step-in bindings. Soft boots use strap bindings which many people find inconvenient, so hybrids are a good choice if you want flexibility and easy-to-use bindings.
Hybrids also have an inner and an outer boot – each of them can be adjusted separately for maximum control over support and comfort. Hybrid boots are suitable for a greater variety of snowboarding styles. You can use these boots for freeride and alpine. For freestyle boarding you are better off with the greater flexibility of soft boots while hard boots are best for racing.
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