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Boot Test Reviews

A few Backcountry.com employees / riders went through the pain of trying on ten different boots so you wouldn't have to. Boots from Burton, DC, Ride, Rome, Nitro, Salomon, ThirtyTwo, and Vans. Check out the riders' profiles, see if any of them sound a bit like you, and then read their reviews.

The Testers

Mayra

Mayra

Caitlin

Caitlin

Profile

Age: 32
Riding Style: Big Mountain
Snowboard Boot Size: 10.5 Wmn's/8.5-9 Men's
Street Shoe Size: 9 Men's
Foot Shape: Slightly Narrow
Current Boot: DC Judge
Snowboard Sock: eesa
Age: 27
Riding Style: All Mountain Freestyle
Snowboard Boot Size: 8-8.5 Men's
Street Shoe Size: 9 Wmn's
Foot Shape: Pretty Normal
Current Boot: Ride FUL
Snowboard Sock: eesa
Burton Sabbath

Burton Sabbath

Mayra's Review

  • I love this boot!
  • Toes just touching, heel hold is great doesn't pinch or annoy.
  • Simple and Great, liner is comfy and supportive
  • I would buy this boot today!

Caitlin's Review

  • Very supportive, liner is comfy.
  • Toes are just touching, instep is very comfortable as well.
  • Velcro tabs on the liner tongue instead of a strap is a great feature.
  • I would buy these boots.
Burton Ruler

Burton Ruler

Mayra's Review

  • Losening up the boot is a bit confusing at first to get it on.
  • Very comfortable; heel, instep, toebox.
  • This is another boot I would buy.

Caitlin's Review

  • Toes are cramped at the front of the boot, would have to size up.
  • The heel and instep are comfy.
  • Can't get the speedzone tight enough, but it is a convenient feature.
  • I wouldnt' ride this boot with it's bulkyness.
Burton Freestyle

Burton Freestyle

Mayra's Review

  • Fits like a glove!
  • Toes are just touching, no hot spots, heel and instep are great.
  • The laces are too long, no where to put the extra bulk.
  • I would purchase this boot for everyday riding.

Caitlin's Review

  • Very easy to get on and off.
  • Length is great, toes are just touching but the instep is tight.
  • Heel area is very loose and I can't get the inner lace tight enough to hold it down.
  • The boot is very soft, I can almost bend them in half.
  • This boot would be great for someone that likes soft boots, but I wouldn't purchace them.
DC Judge

DC Judge

Mayra's Review

  • Very stiff boot.
  • I love the Boa Feature, but it creates some hotspots.
  • Fit is too snug in the instep and toebox making it very uncomfortable.
  • The fit is too inconsistant for me to purchase this boot.

Caitlin's Review

  • Toes are jammed upfront.
  • The boot is too narrow yet my heel is sliding around the boot.
  • Inner lace is really cheap and the liner doesn't have much padding.
  • These boots are uncomfortable and not very supportive, I wouldn't buy them for myself.
Nitro Select

Nitro Select

Mayra's Review

  • Lacing is pretty complicated.
  • These boots are comfortable all around; heel hold, instep and toebox are perfect.
  • They are a bit on the stiff side, but there is a part of the liner you can remove to soften them up.
  • I would purchase this boot, but in the model with the regular lacing.

Caitlin's Review

  • This boot is so comfy!
  • Lacing system is complicated at first.
  • Toes are just touching the front, heel is locked down and my instep is comfortable.
  • I would buy these, they are comfy without sacrificing stiffness.
Ride FUL
Rude FUL

Mayra's Review

  • The liner is fuzzy and warm.
  • Great flex and very supportive; fit is great in all areas.
  • Inner lace is pretty complicated.
  • I like these boots; great flex, comfy and supportive.

Caitlin's Review

  • These boots are extremely light.
  • The boot fits very well in the heel, instep and toebox.
  • Lace locks on the liner and shell are a great feature that really helps keep them tight.
  • The loop on the back is verticle, would work better if it was horizontal to help with pulling the boots on.
  • I owned these boots last season and would definitely upgrade to this years.
Rome Libertine

Rome Libertine

Mayra's Review


  • Comfy and Supportive.
  • Toes are just touching, heel and instep are great.
  • Extra material on the shell of the boot is annoying and bulky.
  • Boot has J-bars in the box to help with heel hold.
  • Great boot overall, would definitely purchase it.

Caitlin's Review


  • My toes are just touching the front of the boot.
  • They feel a little wide, the heel area is a bit loose.
  • The boot isn't as supportive as I would like and there is a spot that digs into the back of my calf.
  • The quality of this boot is very good overall, but just not supportive enough for me.
Salomon F22

Salomon F22

Mayra's Review


  • The lacing is so confusing!
  • The fit of this boot is kind of wide.
  • Fit in the heel and instep is ok, but I can move my foot side-to-side.
  • The lacing sytem would keep me from considering this boot.

Caitlin's Review


  • Wow, these boots are very comfortable when you first put them on.
  • The lacing system is pretty complicated.
  • My toes are squished up against the front, I would have to size up even though the fit overall is a tad wide.
  • These boots are pretty cool, but I wouldn't want to own them.
32 Prime

32 Prime

Mayra's Review


  • This boot is pretty stiff.
  • The heel hold is very uncomfortable around your achilles.
  • THe inner lace works very well.
  • These boots are really uncomfortable all over, I wouldn't purchase them.

Caitlin's Review


  • These boots are pretty light.
  • Toes are just touching the front of the boot.
  • I'm getting a ton of heel lift.
  • I wouldn't purchase these boots as I prefer a stiffer boot with better heel hold.
Vans BFB

Vans BFB

Mayra's Review


  • These boots have crazy pressure points.
  • Not comfortable at all, heel area is also very loose.
  • The fit is very inconsistant, I wouldn't buy them.

Caitlin's Review


  • These boots are heavy and have serveral pressure points.
  • Toes are just touching the front, but I'm getting a ton of heel lift.
  • The profile of these boots is pretty bulky.
  • I wouldn't buy these boots.
Mayra's Top Picks:

Caitlin's Top Picks:

The Goods


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