About The Good Ride Snowboard Boot Reviews

There is no substitute for trying on boots so remember this isn’t an exact science but just a general guideline to hopefully point you in the right direction. Feet are like snowflakes and they are all very different so what could be massively comfy for your buddy could be a nightmare for you.  When you try on boots here are some suggestions.

1. Put on your snowboarding socks.

2. Spend a lot of time in them.  Take your time and walk around in them forward flex a lot and spend as much time as you can in them.  Let the rep go help someone else or put them on in your house and spend at least 20 minutes in them.  If you order them on line and get them at home put them on and just hang out for at least an hour in them.

3. Put them in your bindings or similar bindings in the shop and stand in them to see if there are any pressure points

 

Here is an explanation of the rating system. 

Sometimes the rating system can change for boots that haven’t changed if their competitors have.  For example if one manufacturer really improves shock absorption on some boots then it might make us re-rate all the boots.

Also I enter in this rating system manually so if you see something that looks off hit me up and if it looks wrong I’ll change it.

Bars  1 2 3 4 5
Flex Soft Med/Soft Medium Med/Stiff Stiff
Turn Initiation Slow Med/Slow Medium Quick Very Quick

 

Snowflakes 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
Flex Retention Poor Poor Average Average Good Good Great Great Excellent Excellent
Comfort Poor Poor Average Average Good Good Great Great Excellent Excellent
Heel Hold Poor Poor Average Average Good Good Great Great Excellent Excellent
Adjustability Poor Poor Average Average Good Good Great Great Excellent Excellent
Shock Absorption Poor Poor Average Average Good Good Great Great Excellent Excellent
Traction Poor Poor Average Average Good Good Great Great Excellent Excellent
Reduced Footprint Poor Poor Average Average Good Good Great Great Excellent Excellent
On and Off Ease Poor Poor Average Average Good Good Great Great Excellent Excellent

 

Fit:  Does the Snowboard boot fit true to size, run a little small or a little big.

Flex:  How stiff is this boot? Response and flex often go hand in hand.  It’s not always the case but just a general rule of thumb.  Some prefer almost no flex, some love a boot that feels like a sock and others like something in between.

Flex Retention:   How long does the boots flex last.  Also I will often bring up other longevity traits here like how the toe box holds up over time and how it might hold up to abuse.

Turn Initiation:  How well does this boot help you to initiate turns and transition from edge to edge? Some like a smooth mellow response and some like the board to be quick and sharp. There is no right or wrong when it comes to this but instead what works best for you.

Comfort:   How does the boot fit around your foot? Does it have pressure points or take a long time to break in?

Heel Hold:   Does this boot hold your heel in place and keep it from lifting up. Some people become obsessed with this and others don’t care.

Adjustability:  How well can you customize the boot to the parts of your feet and the part of the leg in it?  Some love a completely separate lower and upper to dial out each part while others prefer a uniform tightening system from shin to toe.

Shock Absorption:  Does it handle hard landings or chatter? Will it help keep your knees and hips intact? Are you looking for more protection or a skate like feel with little shock absorption?

Traction:  This use to be a non issue but with lot’s of single mold EVA foam soles it’s something to pay more attention to. Can this boot keep it’s traction in any condition from ice to soft snow.

Reduced Footprint:  How long is the boot from heel to toe and how well does it integrate with bindings and boards.  Fore example:

“Excellent/Very Reduced” is usually 1 size or more reduced on the outside while the inside is still the same. These are excellent choices for those that are in between sizes and want to size down.  For example you are a size 10.5 and you want to better fit medium bindings or a board with a little bit smaller waist width.

“Great/Reduced” is 1/2 size to 3/4 size Reduced on the outside.

“Good/Some Reduction” is usually around 1/4 size.

“Avarage/Not Reduced” is a normal size boot the way they were made in the past.

“Poor/Large” is a boot that is more old school and runs a bit bulkier than most boots out there. This often means you have to size up if you are in between sizes.

On & Off Ease: How quick can you get the boot on and off.