Burton Ambush 2015 - 2011 Review by The Good Ride

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The Burton Ambush is one of those boots that has a nice freestyle feel but also has enough flex to get out on the mountain and make some good turns too.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  No one is perfect and we do make money from the “Where To Buy” links below, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

2014 and 2015 Burton Ambush Review 

One thing to mention about the Burton Ambush and all Burton Boots is they have the best-reduced footprint technology we have come across.  A size 9 on the inside is much closer to a size 8 on the outside. That means less toe and heel drag without the fit being off or weird inside either. This is especially important if you are one of those in-betweener sizes like a 10 or 11 boot.

Days:  30+
Riders: James, Kyle
Bindings:  Burton Cartel, Burton Genesis, Flux SF, Flux DS, Union Contact Pro, Union Force, Salomon Hologram, Salomon Defender
Boards:  Jones Mountain Twin, Yes Greats, Rossignol One Magtek, Lib Tech Burtner Box Scratcher, Never Summer Proto, Never Summer Cobra, Lib Tech TRS, Arbor Coda,  Burton Nug Flying V, Gnu Space Case,

James’ Foot Specs
Foot Size: Right 9 and Left 8.75
Foot Width: Right and Left between a D/E
Arch Length: Right 9.5 and Left 9
Calves (Widest Point): 17”
Calves (At top of boot): 12”

Size: Kyle own’s size 11 and I spent a few days on the size 9

Fit: Kyle owns these boots and really likes the way they fit around your feet but I have ridden these a few days as well. Burton boots, including the Ambush, fit most of our feet really well. They fit true to size so my size 9 foot fits a size 9 boot perfectly. I also like how there is enough width in the toe box to allow the front part of your foot to expand wider when leaning forward which feels like it gives you more balance.  Even if it isn’t really true it gives you the feeling which is great.  Also, my toes have never gone numb in a Burton boot.

Flex: Very easy forward flex thanks to the articulation material.  It feels like it’s going to be really soft flexing until you get it strapped in the bindings and on the hill.  Once you are in your bindings it feels pretty medium and there is a good support.

Comfort: Every foot is different but Burton usually fits a wide variety of feet really well and it doesn’t usually have a very tough break in period.

Heel Hold: It keeps you pretty locked in but it’s not like the squeeze of a focus BOA boot  If you want to crank down around your ankle to avoid heel lift then Speed lacing will do a good job but Double BOA will be better.  Most of us at the Good Ride would rather trade upper and lower adjustability for a super tight grip around the heel/ankle  To each his own though.

Adjustability: Speed Lace doesn’t have crank down super hard squeeze but it does hold your boot to your feet well and allows complete separation between the upper and lower lacing. Most BOA boots don’t do that so if you like having a separate lacing system you will really like the ambush. I personally like keeping the bottom a little loose and having the top pretty tight and Burton’s speed lace does a perfect job with that. You can’t do that with most Double BOA boots because they both control almost the same part of the ankle.

Flex Retention: This is a light shell but it doesn’t break down that easy. It can easily get 100 days without becoming jelly.  The ankle articulation in the form of neoprene where it flexes the most helps retain the flex.  Also, the imprint 3 boot liner has what is called a rebound rod and it helps too.

Turn Initiation: Pretty middle ground response that allows a nice balanced ride.  There is enough leeway in the park and enough response on the mountain.  This is better with Moderate to easy turning boards but it can work with very easy to semi-challenging turning boards if you are ok with a little more or a little less responsive.

Footprint: Burton’s footprint is the best out there.  It’s almost a full size smaller on the outside but the same size on the inside. So a size 10 boot is still a size 10 on the inside but more like a size 9 on the outside.  This really reduces toe drag and Burton is the best in the industry when it comes to this. The warmth and feel of the ride are unaffected and all you have is a bootless likely to catch the snow on a hard turn or in steep terrain.  This is great for those that have big feet, ride narrow waist boards or are in between the board and binding sizing.

Traction: Pretty good traction.  Nothing exceptional but good enough to deal with most conditions without it being awkward and slippery.

Shock Absorption:  The shock absorption with almost all Burton boots has been reduced over the years and this has been reduced too.  Still, there is pretty good shock absorption and combined with a Burton binding you will have a lot of cushioning between you and the board.

On and Off Ease: The Ambush’s speed lace is really easy to get on and off.  It’s also really easy to adjust on the fly on the mountain.  If you have to loosen your boot a bit Speed Lace is faster than BOA because it’s really easy to let off a little pressure and lock it back in.  When BOA boots are released they release almost all the way and then you have to tighten all the way back up again.