Bataleon Salsa BOA 2027 Snowboard Boot Review

An In Depth Breakdown of the Bataleon Salsa BOA Rides Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Product Specs
• Product Images
• Questions?

How It Was Tested:

I borrowed the Bataleon Salsa BOA for an extended demo and plan to send it back.
Size: 9 US
Days: 2
Conditions: Old but decent snow. 
Riders: James (Size 9 E, 5’10”, 185-190lbs). I’ve tested and compared 850+ boards, 200+ bindings, and 120+ boots
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Skyline Fuse Jacket, Jones Mtn Surf Anorak
Pant: Skyline Fase 3L Bib Pant, Skyline Faze Pant, Jones Mountain Surf Pant
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag Low Bridge Fit
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt

Bindings:

Union Force

Boards:

YES Greats, Gnu Turbo Gremlin

Similar (but not the same) Boots:

Nitro Team BOA, Nitro Team TLS, Nidecker Rift Pro,  Ride Torrent, Ride Fuse, Ride Deadbolt, Burton Ion, Burton Photon Step On, Burton Ion Step On, Nitro Profile Step On, Vans Infuse

Ethics Statement

I was not paid to write this review, and it reflects an honest, objective perspective with no brand oversight. If this review helped, we’d appreciate it if you support objective content by:

• Buying Through Our Sponsor, Blauer Board Shop
• Buying through our other Where To Buy Links, we get paid a small commission if you do. Please make sure we are the last click and don’t use a coupon or discount provider. They take our commission if you do.
• Become a Patron and get early access to reviews well before publication.  https://www.patreon.com/thegoodride
• Donate to https://venmo.com/TheGoodRide (@TheGoodRide) or https://paypal.me/thegoodride
• Follow Us: https://www.instagram.com/thegoodride​
• Like & Subscribe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@thegoodridesnow

Weight

The Salsa BOAs are 2 Lbs 9oz, the Rift Pro is about 2 Lbs 7 oz. So is the Nitro Team BOA. So all are pretty close in weight, none are light, and none are too heavy. They’re kind of right in the middle.

Sizing/Fit

James’ Foot Specs

Foot Size: 9 US
Foot Width: E
Arch Length: Right 9.5 and Left 9
Instep: (left and Right) 10.5.”
Calf Circumference:
Top of boot 17.”
Bottom of boot 12.”

Length Wise

I really enjoyed the Salsa BOA’s fit. I felt like. It handled my size 9feet really well. This liner might pack out a little bit over time, but overall, I found that it fit me pretty well lengthwise.

Width Wise

I’m an E width. That’s the beginning of a wide foot. So often, most normal boots need a heat mold for me to get them to work. This did not.

Compared to the Rift Pro, which is made in the same factory, they just have a few minor differences. The Nidecker Rift Pro was just a little tighter on the inside. Their liner is just a little different than the Salsa BOA liner. The Rift Pro might need a heat mold. But when I took this insole out and put in my wider insole, it pushed the sides out a little, giving me just that bit of space that might not need to be heat-molded. My Team BOA and Team TLS fit me perfectly out of the box. And the only thing I don’t like about the Team BOA is the narrow toe box.

Liner

And this liner is very heat moldable. It’s very thick on the top and then gets a little thinner down at the bottom, but not super thin. Around the toe box, it gets a lot thinner. And I think that’s why it fits my wider feet so well. But you can heat mold all of these liners, and it’ll do a great job.

Insole

The insole is pretty basic, very thin. And it’s not bad. but I really enjoyed the ride much better when I put in my KingFoam Orthotic Elite insoles and my Game Changer Sport Pro insoles that are heat moldable I got better shock absorption and a better fit inside the boot. And I’ve chosen these over extensive testing and comparing. These are my favorites, but I think really going with any good brand like Remind or Footprint. Or even a custom orthotic would be a great upgrade for any of these boots.

Adjustability/Lacing

Now, when it comes to the lacing system, this is the new H5 BOA.  You can now turn it back to micro loosen the boot, so you don’t have to pop it, have the whole thing shoot out, and then start over. So it makes tightening these boots a lot easier. The BOAs turn in opposite directions, which is different from H4 and earlier BOAs.

. When you get the BOA’s open, all you do is undo the lace harness inside the liner, which has good Velcro on the inside. And you’re good to go.

The new H5 Boa System is still slower than speed lacing, but it’s just not as messy. It feels easier, so I can see why people love BOA so much. And now, with this micro-adjuster, I can see it even more. And it’s better than the regular collars here, but this is a 26/27 model with all the same features except the BOA Coiler. The Nidecker Rift Pro didn’t have the H5 BOA, but it might have that in 2627. Same for the Nitro Team. We’ll see as that comes along.

Flex & Response

The Bataleon Salsa BOA has a medium-to-medium-stiff flex. And you can see the Team has a medium stiff flex. And the response is really good. I thought this would be a huge bump down from the Acid BOA, but it’s not. It’s only an incremental bump down.

Compared to the Nidecker Rift Pro, I felt a little hesitation in the toe-side turn; it felt stuck for a second. As you commit, it was almost as responsive as the Salsa BOAs. As this boot breaks in a little bit, that goes away. But it’s something you should know about. And with the Nitro Team BOAs, I felt like the response was better, a little smoother. And just flowed better edge to edge than both these boots.

Flex Retention

I love the flex retention of the Bataleon Salsa BOA, and it looks like it will last 100+ days without too much breakdown.

You have a little bit of a plastic spine. Then you have an articulating cuff that goes well towards the spine. So there is very little shell distortion. And over time, this is going to keep its flex really well and last a long time.

Durability

and in terms of durability. This has a harder plastic toe, so it never really caves in. It has a spread-out plastic area in the back to work with just about any high-back and heel loop. There isn’t as much durability around this area as there is with the Nidecker Rift Pro. This is all plastic throughout the bottom with a more durable toe. And this is just going to hold up better everywhere, except maybe in this region of the sole where they have hard plastic. And this is going to hold up better than my Teams. That is all faux leather throughout the boot, except for this area here. That’s plastic.

Shock Absorption / Board Feel

Now, when it comes to shock absorption, I wish there were a little more. They put this black right here, and it gives it a little more damping than the Nidecker Rift Pro Pro, which has none in that heel area. But the Rift Pro, especially in same-day tests. I noticed a lot more shock absorption because it’s all soft underneath. This really takes a lot away from the Eva foam that’s underneath, but neither came close to the Team TLS with its airbag in the heel. And both the Rift Pro and the Salsa BOA did a good job at board feel, but not a great job. Kind of middle ground. Just like the Team BOA here.

Traction

Now, when it comes to traction, you have a Vibram sole. This has excellent traction. It wasn’t quite as good as my Team, but it’s a little better than the Nidecker Rift Pro. But this isn’t bad at all. All three have excellent traction, and I don’t think it’s a deal breaker for any boot unless you want a lot better grip and a sole that’s going to last a little longer. You’ll probably want the Team.

Footprint

So in terms of footprint, these don’t have a very reduced footprint. They are 30.4cm long in a size 9 boot. In comparison to the Rift Pro. These are 30.2. And then my nitro Teams are 29.6-29.7cm. I did notice that I had to adjust my Union forces when I left the Team And went to the Rift Pro or the Salsa BOA’s

Warmth

I felt like the Bataleon Salsa BOA’s were pretty warm. I didn’t really feel much of a difference, though, between the Rift Pro and the Team. BOA. But I run warm, I think there might be warmer boots out there, but if you have the right socks, you should be good.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think the Salsa BOA is a great boot for those who want a medium-to-medium-fast response, medium-to-medium shock absorption, and near-excellent flex retention. Excellent micro-adjustability for BOA. A comfortable liner you run medium to wide in terms of foot width. And you want a long-lasting, pretty durable boot. The Salsa BOA would be a great choice.

The Rift Pro is also a great choice as well. And so is my daily driver, the Nitro. And while I’m sticking with my Nitro Team BOAs, I could see this working for a lot of people out there, and Bataleon’s just making great boots, I’m going to be recommending them to a lot of people