Burton Photon Step On 2021 Snowboard Boot Review

Burton Photon Step On 2021 Review by The Good Ride

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Burton Photon Step On Snowboard Boot Video Review Fast Forward Markers

0:00 – Intro 0:25 – Summary 2:06 -Sizing 3:14 – Lacing and Adjustability 4:04 – On and Off Ease 4:15 – Flex/Response 5:09 – Flex Retention 5:31 – Shock Absorption 6:07 – Traction 6:28 – Reduced Footprint 6:59 – Liner & Inner Boot 7:30 – Conclusion 8:28 – About Our Reviews

Turn Ons/Swipe Right: Super responsive. Best quick release system in the market.
Turn Offs/Swipe Left: Almost no boot to binding and no stance width adjustability. Weird to butter with.

Summary

The Burton Photon Step On boot is incredibly easy to get on and off but also improves response over regular boot/binding systems.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

Burton Photon Step On Snowboard Boot Review- How it rides and who it is for

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How This Review Happened:  We borrowed this for an extended demo and then returned it.  We borrowed this for a day and then returned it. We had a couple of laps at a frantic manic demo day. We liked it so much we asked to keep it (we only do this with our favorites).  After a demo, we liked it so much we bought it.  We spent our precious Good Ride dollars to buy this and review it.

Days: 2
Size Tried: 9 Regular
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs)
Bindings: Burton Step On, Burton Step On X
Boards: Burton Hometown Hero, Yes Ghost

Similar (but not the same) Boots: K2 Quicker, Flow Bindings, Gnu Bindings, Burton Ion Step On, Burton Ruler Step On.

James’ Foot Specs
Foot Size: 9 US
Foot Width: E
Arch Length: Right 9.5 and Left 9
Calve Circumference: Top of boot 17” & Bottom of boot 12”

Sizing/Fit

The 9 felt a little on the tight side along the arch of my foot for my size 9 E foot. Well just a tiny bit shy of a full on E width but close. In the front of the boot there was a lot of room but almost all of my arch was cramping on the sides at first. After 2 days of riding the Burton Photon Step On liner expanded to the point where there was almost no discomfort.

Construction/Flex/Flex Retention

The Burton Photon Step On is well made and seems like it can last a long time. However the flex doesn’t seem like it is going to last as long. This is good because out of the box it is super stiff and in my opinion too responsive. So I would look forward to it breaking down a bit.

Adjustability/Heel Hold

There is not as much upper/lower adjustability compared to the other Double BOA boots. This is essentially a single BOA but with a BOA ankle strap integrated into the boot. If you like a boot that really wraps around your ankle then the Burton Photon Step On boot is a great call.

Response/Turn Initiation

The Burton Photon Step On boot is super responsive. The front of the boot is super stiff but what really makes it so responsive is how it integrates with the Step On and Step On X bindings. The connection to the back of the binding makes it feel more unified than a traditional boot binding combo. It really makes for fast turn initiation and it can turn just about any board. They are in between hard boots and responsive soft boots and great for those that like a responsive carve friendly set up.

Shock Absorption/Board Feel

So the sole is pretty shock absorbent but the integration with the Step On binding makes for a pretty overall shock absorbent ride. Being so connected to the binding made it uncomfortable to butter and I don’t think it would be good for those that like really directional stance angles since you can’t rotate the high back of the Step On Bindings that are mandatory for this set up.

Traction

The Burton Photon Step On is pretty good when it comes to traction and I never felt like I would do the disco splits skating in an icy lift line.

Footprint

Very reduced. I have found Adidas boots to be more reduced but not consistently throughout the size range. For size 9 it isn’t super reduced but as you get into bigger sizes it is very reduced.

On & Off Ease

Very easy on and off. The Burton Photon Step On is also easy in and out of the binding too. That is what makes this so unique.

So overall, The Burton Burton Photon Step On isn’t personally for me but I can say that this is the most recommendable quick release set up I have tried. You not only get a super easy in and out but you get more response than traditional boot/binding combos.

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