Burton Waverange X Step On 2026 Boot Review

 Snowboard Boot Review: How It Rides And Who It Is For Review by The Good Ride

• User Reviews
• Product Specs
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How The Burton Waverange X Step On Boot Was Tested:

I borrowed the Burton Waverange X Step On demo and returned it. I rode this with the Burton Counterbalance, the Burton Cartel, X Step On S, t And my good old Union Atlas. Step On the binding. I used to test most Step On boots with.
Days: 1
Conditions:  and an early morning slackountry time with Drift Boards and Union Rovers
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, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove

Bindings:

Union Atlas Step On

Boards:

Burton Counterbalance

Similar (but not the same) Boots:

Burton Photon Step On, Burton Ion Step On, Nitro Profile Step On TLS, Nitro Venture Step On TLS

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”

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Weight

The Burton Waverange X Step On is 2 Lbs 3 oz. They’re definitely lighter than older Step On boots like the Burton Ions, which weigh 2 Lbs 9 oz. And then if you pair these up with any Step On binding, they’re all very light. For example, the Burton Cartel X Step On is 1 Lbs 9 oz (super light) and the Union Atlas Step On is 1lb 15oz (very light).

Fit/Sizing

I’m a size 9, and I’m an E width. In the past, with Burton Step On boots, I always needed to heat-mold the sides.  But they always fit lengthwise. They packed out a little bit, but not enough to be a deal breaker. You add a little boot-fitting foam in the heel, and everything was good with the Waverange X and Waverange X Pro I tried. I felt like these might run one quarter to one half size longer. They did fit my E-width feet really well. I didn’t need to heat-mold them, and that’s rare for Burton. Step On. So they definitely have a wider area up here, and they don’t feel much wider around the ankle and heel. And it does have a very heat-moldable liner. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to pack out as much as older Burton liners.

Insole

The insole that comes with the Burton Waverange X Step On…is okay, but you can do much better with a custom orthotic insole molded to your foot, as you see here from Sand Sole, or just going with something like the KingFoam Orthotic Elite from Footprint Insoles, which just has incredible shock absorption, or even a Remind insole like the Chad Otterstram you see here.

Adjustability/Lacing System

The Burton Waverange X Step On is a double boa with the top focusing here and the bottom boa focusing down here.

One thing Jordan, our women’s reviewer, pointed out is that with this new covered area over the bottom of the boot, it’s going to be very hard to replace if they have to repair the BOA underneath. They might have to cut this off to get that to work. And that’s kind of a bummer.

But you get a great upper-lower separation. And that’s much better than a lot of the BOA’s. Burton had that were just single boa on the outside. And then maybe an ankle strap. Like the photon. This is very easy to put on and take off. You still have that internal harness too, and then BOA’s getting on, take a bit of twisting sometimes popping it to adjust. But when you pop it out, it doesn’t just shoot out like it used to; it holds. So it’s a little easier to adjust and dial out when you’re getting these on.

J-Bars

And then when you want to get them off, they just pop, pop, undo the internal harness, and you’re out. If you do have a heel lift, you can buy Burton J bars, and that can really dial in your fit. And if they’re too tight, you can shave, cut, or sand them down. and get your ideal fit. You can find them on Burton’s site.

Flex & Response

The Burton Waverange X Step On is just the softest boot I’ve ever tried. And I thought the Waverange Pro was soft, but this is even softer. What I found is there’s almost no response on the toe side, but then more response because you’re engaging with that high back on the heel side. So it’s a lopsided response. It’s easy to get used to it, but I don’t like it. I like symmetry in responses.

One thing I found is that if I’m really trying to carve or turn with a board that requires a lot more response than the Counterbalance, I try with it. I really felt like the whole boot flexes forward, and then your heel drives into this plastic part in the back. It’s the only hard part in the boot, and it holds the Step On technology. It just drove my heel into there and hurt it. It felt like it was going to rip off the skin of my heel. If I tried to engage in a really hard carve. And it really makes Step On feel a [censored] ton less responsive. So if you’re into that, that might work for you.

Flex Retention

The flex retention, this articulating cuff helps, but the Burton Waverange X Step On is just so soft. If you look here, you can already see it breaking down just from me riding it for a few days and buttering it. It looks like it’s using very high-end tech, but I’m not sure how durable it’s going to be over 100 days of riding, especially if you’re in the park. That can often be more demanding and harder on boots than just riding the mountain.

Shock Absorption / Board Feel

You don’t have much here. I really felt a stark contrast between getting out of the Waverange X and X Pro, and then getting on the Burton Ions. I felt like I was walking on a cushion, where this felt a lot harder. It looks like there’s a lot of shock absorption here, but there really isn’t. It’s made to work with Step On bindings that have a very shock-absorbent footbed. But there is a good board feel underfoot. I did feel a little bit better on these than on the Ions, even though they’re way back in terms of response.

Traction

The Burton Waverange X Step On has a Vibram outsole, which provides excellent traction. It works in all kinds of conditions, and the traction doesn’t change when it’s super cold.

Footprint

The Burton Waverange X Step On seems to be the same as regular Burton boots, in size 9 US, measuring 29.7cm. But when you’re in Step On, the heel sticks out further than regular bindings. So if you’re doing really aggressive carves, you often hit that heel where you won’t with non-Step On bindings.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Burton Waverange X Step On are very soft and very unresponsive, compared to the rest of the Step On world, which is usually excessively responsive. But they have a much more natural flex from tip to tail. If you’re somebody who skates or surfs and wants a feeling that’s much more natural, like you don’t have boots and bindings, these could work for you. So there you have it.