Forum Kicker 2013 - 2010 Review by The Good Ride

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The Forum Kicker is a decent medium to stiff flexing all mountain boot.  Thanks to a reader who brought this to my attention the 2012 Kicker does have the same shrinkage tech that Burton has that makes a size 11 boot a size 10 on the outside.  That doesn’t mean that you can buy a size smaller.  It just means that it’s smaller on the outside so you might be able to fit into a smaller waist board than you normally could.

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.

While it skimps on some features you come to expect It has other features that you will like.   Forum is a very freestyle focused company but the Kicker fit’s a wider range of riders.  Forum is owned by Burton so you can see why this boot looks like a variation of other Burton boots. This boot isn’t a bad choice for the price. Forum makes pretty good boots and keeps getting better every year.   They are also coming out with a few new and intuitive designs to help make the freestyle ride experience better than what most boots offer.  If you are a freestyle to all mountain freestyle rider then you should seriously consider what the Forum Kicker has going on.

The all-mountain stiffness is just the right amount for park fun or hitting a steep line. It sits on the stiffer side of medium and gives you that stable feeling.  You can wear these loose or tighten these to where they feel like a 7 or 8 in stiffness. The response is good but it didn’t have that smooth edge to edge response.  You just have to work a little more compared to other boots to transition from edge to edge.  We are big fans of the articulating cuff.  It makes the boot more adjustable, flexible and lasts longer.   This is also a very predictable ride that many will love.

The liner and insole were sub-par in the past but each year the heel hold is getting better. Almost all insoles that come with most snowboard boots suck but Forums’ are closer to the bottom when it comes to quality insoles.  There are however two easy fixes that shouldn’t detract you from buying them. 1st get a good insole from Shred Sole, Sole or Montrail or some other brand and then get one of those heel patches in the drug store or wear your socks backward.

The traction is very good in snow and pretty good in ice. You won’t slip much and you will hold your own if you have to take a hike to get somewhere special.  Its also very comfortable and just like Burton boots, there are no pressure points. The dual zone lacing system makes an adjustment and comfort easy and is just like Burton’s speed lace. The Heel cushioning is great but the front foot does not perform like the heel.  Some people really like having a skateboard shoe feeling in the sole so it’s not necessarily a bad thing. All in all a the Kicker is a pretty good boot that many could enjoy for over 100 days.