Comfort: I found the Northwave Devine SL boots to be surprisingly comfortable out of the box. I was able to ride them all day without getting too much foot fatigue on day 1.

Turn Initiation: Fast turning with the Devine SL. They have a pretty stiff flex that keeps the boot responsive. But with the stiff flex, I was still able to flex my shin towards my ankle so it was a little forgiving. When flexing my foot upwards, I felt the boot was really responsive.

Shock Absorption: I felt like these boots had decent shock absorption. I did ride them in pretty good conditions and soft snow though.

Heel Hold: The heel hold comes mainly from the way the liner is shaped, and the lace on the inner liner. My foot stayed in place fairly well. I liked how the inner liner laces come all the way up to the top of the liner. I feel like this helped keep my foot in place as well.

Adjustability: The Devine SL have dual speed laces that allow you to dial in the top and the bottom of the boot differently. The power strap also adds adjustability preferences.

Traction: Good rubber traction on this boot with a nice tread pattern that didn’t slip around on me.

On & Off Ease: Once the boot breaks in and relaxes this will be much easier. The stiff flex makes it a little difficult at first. But the quick speed lace system is fast to release, and the inner liner is pretty easy as well.

Overall: The Northwave Devine SL boot would be good for an intermediate to expert rider looking for a stiffer flexing boot. The Devine rides well all mountain but I would even ride park in these boots. They would give you a lot of support for bigger jumps and even half pipe. The speed lace system is great, I like how the wheels keep the friction to a minimum and the locking mechanism helps a lot. They are also really comfortable out of the box so that’s a huge plus. Just make sure to size up a 1/2 size and you should be fine.